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We need your help - patch downloading issues in The Sims 3

Hi Simmers

We are really hoping you can help us with an ongoing issue that some of our players are encountering in The Sims 3. We have been unable to reproduce it in the Studio but we know it's out there. If anyone has encountered this, please post here with your experience. We may contact you for more information once we have done some investigations.

ISSUES - the three main examples we have seen reported:
  • Error message saying you need a new patch even though you are already fully patched and up-to-date.
  • Basically, you enter an "infinite" patching loop, and are unable to play the game.
  • Being asked to download a patch every time you start the game.

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU:
  • A complete explanation of what you are encountering.
  • Screenshots where possible, where any error text is clearly readable.

Thanks in advance for any help and information you can provide.
SimGuruBChick
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Comments

  • cale2003cale2003 Posts: 2,802 Member
    Well for the first maybe they could try clearing the game cache AND deleting the version.tag? Does reinstalling fix this for some?
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  • crinrictcrinrict Posts: 18,771 Member
    edited February 2015
    I've seen this a few times but usually they weren't really patched (aka launcher still showing 1.42). Also some people are mistaking the Store Patch for the Game Update patch so it's important that they check the text they are getting.
    • If it's the Game Update, I usually tell people to use the manual super patch instead of the Launcher one (I know it's the same but people do seem to have more luck with manually patching)
    • If it's the Store patch, usually deleting the contentpatch folder helps.
    • Admin Rights can also be important

    The first one is a bit of a puzzlement. Do you have any links to existing threads ?

    EDIT: Maybe it would be good to ask people for their country as well seeing that Sims 4 has activation issues only for certain countries and using a VPN doesn't produce the error they are seeing
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  • KarritzKarritz Posts: 21,908 Member
    I've read a thread some time back where the user provided pictures.

    It showed the older Expansions had a different patch level depending on how they were patched. I've never known if this is the issue or not as I can't get into anything to see.

    There are two scenarios that I think might illustrate the problem.

    Scenario 1.
    1. Install Base game and patch using super patch.
    2. Install all Expansions and Stuff packs in any order with no further patching.

    Scenario 2.
    1. Install Base game and patch using super patch
    2. Install all expansions and Stuff Packs click yes if asked to patch by one of the expansions. This happens with the old expansions as initially they were patched individually.

    Apparently if you look at the patch level of those old expansions you see a different number if you followed Scenario 1 or Scenario 2.

    I don't actually know if this is the cause of the problem. But I always tell people to say yes if asked if they want to patch after installing an expansion. That is what I do and I've never had a problem.

    I also always install in release order if I'm doing a complete new install. That is because I was told to do that by someone here in Australia who was an EA employee and he actually emailed me the release order. He said that I don't have to do it in release order but doing it in release order can reduce the chance of problems later.

    That's about all I can add to the conversations. I hope you are able to work it out as I really don't actually know what is causing the issue.

  • ceejay402ceejay402 Posts: 24,507 Member
    are there any current threads i can see if i can help with. for example i will get all kinds of crazy errors from origin/ launcher ever since the tmp files were introduced in the dccache folder. my launcher will not work correctly if i have my (i will admit highly bloated) dccache folder installed. my work around pull the dccache folder before opening launcher and placing it back in before launching the game. i should note before coming up with this work around i did have complete corruption of sims 3 folder, origin client and game icon. it took two or three reinstall of all to get my game data files to stop getting corrupted.

    i can on occasion rec wrong errors re patches if i try to open with dccache folder installed, again once i pull out my dccache the errors are resolved

    for me the first thing i would do is to reset the sims 3 folder by pulling it to the desktop and see if the issue remains. if so test each file with the launcher for corruption

    as for updating i wonder if folks are correct that they keep getting the game base update in error, as crin mentioned there is some old store update that has a loop update problem, resetting the store patch file is my fix. but if the game patch consider if they have been reinstalling the game. this could be a sign of corrupted leftover files. i typically suggest ccleaner. also just a manual reinstall of the patch, first pulling out the sims 3 folder and then writing over the installed patch.

