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Sims 3 launcher running in the tray

fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
edited August 2018 in The Sims 3 Bugs & Issues
Every time I go to play my game, it tells me that the launcher is running in the tray. This just started happening yesterday and has never done it before when I went to play my game. When I go to turn it off, it gives me a message that says "This will end the uploading process. Are you sure you want to exit?". What does this mean? Do we now have to have the launcher on in the background to play? Also I don't play logged in to the internet.
Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn

Comments

  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    Also want to add that after I turn off my game I still have to go in and turn off the launcher separately, which i've never had to do before.
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited August 2018
    I have seen a couple of reports of this lately. Is your TS3 game Origin controlled and on Patch 1.69? If so, it might have been an Origin update that triggered this. You might try an Origin Repair Game on TS3 to see if that helps. Or, slightly more intrusive, uninstall Origin (your games will stay intact) and install it again.
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  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    It is Origin controlled but I haven't updated to 1.69. Will try both of your suggestions.
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited August 2018
    Could be mistaken, but I believe you will have to accept the 1.69 update if you go the Repair Game route.
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  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    edited August 2018
    It won't even give me the option to repair game in Origin. Not just for the sims 3 but for all of my games. I right-click the game but no repair game. Will try uninstalling and reinstalling Origin instead.
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • GabbyGirlJGabbyGirlJ Posts: 6,858 Member
    edited August 2018
    I just started getting this yesterday too. It continues to run in the tray even after I've quit the game. My game is not origin controlled and I do not have the latest patch (I'm on whichever one was before 1.69. EDIT: 1.67) Right now I'm experimenting with stopping the "uploading process" because if it's always running it interferes with my other games too. But I don't know what, if anything that does. Does anyone know what this message means?
    Post edited by GabbyGirlJ on
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  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    edited August 2018
    GabbyGirlJ wrote: »
    I just started getting this yesterday too. It continues to run in the tray even after I've quit the game. My game is not origin controlled and I do not have the latest patch (I'm on whichever one was before 1.69). Right now I'm experimenting with stopping the "uploading process" because if it's always running it affects my other games too. But I don't know what, if anything that does. Does anyone know what this message means?

    Sorry to here you're having this problem too, but happy i'm not the only one. Hopefully if it's an Origin problem it will get fixed soon.
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • Spiros68Spiros68 Posts: 2 New Member
    It happened to me yesterday too. I am at patch 1.67. Never happened before. The launcher stays in system tray after I quit the game and trying to close it I get the message about an "upload process" still running. What I did before this is that I updated origin to the latest update and downloaded some stuff from store. After getting this error I made a couple of tests to check what's happening. Deleting the new store stuff and installing it again doesn't affect the problem. Deleting all the "Downloads" folder or reinstalling origin doesn't correct anything also. Deleting all "x:\user\documents\electronic arts\the sims 3" folder (after backup) corrects the problem but that's not a proper solution since it almost reset the game. I suspect origin but I am not sure...
  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    I can also confirm the uninstalling and reinstalling Origin doesn't work. I'm wondering if it might be that version 1.67 is no longer compatible with the new Origin update. I'd be interested to know if anyone with the 1.69 patch is having this problem as well.
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • SemaviLadySemaviLady Posts: 526 Member
    Are you guys starting the game from TS3W.exe and not using the launcher at all and preventing it from automatic boot up?


    I have 1.67 on Windows 10 and the only time I use the launcher is on rare occasions to install CC-free Sims3Packs. After which I shut down the launcher and run a batch file to clean cache and temp files, and start my game with TS3W (actually I use 3booter, which launches TS3W.exe)

    I have always disabled launcher from starting up at boot and prevented it from updating any my purchased games. I play TSM, and some other games from Origin on occasion. Just to double check, I started up TS3 today and there's no launcher running in the background.
    Cheerleader_by_CookiemagiK.gifI've owned the TS3 Store since Feb 2015-thanks to the help of many other simmers
    ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ☆★☆ My Page ☆★☆-♞- TS3❣
  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    SemaviLady wrote: »
    Are you guys starting the game from TS3W.exe and not using the launcher at all and preventing it from automatic boot up?


