Sims 3 "cannot connect to EA servers" after installing expansion pack?

[GabbyCurr]

So. I've been having the worst day with my Sims 3 game. Up until now all has been fine and dandy with it. This afternoon, I updated my Mac to Mojave, and when I went to open the Sims it was working just fine. Then I tried to download the Seasons expansion pack I'd bought on sale, and some error caused my entire base game to corrupt, forcing me to do a clean uninstallation of the game.

I installed the base game and patched it up, but when I tried to launch it I kept getting the error message "cannot connect to EA servers." I tried the "delete the bad paul.dll file in the Sims 3 package and replace it with another one" solution that I came across somewhere on the forum, and it worked fine. Then I went to install my old expansion packs, one by one, starting with "High End Loft Stuff." I patched that one up and installed it. Then, when I launched the game, the same "cannot connect to EA servers" happened again! I went back to the package for both the base game and the expansion pack and changed their paul.dll files, but the error message is still popping up!! WTF!!! I've checked my firewall and internet already. Nothing's wrong with them, and I'm connecting to Origin just fine, so I don't know what's up with it.

I'm at a loss. It's 2 AM right now where I am and I've been wrestling with uninstalling and reinstalling my game for the past 3 hours. Can someone help me with this?

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@GabbyCurr  The same fix you found for the connection error should still work for your game, but you need to place the newer paul.dll file inside the folder for HELS within the base game files.  The path of the file that needs to be replaced is the same as before right up until the last step—make sure that after you open Program Files > Electronic Arts, you're still opening the base game folder rather than the one for HELS.  Then go to game\bin\SP01, which is for HELS, trash that paul.dll file, and replace it with one from EP02 or later, just as you did for the base game.

Alternately, you could just install Seasons.  The paul.dll file in its folder works fine and doesn't need to be replaced.  If you saw an unknown error message after installing it, please see steps four and five of Bluebellflora's guide to installing TS3 for an explanation of the causes and fixes of this error.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/698...

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@GabbyCurr  The same fix you found for the connection error should still work for your game, but you need to place the newer paul.dll file inside the folder for HELS within the base game files.  The path of the file that needs to be replaced is the same as before right up until the last step—make sure that after you open Program Files > Electronic Arts, you're still opening the base game folder rather than the one for HELS.  Then go to game\bin\SP01, which is for HELS, trash that paul.dll file, and replace it with one from EP02 or later, just as you did for the base game.

Alternately, you could just install Seasons.  The paul.dll file in its folder works fine and doesn't need to be replaced.  If you saw an unknown error message after installing it, please see steps four and five of Bluebellflora's guide to installing TS3 for an explanation of the causes and fixes of this error.

https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/698...

[GabbyCurr]

I tried doing that; unfortunately it didn't work either. I still get the same pop-up error :/ should I just redo a clean uninstall and redo everything?

[puzzlezaddict]

@GabbyCurr  Which approach didn't work?  And what paul.dll file are you using to replace the old ones?  (Which folder did you pull it from?)  I don't think a clean uninstall is necessary, and it probably wouldn't work, either, unless you ended up replacing all of your paul.dll files with nonworking ones.

[GabbyCurr]

I noticed that I messed up; I was putting the new paul.dll file into EP01 instead of SP01. I just fixed it, and it's working now! Thanks so much.