Author Topic: Sims 3 - Tips for Crashing, Lag and Other Misc Tips (Read 257823 times)

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:07:22 PM »

Launcher Crashes / Launcher has stopped Working

As I was going over what I had previously typed up and the current tips, I have found it's best to refer you to the tips for general crashing post. As it has some helpful tips that can help with this issue.

Tips for General Crashing Issues
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg425173#msg425173

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:08:06 PM »

User Interface (UI) is Missing

Regardless if traveling to/from different worlds or to/from University, you may come to find your game's user interface missing. There isn't an official fix for it. But there is a work-around and a few tips that may help with the problem.

Possible work-arounds:

1. Evict the family and placing them back into their home.
2. Switch to another household then back to yours may solve the issue.
3. If you find yourself with this bug you can then go back to a previous save.

Tip #1: Always make a backup of current game before traveling, regardless if it's to university or China, France or Egypt.

Tip#2: Clear out the family individual and family's inventories of extra items. - Always good to do this before traveling.

Troubleshooting Tips:

Missing UI
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/04/bug-missing-ui.html

Missing Sims and empty UI when arriving in vacation town
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/03/bug-missing-sims-and-empty-ui-when-arriving-in-vacation-town.html

Game Help:UI and Sim Issues
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:UI_and_Sim_Issues

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:10:26 PM »

Restart the Computer

Playing for long periods of time (2+ hours or more), without saving will cause lag and freezing and may cause save/memory errors. Regardless of what type of computer you have.

Save often, Using Save As. and giving it a new or similar name. Get out of the game and restart the system every couple of hours will help free up memory trapped by the game. It will also help you to be sure not to loose game progress.

Using Save As every now and again and saving as nameofgame-1, nameofgame-2, etc. may help to lessen the chances of getting save/memory errors.

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:12:42 PM »

Delete and/or Backup Older Saved Games

If you haven't in awhile, it's a good idea to backup and/or remove older saved games. And only leave a handful of current saved game files in your Saves folder. (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Saves)

You can back them up to a usb, external hard drive, dvd or online storage.

Having a lot of older saved-games in your Saves folder is known to cause issues with the game.

Note about Online Storage (OneDrive/GoogleDrive): Uninstall, disable or pause syncing with any services you normally use, such as OneDrive, Google Drive or otherwise. These services move your game files out from (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3) to where your game can't see them anymore.

––Before doing anything with OneDrive or GoogleDrive, if you have Sims 3 files there, copy them back to the C:\Users\Username\Documents\Electronic Arts folder.

Then turn off, disable or uninstall the service. This way the game will be able to access your Sims 3 files again and won't move them.

–Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:13:39 PM »

Check on the 3rd Party Custom Content

If you've got custom content, (items not made by EA aka 3rd party content) or even items from the Sims 3 Store or the Exchange. Try starting the game without it, by opening the launcher, click the Installed Content Tab. Check mark Run Game Without Custom Content. Then click the Play button.

Going through your custom content and mods from time to time is a good idea to make sure none of it's corrupted or conflicting with other files or something else. As corrupted custom content will mess up your game for whatever reason and may make it, glitchy, have graphical glitches or become unplayable.

For example, if your Sim is actively wearing anything that may be bad CC, go through your launcher with a fine toothcomb. You may have downloaded a lot or a Sim that had some bad CC attached to it. If you see something that you don't recognize downloading, delete it from the launcher.

What I like to do is backup my Sims 3 folder to the desktop for temporary, usb drive or other backup media and then clean out the one in (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3) to help with troubleshooting.

To backup the Sims 3 folder, go to: (Documents\Electronic Arts > right-click on the Sims 3 folder > copy/paste to desktop or usb drive.

When I'm having an issue with mods or custom content I delete all the files in my mods folder to start fresh. Use Delphi's Dashboard and Custard, depending on the file type and/or test them manually deleting the cache files between each small batch.

Usually I can find what mod(s) or custom content item(s) that are causing the issue. Delete them and find new copies or replacements.

See how I cleanup my folder in the spoiler below.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sims 3 - How-To: Fix Problems with Mods/CC
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=31759.msg506010#msg506010

[HOW TO] Find and remove bad custom content (CC)
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/HOW-TO-Find-and-remove-bad-custom-content-CC/td-p/2759940

Or

Finding Problem CC
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_Finding_Problem_Custom_Content

The links above should help track down any cc that may be causing the issue. Note that some bad CC can't be found by checking the launcher, so check all of your downloaded sims using this tutorial linked below:
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/01/custard-downloads-that-are-attached-to-sims-directly.html

HowTo: Install Sims 3 Custom Content without the Launcher
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,26167.msg437430.html#msg437430

Game Help:TS3 Custom Content
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_Custom_Content

This is a list of known bad CC clothing -
http://sims3.crinrict.com/badcc/en/BadCC_Clothing.html

I can't see my custom content items in-game for The Sims 3
https://help.ea.com/en-au/help/the-sims/the-sims-3/i-can-t-see-my-custom-content-items-in-game-for-the-sims-3/

Check the Mods - As they may help troubled games
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401825#msg401825

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:15:07 PM »

Check the Mods - As they may help troubled games

If you have mods in your game. Try running the game without the mods. By moving the mods folder to your desktop or some where safe.