    also something to consider reinstalling origin and game icon.
  • LajulieLajulie Posts: 8 New Member
    edited February 2015
    I am stuck in the loop of patching, I uninstalled the Sims 3 game to re-install it to get rid of the black screen. Thinking this would help. I deleted everything from my Pc game related. Including Origins. Now I installed the game and Origins again and I am now stuck with patches. It keeps telling me to add the new software updates. Or to install the disc for seasons which I bought from origins and downloaded. Please help Me..Right now I am loading another Sims 3.com/launcher 447287726 patching
  • KarritzKarritz Posts: 21,908 Member
    Lajulie wrote: »
    I am stuck in the loop of patching, I uninstalled the Sims 3 game to re-install it to get rid of the black screen. Thinking this would help. I deleted everything from my Pc game related. Including Origins. Now I installed the game and Origins again and I am now stuck with patches. It keeps telling me to add the new software updates. Or to install the disc for seasons which I bought from origins and downloaded. Please help Me..Right now I am loading another Sims 3.com/launcher 447287726 patching

    You might have a better chance of getting an answer if you post in a new post.
  • ELIROCELIROC Posts: 2,318 Member
    Hello. I reinstalled the Sims 3 base game in my new pc (windows 7) and tried to update before downloading something else.
    But it won't update. The update pop window is paused and no matter what I do it won't start, it remains paused.

    I want to try the super patch but after I click this link I get the "HTTP 403 Forbidden" message:

    Info icon
    The website declined to show this webpage

    HTTP 403
    Most likely causes:
    - This website requires you to log in.
    What you can try:
    - Go back to the previous page.
    More information

  • HunterInShadowHunterInShadow Posts: 302 Member
    > @ELIROC said:
    > Hello. I reinstalled the Sims 3 base game in my new pc (windows 7) and tried to update before downloading something else.
    > But it won't update. The update pop window is paused and no matter what I do it won't start, it remains paused.
    >
    > I want to try the super patch but after I click this link I get the "HTTP 403 Forbidden" message.

    If you have any adblocker software in your browser, try disabling it before downloading. I was getting the same error when trying to patch my game, and it turned out AdBlock Plus in Firefox was somehow blocking the site, supposedly to prevent "malicious software" from being downloaded and installed. After disabling AdBlock Plus, I got to the site and was able to download the patch.
    "Never tempt the Predator into a Bloodlust." - HunterInShadow
  • ELIROCELIROC Posts: 2,318 Member
    Thank you for your answer, @HunterInShadow.

    You talked about AdBlock Plus in Firefox. I'm using Internet Explorer and I didn't find this function. Do you know what it could be? What is blocking my access to the Super Patch and how to fix it?

    Many thanks for your help!
  • HunterInShadowHunterInShadow Posts: 302 Member
    edited February 2015
    AdBlock Plus is an adblocker plugin for Firefox and Thunderbird, you probably won't have that in Internet Explorer. It's been a really long while since I've used IE so I don't actually remember where the built-in adblocker is in the settings.

    You might want to try some other browser without an adblocker installed to see if you can get the download going. I myself tried it out with Google Chrome (and it worked) before realizing that it was AdBlock Plus blocking the download in Firefox.

    Oh, and in case your link is not working properly:

    http://akamai.cdn.ea.com/eadownloads/u/f/sims/sims3/patches/TS3_1.67.2.0240xx_update.exe
    "Never tempt the Predator into a Bloodlust." - HunterInShadow
  • ELIROCELIROC Posts: 2,318 Member
    It's fine, I managed to update the game now. I used the live chat with an Origin Adviser and he gave me another link to the patch.

    Thanks a lot for your help, @HunterInShadow!
  • lemer01lemer01 Posts: 12 New Member
    I've found a glitch within Live mode in Sims 3 that is a big issue toddlers seem to get stuck on stairs when adults downstairs try to pick them up. And the adults just go downstairs and stand under them and say 'I can't go' you know? Very annoying
  • LoreleyLeeLoreleyLee Posts: 1,384 Member
    lemer01 wrote: »
    I've found a glitch within Live mode in Sims 3 that is a big issue toddlers seem to get stuck on stairs when adults downstairs try to pick them up. And the adults just go downstairs and stand under them and say 'I can't go' you know? Very annoying

    @lemer01: Sorry, you're posting this in the wrong thread. You hardly won't get many helpful answers. That problem you have is called 'routing issues' and it comes in many variations. Best try some googleing with this term. My shot: Probably there's not enough space around the toddler for being picked up. Good luck for finding a solution. :)

    ♥ Ellen approved ♥
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  • LoreleyLeeLoreleyLee Posts: 1,384 Member
    As for the patching issues:

    I don't and didn't have those described issues, but I in fact do have some ideas based on the behaviour of my game in other and earlier situations:

    With XP, I had no problems based on the OS except being too low on manageable RAM. With Win7, it got loads more complicated.
    1. Having admin rights. Lacking of those means lots of unaccepted changes OS wise. The problem is to actually have admin rights and not only to think one has them. Owning/Not owning the directories or folders in which changes shall happen, is too often hidden from the user.
    2. Open windows. As ridiculous as this sounds as serious it is. Any Sims 3 related folder that is open while trying to change anything Sim 3 related (which includes patches), might be leading to rejections. Mostly observed when saving or loading a game save.

