EA server errors causing Sims 3 launcher log-in issues [ Edited ]

[FurryOldGuyJeans]

Starting two days ago the Sims 3 launcher app has displayed an error page as part of the launcher app instead of the normal log-in webpage:

I am unable to download any new Sims 3 store content I have SimPoints purchased, the launcher keeps putting up a dialog that shows I need to log into my EA/Sims 3 member account to download the content.  I enter my email address and my password and the dialog is redisplayed.  I am not logged in.

This is not an issue I can solve on my PC, it is an EA/Sims 3 server error that has happened before.  The resolution of the issue before took several days, someone at EA did something to their server to reset it properly.  Clearly this needs to happen again.

The game still works, when first launched the game takes extra time to properly log me into my account, but it happens.  There are no technical problems that I have observed when playing the game.  The sole issue I have is trying to install newly acquired game content that requires the Sims 3 launcher app to let me log into my account.  At this time that is not possible.

[roberta591 · Accepted solution]

@FurryOldGuyJeans   I'm assuming your playing on a pc. Here's what you should try - open the Edge browser (even if you don't use it). click the three dots in the upper right (...). Click settings. Click privacy, search, and services. In the clear browser data now - click choose what to clear. Click clear browser data for Internet Explorer mode. close Edge - try game.

[puzzlezaddict]

@FurryOldGuyJeans  I successfully signed in just now, and the launcher loaded as normal, so if this was an EA issue, it's been resolved.  Please test again, and if you still can't login, clear Edge's Internet Explorer data.  Even if you don't use it, the launcher does for some purposes.  Instructions are at the bottom of this article:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-and-delete-browser-history-in-microsoft-edge...

[FurryOldGuyJeans]

I continue to get "the website cannot display the page" error page in the launcher app frame.

I even tried a full game repair via the EA App.  Ouch!  That was a major download!  Still have the frame error page.

[roberta591 · Accepted solution]

@FurryOldGuyJeans   I'm assuming your playing on a pc. Here's what you should try - open the Edge browser (even if you don't use it). click the three dots in the upper right (...). Click settings. Click privacy, search, and services. In the clear browser data now - click choose what to clear. Click clear browser data for Internet Explorer mode. close Edge - try game.

[FurryOldGuyJeans]

I had been clearing my browser cache in FireFox, Edge and IE repeatedly.  Still no joy with not getting the error page.

Did a repair on my game installation that was years in the making from original game CDs and a couple of digital downloads.  Nope, still error page.

I took a very drastic step of uninstalling the game, renaming the main game files directory in the Documents folder (yes, Win 10 PC), and doing a full reinstall.  Letting the game recreate the data files folder.

The problem persisted!  "The website cannot display the page"  GRRRRRRRR!  50GB of game files downloaded after doing a full reinstall and still problems.

I had rebooted several times during this process, no joy still.

Finally... I cleared the browser caches again and again, rebooted and cleared the browser caches again, and started the game launcher.  I could login, I was logged out.

Started the game to the main menu.  And quit.  Started the game again to main menu, opened the download manager.  I saw (and wrote down) content the game informed me wasn't installed.

Quit the game, opened the launcher, and went to the Sims 3 store and checked my purchase history.  Started the launcher, logged in, downloaded the content I already was authorized  to download, and lo!  Content downloaded and let me install it.

What an adventure, I was already doing what was suggested, and still the launcher glitched.

Well, it isn't now.  I am currently installing new content as I type this.  

[kittyhazklaws]

I didn't receive the 'page cannot be displayed' but I cannot log into my Sims3 store account on the sims 3 launcher. 

I hadn't played for a few weeks and tried to play today and had multiple issues.

When I loaded the game first, I couldn't load my saves as the content from the expansions was missing.
The showed up in the launcher (as they were previously installed) but they were not ticked as installed.

I couldn't install them, when I ticked them and clicked install, instead of the installer window popping up like in the past, it brought up the origin app.

