sims 3 not installing on mac

@nadsyons (and all the people who clicked Me Too)  If your Mac runs Catalina, this is the issue:  Sims 3 is a 32-bit app, and Catalina is 64-bit only. There's no way around this. But EA has announced a 64-bit-compatible version of TS3 for macOS, to be released some time this year. Here's the full announcement:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/An-announcement-for-The-Sims-3-players-on-Mac/td-p/8271641

In the interim, your only options are to play on another computer, to install Windows on your Mac (via Parallels or Bootcamp), or to install Mojave or earlier on an external drive and play from there. If you'd like help with any of these options, feel free to ask.

If you'd rather not try those or wait for the new version of TS3, you can request a refund from EA:

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/account/returns-and-cancellations/

I am having the same problem but with sims 4... could this be the same issue? I have a Mac and currently have Catalina. 

@katelyncostner  No, this isn't an issue with Sims 4: it runs just fine in Catalina.  Please post a screenshot of the error you're seeing.  Please also list the full specs of your Mac, as described here:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-4-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4612396#M162

When looking at the specs under About This Mac, click the Storage tab, then list the total and available storage as well.

@laurenbennett1  Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen, and select About This Mac.  Your operating system will be listed (e.g. macOS Catalina, Mojave, etc.), along with the other specs of your computer.

Hi there thank you for your good answers. How can i change my software from catalina to Mojave? Thank you!

@xxkl11  Unfortunately, you'd need to wipe your Mac in order to reinstall Mojave.  If you have a Time Machine backup from when Mojave was installed, you could use that to restore your files.  But that might not work in Catalina.

Your other option is to install Mojave on an external hard drive or USB stick (with at least 128 GB storage).  You'd need temporary access to a Mac that hadn't been updated to Catalina yet in order to install Mojave.  But you could then install the game on that external drive, and boot into Mojave whenever you wanted to play.  Here's a guide:

https://bluebellflora.com/running-32-bit-apps-after-macos-mojave/

Thank you for this information! mine doesn't work too and I have just purchased the sims 3, I've requested for a refund as there is no point keeping it if is not going to work, I hope they will fix the issue soon! thanks again!

Thanks for the info! I have Sims 4 but really prefer 3 :/

Do I have to wipe my Mac in order to install windows? Or is it kind of like Chrome where I can just have it along with Catalina?

@boots3024  You definitely don't need to wipe your Mac.  When you Bootcamp, you partition your hard drive and install Windows on one side; the other side stays intact.  Here's a more thorough description of the process:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201468

Ideally, you'd be able to devote at least 200 GB to the Windows partition and still have enough free for macOS: 50 GB is fine unless you plan on downloading a lot more stuff in the future.  Windows does need a lot of room to maneuver, and the entire Sims 3 install might take ~35 GB if you install every pack.  Plus you'll want room for your saves, mods and cc, screenshots, etc.  Some people can get away with a bit less storage, but they have to watch their free space carefully.

If you do want to go this route, feel free to ask more questions.  I was intimidated when I first Bootcamped my own Mac, but it was a surprisingly smooth process, and almost two years out, I'm almost positive I didn't break anything.