Sims 3 not working + Origins Access error + World packs missing [ Edited ]

[DezzJazz]

I have a fresh install of Sims 3 on my PC, and basically nothing is going right... I somewhat managed to run the game a little while a day ago with the base game + expansion packs, and all seemed fine other than my world packs not showing up. Talked with the tech support people at EA and they told me to wait 24h for them to appear in my launcher. Now we are 24h later, and I can't get the launcher to run correctly and the Origin Access error is now showing up... I'm not particularly tech savvy, so would appreciate all the help I could get to get the game running in a stable manner. THANKS! 

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@DezzJazz  I would try using Firefox with the Store.  The errors in your screenshots can happen when the site is down overall, but I checked it just now and it loaded fine for me, both signed in and not, in Firefox.

For the codes, I'd suggest using live chat if you haven't tried that already.  The option is usually available when selecting Mange My Account > Find Missing Game or similar.

If you don't get anywhere with support, let me know, and I'll flag the issue to someone from EA.  No one here can fix this kind of problem, but they can at least say, as an official EA employee, that you will need a refund from support (or whatever the correct answer is), which you can then link to the next support rep you talk with to back up your request.

I don't know why Surfshark is objecting to Sims 3 so strongly, but you could try blocking Sims 3 in the Windows firewall.  If the problem is the game trying to access EA servers, that should take care of it.  To be clear, the game definitely does this; I'm just not sure whether this is the issue that Surfshark is flagging.  If not, it's worth opening a support ticket with Surfshark.

[puzzlezaddict]

@DezzJazz  Your dxdiag (and thanks for providing it) lists a number of crashes related to the Alder Lake issue, but that issue doesn't cause the error in your screenshot.  My first guess is that you ran the Lazy Duchess Alder Lake patch, and that's why the game worked, but then your antivirus noticed the change to the game's program files and reacted badly.  That really is just a guess, but what you can do is repair the game in the EA App.  Clear the App's cache first:

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

If you use a third-party antivirus, disable it (temporarily) to keep it from interfering again.  As long as you don't do anything aside from trying to fix Sims 3 while the antivirus is disabled, your computer should be safe.

Open your game library, click Sims 3, and select Manage > Repair.  When that's done, close the EA App, kill the EABackgroundService in the Task Manager, and run the Alder Lake patch again, if you want to use it.  If not, use one of the other workarounds; you'll need one regardless.  Try to launch Sims 3 with the antivirus still disabled, and let me know whether it works.  If it does, you can reenable the antivirus and set exceptions for TS3.exe and Sims3Launcher.exe, or the entire Bin folder.

If you only use Windows Defender, I would suggest temporarily disabling Controlled Folder Access, which is unlikely to have caused exactly the same problem but which could be interfering in a different way, blocking the game's access to the user folder.

For the missing Store worlds, please see the first post of this thread:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-Store-world-can-t-register-install/td-p/1261980...

[DezzJazz]

Did the above, now the launcher works fine and all when my Antivirus is turned off. But it also only runs with the Antivirus turned off... I use Surfshark, and I already selected all the EA/Sims3 related folders under the exclusions, so I'm also not sure what other settings I need to change within Surfshark for that to not happen... Weird... 

In regards to my World Packs, I'm still in talks with the EA reps about them... Right now I have never received any codes for them to redeem on the Sims 3 Store (checked everywhere including Spam), and I also cannot access the Sims 3 store via Chrome or Edge... 

Thanks so much for helping me with this! Really appreciate it

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@DezzJazz  I would try using Firefox with the Store.  The errors in your screenshots can happen when the site is down overall, but I checked it just now and it loaded fine for me, both signed in and not, in Firefox.

For the codes, I'd suggest using live chat if you haven't tried that already.  The option is usually available when selecting Mange My Account > Find Missing Game or similar.

If you don't get anywhere with support, let me know, and I'll flag the issue to someone from EA.  No one here can fix this kind of problem, but they can at least say, as an official EA employee, that you will need a refund from support (or whatever the correct answer is), which you can then link to the next support rep you talk with to back up your request.

