Thanks ceejay.
Let me post a new version of my guide incorporating many of the suggested changes. Because this is turning out to be a corporate effort I can add your screen names if you like.
I did add a rather lengthy, but optional, explanation section to the section on trouble shooting so they can see where we are coming from and why we are suggesting what we are suggesting.
SUGGESTED PROCEDURE TO INSTALL A PATCH, EXPANSION OR STUFF PACK
Prerequisites:
This procedure is for a PC running Windows XP, Win 7 Pro and Win 8 Pro.
Your machine meets or exceeds the required specifications to run the game.
You use discs, but it should work with Origin and Steam.
Your installation is a standard install to C:\
Your Game Installation Folders are installed to: C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 for Disc installations or C:\Program Files\Origin Games\The Sims 3 for Origin installations
You User Data Folder is installed to: C:\(My) Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3
You are not using any “no CD cracks” or anything but a 100% EA base game, expansion or stuff pack installation.
This procedure has worked for me ever since patch 1.34 and is offered to help the community.
Section 1: TO INSTALL A GAME PATCH
1. Open the launcher and go to Game Updates. That’s the last button on the launcher dialog box. You will see a check box labeled Automatic Updates. Unselect that box. You will be notified when there is an update/patch. When an update/patch is released you will get a notification and an option to apply the update/patch. When you see that notification DON’T do the update/patch yet.
2. Update Origin. Either launch Origin and allow it to automatically update or go here— http://www.origin.com/download and manually update it.
3. Navigate to (My) Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3. Either move this folder to your desktop or rename it to “The Sims 3 old”. This is critical because this folder, also called the User Data Folder, is the “working” folder for your game. It contains your user input, saved games, custom content and any Mods you may have. In many cases this folder will have something that can stop the patching, so it is best to get it out of the way. This is based on the simple fact that if it is not there, it can’t interfere.
4. Once Origin has updated it’s time to install the patch. Go back to the Launcher and select the checkbox to download the incremental patch. The patch will download and install.
If the patch fails, don’t panic. You need to install the Super Patcher. The Super Patcher is an official EA patch so don’t be afraid to use it if you have to.
A failed incremental patch may overwrite only some of the actual game files in contained in the Game Installation Folders and corrupt your installation. You may not even be able to launch the Launcher. The Super Patcher will force an overwrite of all the files and (hopefully) correct the failed incremental patch installation. You can get the Super Patcher here-- http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/175477.page It’s stickied in the Sims 3 web site in the very first thread in this Technical Discussions Forum. Super Patch 1.50 was 1.2 GB so expect a long download. When it finishes downloading it will be a self-executable file. Double click on it and it will install. Neither the incremental nor the super patch should corrupt any of your saved games.
5. Launch the game. The game will generate a new (My) Documents\Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 folder. It will be pristine and should play. It will not have your downloads, mods, settings or any user files, but that’s OK and exactly what we want at this point. Everything that you really want like your saved games is safe and sound in either The Sims 3 folder on your desktop or in “The Sims 3 old” folder you renamed, just waiting to be restored. Do as extensive a test of the game as you want. You might try to see if the patch has corrected any game bugs. When you are finished exit the game. Do not put your old The Sims 3 folder back yet.
If the test did not go well then you will have to troubleshoot the problem until the game works properly. Once the game is working properly you can move to the next step.
6. So now we have a good installation and we know that the game is working properly. It’s now time to put back your old The Sims 3 folder back. This can get tricky because some of the files in the old folder may not be compatible with the new patch. AT A MINIMUM YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAVE TO UPDATE YOUR MODS, if you have any, because outdated mods will almost certainly cause crashing and game instability.
7. Delete new The Sims 3 folder that the game created when you tested your installation. If you moved your old The Sims 3 folder to your desktop you can move it back. If you renamed The Sims 3 folder to “The Sims 3 old”, delete the word “old”.
9. Launch the game. It should work. If it doesn’t, but it worked fine with your test games, then that means that you still have a bad file(s) in The Sims 3 folder that you will have to troubleshoot, but you know that your installation is OK and that the game works. What you can do allow the game to create a new The Sims 3 folder and then selectively move folders from the old folder into the new folder testing as you go.
Section 2: INSTALLING AN EXPANSION OR STUFF PACK. The procedure to install an Expansion or Stuff Pack is identical to Steps 2-9 for installing a patch. If the installation fails then troubleshooting will be required to pin point the nature of the failure and the reasons for the failure.
Section 3: INSTALLING A STORE PATCH. The procedure for this is simple. When you get the notice that a store patch is available you can simply apply it. This patch applies to your User Data Folder so you don’t want to move or rename it.
Section 4: BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING TIP.
THE TIP. If you are having trouble with your game, navigate to (My)Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 and rename The Sims 3 to “The Sims 3 old” (You can move it to your Desktop if you want to) then launch the game and test it. The game will generate a brand new The Sims 3 file that has none of your user content. This simple procedure restores the game to new and insures that there is nothing that you have done that is causing the game trouble. If the game runs fine then that means you have a problem in “The Sims 3 old” folder that needs to be corrected. If you continue to have the same trouble with the new The Sims 3 folder then your computer may have trouble with the game or there is some other problem with the game installation that you will need to correct.
