Unable to install Sims 3 packs through Origin

[puzzlezaddict]

Recently, there have been a number of reports of players not being able to download Sims 3 packs through Origin.  They press the Download button for a pack they own, but nothing happens.  A few have reported that clearing Origin's cache or uninstalling Origin ("the hard way") have solved the issue, but for others, these steps don't help.

I'm combining these posts into one thread so that it's easier to gather and compare information.  If you're experiencing this issue, please press the Me Too button and report which packs you can't download.

This thread is for Windows only.  If you're playing on a mac, please see this post for a workaround:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-Mac/Sims-3-packs-not-downloading-through-Origin-mac-OS/m-p/719785...

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

The downloading issue has been fixed by the latest Origin patch, released this week.  You can read the patch notes here.

If anyone updates Origin and still can't download a missing pack, please clear Origin's cache and try again.

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

Tagging @XxTheHolyBiblexX @aridridge @KNKV10 and @frozenorangejuic for the update.  I'm sorry it took this long, but hopefully, you're all able to download your packs now.

[XxTheHolyBiblexX]

My sims 3 seasons won't download when I keep clicking on the download button, I never had this problem before until now.

[puzzlezaddict]

@XxTheHolyBiblexX  Are you on a mac?  If so, start by running the Origin reset tool for macs:

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/how-to-reset-origin-on-mac/

When you sign in again, decline the options to automatically update Origin and your games.  Then hover over your username (in the lower left corner of the Origin window) and select Application Settings.  Under Application—the first tab—scroll to Client Update and enable automatic game updates.  Then quit Origin and launch it again.  You should be offered the download for Seasons, as well as any other pack you own but haven't installed.  (You can accept or decline each pack separately.)

If you're running Windows, the concept is similar, but instead of resetting Origin, clear its cache.  If that doesn't help, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling Origin only ("the hard way"), which would not affect the installs of your games.

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

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/manually-uninstalling-origin/

[aridridge]

So, I got a new laptop, and I'm trying to install my games, including The Sims 3 and the expansions I have. I went into the Expansions tab and clicked the 'download' button to add them to the queue. This worked for all but two expansion packs (The Sims 3 Pets and The Sims 3 Seasons), which just didn't respond when the download button was clicked, and weren't added to the queue with all the other expansions. All of the other expansion packs downloaded and installed just fine, and are playable, but the two I mentioned before just don't respond when I click the 'download' button, and I can't figure out why. I tried doing to trick where you turn on safe mode for downloads and restart origin, but nothing changed. I'm hesitant to uninstall and reinstall origin because of the other games I've already downloaded, and because the problem was with two games, but the rest were fine. 

[puzzlezaddict]

@aridridge  Is your laptop a mac?  If so, this is a common problem.  The way to fix it is to run the Origin reset tool for macs, uncheck the boxes for automatic game updates when you sign in again, then go to Application Settings > Application (the first tab), and enable automatic game updates.  Then quit Origin, and when you sign in again, you should be offered the downloads of the problem packs.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/how-to-reset-origin-on-mac/

If you're running Windows, try clearing Origin's cache.  If that doesn't work, you could uninstall and reinstall Origin itself ("the hard way"), which wouldn't affect your installed games.

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

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/manually-uninstalling-origin/

[KNKV10]

So my problem seems to be the fact that I cannot install the sims 3 university life. It installed perfectly fine on another computer yet on this one it wont let me download it. The download doesn't start by itself at all and when I try to go under expansion packs and click it then it shows me that I clicked it but nothing happens.

I'm using Windows 10.

Also I've looked around if people have had this problem as well, but each of their problems seems a bit different.

[BoredNeko19]

I have two expansions for Sims 3 (Seasons and Into the Future) that say download on them but when I click on them nothing happens. I own the discs but my laptop doesn't have a disc drive and I have an external disc drive but not desk setup for my laptop so I can't always have the disc to run the game when I wanna play it.

I have tried reinstalling origin and updated it, logging out and back in, running as admin, and searching around online to see if this problem has happened to others. My OS is windows 10.

[puzzlezaddict]

@KNKV10  Try clearing Origin's cache.  If that doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall Origin itself ("the hard way").

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

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/manually-uninstalling-origin/

If these steps don't help, clear Origin's cache again, and when you sign in, uncheck the box that allows Origin to automatically update itself and the game.  Then go to Application Settings > Application, switch on automatic game updates, and quit Origin.  You should be offered University Life for download, skipping the button entirely.  You can try the same workaround after uninstalling and reinstalling Origin.

[puzzlezaddict]

@BoredNeko19 Try clearing Origin's cache.  If that doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall Origin itself "the hard way"; otherwise, you leave some files behind that might be interfering with the download process.

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

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/manually-uninstalling-origin/

If these steps don't help, clear Origin's cache again, and when you sign in, uncheck the box that allows Origin to automatically update itself and the game.  Then go to Application Settings > Application, switch on automatic game updates, and quit Origin.  You should be offered University Life for download, skipping the button entirely.  You can try the same workaround after uninstalling and reinstalling Origin.

[BoredNeko19]

I ended up uninstalling the game twice and just having the expansions download start when i went to download the game again. The first time i ran into errors and the second time it worked.