Can any help me figure out why my sims 3 64-bit keeps crashing? Here are my computer specs: macOS Monterey Version 12.5 MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) Processor 2.9 GHz Dual-Core Intel i5 Memory 8 GB 1867 MHz DDR3Graphics Intel Iris Graphic 6100 1536 MB

@puzzleaddict omg I was always accustomed to playing offline but I think you're right that that was the key--turns out I had been forgetting to turn off my wifi, and now it's fine (also installed nraas overwatch again, but I bet it's the offline thing. Such a duh moment I can't believe I forgot!

@krabby_pattiess That's not full enough to prevent the game from saving though. Just in case it's this simple, have you been using the buydebug cheat? The game will often freeze or crash if buydebug is still enabled when you try to save. There's nothing wrong with using it; just remember to disable it when you're done. Otherwise, as a test, please move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop. When you launch the game, a clean folder will spawn with no content. Don't add anything to it yet; just start a new save and see whether you can save your progress without crashing. If the new save crashes too, please temporarily disable the iCloud syncing of Documents and see whether it helps. If the new save does NOT crash, please copy your existing save to the new Sims 3 folder and see whether it can save. Don't move over any other content with the exception of a store or custom world if the save takes place in that world. Let me know the results, and we'll go from there.

@krabby_pattiess I want you to move the entire Sims 3 folder so the current save doesn't load at all, just as a test. This folder or its contents can be freely swapped as necessary, so you won't break anything by moving files around. The only reason your save might not load in a new folder is if it takes place in a store or custom world that you haven't installed into the new folder, and like I said, in that case it's fine to install just that world. If you mean you don't want to mess up a save other than the one that's crashing, the same principle applies. But if you prefer, you can instead put the entire original Sims 3 folder back when you're done testing. I was just worried that the issue was something in the user folder rather than one specific save. Now is also a good time to back up your saves, especially if you have one or more intact saves you'd like to keep playing going forward. The user folder or some of its contents can become corrupt for any number of reasons, but with backups, you shouldn't lose anything for good.

@krabby_pattiess The starter sim should work fine. The file will be in ... The Sims 3 > Library, and its name will be a very long string of random characters. You should be able to tell the files apart by their timestamps though, at least if you remember more or less when you created that sim. I'd definitely suggest making backups going forward. I use "save as" and rename the save at least once a sim-day so I'll never lose too much data. I eventually delete the older backups, or at least most of them, when I know I won't need them, but when space isn't a concern I can get lazy about that too.

@krabby_pattiess Make sure that the Sims 3 folder you're currently using has all the content you want to keep, as in, you see that content when you load the game. Then yes, go ahead and delete the other folders. If you're not completely sure you've found all the relevant files, I'd suggest putting them in the trash but not emptying it for a few days just in case you later realize you're missing something you wanted to keep.

The Sims 3 64-Bit Keeps Crashing on Mac

53 Replies

nakdsims
3 years ago
@puzzlezaddict Hey! thanks for the help!! this worked really well but when I tried to upload the game later without connection on my wifi or TS3 store it started crashing again. It only works well when I start a new file from 0 like you said. Any other suggestion? idk why this is happening, I review other Mac gamers and their game works really well ☹️
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@shgmclicious Does this still happen if you play while your computer is offline? Do you use iCloud, and if so, is it full or close? Do you use an antivirus or perhaps a cleaner app, and which one(s)?

@nakdsims I'd also like to know whether you use an antivirus or cleaner app, ahd whether iCloud is close to full. It shouldn't matter when your computer is offline, but perhaps the way iCloud works has changed a bit since the last time I poked at it.
shgmclicious
3 years ago
@puzzleaddict
omg I was always accustomed to playing offline but I think you're right that that was the key--turns out I had been forgetting to turn off my wifi, and now it's fine (also installed nraas overwatch again, but I bet it's the offline thing. Such a duh moment I can't believe I forgot!
nakdsims
3 years ago
@puzzlezaddict Heyy! i don't use any antivirus on mi computer, and I have the 50 GB iCloud but the storage isn't full, it indicates that I used 28,7 GB, should I buy the 200 GB storage to see if works?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@nakdsims Definitely don't buy extra storage just for Sims 3. The questions here are whether your iCloud drive is full enough to prevent any more data from being uploaded, or whether the syncing itself is the problem. That's why I suggested trying to play while your computer is entirely offline: no internet connection means no syncing.