    As I had to reinstall my Sims 3 just recently, I expected issues with it. But none occured.
    - I have to add that having clean folders in the program's destination and a clean registry is obligate to me. I guess, unexperienced users try to install and reinstall and so on with already existing files everywhere and therefor creating a mess without even knowing it. For experienced users or in 'laboratory conditions' cleaning up forehand is business as usual. If the problem lies in here, that might be the reason it's not reproduceable.
    - Another issue might or might not be the order of installing EPs, SPs and patches. To avoid any problems with that I Installed Base Game and started the Launcher. From it I took the order of the packs and had auto-patch activated. I installed the packs in the given order and started the Launcher after each install, even though it was sort of annoying (Some years ago I didn't do it this way and actually had problems, even if I don't remember anymore what kind of). If I recall it right, the MegaPatch was installed pretty soon (after Adventures, I think). I didn't load a game during that process, just the Launcher. I own the physical versions, but for this install I used fresh downloads of all the packs. Not sure if that is of any importance.
    - I checked the status of my patches with the Sims3PatchDownloader by FordGT90Concept of MTS (which might be slightly outdated but still is of good use) and this time all of them are fine. When having problems some years ago, it showed some of the EPs not being updated properly, even with having the game patched AFTER the last install. After fixing this with manual downloads of the single missing files it worked. Possibly this issue still exists and might be worth looking into it.

    I hope, this is of any help, even without myself having problems with my game atm. :)<3


    ♥ Ellen approved ♥
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  • kc7597kc7597 Posts: 14 New Member
    For a long time, Sims 3 would tell me I need to update my game to the most recent patch. On the "Game Updates" tab, it said I had no new updates. It would let me play the game, but it worried me that my game was saying this. I contacted EA and they told me to go to Application Settings in Origin, and make sure all boxes except the third box under "Updates" was checked off. They were already checked off so EA told me to not worry about it. :\
  • Ken_Carson_SimKen_Carson_Sim Posts: 54 Member
    edited February 2015
    Well, I had a problem trying to update my game to the new version. It was downloading and then I got an error. The download did not complete. I have a windows 8.1 PC.

    I had a lot of problems because it doesn´t let me download the store content. I searched online for a manual patch to download the latest version. I got it and installed it.

    Then I was able to download my store content.

    I am not sure why it doesn´t updated. Maybe it was a problem related to my Windows 8.1 System. I just have the problem to download and install the update. The manual update installed without problems.

    The only problem I had was related to lag problems created for the game after playing for so long. I found some solutions by downloading mods like overwatch, and errortrap.

    I hope The Sims Studio can create a program or update to fix those problems for us. Many of us had problems with the world Paradise Island because of the lot of things that are ocurring in that world and the game create those errors.

    At this point with mods and manual updates I do not have any issues but new players will have those errors and I believe the game deserve a fix.
  • pischypischy Posts: 40 New Member
    I don't think this is a patch problem, but a game issue. I'm updated to the most recent patch.

    When I load Into the Future on my Mac I get this message.
    "The Sims 3 Into the Future closed unexpectedly" (even though the game works and loads perfectly).

    This could be a patch problem, but I'm not sure.
  • HunterInShadowHunterInShadow Posts: 302 Member
    As far as I know, The Sims 3 works just fine in Windows 8.1. My Sims 3 is a disc-based version, fully patched (game patch and store patch installed) and working. The only problem for me was related to downloading the SuperPatch(which updates all versions of the game to version 1.67.2, regardless of region coding and installed Expansions), but the culprit in my case was Adblock Plus in my Firefox browser. Once I disbled that, I was able to download the SuperPatch and get the game going.

