EA we need a fix!Sims 3 Not Working, Getting a Mac Error Message

[elleskyheart]

So yeah, I've been told to post this hoping IT will see. Basically I'm getting a Mac Error Message on my game. I downloaded it and the expansion packs. It downloads okay, but when I try getting to the launcher, it gives me this error code. It's doing this with Late Night currently. I know this is likely a graphic problem. For my mac, my graphics are Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB. I know people have posted threads about this, but it seems Ea won't or is unwilling to make a patch for sims 3 so we can play again. .To be honest, I'm very upset. I feel like I got my money stolen in a way, since their's no indication that newer macs can't play sims 3. I would like a fix or some method to be able to play, as I'm sure many other users do. 

[puzzlezaddict]

@elleskyheart  There is no development team working on TS3, nor has there been for more than four years.  So it's very unlikely that a patch is forthcoming.

The unknown error message will always show up when installing Late Night and a few other packs (Ambitions, Fast Lane, Outdoor Living) on a mac.  The underlying problem is easily fixable.  But you're right that you also face the hurdle of getting the game to work with your graphics card.  This can also be addressed, although the fix doesn't work for everyone.  If you can provide your mac's specs, I can find out whether there's an available solution for your particular processor/graphics card combination.  If not, you can still try to get the game running on your computer, but it might be a futile effort.

gather mac specs:  https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/475...

[elleskyheart]

EA doesn't care much for it's users, so I shouldn't be surprised. 

But here is it's info 

MacBook Pro (Retina,15-inch,Mid 2015)

Processor 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7

Memory 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk Macintosh HD

Graphics-Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB 

  Model Name: MacBook Pro

  Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,4

  Processor Name: Intel Core i7

  Processor Speed: 2.2 GHz

  Number of Processors: 1

  Total Number of Cores: 4

  L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

  L3 Cache: 6 MB

  Memory: 16 GB

  Boot ROM Version: MBP114.0177.B00

I don't know how to do all these things people are suggesting.

[puzzlezaddict]

@elleskyheart  If you're talking about editing the .sgr files, I wouldn't know how to do that either, at least not on my own.  But luckily, there's a wonderful person (and a hero here), Bluebellflora, who has put together a guide to walk the rest of us through the process.  And your computer's on the list, so you'll just have to follow the instructions and copy and paste the text provided.

First thing's first, though.  It's probably a good idea to start from scratch, as you'll want to install the base game only.  Here are the instructions to manually uninstall TS3 on a mac; the uninstaller is unrelaible at best and will almost certainly miss some files.

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

Once you've uninstalled, you can reinstall the base game only, and then run the Super Patch (digital download version).  Even if the game thinks it's already patched, it may not be, and the Super Patch won't hurt.

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

Next is the hard part—editing the .sgr files.  Follow the instructions for how to find your graphics card's device ID, then make copies of the .sgr files as described, click on the link that matches your computer's model number, and you'll get the code you need to add to the files.

https://bluebellflora.com/fix-for-incompatible-graphics-for-the-sims-3-on-mac/

After you've done this, launch the game to make sure it's working.  Then you can install Late Night and any other packs you have.  If you tried to launch again, you'd get another unknown error, but this one is fixable.  If LN is the newest pack by release date, you'll only need to create an alias for it in Applications, alongside the alias for the base game.

https://bluebellflora.com/sims-3-packs-not-showing-as-installed/

Otherwise, you'll need the second fix as well, which is just copying files from the LN folder into the folder for the newest pack.  (There's a very useful video embedded in the post linked below.)

https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-3-Unknown-Error-in-El-Capitan-Sierra-High/...

Once you've done all this, you should be able to play on your computer.  You should be aware, though, that your graphics card is not powerful enough to properly run the most demanding EPs—Pets, Seasons, then IP and ITF.  The early EPs and all the SPs are probably fine.  You'll also have a hard limit of 2 GB RAM due to the way TS3 was ported into mac OS.  So it's a good idea to keep an eye on RAM usage in the Activity Monitor and purge every sim-day or so.  When RAM use goes over about 1.9 GB, it's time to save, quit to desktop without saving (never use "save and quit"), and relaunch.

https://bluebellflora.com/resetting-ram-during-gameplay/

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.