Sims 3 Not Working on MacBook Pro

[Absol716]

So I am having a lot of trouble trying to get my sims 3 to work on my MacBook Pro 15” with Touch Bar. MacBook 14.2 I believe. Whenever I finish downloading the base game I either get one of two outcomes. A) (less common) the game actually starts! So I try to download ambitions, then late night, then generations and all the stuff packs between it. And with every time I install I pack, I have about a 90/10 chance of it saying “Unknown error occurred” versus it actually working. Whereas B) (much more common) I can’t even get to the launcher. It’s tuesday at 1:4AM and I’ve been trying since last Friday. I’ve been all over YouTube, Answer HQ, even called EA twice for help but nothing has been able to help me.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Absol716  Okay, since you've been able to launch TS3 at least some of the time, you should absolutely be able to install all of your content.  The unknown error messages are to be expected when dealing with certain packs (Ambitions, Late Night, Fast Lane, and Outdoor Living), but they're entirely fixable.

Now, though, it's best to start with a clean uninstall before reinstalling.  The uninstaller will miss some hidden library files, which 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 only the base game, and run the Super Patch (digital download version) to patch the game to 1.67.  The launcher doesn't always do a thorough job, and running the Super Patch won't hurt.

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

Next, you can install your packs.  When installing the problematic ones, you'll need to create an alias for each one if it doesn't already exist in Applications, alongside the alias for the base game.  This is simple:

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

The other issue is that files from these packs don't get copied to their proper destination, which is the folder for the newest pack by the date EA released it.  You'll need to manually copy over the files yourself.  This video demonstrates exactly how to do it:

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

If you have any questions or run into any more trouble, please post back with the details.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@Absol716  Okay, since you've been able to launch TS3 at least some of the time, you should absolutely be able to install all of your content.  The unknown error messages are to be expected when dealing with certain packs (Ambitions, Late Night, Fast Lane, and Outdoor Living), but they're entirely fixable.

Now, though, it's best to start with a clean uninstall before reinstalling.  The uninstaller will miss some hidden library files, which 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 only the base game, and run the Super Patch (digital download version) to patch the game to 1.67.  The launcher doesn't always do a thorough job, and running the Super Patch won't hurt.

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

Next, you can install your packs.  When installing the problematic ones, you'll need to create an alias for each one if it doesn't already exist in Applications, alongside the alias for the base game.  This is simple:

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

The other issue is that files from these packs don't get copied to their proper destination, which is the folder for the newest pack by the date EA released it.  You'll need to manually copy over the files yourself.  This video demonstrates exactly how to do it:

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

If you have any questions or run into any more trouble, please post back with the details.