I ended up chatting to EA support, who was very helpful and fixed something in the background that was missing. I closed origin, reloaded it, Sims3 prompted me to update and my expansions now registered in game.
BUT....

my store content then went missing.

I can see it under the downloads tab, and when I click 'show file' they are all in there, but I cannot install them, only the patterns/fabric will install. It gives me an error that I need to make sure I have the latest update. Well according to origin I do. So now I am unsure what to do.

I tried logging into the sims3 store and I can log in fine and see all my purchase history (I have worlds and items in there as well as free stuff), but when I click download nothing happens. It doesn't download to the launcher anymore.

I though this was because I was not logged into the launcher, so I clicked log in and entered my store email and password and it came up to enter my email and password again, this continues to happen. I cannot log in. I cannot re-download content, or install the content that is already in the downloads folder through the launcher, like the launcher is broken.

I spoke with 3 different people from EA for this new issue and none could help me, 1 just linked me to unrelated 'help' instructions, one didn't respond at all, and the last one just told me to wait 24 hours, uninstall the games and reinstall them through the EA app but then I would loose all my saves plus the EA app doesn't work well with older games.

While I was on the chat I found this article from EA: EA_Cade, that was updated on 14th FEB 2023.

Hey all, 

Recently we ran into an issue with Sims 3 Store Content not installing correctly in certain circumstances. 

We have since released a fix for this issue that should resolve the error, but you will need to follow the steps below or previous saves may not load (for example, if you have a Sim living in a premium content world like Roaring Heights)

• Navigate to Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3.

• Delete the folders labeled DCCache, Downloads, and InstalledWorlds.

• Reinstall any removed The Sims 3 Store Content you deleted in the previous step.

You should now be able to load your saves as desired.

Thanks!

I am worried about deleting the folders, suggested by EA_Cade, as it seems I cannot re-download all I have in there and I do not want to loose the content completely or cause other issues.

Has anyone else ran into these problems in the last week?

Did you find something that worked for you

or is this something EA needs to fix?

Other then the EA article I copied above, I cannot find anything on the forums about this that is current or if any information about if this is going to be fixed.

[puzzlezaddict]

@kittyhazklaws  Instead of deleting the folders, you can simply move them to the desktop or wherever you'd like.  The only thing that matters is that their contents are no longer in the Sims 3 folder.

Alternately, you can move the entire Sims 3 folder to the desktop and open the launcher to spawn a new folder.  If you get an error when trying to move the folder, or it copies instead of moving, that would strongly suggest an issue with OneDrive, which would explain your inability to download store content at least.  Otherwise, you can try downloading a few store items into the new Sims 3 folder and see whether they install properly.

You shouldn't need to sign into the launcher to download content.  If one browser doesn't work, try another one; I use Firefox and have never had any signficant issues with it.  If you do want to fix the launcher login issue, try clearing Edge's Internet Explorer data as described in the link I posted earlier in the thread.

[kittyhazklaws]

Hi puzzlezaddict, thank you for your reply.

I do use Firefox and I do not have Onedrive on my PC.

I did end up moving the folders to desktop and then trying to download the store items/worlds again. I ended up having to download all of my purchases again one by one. The store told me I didn't own the product if I selected the whole page or more then 1 at a time.The launcher kept bringing up the log in box on the sims 3 launcher every few items and sometimes I couldn't remove it. In the end it took me around 5 hours in total from first problem to being able to play somewhat with the expansions and some store content. Such a stuff around when it was already working perfectly (for the sims) before.

There were a few items it just wouldn't let me download content that I has previously purchased as it says I don't own them, even though they are in my download history. The website kept crashing as well and kept asking me to accept a new terms of service agreement dated in 2011 that I would have previously signed at some point, so there is obviously an issue there with the store/content/servers that EA needs to fix or is working on.

IMO they should remove the need to use origin so we can play in offline mode so these updates do not break the once working game.

Thanks again.