Origin trying to update MySims [ Edited ]

[eliii_b]

Hello! I have MySims (2008), and I bought it and installed it through Origin. Origin has been trying to update this old game and it isn't letting me play unless I update it. Which, of course, isn't working. I've tried quitting Origin and reopening it to see if that works, but it still won't let me play the game. Origin is very insistent on making me update MySims for some reason.

Does anyone know why this is happening? If any extra info (eg. what version of Origin I'm running or what operating system I'm using) is needed I can provide it. I really need my nostalgia back. 

[mate54]

@eliii_b Although I cannot check right now because Origin keeps throwing an error when I try to download it, I believe that MySims uses a legacy installer so Origin updates should not be present for it. Have you had any luck launching the game while Origin is closed, using the MySims executable?

Either way, try clearing Origin cache and see if that does anything.

https://help.ea.com/en/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/ 

[Freydaleah]

im having this same problem, just cleared all the cache and went through all the troubleshoots i could do. I really love this game as well, this is so sad

[mate54]

@Freydaleah Are you able to launch the game with Origin closed, or does it immediately open Origin when you try to play?

It’s been a while since I last played it, but I believe I was able to play with Origin closed, which is the case with some older games.

Do you have an option to Repair the game instead of updating, when you right-click on the game in your library?

[Freydaleah]

I am unable to open it without origin, and it doesnt give me the option to repair it either.

[Tremayne4260]

@Freydaleah , can you play offline? You may have to if Origin keeps trying to "update" it.

[eliii_b]

Thank you!
I may have tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it while trying to get it to work, which was a stupid decision on my part as it won't reinstall at all
I'll try to take your guys' advice, though
Thank you again!!!!!

[mate54]

@eliii_b @Freydaleah @Tremayne4260 I managed to install the game using a backup installer from my Windows 10 laptop. The installer was downloaded directly from Origin at the time and now I'm glad that I saved it. Once installed, the game ran normally even with Origin closed, and I got the Update button when I logged into Origin. As expected, the Play button is greyed out and the update fails to download.

The installer (if Origin didn't delete it) should be located in C:\ProgramData\Origin\DownloadCache\, so look there if you're trying to reinstall it.

However, I am still able to run the game by launching it directly from the executable. Look for MySims.exe in C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\MySims\bin\ and see if you can launch the game by double-clicking on it. 

My guess is that EA is preparing MySims for the new EA App, which could explain the sudden Update and Locate Game functionality. As far as I am aware, only games that are completely managed by Origin have that, and MySims would need to ditch the legacy installer to be compatible with EA App. This seems to be an issue on EA's end, so I'm afraid we will have to wait for them to fix it.

EDIT: Anyone else having the same issue, please click the Me Too button on the original post so it has a chance to get more attention.

[mate54]

Looks like the problem has been resolved, and the game can now be downloaded/updated/repaired. 

Please be aware that the update will tie the game to Origin and you will have to be logged in to play; if you don't wish to do that, do not update the game. Unofortunately, this also means that the original version of the game cannot be downloaded anymore. If you ever installed the game before, and you think a backup installer might still be on your PC, you can try to find it and make a backup from this folder:

C:\ProgramData\Origin\DownloadCache\

From now on, MySims will follow the same pattern as most other Origin games and install into C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\MySims\. When you play, you will have to log into Origin.