Unknown error occurred - Sims 3 - Empty sims 3 folder - Mac

@heyjudeysabel Do you have the most up to date Mac OS running? People seeing similar issues were able to fix them by upgrading to the most current OS>

@heyjudeysabel  There are a couple of distinct issues here.  The first is the unknown error message, which will appear any time one or more of certain TS3 packs (Ambitions, Late Night, Fast Lane, and Outdoor Living) are installed in mac OS.  There are two fixes, neither of which is overly complicated.  Additionally, some macs have a processor/graphics card combination that's incompatible with the game, so steps need to be taken to force recognition of the graphics card.

The other issue is that currently, mac users are having issues downloading through Origin.  EA is working on the issue, but there is no solution as of yet.  Computers running High Sierra are generally fine, hence Darko's question about which OS you're running.

I should also add that a macbook air is not the best computer on which to play TS3.  It has an integrated graphics card and inadequate cooling, both of which are significant issues if you want to run the heavier-hitting EPs (Pets, Seasons, then IP and ITF).  Additionally, you'd be limited to using 2 GB RAM due to the way the game was ported into mac OS.  This makes it difficult if not impossible to play with most of the EPs running for any length of time, as you'd probably be close to the RAM limit as soon as you load a save.

Still, if you'd like to try to get TS3 up and running on your air, there are several steps you can take.  Whether you'd need to force graphics card recognition depends on your specs; if you could list them here as described in the link below, we could tell you what to do next.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4756624#M4

I'm on High Sierra

@heyjudeysabel  Okay, that takes care of one issue.  How about the rest of your specs?  That will determine whether you need to edit the .sgr files or not, and how to do so.

In the meantime, it's best to do a manual uninstall and start over.  The uninstaller will miss some files; here's where to find them:

https://bluebellflora.com/how-to-do-a-clean-uninstall-and-reinstall-on-a-mac/

@puzzlezaddict @EA_Darko I did the 'clean uninstall and reinstall on a mac' outlined by Bluebellflora. I think it's off my Macbook Air now. But when I log onto Origin, it still says 'Download in Queue' when I click download game. 

My MacBook Air specs are:

macOS High Sierra 

Version 10.3.6.

MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017)

Processor 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Graphics Intel HD Graphics 6000 1536 MB

@heyjudeysabel  Origin has been acting up with mac downloads lately, although on High Sierra it's less likely that you'd be unable to fix the issue.  Try running the Origin reset tool for macs:

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/how-to-reset-origin-on-mac/

If it works, please download only the base game.  Then run the Super Patch (digital download version).

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/

After that, if you try to launch (still just the base game), you'll get an unknown error message.  But Bluebellflora—the mac hero here—has been kind enough to write up a pretty simple solution for players with your particular graphics card:

https://bluebellflora.com/2018/07/30/intel-hd-6000-fixed-graphics-files-for-sims-3/

If you follow her instructions, you should be able to launch and play the base game.  Then we can move on to installing packs, which will necessitate a couple of other interventions.

P.S.  It's unnecessary to launch TS3 through Origin on a mac, or to even have it open while you play.  You can just use the alias that you have in your Applications folder.

@puzzlezaddict @EA_Darko I did all of Bluebellflora's steps and at the end of it all, when I tried to launch the game, it still came up with the bubble 'error occurred'. ☹️ 

@heyjudeysabel  There are additional steps you need to take to get certain packs to run in mac OS.  Have you installed any packs, or are you still just stuck on the base game?  And did you do a clean uninstall before starting the process?  If not, it's possible that there are some leftover files in your library.

Regardless, it would be helpful if you could pinpoint exactly where you are in the install process.

@puzzlezaddict @EA_Darko I just finished fixing the Graphic Rules and Graphic Cards on the base game and tried to launch it, but it still said "unknown error occurred". 

@heyjudeysabel  There's a minor point, it might not apply to you, but it actually tripped me up when I was messing with my own .sgr files.  In the lines you added, what do the quote marks look like?  Are they identical to the ones in the lines of code that you didn't alter, or are they sort of slanted?  If you're not sure, you can delete the new ones you added and just c/p quote marks from one of the unaltered lines.  (That's what I did to fix it.)

One quick question:  How much free storage do you have on your computer?  You can check by clicking on the Apple icon/About This Mac/Storage.  It would also be a good idea to restart your computer right before you try to launch, just to make sure there's nothing else running that could take up resources the game needs for itself.

If none of this works, then probably the only other thing to try is installing in a new user account.  Do a clean uninstall, then create an admin account, login to it, and install, then patch, then repeat the .sgr files fix (or save your existing files and transfer them over), then try to launch.  Your processor/graphics card combination is particularly difficult, and some people who have it can never get the game running.  But this might work where the other attempts have failed.