    With the SuperPatch installed, users don't have to worry about the order of installing the Expansions and Stuff Packs, and you don't need to update any Expansions when patching the game. This change was implemented in Patch 24 (game version 1.24.3).
    "Never tempt the Predator into a Bloodlust." - HunterInShadow
  • RsandaRsanda Posts: 257 Member
    The launcher always says there is a new update for store content even though it's updated completely. After saying yes, it says it's updated without downloading anything. It's not a big issue actually, the game still plays fine. And thank you for your support. I have almost given up hope :)
    Not a native English speaker. Sorry for any mistakes
  • GidgetwildGidgetwild Posts: 25 New Member
    Hi I also had problems downloading the patch....tried 2 times on my laptop...then switched my game to a bigger computer....then had problems with the origin that came with the cd so had to delete it as it would not recognize my expansion paks....downloaded the one on the site.....but the game launcher in the sims came up while downloading from the store and asked if i wanted an update to the new patch...I said yes and it took over 2 hrs or more to download because then origin came open and started to upload my expansion paks and it was applying updates to them...yet when the sim launcher was loaded with the patch...it said could not connect with origin...so nothing happened and I was still at 1.54 on my launcher....this morning I decided to try the origin launcher with my sim game and it too said hey you have an update...do you want it ....and I said yes....so from 9:30 am to 12:16 it downloaded to the launcher.....then it prompted me to update.....and guess what....it worked.....it never said it could not connect with origin.....for some reason the launcher on the sims site and game and origin do not work together for some. I only hope when downloading from the store the launcher will show the update....have not done that yet.
  • GidgetwildGidgetwild Posts: 25 New Member
    went from windows 7 to windows 8 sorry for not saying
  • ceejay402ceejay402 Posts: 24,507 Member
    pischy wrote: »
    I don't think this is a patch problem, but a game issue. I'm updated to the most recent patch.

    When I load Into the Future on my Mac I get this message.
    "The Sims 3 Into the Future closed unexpectedly" (even though the game works and loads perfectly).

    This could be a patch problem, but I'm not sure.

    try resetting your sims 3 files to see if this helps, documents/electronic arts/sims 3 move it to the desktop and try to launch a new game if this works save and then you can move back old files to new but test each move for problem

    more about your files http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Sims+3+Folder+Contents+FAQ
  • ceejay402ceejay402 Posts: 24,507 Member
    berginon wrote: »
    The launcher always says there is a new update for store content even though it's updated completely. After saying yes, it says it's updated without downloading anything. It's not a big issue actually, the game still plays fine. And thank you for your support. I have almost given up hope :)

    hey @berginon to stop those false store updates notices try this pull all files from my documents/electronic arts/sims 3/content patch to the desktop (dont delete until you confirm all is fine) these are where your store patches are kept. open game launcher and it will ask you DL store patches. add store patches and then run a game save and exit. this should stop the false notices

    Gidgetwild wrote: »
    Hi I also had problems downloading the patch....tried 2 times on my laptop...then switched my game to a bigger computer....then had problems with the origin that came with the cd so had to delete it as it would not recognize my expansion paks....downloaded the one on the site.....but the game launcher in the sims came up while downloading from the store and asked if i wanted an update to the new patch...I said yes and it took over 2 hrs or more to download because then origin came open and started to upload my expansion paks and it was applying updates to them...yet when the sim launcher was loaded with the patch...it said could not connect with origin...so nothing happened and I was still at 1.54 on my launcher....this morning I decided to try the origin launcher with my sim game and it too said hey you have an update...do you want it ....and I said yes....so from 9:30 am to 12:16 it downloaded to the launcher.....then it prompted me to update.....and guess what....it worked.....it never said it could not connect with origin.....for some reason the launcher on the sims site and game and origin do not work together for some. I only hope when downloading from the store the launcher will show the update....have not done that yet.

    sorry @Gidgetwild its too hard to discern are you still having issues?
  • GidgetwildGidgetwild Posts: 25 New Member
    not sure as I have not tried to play the game.....I noticed that the launcher in Origin is updated....also when I download anything from the sims site....origin pops up and I have to click on my paradise game to get the launcher and then it will download to put on the game....this is different from the way it worked for me before.....if the game does not function then I will get on here and beg for help. lol
  • Luis_CarlosLuis_Carlos Posts: 228 Member
    I don´t play sims 3 since more a year.. but..

    Usually when my loader appears, there is always a message about "no concection with Origin" or something about that..

    ..and after an hour of game, and saving the game twice, the game can´t be saved again, and then I have go exit and reload the last saved game again (half-hour for loading time). There was a message about error 12, or error 16.
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