When I try to launch The Sims 3, I get a dialogue saying, "Unable to start game
I have a Macbook Pro using OS Mojave 10.14.3 please help
Forum Discussion
@puzzlezaddict thank you for replying, I am using:
Mac OS mojave v. 10,14.3
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Processor 2 GHz Intel Core i5
Memory 8 GB 1867 MHz LPDDR3
Startup Disk Macintosh HD
Graphics Intel Iris Graphics 540 1536 MB
Expension Packs:
World Adventures
Ambitions
Late Night
Generations
Supernatural
Seasons
University Life
Island Paradise
Into the Future
Stuff Pack: High-End Loft Stuff
I run it from Origin, I haven't got the CD's and I've been onto the origin live chat so I've uninstalled and reinstalled and everything
@StephJ82 Alright, the first step is a clean uninstall of everything. TS3's built-in uninstaller won't remove all the hidden library files, and those files can prevent you from launching the game going forward, even if you do everything else right.
https://bluebellflora.com/how-to-do-a-clean-uninstall-and-reinstall-on-a-mac/
Next, install just the base game, no packs, and run the Super Patch (digital download version) to manually patch the game to 1.67. The launcher doesn't do a good job of patching on its own, and the Super Patch won't hurt.
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-manual-super-patch-for-mac-1-67/
Now try to launch the game. I think the base game alone should run on your system with no other interventions; I distinctly remember someone else with your same specs going through the same process. But if it doesn't run, let me know before you try to install any packs. And don't bother bypassing the launcher at this point, either, but do make sure to restart your computer before you launch the game.
If you can run the base game, you can install your packs. Most will install correctly, but Ambitions and Late Night will not. So you'll need to apply two workarounds. The first is to create an alias for each of these packs in Applications, alongside the alias for the base game:
https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-packs-not-showing-as-installed/
The second workaround is to copy files from Ambitions and Late Night into the folder for your newest pack by the date EA released it. So if you install all of your packs, the files go in the folder for Into the Future. This video explains where to find the files and how to copy them over:
If you have any questions about this process, or something goes wrong along the way, just let me know.
P.S. You don't need to launch the game from Origin. Just double-click on the icon in Applications that corresponds to your newest pack, and leave Origin out of the picture entirely.
@puzzlezaddict I haven't any of my Sims CD's so won't I need to reinstall through Origin?
@StephJ82 Yes, you need to install from Origin. Even if you had disc copies, you'd still need to use the digital download version, as OS Mojave won't authenticate TS3 discs. But once the game is installed, you don't need to run it from Origin. In fact, you could uninstall Origin entirely once you've installed all of your packs. This is only true in mac OS; the Windows version needs to be launched through Origin each time.
Hi @puzzlezaddict I tried to follow the instructions I uninstalled the game reinstalled it, did the superpatch, and I still got a message saying Unknown Error , I'll try again tomorrow though, thanks
