Sims 3 Wont Launch on Macbook

@karneko Moving this post to the sims mac forum.

@karneko

Please can you provide more information about your Mac. Instructions on how to do so here - http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4756624/highlight/true#M4

This thread may also be relevant to you - http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/CURRENT-ISSUE-The-Sims-3-Issues-playing-on-newer-post-2013-Macs/m-p/4935394#U4935394

Hi, 

I'm having the same problem. It happens when I install Late Night or Ambitions. After I install, the EP icon des not even appear in The Sims 3 folder under Applications. Tried uninstalling, reinstalling, reinstalling Origin, but nothing works. I'm in a mid 2012 Macbook Pro Retina with 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 and memory of16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB/ Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB.

Thanks in advance.

@Edurican

We have the exact same Mac so yours should absolutely work (although you haven't posted what version of OS X/macOS you're running).

If you have Mods/CC, move them out and try loading again.

If it still won't load can you try manually uninstalling any remnants of the EPs that are installed then manually patch (link in my signature below) the game then see if you can load just the base game? If that works then try installing Late Night, ignoring the warning about the game version being newer, and then see if you can play.

Tried all of that. It's not working. After installing, the EP icon does not even appear in the Sims 3 folder. But it still registers as installed. Re-downloaded and no luck. I'm running MacOs Sierra.

This is extremely frustrating. And it's happening with Ambitions too.

Edit: I am able to play the game, only with those two expansions uninstalled.

Edit2: Already applied superpatch, no mods or anything like that.

Maybe it's the Origin download? Is there somewhere I could download a version that is not Origin's?

@Edurican

Tired of all what? Have you uninstalled the EPs as suggested, including deleting all the hidden files and folders? If it's showing as installed on Origin then it's because there are residual files of that EP still on your Mac which is why I gave you the link to delete all EP related files.

The Origin download is fine. There was an issue with Origin not automatically opening the installer but I think that has now been resolved (and it didn't affect the actual download).

Sims 3 won't have been tested in Sierra so there is always a chance that it's not compatible if installing into Sierra, rather than already having the game/EP installed before upgrading to Sierra.

I tried everything you have told me. I don't mean this in a mean way at all, quite the opposite, but I did my research before posting here. There were a few threads that recommended the same course of action you have brought up. Uninstalled the expansion: didn't work. Uninstalled everything: didn't work. Manually uninstalled the expansion: didn't work. Manually uninstalled everything: didn't work. All this after installing the superpatch. All my other expansions work perfectly, I don't get what is wrong with these two. I'm kind of a techie so if you have any alternative that looks complicated I'll give it a try 🙂. I even checked the expansion pack's files to see anything that looked out of place. It all looks fine, except that the app itself won't show up in The Sims 3 file as an installed app. It does, however, appear inside the AddOn file on The Sims 3 app files. I've done everything you and other members have suggested in other threads, believe me. I don't really know what else to do.

Thanks in advance for any help you have provided or will provide in the future, I really appreciate it 🙂.

@Edurican

Just to confirm, did you delete the EP in the AddOn folder too as part of the manual EP uninstall?

Are you running any clean up apps that could have interfered with the installation? They're dreadful things and very often cause issues rather than fix them.

The only other thing I can think of is to manually uninstall any traces of the EPs again and download them from Origin. If you're already using Origin to download them make sure there are no game installers already on your system before downloading again. It's weird that you are successfully installing them but they're not showing up anywhere. Are they greyed out in the Launcher too? I've just seen someone report over on the official game forum that the new iCloud Drive setup in Sierra could be causing issues so it may be worth disabling it in System Preferences if you have it enabled.

I did the manual uninstall according to the instructions in the link you gave me. The thing is when I click on The Sims 3 app I get the error message even before the launcher shows up, so I don't get to see the launcher or if it detects the EP. The EP appears inside the AddOn file inside the SIms 3 app, but not inside the Sims 3 folder in my Applications tab. It's really weird.

I will try the iCloud Drive thing tonight and will get back to you with the results regardless. Thanks!

@Edurican

And you're not trying to install it onto an external drive or changing the location during the installation process? It is very strange and frustrating! Did you try the Origin suggestion?