For now, I'd suggest playing in Sunset Valley, Riverview, or Twinbrook, and definitely not Isla Paradiso, which is the most unstable EA world. Keep lighting and tree detail at the minimum settings, don't add any custom content (store stuff is fine), and keep your computer offline while the game is running. And save often. If things are stable, you can try changing one detail at a time, for example raising a graphics setting or going back online, to see whether the crashing comes back.

If the game is still crashing even when you do all of the above, I don't really know what else to tell you except to save frequently. The one other thing you could try is playing in a new admin account, one not tied to your Apple ID and therefore not tied to iCloud either. There's no reason I see that it could help in your particular case, but you might get lucky.
Moberger93
3 years ago
Hi!
Could you maybe help me too please?
Since I installed University and World Adventures I’m having problem with the game to crash. I’m also using a old Mac.

I started a new family in one of the new towns, and the game worked most of the time. Sometimes when I try to travel the game crache. But now something happened and I can’t travel anywhere or move to university without the game crashing.

Do you know anything I can do?

Thanks in advance!
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@Moberger93 If you're willing to try a few mods, add NRaas ErrorTrap, Overwatch, Traveler, and Register, all listed here with descriptions and download links:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-Common-Game-Fixing-Mods-Hero-Approved/m-p/9838855#M244208

If you're not interested in mods at this time, please let me know whether your sims can travel in a new save. I'm not saying you need to abandon the current one, only that this is a useful test. Please also list the full specs of your Mac: everything under About This Mac including the OS and except for the serial number.
SamCollings
3 years ago
Hi @puzzlezaddict - thank you so much for all your support! EA should pay you!
Hoping you may be able to help me. My sims 3 crashes when saving. I think I pretty much have tried everything. Have only got it going again by using back up files but it always ends up happening again which is kind of making it unplayable (losing progression).
Details
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 (19H2026)
2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9
16 GB 2667 MHz DDR4
AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 4 GB
Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB
Sims 3, World Adventures, Island Paradise, Late night, Generations, University, Ambitions, Seasons, Pets.
NRaas Error Trap, Overwatch, Master Controller, Master Controller cheats
Not much CC, just a few houses that have worked consistently.
Have repaired in Origin, removed all CC and mods, deleted Caches, deleted the version.tag, deleted missingdeps.idx, running in windowed mode on lowest graphics. Tried reseting town using the master controller. Have tried save, save as and save and quit. Uninstalled/reinstalled. All done separately/together in steps trouble shooting. Nothing gets save to work, other than restoring an old save.
Only thing I can think of is the activity monitor is saying sims is using 17GB memory and the physical memory is 16GB. And I am not sure what to do to get the memory down.
Anything I am missing please let me know, any of your help would be most amazing! Even if I have to restore an old save, how do I prevent it from happening.
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
3 years ago
@SamCollings Just to clarify, is it only the one save that's crashing when you try to save, or any save you play? How much memory does this save use right after you load it, once the game clock has run for a few in-game minutes? How many vehicles is Overwatch cleaning up each night, if you know, and what world are you playing in?
SamCollings
3 years ago
@puzzlezaddict Isla Paradiso is the World. And yes it was every save but different versions of the same game. A fair few un-routable sims, in the 90ish mark for vehicles removed (not sure what is normal?). Only a couple of error traps now and then.

That was the only game I did have going apart from a test one that saved fine but I maybe played that for a sim week in Bridgeport.

I am currently playing a new Isla Paradiso game that now just keeps crashing within a few minutes of starting. I have removed all custom content and reinstalled and uninstalled and it is still happening.

Loading Sims initial game (start up): 580-600MB
Loading the games: 770MB - 1.4GB

Does the graphic size or sim aging normally impact anything? (or any other game play items).

I read world adventures can use up a lot which I had in the first game not the second game. That and the inventories but cleared all those out too.

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The Sims 3 64-Bit Keeps Crashing on Mac

53 Replies

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