-- From time to time, there is some game lag when using mods due to various reasons.

If the lag/crashing is still there. Add each mod back in until you find which mod may be causing the lag. If you find the lag being caused by a mod. Leave that mod out.

When going through your mods, leave out the ones you're not sure what they are or aren't familiar with. And maybe the ones that start with numbers in their file name. See the post linked below for more troubleshooting tips.

Sims 3 - How-To: Fix Problems with Mods/CC
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=31759.msg506010#msg506010

** Some recommended Mods to help prevent crashing and lag are:

Register - Can be used to reduce wild animal populations, which helps with lag. Also helps populate and manage shops/stalls.

Traffic - Cleans up taxis, limos, etc. Can also be used to turn on/off the ice cream and food trucks.

Overwatch - Performs game cleanup once every 24 sim hours.

Error Trap - Grabs errors, logs them and resets the sim rather than just letting the error sit there.

MasterController - Can help reset town, and has various interactions to help alter town population.

Debug Enabler - Helps "reset" bugged/glitched/invisible Sims

Saver - Fixes issues with the save system, prompts you to save every 30 mins (Save as, not just a normal save)

Traveler - Helps fix issues with going to the future, vacation, University, etc.

Porter - Helps with moving your Sims from an older save to a new save. aka old town to a new town.

Go Here - Helps fix routing issues.

Mover - Less useful than the others. Mostly just helps prevent issues moving house or neighborhood.

** In case you're new to working with mods, please see the topic below on creating a mods folder and installing them.

Creating a Mods Folder/Installing Mods Step by Step Guide
http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,9187.0.html

HowTo: Install Sims 3 Custom Content without the Launcher
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26167.msg437430#msg437430

If you're having a hard time getting your mods to work, try this:

Installing Sims 3 Package Files/Setup and Files
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files/Setup_and_Files

There is a ready-made "FrameworkSetup.zip and instructions. It provided me with the creation of the Mod folder containing the Resource.cfg, Override and Packages folders. Then I copied my mods into the packages and voila!

If having issues downloading the FrameworkSetup.zip file from ModtheSims, please try a different browser, for example Firefox or download our ready-made mods folder from SimFileShare - Mods.zip - https://www.simfileshare.net/download/2740308/

Finding Problem CC
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:TS3_Finding_Problem_Custom_Content

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:18:10 PM »

Thumbnails Folder

It's safe to delete the files in this folder (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Thumbnails) and okay to delete the folder as well as part of troubleshooting. The files and folder will regenerate.

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:18:50 PM »

WorldCaches Folder

** Mac users don't delete these files!! **

Files in this folder are okay to delete. They will get recreated when you visit the worlds that use them.

--> C:\Users\<Username>\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\WorldCaches

WorldCaches folder is created only if you have custom worlds (Barnacle Bay, Riverview, etc.), and it's only created on some computers. Yes, feel free to remove the files inside WorldCaches - deleting them won't harm your game.

Not everyone will have this folder, so if you don't have it, don't worry about it. It just means that your computer doesn't use these caches.

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2015, 05:19:31 PM »

How To: Delete and clear the FeaturedItems folder

It's safe and fairly easy to delete the contents of the Featured Items folder. The files and folder will regenerate each play-session if you don't set it to Read-Only. To keep the thumbnails from coming back. Try these steps.

1. Go into the FeaturedItems folder, and highlight all the files and delete them.
2. Go back to the Sims3 Folder and select the FeaturedItems folder.
3. Right click and select properties.
4. Select the Security tab.
5. Click the Edit button.
6. Under the Permissions for Authenticated Users, find the word Write, and checkmark Deny.
-- This will prevent anything from being written to this folder.
7.) Click Apply or Ok.

8.) Select General tab, under Attributes, select Read-Only and click Apply or Ok.

--- If you would like to see reference photos, please see the link below.

Preventing of Ingame-Store-Pictures
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/12/tutorial-turning-off-ingame-store-and-preventing-loading-of-pictures.html

You can also fully delete the FeaturedItems folder and the files inside it. It will regenerate each time you play. However it will be less likely to crash your game. From what I understand and have experienced, making this folder Read-Only may make the game crash.