I don't know why Surfshark is objecting to Sims 3 so strongly, but you could try blocking Sims 3 in the Windows firewall.  If the problem is the game trying to access EA servers, that should take care of it.  To be clear, the game definitely does this; I'm just not sure whether this is the issue that Surfshark is flagging.  If not, it's worth opening a support ticket with Surfshark.

[DezzJazz]

I'm now at the point where I can get the Sims 3 store to work on Firefox, manage to download some of the Worlds and CCs onto the launcher, but now it won't install any of them.

Still waiting on EA to sort themselves out. And submitted an inquiry to Surfshark, so waiting back to hear what they say...

[puzzlezaddict]

@DezzJazz  Did you run the Alder Lake patch, or are you using a different workaround?  I ask because the launcher's installer is affected in the same way, so if, for example, you're using the Task Manager method to start the game itself, you'd need to use it when installing through the launcher as well.  This results in the installer freezing when starting up.

If you're actually seeing the "no packages to install" error, please read the accepted solution of this thread:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-Launcher-quot-There-are-no-packages-to-install-...

[DezzJazz]

I'm not running the Alder Lake patch, I'm doing the Task Manager work around. And I didn't realize I have to do the same thing when installing CCs. THANKS SO MUCH! I might try the Alder Lake patch and see if it's easier to work with.

I still have little to no help from the EA people about my missing worlds... I manage to get the old worlds I bought a long time ago, but not Hidden Springs or Dragon Valley I just bought a few days ago... I think I'm just gonna try to get a refund on those and save myself the stress. 

Again, THANKS SO MUCH! Truly grateful for your help <3

[DezzJazz]

Now I'm at the point that my game is crashing somewhat randomly. Could only get in about 10 - 30min of play before it crashes, and I'm still in create a sim. I'm now running the Alder Lake patch, and I also have the GPU Add-on mod from Nexus. I'm running all the expansion packs, and I was playing in Hidden Springs... Not sure if there's anything I could do to reduce this from happening?

Here's the latest crash details:

Source
Sims 3

Summary
Stopped working

Date
‎8/‎1/‎2024 3:07 am

Status
Report sent

Description
Faulting Application Path: C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: TS3.exe
Application Version: 0.2.0.32
Application Timestamp: 568d4bac
Fault Module Name: TS3.exe
Fault Module Version: 0.2.0.32
Fault Module Timestamp: 568d4bac
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 000e5a3f
OS Version: 10.0.19045.2.0.0.768.101
Locale ID: 18441
Additional Information 1: 5c0c
Additional Information 2: 5c0c23d75afb1c4e336215c5d9c2d9b0
Additional Information 3: 2f2a
Additional Information 4: 2f2a44aadfe760a76ed2aac372eaba32

Extra information about the problem
Bucket ID: 9f96678931f833e165d66d969dcd324d (107878796100)

[puzzlezaddict]

@DezzJazz  I'm glad you could get the launcher to install your content.  Whatever approach you want to use to deal with the Alder Lake issue is fine; the point is that the launcher's installer needs it too.

For the current crashes, this:

Exception Code: c0000005

means you're seeing an access violation, a type of error that has too many possible causes to be of much use.  So it can take some testing/experimenting to pinpoint the cause.

First, if you use any mods other than those from NRaas, or any custom content at all, please remove it for now.  You don't need to save your progress, or you can test in a new save if you prefer.  Additionally, if you're using NRaas StoryProgression, remove or disable it (NRaas > SP > General Options > Enable Progression > False) for now.  While it works very well and shouldn't cause any crashing in theory, its impact on resource use can be significant.

If you get another crash, think about whether there's a pattern to the crashing, for example at the same sim-time of day or when you try to do something specific, like send your sims somewhere or have them use a certain object.  (One repeatable crash I had a while back happened whenever my sims went to the hospital, which I fixed by reseting the hospital lot.)  Let me know what, if anything, you find.