    I have 1.67 on Windows 10 and the only time I use the launcher is on rare occasions to install CC-free Sims3Packs. After which I shut down the launcher and run a batch file to clean cache and temp files, and start my game with TS3W (actually I use 3booter, which launches TS3W.exe)

    I have always disabled launcher from starting up at boot and prevented it from updating any my purchased games. I play TSM, and some other games from Origin on occasion. Just to double check, I started up TS3 today and there's no launcher running in the background.

    Not sure how to do this. Not very good with computer files. I just start the game through the launcher.
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @fruitsbasket101 @GabbyGirlJ @Spiros68
    Until someone with more knowledge than I have figures out why this is happening, I'll just copy and paste my AHQ response here:

    I just did a bit of testing, and this issue shows up for me as well (again, I'm on a Steam install and running Windows 10). I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but I did figure out how to avoid it. Hopefully, this will work for other people too.

    If you are not on patch 1.69, you should be able to launch TS3 directly from an executable called TS3w.exe (note the "w") inside your program files. You can make a shortcut on your desktop so that you don't have to keep digging through the program files. Depending on your install, the way to get there might vary, but this is how it looks for me:

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

    Note that the last part (The Sims 3\Game\Bin) will likely be the same for everyone, but the part after Program Files (x86) may be Electronic Arts or Origin Games (not sure). A search for TS3w.exe should turn it up, though.

    If you're tied to Origin at startup and can't bypass the launcher with TS3w.exe, try signing into Origin and putting it in offline mode, then disconnecting your computer from the internet. Being offline prevents the issue for me, even if I don't bypass the launcher.

    If the launcher is still running in the tray, it can be quit through the Task Manager. Press crtl-alt-delete, select Task Manager, and then scroll through the background processes until you see "Sims3Launcher." Select it and click the button that says "End Task."
  • ScottDemonScottDemon Posts: 504 Member
    edited August 2018
    @fruitsbasket101 @GabbyGirlJ @Spiros68
    Until someone with more knowledge than I have figures out why this is happening, I'll just copy and paste my AHQ response here:

    If the launcher is still running in the tray, it can be quit through the Task Manager. Press crtl-alt-delete, select Task Manager, and then scroll through the background processes until you see "Sims3Launcher." Select it and click the button that says "End Task."

    It's caused by a bug and why it triggers is unknown. I used to have this happen frequently 4 to 5 yrs ago but haven't seen it in the last 3 yrs.
    They can also get to Task Manager by clicking the Windows Icon and type Task in the search bar.
    I'm just a little bit crazy LOL
    Okay actually I'm totally and completely nuts LOL :p
  • SemaviLadySemaviLady Posts: 526 Member
    edited August 2018
    You can get to Task Manager by pressing three keys at the same time: ctrl-alt-del then choose Task Manager

    If you've installed TS3 via disk, and your TS3W.exe file will usually default to the following folder
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe

    Just right click that TS3W.exe and make a shortcut, then drag that shortcut to your desktop

    If you installed via the Launcher Origin and are NOT on version 1.69, then you usually find it in your C:\Program Files (x86)\ORIGIN in the appropriate Game\Bin folder. Then in the same way just right click it to make a shortcut to drag to your Desktop.

    When you start the game, turn off the launcher, and use your new shortcut.
    Post edited by SemaviLady on
    Cheerleader_by_CookiemagiK.gifI've owned the TS3 Store since Feb 2015-thanks to the help of many other simmers
    ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ☆★☆ My Page ☆★☆-♞- TS3❣
  • ScottDemonScottDemon Posts: 504 Member
    SemaviLady wrote: »
    You can get to Task Manager by pressing three keys at the same time: ctrl-alt-del then choose Task Manager

    If you've installed TS3 via disk, and your TS3W.exe file will usually default to the following folder
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3W.exe

    Just right click that TS3W.exe and make a shortcut, then drag that shortcut to your desktop

    If you installed via the Launcher and are NOT on version 1.69, then you usually find it in your C:\Program Files (x86)\ORIGIN in the appropriate Game\Bin folder. Then in the same way just right click it to make a shortcut to drag to your Desktop.