More Tips and Information:

What is the game doing when you quit?
https://nraas.net/community/topic11064

Feature item Folder!
https://nraas.net/community/post91572#p91572

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #24 on:** February 06, 2015, 12:08:47 PM »

Stuck Inventory Items

It's recommended to evict the family out, and then move them back in. How-To Evict Household

Read more about it in the link below.

Stuck Inventory Items
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/04/bug-stuck-inventory-items.html

If you have rewards, like the Motive Mobile, look them up in the BuyDebug menu. You can get to this menu by, Press Shift-Ctrl-C keys together to bring up cheat console and typing in BuyDebug on.

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #25 on:** September 13, 2015, 07:09:50 PM »

Relieving Freezing and Lag

Updated: July 2023

Here are some tips to relieve some lag and freezing. Please note it's normal for the game and it's camera to have some stuttering when zooming in/out and scrolling around, even with having better graphics cards and newer systems. Please remember, Sims 3 is an older game that wasn't necessarily made to run on newer hardware or software (meaning Windows 11) and therefore needs help running on newer systems. This is the same for all older games.

Quick Links:
In-Game/EA App Tips
Tech Related Tips
Tips for General Crashing Issues

In-Game/EA App Tips

These are some in-game and EA App troubleshooting tips to try:

1. Repair Game: Open the EA App > Library > Find Sims 3 and Click Manage > Repair.

2. Turn off EA App overlay: In the EA App, click Application and look for In-game Overlay this setting needs to be turned off.

EA App overlay is similar to what Origin in-game was. A feature that allows you to see friends online in-game as well as other game stats. However, It has been known to cause problems having this feature turned on.

3. Empty Sims personal and family inventories. Often too many items in the inventories can cause issues. - Also, playing on large lots (40x40 and above) can cause lag, having a large family and house with a lot of furniture/decor and landscaping will cause lag after awhile.

4. Reset Town, Sims or Evicting Households to help reset things sometimes helps.

Reset Town, Individual Sims and/or Evict Household
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401812#msg401812

5. Check your game options. Sometimes experimenting with the in-game graphics, settings and other options help.

Sims 3 Options Overview
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=27533.msg455148#msg455148

Lower In-game Graphics
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401802.html#msg401802

Turn Off Memories/In-game Store
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401805.html#msg401805

Turn Off Interactive Loading Screens
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401807.html#msg401807

6. Some towns/worlds can cause lag, depending on how large they are. Save the family/house and try a new game as a test to see if placing them to a different town might help.

How To: Save a Household
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,19060.0.html

Create a New Game
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401813.html#msg401813

7. Try a custom content world. This may help with routing issues that cause lag and freezing.

Here's a site that has some custom worlds
https://www.mysimrealty.com/Sims3_Worlds.html

Back to top

Tech Related Tips

1. Make sure drivers are up to date

Troubleshooting graphics on PC
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/pc-graphics-troubleshooting

If the above doesn't help, try uninstalling your graphics driver and reinstall it. -- You may need to search on the manufacturer of your video card (Nvidia or AMD) to help find your graphics drivers.

If you have a dual graphics card system, make sure the game runs on the card and not the chip.
https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/05/setting-up-a-gaming-profile-for-your-graphics-card.html

How do I uninstall my NVIDIA display drivers?
https://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Nvidia-Drivers

Uninstalling AMD drivers
https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/gpu-601

2. Check Mods and Custom Content: Move the Mods folder to the desktop for testing purposes and try the game again. - We suggest this due to outdated/broken mods/cc being the #1 issue when it comes to games not working correctly. If you need help with these, have a look at the links below.

Sims 3 - How-To: Fix Problems with Mods/CC
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=31759.msg506010#msg506010

3. Check recent downloads - If the lag/freezing has just started or has been going on for a bit, check over what you've recently downloaded.

4. Clean up the Sims 3 user folder: Backup the Sims 3 folder and delete some of the files. I like to save my Sims 3 folder to the desktop, usb drive or external hard drive and then clean out the Sims 3 folder in Documents to help with troubleshooting. Go to: (Documents\Electronic Arts > right-click on the Sims 3 folder > copy/paste to desktop or usb drive. See how I cleanup my folder in the spoiler below.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

5. Delete Game Cache Files (What & Howto)
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401809.html#msg401809

6. Try resetting the Sims 3 folder, aka Sims 3 Factory Reset (HowTo)
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401814.html#msg401814

7. It's strongly recommended to play the game on a computer that meets or exceeds the recommended specs. If your computer doesn't meet at least recommended specs, you may have problems running this game well. Meaning you will run into crashes, lag, freezing and other general headaches. - Integrated video cards lack the dedicated video memory to give allow for good gaming performance.

