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cjloffa's avatar
cjloffa
New Novice
16 hours ago

Sims 3 stuck in "Sign in to Origin" activation loop

Since the night of July 23rd, I can't get past Sims 3's legacy "Sign in to Origin" activation screen. Steps to reproduce:

1. Launch Sims 3 (via EA App or directly via Sims3Launcher.exe — same result either way)

2. Reach the "Sign in to Origin" screen

3. Enter EA credentials, click Sign In

4. After 10-80 seconds, the launcher just closes — no error message, exits cleanly, activation never completes

The activation token file (tslus.bin) never grows past 10 bytes, so it's never actually receiving a real token back.

What I've already ruled out, so I'd rather not repeat generic troubleshooting steps:

- Full uninstall + fresh reinstall (21GB) — identical crash on the brand new install

- EA App's built-in Repair function

- Bypassing EA App entirely and launching the game executable directly — same failure

- System clock/time sync — confirmed correct

- Game file integrity — confirmed via Repair

This started right after an EA App auto-update, and the fact that it fails identically whether launched through EA App or standalone points to the legacy Origin-era activation service itself rather than anything on my end.

I already filed a ticket under the Sims 3 category on the help page and was told this issue "isn't supported by advisors." Has anyone else hit this recently, or found a workaround? Would also appreciate if a mod could confirm whether this is a known server-side issue.

crashing
mods
technical issues

2 Replies

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    8 hours ago

    cjloffa​  Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the EA App?  Even if you have, I'd suggest doing so again, this time a clean uninstall with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine).  Use the Moderate scanning method when asked, and download a fresh copy of the installer.

    Please also delete some Windows temp files:

    • Click Windows key-R, and a run box will appear in the lower-left corner of the screen.
    • In the new window, type or copy & paste "%temp%" (without the quotes), and enter.
    • Now your Windows Explorer should have brought you to the C:\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\Temp folder.  Delete all files and folders inside.
    • If some files or folders can't be deleted, restart your computer (a real restart, not sleep/wake) and try again.


    If that doesn't help, can you connect your computer to a different network, at least temporarily?  If it has wifi, you could set your phone as a mobile hotspot, using data rather than your home network.  And of course you could take a laptop to work/school or a friend's house, or a coffee shop for that matter.  The point is to test the network side of things; I'm not suggesting this as a permanent workaround.

  • DivinylsFan's avatar
    DivinylsFan
    Seasoned Ace
    45 minutes ago

    Possibly unrelated, Origin had a big bad data breach in Australia. It affected the energy provider part of the company but its probably all a corporate thing eh, connected. But I thought it wasn't supposed to be connected to Sims anymore. 

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