    When you start the game, turn off the launcher, and use your new shortcut.

    Bypassing the Launcher for an Origin installation even if it is 1.67 will only work if it's a pre-August 2012 purchase and install.
    I'm just a little bit crazy LOL
    Okay actually I'm totally and completely nuts LOL :p
  • fruitsbasket101fruitsbasket101 Posts: 1,530 Member
    @puzzlezaddict @SemaviLady @ScottDemon @igazor
    Thank all of you for your help. I really appreciate the four of you going out of your way to help those of us with this annoying bug. I will be using the shortcut from now on until this gets fixed. :)
    Have a super fantastic awesome splendid amazing day! -TheQxxn
  • Spiros68Spiros68 Posts: 2 New Member
    Noticed that this launcher process takes up to 100% of CPU core time and that means playing like this will slow down the game and anything else running at the same time, depending the hardware. Maybe it's better to use TS3W.exe until it gets fixed. Thank you for your help.
  • ScottDemonScottDemon Posts: 504 Member
    edited August 2018
    Spiros68 wrote: »
    Noticed that this launcher process takes up to 100% of CPU core time and that means playing like this will slow down the game and anything else running at the same time, depending the hardware. Maybe it's better to use TS3W.exe until it gets fixed. Thank you for your help.

    The chance of that happening is extremely slim to never. The Sims 3 is no longer supported and hasn't been since 2014 and Patch 1.69 was joke and fixed nothing only caused more problems.
    And considering it's been a problem since 2011 they don't seem to care about fixing it.
    I'm just a little bit crazy LOL
    Okay actually I'm totally and completely nuts LOL :p
  • gmomasuegmomasue Posts: 648 Member
    I went to play sims 3 it will not load at all
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited August 2018
    gmomasue wrote: »
    I went to play sims 3 it will not load at all
    I'm afraid that has nothing to do with the subject of this thread. If you would like some assistance getting TS3 running again, perhaps you could create a new post on the Tech Discussions board (or here) with a full description of what happens when you attempt to launch the game and exactly where the failure is (on the Launcher, the game program, on a particular saved game, etc.), the exact wording of any error messages, and what might have changed on you since it worked last.
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  • puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @fruitsbasket101 @GabbyGirlJ @Spiros68 and anyone else interested, I posted a workaround at AHQ for anyone who'd like to play online and can't, or would prefer not to, bypass the launcher. Since it's late and I want to go to bed, I'm just going to copy/paste what I wrote over there:

    First, a disclaimer: This approach worked well for me—I could login, load, and save, with no apparent ill effects. However, I never tried to download or install any store or custom content, nor did I export or upload anything of my own. I also tested on a throwaway game folder, and I suggest that anyone else trying this out do the same, or at the very least keep a backup of your existing game folder until you're satisfied with the results.

    Again, the issues with the launcher running in the tray and claiming to be uploading when closed out can both be remedied by removing the Sims3Logs file from the TS3 game folder in Documents. (As AB_928Z [AHQ username] has mentioned, the Sims3LauncherLogFile may also be involved, although this has not been the case for me in particular.) But even better, the files' properties can be changed in a way that disallows whatever nonsense has been going on with the launcher. The path is:

    Right-click on the affected file, Properties > Security (second tab) > Edit; highlight "Admin" and check the box to deny "read"

    This was enough to make the launcher behave as normal on my Windows 10 setup, but if it's necessary to go further, checking all the "deny" boxes for Admin, System, and <username> appears to have no negative effects on the game. And this change can be undone just as easily, simply by unchecking the boxes again.

    Special thanks to @igazor for his insight. I don't want to make him uncomfortable by gushing all over this thread [or the other thread either], so I'll just say that we all know he's wonderful.
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