✽✽ If none of the above tips help, please post about your issue on answers.ea Sims 3 Tech Help Board:
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/bd-p/the-sims-3 - Give as much detail as possible, noting what you've tried. This will help in troubleshooting the issue.

----------
Reference Links:

Sims 3 Lags & Freezes
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/04/bug-lags-intermittent-freezes.html

Bizarre cause of lag/freeze issue - 1st post updated 8/26/13
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/536956

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #26 on:** October 17, 2015, 02:39:56 AM »

Sims 3 Has Stopped Working

Updated: May 2023

1. Sims 3 Stopped working -- If you have more than one EA account. Make sure your logged into the account that you purchased or registered Sims 3 with.

2. Try running the EA App As Administrator: Use EADesktop.exe to launch . (C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\EA Desktop\EADesktop.exe) - Right-click on the EA App icon on and select Run as Administrator.

3. Repair Game: Open the EA App > Library > Find Sims 3 and Click Manage > Repair.

4. Delete the Cache Files (HowTo)
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401809.html#msg401809

5. Update your drivers / Troubleshoot graphics
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/pc-graphics-troubleshooting/

6. Check Mods and Custom Content: Move the Mods folder to the desktop for testing purposes and try the game again. - We suggest this due to outdated/broken mods/cc being the #1 issue when it comes to games not working correctly. If you need help with these, have a look at the links below.

Sims 3 - How-To: Fix Problems with Mods/CC
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=31759.msg506010#msg506010

7. Try resetting the Sims 3 folder, aka Sims 3 Factory Reset (What & Howto)
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401814.html#msg401814

8. It has been reported that screen capture/recorders and instant messengers/video chat programs may cause issues with Sims 3 and may need to be turned off or uninstalled if issues are severe. If you feel the issue is one of these programs, please search on how to turn them off or uninstall them.

9. Have a new Computer? Your new computer may need some fixes or a patch to get Sims 3 to work properly.

Sims 3 won't open: Alder Lake (Intel 12th-gen) CPU
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-won-t-open-Alder-Lake-Intel-12th-gen-CPU/m-p/11528168#M250997

–Reinstall DirectX 9: - Sims 3 still uses DX9, but isn't in Windows 10 or 11. * Restarting your computer maybe helpful after this step.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-launcher-won-t-open/m-p/10700883#M247761

–Make sure .net framework 3.5 is turned on.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/install/dotnet-35-windows

–Limit the game to 1 CPU core via Task Manager, as it starts to load.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpUUZUJNGXM - How To Fix The Sims 3/Medieval On Newer Intel Processors

✽✽ Please remember, Sims 3 is an older game that wasn't necessarily made to run on newer hardware or software (meaning Windows 11) and therefore needs help running on newer systems. This is the same for all older games.

10. Check Online Storage (OneDrive/GoogleDrive): Uninstall, disable or pause syncing with any services you normally use, such as OneDrive, Google Drive or otherwise. These services move your game files out from (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3) to where your game can't see them anymore.

––Before doing anything with OneDrive or GoogleDrive, if you have Sims 3 files there, copy them back to the C:\Users\Username\Documents\Electronic Arts folder.

Then turn off, disable or uninstall the service. This way the game will be able to access your Sims 3 files again and won't move them.

–Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

11. Ensure Antivirus or security software is not blocking the game/EA App.

Add an exclusion to Windows Security:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/add-an-exclusion-to-windows-security-811816c0-4dfd-af4a-47e4-c301afe13b26

12. Run a Registry cleaner: Specially If you've recently uninstalled or reinstalled the game it maybe worth a try to use a registry cleaner such as Ccleaner or Revo Uninstaller to cleanup the files left behind from uninstalling the app and game files.

✽✽ If the computer doesn't recognize that Sims 3 is installed, the game will need to be reinstalled, as something in the registry has gotten corrupted.

Information on a manual removal is here at the official EA site
http://help.ea.com/en/article/manually-uninstalling-the-sims-3/

The tip below will only work for those who have the disc or Steam version.

7. *If you've got the disc version of Sims 3 and expansions* (Does not work with Origin's digital download) Try running the game by by-passing the launcher, and use the TS3.exe file to run the game.

Go to ---> C:\Program Files (x86)\TheSims3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe - and click on the file TS3W.exe to launch the game.

8. Add Sims 3 and Expansions to the Data Execution Prevention (DEP)
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg447430#msg447430
Or
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Data_Execution_Prevention/TS3W

Restart the computer. Specially if you've just come from playing hours of another game. Or doing something that was as graphic intense for the computer. - This helps refresh It's memory, and gives it a fresh start.

