Sims 3 stops responding after I press play on launcher

[ShiningStar]

My Sims 3 game has been running great. However in the past couple days, after I start the launcher and press play to start the game, I get a black screen and the neverending circle cursor and I have to hit ctrl+alt+delete to start the task manager and find out that the games is "not responding".

Some info on my laptop: I have Windows 7 64 bit operating system. I'm not sure if there is anymore info needed but i just want to know what else I can do besides un-installing and re-installing my game.

UPDATE: I just went to origin and started my game through there and I into the game just fine. Why is this?

[MrsFlynn]

Hi ShiningStar,

Sims 3 black screen after pressing play on launcher?!
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/Sims-3-black-screen-after-pressing-play-on-launcher/td-p/2668638

The suggested fix for this is try a factory reset as described in the following thread.

[FAQ] Troubleshooting Steps
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/FAQ-Troubleshooting-Steps/td-p/714

As for why one way works and the other doesn't I don't know. Other than the launcher is finicky that way sometimes.

I hope this helps some,

MrsFlynn

[ShiningStar]

I just tried the factory reset and the problem still exists where after I press play on the launcher, the game will go to a black screen and stop responding.

Of course now I also can't even get to the game via origin as every time I click on origin, it freezes my entire computer.

[MrsFlynn]

Here's a couple things to try:

Make sure the game is set to use the better graphics card.

Getting the game to recognize your graphics card
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2013/06/getting-the-game-to-recognize-your-card.html

And while grabbing the link for that, I found this link that maybe of help too.

Launcher crashes
http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2014/02/launcher-crashes.html

As for Origin freezing the entire computer, I'm not sure why it does that. I tried searching on that, and came up with pretty much nothing other than to defrag the computer, and run a run a register cleaner program. - Something like Ccleaner, It's free - http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
This helps clean up temporary files, internet cache files and other files that are left behind that are no longer being used.

MrsFlynn

[ShiningStar]

I went to the laucher crash link and it did seem to work!! I can get into the game just fine, of course all my saves are gone.

Here's my problem though, the first thing I tried was the factory reset and I did the folder thing ( renaming the original folder so a new one is made) and I left it like that after it didn't work. So now is it just a matter of transferring over everything from the old file into the new.

I do have the library from the game on my desktop right now as well and I know they say to not add everything at once so do I just make a new library folder and and slowly starting adding in those files?

I hope I'm making sense,lol.

[MrsFlynn]

Oh shoot, I bet I forgot to suggest backing up your Sims 3 folder before trying the factory reset for later use? -- If so, I'm really sorry about that!!

If you are already a step ahead of me.. Meaning you did save it. You can take those files and folders that are in the Sims 3 folder and copy them into your new Sims 3 folder.

I've got a link that should help with that.

Saving folders/files to use on a different computer or to use as backup
http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,16414.msg313134.html#msg313134

MrsFlynn

[ShiningStar]

It's okay, I still have the Sims old folder and haven't really done anything with it. I should still have all my stuff. *crosses fingers*