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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 21st Mar 2010 at 2:47 PM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3
Default the game doesn´t start
i open sims 3, but i can wait 30 min and it does nothing

please help
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Test Subject
#2 Old 23rd Mar 2010 at 12:52 AM
Okay, I had exactly the same issue with mine - I would start the game and it would crash straight away. I tried reinstalling and rebooting my mac. I even reinstalled the OS. I then took my computer in to a Mac store, and they gave me the answer. Odds are one of your other applications is creating a conflict. They advised me to make a backup of my hardrive, wipe it, and completely reinstall the OS, then load The Sims before anything else. I did, and now it works fine. Yes, it is a huge hassle to go through, but this really was the only thing which worked for me.

Good luck!
In the Arena
retired moderator
#3 Old 30th Mar 2010 at 5:34 AM
Default MTS2 Staff Reply
In order to better solve your problem, please go through the following as listed below:
  • Sims 3 - Game lags or fails to load or is glitchy
    Issues
    1. Have you just updated to a newer patch or installed a new Expansion Pack and/or Stuff Pack?
    2. Do you suddenly find your game is failing to load past the loading bar or after selecting your save game? Or does it take hours to load when previously it only took minutes?
    3. Do you experience glitches like
      • missing books, traits, cannot carry out skill-related activities, etc
      • have long strings name with paths instead of the objects' names
      • missing previously installed content
      • and many more


    Causes
    Then, you have custom content that is not compatible with this new game version or is broken/corrupted by the patching/installing.
    If you have a core mod that is not compatible, the game would simply crash back to Desktop.


    Solution
    Move all your custom content from \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages, or whichever game folder you maintained your Custom Content in, to the Desktop temporarily. You can also use MonkeyBars to disable the CC-Framework so the game will not read the \Mods\Packages folders.

    To determine if it is content-related, follow this FAQ on how to GameHelp:Remove_TS3_Custom_Contentwiki; don't forget the *caches and test using a New game.
    If the New game can load and has no issues, the problem is caused by your .packages CC.

    If you're still experiencing issues, rename \...Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 to something else, so the game will re-generate a new set of user's folders when you next load a New game to test.
    If the New game can load and has no issues, the problem is caused by your .Sims3Packs CC or some other files in your previous User folders.


    Fixing your game
    • If the problem is with .packages CC
      • If the new game can load, then read this FAQ on how to rectify the Lag issue and to find the problem content: Game_Help:Package_File_Lagwiki.
      • If you have glitches, remove the hacks folder or the folder where you placed all the hacks or mods - tuning mods, object mods, script mods.
      • If your custom content does not show up, verify framework is still intact using MonkeyBars or Dashboard. Also verify on creators' downloads pages if the CC item needs to be updated for the patch/pack.
      • If none of the above helps in identifying the problem content, do the 50% method: split your CC into halves. Place one half at a time to test. If one batch is fine, then that goes in the good CC category, so you concentrate on the other half. When you have a batch that causes the same glitch, half that again, and so on...you might need to refresh caches each time you load the game Game_Help:Sims_3_Delete_Cache_Fileswiki.
    • If the problem is with .Sims3Packs CC
      • Try running Dashboard on the DCBackup folder to see if it can detect anything wrong with those .packages
      • Or if you want to test Sims3Packs one-by-one, you can use CUSTARD (Alpha testing, Windows only) by Delphy in the Modding forum
      • Otherwise, you'd need to revisit the site where you get the Sims3Packs from to see if if there's a new update or they need fixing, etc.

    Remember: during all the above testing, always load a new game to test (you can however load the same new game if you saved that). Never load a pre-patched or pre-EP/SP saved game as removing custom content and caches will reset all the custom content in that world to base-game items and it won't load them back if you happen to Save before you Quit.
Totally wipe out the whole system? Not just an uninstall & reinstall? Oh dear! That sounds mighty extreme!

If you had just added new content, or patched the game, or installed a new pack, then try the above suggestions.
If you had not changed anything, let us know what suggested fixes have you tried (from whichever FAQ we have or forums you visited)? Or what errors, if any?

On occasion you might be asked to do a long FAQ - please make sure you do all the steps and don't just skip over them. You'll often find that these long FAQs have all the details you need. If nothing in the above FAQs fixes your problem you may post again detailing exactly which you have done and which steps failed.
Test Subject
#4 Old 30th Mar 2010 at 6:50 PM
I have been playing okay for the last couple of weeks, no major problems but today I saved and quit my game to go online for a few minute and download my emails etc. When I tried to start the game again, I got the launcher etc. pressed play and got the the first pre launch screen and then to the black screen that usually happens before the game starts to launch in full screen mode but it did not get any further. i waited and waited but nothing is happening. i have tried three times but each time I have had to shut down the machine to escape. I really have no idea what is happening as everything had been running really well up till now. Any ideas as to what has happened? Thanks.
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