----------
Reference Links:
Game Crashes (Sims 3 has stopped working)
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/01/error-game-crashes-ctd.html

Sims 3 Game Problems
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Sims_3_Game_Problem

Sims 3 Crashing Checklist
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Sims_3_Crashing_Checklist

Windows 10 Help Thread
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/READ-FIRST-POST-HERE-Windows-10-Help-Thread/td-p/4703142

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #27 on:** October 17, 2015, 05:37:42 PM »

Tips for Launcher Script Errors / Clear IE's or Edge's Browser Cache

Updated: May 2023

These are fairly common. You may get several different script errors. Some are left over from when EA was doing promotional things in the launcher.

They were fixed at one point, but since have been broken again. These errors can be safely ignored. The game can still be played and the launcher can still be used as normal and won't cause harm.

If you aren't able to exit out of the launcher due to the error, use Task Manager to close out.

Open Task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc) search for a file called Sims3Launcher (32 bit) Right click on it and select End Task.

The Sims 3 launcher uses parts of IE to work, so clearing Edge and IE's browser data helps with launcher issues such as downloading and installing store content.

View and delete browser history in Microsoft Edge:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-and-delete-browser-history-in-microsoft-edge-00cf7943-a9e1-975a-a33d-ac10ce454ca4

If you're running the Origin/EA App version and patch 1.69, the tip below won't work due to the way Origin/EA App works and the way they've patched the game.

If you are running on patch 1.67 it is recommended to bypass the launcher, when you're not installing custom content or other game files like Sims, Lots, etc that you've created.

Go to ---> C:\Program Files (x86)\TheSims3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe - and click on the file TS3W.exe to launch the game.

It does sometimes help to run the Superpatcher, especially if you've recently installed or reinstalled Sims 3. [Error: Expected Identifier, String or Number]

Super Patch (1.67) [The SuperPatcher is meant for 1.67 and below installs only.]
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/FAQ-Current-Patch-1-67-Manual-links-and-more/td-p/67858

*!*!* If you've installed Sims 3 via Steam. You may need to search on how to get it patched up, as Steam has it's own patching system and may not be able to use the super patch.

----------
Reference Link:

Script Error when opening launcher
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,11569.0.html

Script Errors on the Launcher
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/Info-Script-Errors-on-the-Launcher/td-p/2216747

Sims 3 Launcher Running in Tray While Playing
https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/Sims-3-launcher-running-in-tray-while-playing/td-p/6993691

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #28 on:** October 18, 2015, 05:16:41 PM »

Tips for General Crashing Issues

We're sorry for this exhaustive tips list. But something from this list is sure to help fix the issue.

Updated: July 2023

Quick Links:
In-Game/EA App Tips
Tech Related Tips
Tips to Relieve Lag and Freezing
Tips for Sims 3 Has Stopped Working
Tips for Serious Error Occurred and Error 12

In-Game/EA App Tips:

1. Repair Game: Open the EA App > Library > Find Sims 3 and Click Manage > Repair.

2. Turn off EA App overlay: In the EA App, click Application and look for In-game Overlay this setting needs to be turned off.

EA App overlay is similar to what Origin in-game was. A feature that allows you to see friends online in-game as well as other game stats. However, It has been known to cause problems having this feature turned on.

3. Try running the EA App As Administrator: Use EADesktop.exe to launch . (C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\EA Desktop\EADesktop.exe) - Right-click on the EA App icon on and select Run as Administrator.

4. Try experimenting with in-game graphics, resolution and settings:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401802#msg401802

5. Sims 3 Stopped working -- If you have more than one EA account. Make sure your logged into the account that you purchased or registered Sims 3 with.

6. Log out of the EA App. -- *If exiting the EA App isn't working, open Task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc) search for a few files. Anything from EA (EA App and EA Background Services) and depending on your install files such as TS3.exe or TS3W.exe ; Sims3Launcher.exe or Sims3LauncherW.exe. Click on any of these that apply and select end process.

7. Make sure that the EA App does not automatically open when starting Windows.
Click Menu (☰) up top left > Settings > Application - Open the EA App Automatically on Start Up - turn this off. It's on by default and can cause issues, if you have multiple Windows user accounts.

8. Delete the contents of the CurrentGame.sims 3 folder. (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\CurrentGame.sims3) This is a "recent" backup of your current save file. Saved the last time you successfully saved the game. Hoewver, when the game crashes and you're in a save. Files get left behind in this folder and can cause issues like the game crashing or not loading.

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Tech Related Tips

1. Make sure drivers are up to date

Troubleshooting graphics on PC
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/pc-graphics-troubleshooting

If the above doesn't help, try uninstalling your graphics driver and reinstall it. -- You may need to search on the manufacturer of your video card (Nvidia or AMD) to help find your graphics drivers.

