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Sims 3 won't launch

MaggieMarleyMaggieMarley Posts: 5,299 Member
I reinstalled TS3 for the first time in a long time today. But, when I clicked 'play', it did not launch. Origin mimised, but then nothing.

I tried repairing the game, uninstalling and reinstalling the game, uninstalling and reinstalling origin, but nothing has worked. TS4 still launches fine, though. I am so confused. Is anyone else having this issue?

Comments

  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    Sorry for the shameless copy/paste of my own response to other players, but does this help at all?
    igazor wrote: »
    Out of the box, so to speak, new Win 10 systems tend to require .NET 3.5 activation (it's installed but not necessarily activated) and DirectX 9 installation. TS3 requires both of these, the later versions of .NET and DirectX are fine to have as well but not what the game requires at startup.

    1 - Go to Start Menu > Settings > Apps > Programs and Features (on the right) > Turn Windows Features On and Off. You can also get there by way of doing a search on Control Panel, then sort by name (small or large icon) and Programs and Features > Turn Windows Features On and Off. Look for .NET 3.5, it should be listed at or near the top, and check the box if it is totally unchecked (a white square). Don't worry about the two submenu items, also don't worry about .NET 4.8 just under it as they run independently of each other. If 3.5 needed to be activated, this might take a while (minutes, not hours) and then you will need to reboot your machine.

    2 - You can download and run the DirectX 9 installer directly from Microsoft. There is no need to uninstall anything first.
    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109 This can be a little fussy, though. Many users find they need to first create a new folder (just about anywhere, the Desktop should be fine), download the installer and all of its content to that new folder, then look for the file called DXSETUP.exe among all the others. Double-clicking that will actually run the install. Then delete the folder and its contents as it would no longer be needed.

    Does the game then launch? If not, then we would have to look at any security/anti-virus systems that came pre-installed on it to see if they are getting in the way.
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  • MaggieMarleyMaggieMarley Posts: 5,299 Member
    @igazor thank you for your reply. I just checked and .NET 3.5 is checked. Not sure that DirectX 9 installer will work for me as Sims 3 did successfully install on my computer, it just won't launch.

    What security/anti virus systems might be stopping it from working? I did get TS3 to work on this same laptop within the past year and nothing's really changed on my computer since then so I'm confused.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited November 2021
    @MaggieMarley - DirectX 9 failures show up when the application attempts to run, not when it is being installed. You shouldn't have anything to lose by trying the installer, even if you really already have DirectX 9 present. In that case it would just overwrite the same files.

    If an old(er) TS3 user game folder is present in Documents, try pulling it out the desktop or renaming it for safekeeping to see if the game will launch on the new one that will take its place.

    Has the Windows Registry been cleaned in between the older uninstall and the newer install? Piriform's CCleaner is a good tool for accomplishing that, and the free version is fine to use. Sometimes stale Registry entries can get in the way of a fresh install.

    Beyond that, my suggestion would be to bring the issue to the TS3 Tech Issues board at EA's AHQ. They have helpers there that are more familiar with these kinds of issues and can probably better help you get to the bottom of this one.
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  • MaggieMarleyMaggieMarley Posts: 5,299 Member
    edited November 2021
    @igazor OH MY GOSH YOU ABSOLUTE GEM IT WORKED (the direct X thing)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You are my new favourite person.

    I'm so annoyed at myself for not trying this a week ago haha.
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited November 2021
    Okay, glad to have been of service but maybe next time I should be more forceful about it?

    "Go to your room, young person (or old person as the case may be), and do not come out until DirectX 9 is reinstalled. No dinner or TV for you until it's done!"

    (I guess that would sound ridiculous even if it were one of our sims demonstrating their authority/parenting skills...)
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  • MaggieMarleyMaggieMarley Posts: 5,299 Member
    @igazor Haha no it's totally my fault for putting off trying it. Thank you so much again! EA help should hire you, in one forum comment you helped me more than their 'advisors' did in many many many emails and several live chats. They didn't have a clue...
  • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
    edited November 2021
    Well, about that. In my country we have this pesky little amendment to our constitution that forbids employers from "hiring" someone who does not wish to be employed by them. We even fought a Civil War over that issue, among other things, a while back. If my real employer is reading this, they can relax (a bit).

    But in the meantime, EA's customer support for things like account and store related issues has always been reasonably good. Their tech support, at least for TS3 in particular, has been painfully bad and usually consists of agents who know nothing about the game reading from outdated scripts, and they even often get that all wrong. But, it is what it is and that's why with some patience players can usually be found who are more eager to help properly. :)
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  • chazdogthegodchazdogthegod Posts: 1 New Member
    I just wanted to thank you, I am an avid Sims 4 player and wanted to give TS3 a crack (Out of all of the franchise I've only ever played TS4). I have been searching forums been on help lines for the past 24 hours trying to get the game to work and I randomly stumbled across this post and it was the one thing to actually work. So thank you!!!
  • KendranaKendrana Posts: 4,049 Member
    edited August 2022
    Thank you! Installing DirectX fixed the problem for me as well.
  • DfsDfs Posts: 1 New Member
    I got Sims 3 for my Xbox one and it wont launch
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