Sims 3 won't open

@EspressoBean21  Okay, with Origin open (even as it's telling you to download the EA App), find Sims3Launcher.exe in the game's program files and double-click it to open the launcher.  (TS3.exe runs the game itself, but in an Origin or EA App install, it'll just call the launcher anyway.)  If you installed Sims 3 in the default location, both .exe files will be in one of these locations:

Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

It didn't work. It just closed and reopened origin just like it was doing with the EA launcher. I even tried it again with the task manager method for the CPU limiting. 

@EspressoBean21  Please disable Controlled Folder Access, if it's running.  This guide is for Sims 4, but the concept is the same:

https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/03/windows-10-defender-controlled-folder-access.html

If that doesn't help, please post a new dxdiag.  Please also let me know whether the launcher opens at all at the moment, just so we're on the same page.

It was already off... I can open the launcher but hitting play will just reopen the launcher or the Origin/EA app. 

@EspressoBean21  Your dxdiag doesn't show any of the usual crashes associated with the error related to 12th- and 13th-gen Intel processors, so either you're addressing that effectively or the game isn't getting far enough in the process of launching to run into that error.  But what the dxdiag does list is a pile of errors related to the Intel graphics driver.  So it's worth uninstalling and the driver.

You're actually running the Arc driver, which Intel lists as compatible with Arc graphics cards, not specifically for your processor's integrated graphics chip.  So please use the "Intel Graphics - Windows DCH Drivers" download, dated October 26, on this site:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/230500/intel-core-i713700k-processor-30m-cache-up-to-5-40-ghz/downloads.html

Here's how to do a clean uninstall and reinstall of the driver:

https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/02/clean-re-install-of-graphics-drivers-with-display-driver-uninstaller-ddu.html

Please also specify that your computer should use the AMD graphics card for Sims 3.  Hit Windows key-i, select System > Display > Graphics settings, click Browse, choose Sims 3 (TS3.exe, without the W) from the list, click the high performance option, and save.

I did all you listed and tried it again with the processor fixes and nothing has changed. 

@EspressoBean21  Are you currently getting any errors in the Reliability Monitor?  I'm only interested in those that happened at the exact time you tried to launch Sims 3, and only those from after you uninstalled and reinstalled the Intel graphics driver.

There are no new errors in reliability monitor since changing the driver. 

@EspressoBean21  It sounds like Sims 3 is refusing to open, not crashing, so I don't think you'd get a crash dump even if you manually enabled them.  But it's worth trying anyway:

• Hit the Windows key, type "command prompt" in the box, right-click on Command Prompt in the search results, and select Run as Administrator
• In the window, paste "reg add "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps\devenv.exe" /v DumpType /d 2 /t REG_DWORD" without the outside quotes into the box, and enter
• Open the launcher and try to launch Sims 3
• Wait a minute, then hit Windows key-R and paste "%LOCALAPPDATA%\CrashDumps" without quotes into the box, and enter
• Upload the last .dmp file to a free filesharing site and link it here
• When you want to undo the auto crash log dumps, open Command Prompt as before, paste "reg delete "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\LocalDumps" /f" without the outside quotes, and enter.

Please also let me know whether you have any use for the integrated graphics chip in this system.  I'm wondering whether disabling it entirely would help.  It's just speculation, but it's also something you could change back and forth with a couple clicks in the BIOS.

I turned them on but there are no sims 3 files in the crash dump, did you want my most recent one anyways? and I have a dedicated GPU so chances are I don't really need the integrated graphics chip. Regardless though I did set in ,y settings for sims to specifically use my GPU anyways. 

@EspressoBean21  The reason I suggested disabling the iGPU is that it's one more possible contributing factor, and as you've said, you don't really need it active.  (Some people run software that can use it, but it's generally better to use the dedicated card anyway.)  Like I said, it should be a simple change in the BIOS; please check your motherboard's documentation.  If you can't find the setting, let me know, and I'll try to find a video walkthrough for your specific board.

I think it's worth testing in the new Windows account, if you still have it, just to cover as many possible causes as possible.

Sorry for taking to long to reply, I got very discouraged about fixing the game. I recently tried two new fixes I saw on other forums. I exempted it from Data Execution Prevention in windows and also ran it in compatibility settings (windows 7/8/Vista etc).  I haven't gotten it working, but I did manage to open the launcher then get an actual error now.  I also reinstalled DirectX9, Net framework 3.5, and the 2005 redistributables again just in case. but this error is now easily recreate-able and I'm not sure what to do next. 

I also set it to not run in fullscreen mode or enable in-game overlay just to be safe.

I did attempt the powershell and CPU work arounds as well. I also did as you recommended with the IGPU to no avail. 

@EspressoBean21  This error is related to running the game in compatibility mode (PCA2 stands for Program Compatibility Assistant 2).  So please undo any compatibility mode you currently have set and look for any new errors.  Sims 3 can run just fine in Windows 10 and 11.

If this doesn't help and you don't get any new errors, please try again to play in a new admin account, just to be thorough, and look for any errors there.

Even seeing no errors at all is useful information, so let me know either way.

I turned off the compatibility settings and now EA can't open it at al. It keeps saying "there's an error on our part, please try again later".

I repaired the game through the app and restarted my PC and nothing changed. So now I can't even open the launcher? No errors on reliability monitor though. 

So I turned off run as administrator and now EA can open it. I get to the launcher and when I open it with the PowerShell solution for CPUs it says the game is already running and closes. If I used the task manager version the launcher closes, EA app reopens, then it goes back to the launcher. Overall nothing happens, and no errors in reliability monitor.

@EspressoBean21  Please keep in mind that the Reliability Monitor only updates once an hour or so, meaning if you first opened it to look for errors, then tried to launch Sims 3, you wouldn't necessarily see any error from that last attempt right away.  And just to be clear, this all happens in a new Windows account as well?  I'm just trying to be thorough here.

So no new errors in the reliability report like I said, BUT HOLY CRAP, on the test account I opened the game with the powershell running and IT WORKED. What could that mean for my main account? I would really like not to have to be in this blank account just to play the game if possible. 

@EspressoBean21  That could mean the permissions are borked on the main account's Documents folder, in which case you could try this:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/new-install-windows-11-can-t-start-damaged-or-missing-game-files/m-p/12115824#M241041

I wrote that answer for Sims 4, but the same principle applies.

Please also make sure that the main account's Documents directory is C:\Users\your username\Documents, that it's not still somehow pointing to OneDrive.  You can check by opening Command Prompt (you can search for it) and running this command:

reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders" /v "Personal"

Please copy and paste the command rather than trying to write it out.  This will output the location of Documents, and like I said, it should NOT have OneDrive anywhere in the file path.

So I ran the script from the linked sims 4 post and it didnt work, it said the game was already running. So i did the file inquiry and it *does* say onedrive. But I totally disabled onedrive earlier in this troubleshooting. Now what?

@EspressoBean21  Change the default location of Documents in your main account using one of these methods:

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/move-or-restore-default-location-of-documents-folder-in-windows-11.8708/

You'll want it to be C:\Users\your username\Documents, with no OneDrive in the file path.  (You could of course direct it somewhere else if you prefer, but there's no need to do so.)  You can use the same script to check your work afterwards.

Alright I fixed it to direct back to regular documents but unfortunately it still says the sims is already open when I try to launch it.