How do I uninstall my NVIDIA display drivers?
https://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Nvidia-Drivers

Uninstalling AMD drivers
https://www.amd.com/en/support/kb/faq/gpu-601

If you have a dual graphics card system, make sure the game runs on the card and not the chip.
https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/05/setting-up-a-gaming-profile-for-your-graphics-card.html

How-To: Get Sims 3 to Recognize a New Graphics Card
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26753.msg446248#msg446248

2. Check Mods and Custom Content: Move the Mods folder to the desktop for testing purposes and try the game again. - We suggest this due to outdated/broken mods/cc being the #1 issue when it comes to games not working correctly. If you need help with these, have a look at the links below.

Sims 3 - How-To: Fix Problems with Mods/CC
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=31759.msg506010#msg506010

3. Delete both game cache and Origin cache files:

-- Delete Game Cache
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401809.html#msg401809

-- Clear the EA App Cache Files: Select the three dashes in the far-left corner of the EA app. Scroll to Help. Click App recovery. Select Clear cache. * Restarting your computer maybe helpful after this step.

4. Clean up the Sims 3 user folder: Backup the Sims 3 folder and delete some of the files. I like to save my Sims 3 folder to the desktop, usb drive or external hard drive and then clean out the Sims 3 folder in Documents to help with troubleshooting. Go to: (Documents\Electronic Arts > right-click on the Sims 3 folder > copy/paste to desktop or usb drive. See how I cleanup my folder in the spoiler below.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

5. Try resetting the Sims 3 folder, aka Sims 3 Factory Reset (HowTo)
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401814.html#msg401814

6. A hard drive that is low on space may cause the game to crash/not load. It's best to move extra files such as game videos, game saves, screenshots to an external drive or usb drive if you're running low on hard drive space.

7. It has been reported that screen capture/recorders and instant messengers/video chat programs may cause issues with Sims 3 and may need to be turned off or uninstalled if issues are severe. If you feel the issue is one of these programs, please search on how to turn them off or uninstall them.

8. The crashing could be a potential power supply or overheating issue. Try cleaning out your computer, if that doesn't help. You may need to either have a friend help clean it out or take it to a repair shop to get it cleaned out. You may also want to have them test the power supply to rule out issues with that.

9. Have a new Computer? Your new computer may need some fixes or a patch to get Sims 3 to work properly.

✦ Even with older computers, if running Windows 10, reinstalling DX9 and checking the framework have been recommended to help with crashing.

Sims 3 won't open: Alder Lake (Intel 12th-gen) CPU
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-won-t-open-Alder-Lake-Intel-12th-gen-CPU/m-p/11528168#M250997

–Reinstall DirectX 9: - Sims 3 still uses DX9, but isn't in Windows 10 or 11. * Restarting your computer maybe helpful after this step.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-launcher-won-t-open/m-p/10700883#M247761

–Make sure .net framework 3.5 is turned on.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/install/dotnet-35-windows

–Limit the game to 1 CPU core via Task Manager, as it starts to load.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpUUZUJNGXM - How To Fix The Sims 3/Medieval On Newer Intel Processors

✽✽ Please remember, Sims 3 is an older game that wasn't necessarily made to run on newer hardware or software (meaning Windows 11) and therefore needs help running on newer systems. This is the same for all older games.

10. Check the Install Path - Open the game with the game -not- the launcher, if possible. (Check Task Manager - Make sure the Game/Sims 3 Launcher is not running).

EA App: (C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe)

Origin: (C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe)

Steam: (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe)

Disc: (C:\Program files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe)

11. Check Online Storage (OneDrive/GoogleDrive): Uninstall, disable or pause syncing with any services you normally use, such as OneDrive, Google Drive or otherwise. These services move your game files out from (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3) to where your game can't see them anymore.

––Before doing anything with OneDrive or GoogleDrive, if you have Sims 3 files there, copy them back to the C:\Users\Username\Documents\Electronic Arts folder.

Then turn off, disable or uninstall the service. This way the game will be able to access your Sims 3 files again and won't move them.

–Turn off, disable, or uninstall OneDrive:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/turn-off-disable-or-uninstall-onedrive-f32a17ce-3336-40fe-9c38-6efb09f944b0

12. Ensure Antivirus or security software is not blocking the game/EA App.

Add an exclusion to Windows Security:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/add-an-exclusion-to-windows-security-811816c0-4dfd-af4a-47e4-c301afe13b26

13. Run a Registry cleaner: Specially If you've recently uninstalled or reinstalled the game it maybe worth a try to use a registry cleaner such as Ccleaner or Revo Uninstaller to cleanup the files left behind from uninstalling the app and game files.

