Sims 3 Launcher Greyed Out?

Hello!

I wanted to jump on here and inquire about if any of you know how to fix this issue. I've already attempted going through customer service, and they were absolutely no help (do they even read the messages?)

The essential issue is that when I launch the Sims 3, the Launcher appears but doesn't finish loading, I will attach a picture for reference.

The only thing I can think about that would have changed is that my computer updated, but up until that point I had no issue running Sims or any additional expansion packs. I'm running this all on a Microsoft Surface X Pro.

At this point, I have attempted uninstalling and reinstalling both Sims 3 and Origin, "repairing" the game through Origin, changing the system compatibility in properties, running with administrative privileges, and deleting the cache files.

If any of you mind lending time to help me fix this issue, I would be very grateful. I am rather despondent about the lackluster responses I've gotten through EA customer support, so any help is deeply appreciated.

technical issues

puzzlezaddict
3 years ago
@TheRaddestCrow As a test, please create a new admin Windows account and try playing in that. Make it a local account, as in, don't sign into Microsoft, and don't sync with any other services you normally use. You'll be able to sign into Origin and won't need to redownload anything, but your saves and other user data won't be available. That can be addressed later; for now, just let me know whether the game starts at all.

If you see the same error, please let me know what antivirus you use, and also run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

8 Replies

puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@TheRaddestCrow Please either clear the cache for Internet Explorer:

https://kb.wisc.edu/page.php?id=15141

or clear Edge's IE mode data (end of the article):

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-and-delete-browser-history-in-microsoft-edge-00cf7943-a9e1-975a-a33d-ac10ce454ca4

Even if you never use either one, the launcher does for some purposes. Be sure to include favorite sites in the data you clear.
TheRaddestCrow
3 years ago
Hi! Thank you so much for responding!
I cleared out the IE mode data, and when I reloaded Sims 3, the play button was still greyed out. Are there any other solutions?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@TheRaddestCrow Does the rest of the launcher load? You'd typically see an ad for Sims 4 as well as some other info.

Anyway, please try moving the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop. When you open the launcher, a clean folder will spawn with no content, or at least I think it should; I'm not actually sure how far the launcher needs to get in the loading process before that happens. If you don't see a Sims 3 folder at all after moving the old one, please let me know.

I'd also like to know whether you use OneDrive, and if so, whether it's automatically syncing the contents of Documents and how full it is.
TheRaddestCrow
3 years ago
Hi Again!
No, the rest of the launcher doesn't load. I left a reference for what I see attached to the first post.
I moved the file, and a new one did appear when the launcher opened.
I do have One drive on my computer, and it is currently synced to contents of Documents, it is rather full.
Thank you again!
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@TheRaddestCrow I actually meant does the rest of the launcher load now that you've cleared IE's cache (or Edge's IE data), as in, did deleting the data help at all, but you answered that as well.

I do think OneDrive is the issue here, perhaps its presence alone but more likely the fact that it's almost full. You can try disabling its auto-syncing of Documents:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/choose-which-onedrive-folders-to-sync-to-your-computer-98b8b011-8b94-419b-aa95-a14ff2415e85

You may first need to pause syncing or cancel the current sync:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-cancel-or-stop-sync-in-onedrive-4885c27e-3d89-4d69-be75-2646c71367d3

Or you can just clear some space within OneDrive and see how it goes.

You mentioned that this happened after your computer updated, and it's not uncommon for OneDrive to adopt somewhat more aggressive syncing settings after an update. I don't know whether this is technically opt-in but with a vague or misleading message ("Do you want to ensure your data is securely backed up in case anything happens? Then check this box.") because I don't use OneDrive at all, but it's something to be aware of the next time your computer installs a major update.
TheRaddestCrow
3 years ago
Hello again Puzzleaddict.
I am terribly sorry, but your fix hasn't worked on my issue yet. I unsynced my One Drive and cleared up some repeat documents, but when I relaunched the Sims 3 launcher there wasn't any change. I am so sorry, I have no idea what's going on.
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@TheRaddestCrow As a test, please create a new admin Windows account and try playing in that. Make it a local account, as in, don't sign into Microsoft, and don't sync with any other services you normally use. You'll be able to sign into Origin and won't need to redownload anything, but your saves and other user data won't be available. That can be addressed later; for now, just let me know whether the game starts at all.

If you see the same error, please let me know what antivirus you use, and also run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/
TheRaddestCrow
3 years ago
Hello again Puzzlezaddict!
Good news! I went in and created a new admin windows account and was able to access Sims 3 as normal. And then, when I went back into my regular account, I was able to access the launcher as normal! I'm afraid I don't know what fixed my issue, but thank you so much for your help!