THE REASON FOR THE TIP. You don’t need to read this, but here is why. This tip is based on the fact that The Sims 3 installs to c:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 which we can call the Game Installation Folders. The actual files that you play are copied to C:\(My) Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 also called the User Data Folder. So far as I know nothing you do to the User Data Folder modifies any files in the Game Installation Folders. The only thing that should modify the Game Installation Folders are the EA Patches, Expansion and Stuff packs that you install. Only EA files should be in the Game Installation Folders. Thus, unless you actively modify the files in the Game Installation Folders, only EA modifies those files. The average user almost never has any reason to mess with the Game Installation Folders and, if you do, you better know what you are doing and realize that you are risking ruining your game installation. If you do modify the Game Installation Folders it is difficult for us to help you because we are assuming a standard installation and EA only Game Installation Folders.
The game is actually played from the User Data Folder. The User Data Folder contains both the files generated from the Game Installation Folders and your user input. You user input consists of custom content, EA store downloads, Mods, saved games etc. In troubleshooting a problem we are trying to isolate a problem that may be caused by either something the game has done or a problem created by something you have done to your User Data Folder. So when you move or rename your User Data Folder and the game generates a new and clean one then we know that we are only dealing with EA only files and problems. If the problem goes away then we can focus on your User Data Folder. If the problem is still there then we can focus on the Game Installation Folders and your computer. That is why we ask you to do it.
If you move or rename the User Data Folder and the game that was freezing or crashing now runs normally and without the problems you were experiencing, then that lets us know that there is something in your old User Data Folder that is causing a problem. Based on our experience (most of us learned the hard way) the most common causes of game problems are bad custom content or out dated Mods (as a general rule, they have to be updated after every patch). Less common, but not unusual, is a corrupted game save file.
This also means that the chances of actually corrupting your Game Installation Folders is very, very low and that you almost never need to uninstall and reinstall your game. Unless you are very unlucky simply moving or renaming your User Data Folder will accomplish the same thing. It should be obvious that if the problem was in your old User Data Folder, and you do a complete uninstall and reinstall, and then put the old User Data Folder back, you will have the exact same problem with which you started.
Section 5: UNINSTALL AND RE-INSTALL. Remember you almost never need to do this. Moving or renaming the Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder should act as an uninstall and reinstall.
Nevertheless, assume that the worst has happened and your Game Installation Folders and files have been corrupted. You have tried everything. I feel your pain, been there and done that, as they say. Let me set out what has worked for me. This procedure assumes that you have discs. You will need to adjust it if you are using Origin or Steam. Depending on the number of expansion and stuff packs you have this will take about 5 or 6 hours.
a. Go to this web page and down load the free version of Revo Uninstaller. http://www.revouninstaller.com/index.html It will uninstall the program and then clean up any leftover folders, files and registry entries. The beauty of Revo is that it automatically cleans up the Registry so that you won’t have to manually edit it. If you don’t want to use Revo follow the manual uninstall instructions here: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/86670.page
b. Install Revo Uninstaller, but don’t run it yet. If you are not using Revo skip this step.
c. MOVE, don’t rename, your (My)Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder to your desk top.
e. Either using Revo Uninstaller or manually, uninstall all the Sims 3 expansion and stuff packs and the base game. You will need to make sure that all folders, files and registry entries are removed.
e. Once everything is uninstalled, reinstall the base game.
f. Patch the base game to the latest patch as set out in Section 1 of the guide. (Don’t fight it. You can limp along with an earlier patch for a while, but as time passes EA will add more things that require the latest patch so, at some point, you will be forced to update.)
g. Play a test game to check the installation. It will create a new Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder. Leave this new folder in place for the time being. You will use this folder until you move your old The Sims 3 folder back. Test however you want to make sure the game is functioning correctly. If the game does not function correctly, you will need to troubleshoot.
h. Reinstall the expansions and stuff packs. I reinstall them in order, a lot of very knowledgeable people say that you can install them in any order. It’s your choice. Here is the web site giving you the release order https://help.ea.com/article/the-sims-3-installation-order If you use discs you must play with the last issued expansion or stuff pack that you have, so I would install that one last. You should not need to re-patch. If you get a warning that your base game is newer than the expansion or stuff patch ignore it and proceed with the installation. Leave the Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder alone. To really make sure that each installation is successful you should play a test game after each installation. Regardless, this is going to take a long time (depending on how many expansion and stuff packs you have) so get some snacks and your favorite beverage. A book to read is optional.
i. Once you have reinstalled everything, play a final test game. Really wring it out. Do everything you can think of (or want) to test. If everything works go to step j.
j. Delete the new Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder and put your old one back. Make sure it is updated. You should be up and running.
Good luck