14. Try running a Clean Boot as this will help with stopping any other programs from interfering.
http://help.ea.com/en/article/how-to-clean-boot-your-pc/

15. Restart computer if you haven't in awhile. This helps to refresh the computer's memory.

16. Try turning off the Game DVR and Game Bar, as it's known to be causing issues.

Turn off or disable Game bar in Windows 10
https://www.howtogeek.com/273180/how-to-disable-windows-10s-game-dvr-and-game-bar/

17. Check to make sure your computer meets the minimum, or better yet recommended requirements for both Origin and the game. As trying to run Origin and/or the game on an older/lower end computer will cause both not to work at anytime.

18. It's strongly recommended to play the game on a computer that meets or exceeds the recommended specs. If your computer doesn't meet these the recommended specs, you may have problems running this game well. Meaning you will run into crashes, lag, freezing and other general headaches. - Integrated video cards lack the dedicated video memory to allow for good gaming performance.

19. If still not working or still crashing - Run the Error Reporter: (https://help.ea.com/en-gb/help/ea/ea-app/run-ea-error-report/) Share your Report ID with either a post at answers.ea Sims 3 Technical Help Board. (Sims 3 Tech Board: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/bd-p/the-sims-3) or EA Customer Service.

Sign in with your EA account, click the New Topic button, up near the top of the board, to make a new post.

----------

Reference Links:

SimsWiki: Sims 3 Crashing Checklist
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Sims_3_Crashing_Checklist

MrsFlynn · « **Reply #29 on:** October 18, 2015, 06:42:53 PM »

How To: Sims 3 - Install and/or Uninstall/Reinstall

Quick Links

Install and/or Uninstall Sims 3, Expansions and Stuff packs

How to redeem your product and promo codes

Bought Used Copy of Game

Install Sims 3 via Disc

How to Play/Start the game?

How to Play/Start the game without internet?

The Expansions Aren't Loading?!

Sims 3 Expansion Packs Disappeared From Launcher

My Games Are Missing

HowTo: Install Sims 3 Custom Content without the Launcher

How To: Download Store Content

How-To: Backup and Restore Store Content

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Please note: If you have problems with your game code such as it comes up invalid, missing or aren't able to use it for whatever reason, you need to contact EA (https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/). We cannot help with game code and/or EA Account issues. Only EA customer service can access user accounts.

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How to Install and/or Uninstall Sims 3, Expansions and Stuff packs:

Install and/or Uninstall Sims 3 and expansions and stuff packs:
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/the-sims/the-sims-3/the-sims-3-complete-installation-guide/

Or....

Uninstall Sims 3 via Control Panel

It's highly recommended to run a registry cleaner such as Ccleaner or Revo Uninstaller to cleanup the files left behind from uninstalling or reinstalling the game files or EA App.

Ccleaner, It's free
- http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download -- PC
- https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download?mac -- Mac

How to use CCleaner to fix PC issues
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-CCleaner

Revo Uninstaller - Free Edition
https://www.revouninstaller.com/products/revo-uninstaller-free/

How to use Revo Uninstaller
https://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Using-Revo-Uninstaller

==========

Uninstall via the Control Panel:

Uninstall the game and all expansions/stuff packs by going to Uninstall a Program in Control Panel. (Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features)

Look for the Sims 3 expansions and/or stuff packs you want to uninstall and click on them and select Uninstall for each expansion/stuff pack you want to uninstall.

Run a registry cleaner after uninstalling to get rid of any files left over after uninstalling. Links above.

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Install Sims 3 via Disc:

Depending on what year is on the discs (looking for 2009 base game disc and first-run expansions/stuff packs discs) You're good and can use these to install/play. However you may not be able to register these with EA, as they may have been previously registered.

No Origin/EA App required because the first-run 2009 discs came out before Origin/EA App was a requirement!! Yay!!

First, If you have the EA App and any other EA Games, you'll want to turn off Automatic Game Updates in the EA App so that it doesn't try to take over the install of Sims 3.

Click Menu (☰) up top left > Settings > Downloads > Updates - Update Games Automatically = Turned off

Something else you might like to do is stop the EA App from opening when Windows starts.

Click Menu (☰) up top left > Settings > Application - Open the EA App Automatically on Start Up - turn this off. It's on by default and can cause issues, if you have multiple Windows user accounts.

----

If you have the full-first-run 2009 disc version of the game, each time you install an expansion or stuff pack and it asks to install the latest version of EA installer/Origin/EA App - select No. -- This will allow you to stay at patch level 1.67

Start with installing base game. Then install either the Superpatch or Sims 3 Patch Downloader to patch your game up to 1.67.

