Ever since Origin forced me to update to the garbage 1.69 update, I've been having nothing but trouble with my sims 3. Now it won't even load. After I launch it, it stays on the black screen. I've tried changing the resolution in the options (in the sims 3 folder), I've turned off full screen there too! No mods, no cc and it still won't go past the black screen. No I don't have the disk anymore, unfortunately. I can't even play anymore. I've cried over there and I've been trying to work with this bullcrap update for over a month now, I don't have the money to buy an old disk either.

I have Sims 3 Dashboard, Sims3Logs, TS3CLA, Sims3PackCleaner, CCMagic, NraasModUpdater, Custard and all that stuff installed in an attempt to fix it. I have other things installed too, which I can't even remember. My computer has run it with many mods and cc no problem before this update. My laptop is a Windows 64bit 8.1.

Have you tried temporarily moving your Sims 3 folder (the one with your mods, saves, etc) and seeing if that helps? If you try that and it helps then you'll at least know the problem is something within that folder. Also I believe there should be an option within Origin to repair the game if you click (right click I believe) on your game, that may be worth a try too. Maybe try a combination of both, move your Sims 3 folder then try running the repair option in Origin. I'm not sure if any of those things will help, but I thought I'd at least try suggesting a couple of simple things.

Reinstall your game. Download the "Superpatch" version 1.67 from the help section here. NEVER launch your game using Origin. Always use the TS3W shortcut to launch your game.
In the help section on this forum you will find instructions on how to do all of this.

Take a minute to look at the information page detailing Patch 1.69 particularly the impact with core mods and possibilities for reverting back. Also note CC Magic no longer works with 1.69. Check out the details on the page.

As suggested above also try putting your The Sims3 game folder on your desktop or rename it to something else. Load the game and a new The Sims 3 folder will be recreated. See if you can play. If you can start adding things back a few at a time and testing each time to make sure you can play. Chances are you have something in that mods folder that is either outdated or conflicting with something else.

Edit: Sorry, I misled you: 1.69 prevents CC Magic from being able to launch the game but it can still be used to install custom content

Very often the patching process, not just the 1.69 patch, does damage the TS3 game folder in Documents. Some never see this happen, others did with every patch unless they pulled their game folder out first. It's not really that uncommon.

If your game is registered with Origin, and if pulling the game folder out still doesn't work, you could as a last resort after all else fails consider uninstalling TS3, clean your Windows Registry with CCleaner, and reinstall the digital only version through Origin at no extra cost. You wouldn't need the disc anymore. And please don't try Super Patching or bypassing the Launcher with a shortcut as suggested above, those things don't work on Patch 1.69.

I must have done the repair game at least 5 times now. Doesn't do anything :/ I'll try moving the mods folder. I've done something simular already, but it's worth a shot.

Sigh.. The Superpatch got me all excited lol that's a shame. Origin is a dick. It may have saved me lots of money by being able to install sims 3 again on all my new computers, but its stupid updates are killing me -.-

Stop Origin from updating your game. There is a box for that you can uncheck on the last tab of the launcher.
Next download the superpatch for 1.67 and manually install that.
Next find your TS3W.exe file in your sims folder.
Create a shortcut for it and drag it to your desktop.
Always start sims with that shortcut. Never use origin.

I know you are trying to be helpful, but please stop recommending this. Players who manage to SuperPatch 1.67 over an existing 1.69 install end up with a totally broken game that needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled from the beginning, as of this past January or so. We cannot downpatch this way.

The only ways to install and stay on Patch 1.67 are to have an all-disc install with a base game disc produced prior to Sept 2012 (no Origin, no digital installs, no base game disc produced after then), switch over to Steam, or play the Mac version of the game. Not everyone has or is willing to acquire all of the discs for the base game and every EP/SP we want to have in play.

I have never had a digital copy of sims so I suppose that is the reason I made the suggestion. Didn't mean to lead anyone astray. I was simply unaware that you couldn't select the patch you want with a digital copy.

It's not really a matter of digital vs. disc in this case, it's that downpatching (going backwards) from 1.69 to 1.67 doesn't work. There did used to be a way to accomplish this by reinstalling the base game only but EA/Origin locked that one down some time in January. Whether disc or digital, when Origin is involved it somehow reorganizes the base game and EPs in such a way that it won't work on 1.67 anymore and players end up with a Launcher showing version 0.0.0, which is not valid and their game doesn't function even when bypassing.




Okay, you're old fashioned (just trying to be obliging).

Guess it's just me, but every CD/DVD drive I've ever come in close contact with has lived a very short life and I still have vivid memories from back in the Dark Ages of spending hours having to perform multiple installations of Excel from 26 floppies for various users (it was always the 24th one that failed), so I much prefer digital anything. Then it's up to me to preserve the offline installers by whatever means I have. What I can't stand is having to use online vendor controlled systems like Origin to install or actually run the software, that's different and has always rubbed me the wrong way because it adds far too many potential points of failure to the mix.