You can either use the Superpatch provided by EA - Using the link from Nraas, as it's got some good info on the patch.
https://www.nraas.net/community/Super-Patch

Alternatively you can download the Sims 3 Patch Downloader from ModtheSims.
https://modthesims.info/d/409829

It's my understanding after you've got the base game patched to 1.67 you can then install the discs in any order. Just say No to Origin/EA App while installing.

You'll need to create a mods folder and add the resource.cfg file to it. Create a Package and Nraas folder within the Mods folder so you can then add the Nraas NoCD mod to the Nraas folder.
https://www.nraas.net/community/NoCD

With the Nraas NoCD mod, you can play without the discs.

You can read how to create a mods folder or download a created mods folder that has the resource.cfg file already in the mods folder with the post link below.

Sims 3 - Creating a Mods Folder/Installing Mods Step by Step Guide:
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=9187.msg185282#msg185282

Launch the game through the game files instead of Sims 3 Launcher:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe"
Also, Right-click Run As Administrator on TS3W.exe

I installed Sims 3 from my original discs set (2009-2013) via external disc drive a few years back and it works and runs fine. I've had no problems.

If you'd like to download and install Sims 3 Store content, please see link below:

How To: Download and Install Store Content:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg437664#msg437664

After you've done all this, go into game and check to see if everything is running okay.

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How to Play/Start the game?

Open the EA App > Library > Find Sims 3 and click Play

If you have the EA App version, you need to be logged in to play the game. As they integrated Sims 3 into their game client in late 2015. However, you can still play offline.

To play offline, you first need to open / login to the EA App while online. Then click Menu (☰) up top left > Go Offline. My understanding of why is for the account/games verification.

Since Jan. 2016 there is no way around EA App updating to patch 1.69 if you have recently purchased the game from EA.

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How to Play/Start the game with No Internet?

It looks like at this time you cannot play the game without internet.

To play offline, you first need to open / login to the EA App while online. Then click Menu (☰) up top left > Go Offline. My understanding of why is for the account/games verification.

Open the EA App > Library > Find Sims 3 and click Play.

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The Expansions Aren't Loading?!

If they aren't showing up in the EA App or Sims 3 Launcher, first check your purchase history via the EA Website (https://www.ea.com/). To see what packs and content shows up.

Consider Contacting EA (https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/) after looking at your purchase history to see if the packs/content do show up on your account. Missing games/content seems to be an account issue, like code(s) being blocked and needing a new one or game entitlements not being recognized as owned. You may need to try asking about it with Live Chat Support. If you don't see the option, change the location in your browser window to U.S. or U.K. Don't forget to ask for a refund if you recently made a Expansion/Stuff pack purchase.

The Sims 3 Launcher will forget from time to time which packs you have installed. Open the launcher and go to the Expansions & Stuff Packs tab to see what packs you have turned on. You may need to turn them off and back on to help the launcher remember which packs you have turned on.

Here's a link to a photo of what is being suggested:

More information on Patch 1.69 and Content Manager:
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2015/11/patch-1-69.html

Expansion and Stuff Pack Manager
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2015/11/expansion-and-stuff-pack-manager.html

Sims 3 Expansion Packs Disappeared From Launcher
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg439553.html#msg439553

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Bought Used Copy of Game or Worlds Discs:

Depending on what year is on the discs (looking for 2009 base game disc and first-run expansions/stuff packs discs) You're good and can use these to install/play. However you may not be able to register these with EA, as they may have been previously registered. See this section for a how-to install.

You can only register the game once to an EA Account.

If they are 2013 or newer, you won't be able to use them to install the game. This version requires Origin/EA App to install and play.

It's the same with the Worlds discs. If they've been registered to an EA Account, they can't be redeemed again.

You might try contacting EA's customer service (https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/) to see if there's anything that can be done, but most likely not.

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=====
Created: Oct. 2015
Updated: May 2023

News:

Author Topic: Sims 3 - Tips for Crashing, Lag and Other Misc Tips (Read 257823 times)

MrsFlynn

Launcher Crashes / Launcher has stopped Working

MrsFlynn

User Interface (UI) is Missing

MrsFlynn

Restart the Computer

MrsFlynn

Delete and/or Backup Older Saved Games

MrsFlynn

Check on the 3rd Party Custom Content

MrsFlynn

Check the Mods - As They may Help troubled Games

MrsFlynn

Thumbnails Folder

MrsFlynn

WorldCaches Folder

MrsFlynn

FeaturedItems Folder

MrsFlynn

Stuck Inventory Items

MrsFlynn

Tips to Relieve Lag and Freezing

MrsFlynn

Sims 3 Has Stopped Working

MrsFlynn

Tips for Launcher Script Errors / Clear IE's or Edge's Browser Cache

MrsFlynn

Tips for General Crashing Issues

MrsFlynn

How To: Sims 3 - Install and/or Uninstall/Reinstall