I too prefer disks to digital. Right now I have cable, but I might someday travel through/ live for some of the year out in the boonies in areas with no cable..only wireless and spotty internet at that. Downloading games on a slow connection would be torture. I guess i'd have to look into satellite internet providers..but that is slowish too.

I've often wondered how game developers don't recognize that many folks, for various reasons, do not have access to high speed internet even in this day and age. It is not even a financial factor all the time..some areas just can't have high speed cables put in...too remote, too few people to be worth it for the cable companies or geological factors prohibit it.

I am fortunate to have the older Sims 3 disks and I take good care of them because I know they are just about impossible to find nowadays. I did have to buy a new Super Drive recently, but it was worth it to avoid reinstalling thru Origin.

Question. Can this person reinstall sims completely and just not patch through Origin? Manually patch with a digital game?

No. Once you do an Origin install now, whether that be of the base game or any of the EP/SPs, you must accept Patch 1.69. No choices offered. Okay, technically you can deny or interrupt the Origin offer to patch your game but then it just won't run or the EPs won't install. Same thing if you have an all disc install but the base game disc was produced after Sept 2012 (it's the Go Social product line refresh). You must use Origin in these cases and you must accept Patch 1.69 now. There is no manual patching for these game installs anymore, it's all handled through Origin.

Again, there are only three ways (we know of) to do a reinstall and stay on Patch 1.67.
1 - All disc, including a base game disc produced prior to Sept 2012 then SuperPatch to 1.67
2 - Switch to Steam, which for most players would mean repurchasing the Steam version of the base game and all of their EP/SPs (but there is no 1.69 for Steam)
3 - Play the Mac version (not recommended for other reasons although some do manage to get enjoyment out of TS3 for Mac, but there is no 1.69 there either)

Wow. Thanks for the answer. I had no idea that using a digital purchase was so messed up. So happy I am OCD about having my disks.

I'm the same way as you are now (at 20), but 15 year old me didn't think things through very well :/ I was amazed at the fact that I could get a digital copy of something (I had the disks of everything but generations and showtime) Also the fact that I lost everything I touched, digital sounded amazing lol

No offense to anyone who loves mac, but I absolutely despise mac. And unfortunately, I don't have the money to replace any disks or repurchase through steam (no matter how cheap. I'm living pay check to pay check)

Origin has been added to my long list of hated things now -.-

Thank you for the tips though. One day maybe I'll be able to repurchase sims 3, but for now I think I've come to accept my simming days are dead til I can manage to come across some money to spend. Sims 3 was special to me, it got me through coping with depression by distracting me, so I'm completely heartbroken.

I may go and bug EA customer service and see if I can get something out of them. All they do is tell me to "repair my game" which has helped none, but I'll keep trying for my dear Sims.

I don't think they care anymore to be honest. Unless it's like a huge thing that impacts a majority of people, they won't do a d**n thing. (I don't know if "rude" words are allowed) It's all MONEY now, they don't really care about the consumers anymore (some companies do, not most.) I don't want to sound depressing or anything, that's just how it seems to me. And I know the struggles of crappy internet speed and downloads all too well. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I wish past me was smart and kept my stuff safe and where I could find it. :/

It's okay. I appreciate you trying to help.

Hi, my name is igazor.
Hi, igazor.

And I'm a Mac lover. I'm typing this to you from one right now.
Yes igazor, we know that. You keep telling us this. We love you anyway (or don't really care, take your pick). This isn't helpful, get on with it already.

Sorry, just had to throw that in.

But anyway, I'm sorry that your game's failure to load has proved so frustrating. But I have to point out, even if you have already tried this you haven't mentioned it, the most common cure is to pull your TS3 game folder out of Documents to see if the game will launch on a newly created one. Not pull your mods folder or other parts of it out, the entire The Sims 3 folder.

Haha. my friends a mac lover too. I've never liked them. She gave me her old one and I ended up getting too frustrated and gave it back. I really suspect that my laptop is not what it's supposed to be. It randomly crashed on me when I did manage to play years ago. It's a 4 year old laptop and probably never really ran sims right. I'm looking at a computer, I have it posted in another thread. I'm not sure it's what I need either.... Don't trust the store.... they told me this laptop would run sims perfectly.... liars!

Unless they actually play the game, with all expansion packs and a lot of mods, the salespeople have to go by what EA says about system requirements.
EA's standard for a fully patched game with all EPs and SPs is exactly the same as it was for the unpatched base game. (And I suspect that even then the requirements were "Can you get more play time than lag?" 10 seconds of play time, followed by 5 seconds of lag is a 2:1 ratio, so it works.)