Tips for General Crashing Issues We're sorry for this exhaustive tips list. But something from this list is sure to help fix the issue.
Updated: May 2022Quick Links:In-Game/Origin Tips Tech Related TipsTips to Relieve Lag and FreezingTips for Sims 3 Has Stopped Working
In-Game/Origin Tips1. Repair Game - In Origin > Games Library, right-click on the Sims 3 photo and select Repair.
2. Deactivate Origin in Game -- Open Origin, Select Origin > Application Settings > Origin In Game and deselect or turn Off to disable Origin In Game.
Origin in-game is a feature that allows you to see friends online in-game as well as other game stats. However, It has been known to cause problems having this feature turned on.
3. Try playing the game in "Offline" mode:
-- In the Origin Client, go to the Origin Menu and select Go Offline.
4. Start the game in Windowed mode:
-- In the Origin Client, go to the Game Library tab, and right click on the Sims 3 and select Game Properties - In the Command Line Arguments, add the following text: -w and click Okay. If this doesn't work, try: -w und
* Or try Borderless Gaming. It allows the game to play in Fullscreen Windowed Mode.
https://github.com/Codeusa/Borderless-Gaming/releases- BorderlessGaming9.5.6_admin_setup.exe
5. Try running Origin As Administrator - Right-click on the Origin icon on the desktop and select Run as Administrator.
6. Try experimenting with in-game graphics, resolution and settings:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401802#msg4018027. Sims 3 Stopped working -- If you have more than one Origin account. Make sure your logged into the account that you purchased or registered Sims 3 with.
8. Log out of Origin. -- *If exiting Origin isn't working, open Task manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc) search for a file called TS3W.exe. Click on it and select end process.
9. Make sure that Origin does not automatically open when starting Windows.
In Origin - Application Settings - Start-up options - turn this off. It's on by default and can cause issues, if you have multiple Windows user accounts.
Origin Startup Options
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=21898.msg483788#msg483788Back to top
Tech Related Tips1. Make sure drivers are up to date
Troubleshooting graphics on PC
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/pc-graphics-troubleshootingIf the above doesn't help, try uninstalling your graphics driver and reinstall it. -- You may need to search on the manufacturer of your video card (Nvidia or AMD) to help find your graphics drivers.
How do I uninstall my NVIDIA display drivers?
https://www.wikihow.com/Uninstall-Nvidia-DriversUninstalling AMD drivers
https://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/AMD-Clean-Uninstall-Utility.aspxIf you have a dual graphics card system, make sure the game runs on the card and not the chip.
https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/05/setting-up-a-gaming-profile-for-your-graphics-card.htmlHow-To: Get Sims 3 to Recognize a New Graphics Card
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26753.msg446248#msg4462482. Check Mods and Custom Content: Move the Mods folder to the desktop for testing purposes and try the game again. - We suggest this due to outdated/broken mods/cc being the #1 issue when it comes to games not working correctly. If you need help with these, have a look at the links below.
Sims 3 - How-To: Fix Problems with Mods/CC
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=31759.msg506010#msg5060103. Delete both game cache and Origin cache files:
-- Delete Game Cache
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,20732.msg401809.html#msg401809-- Delete Origin Cache
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=29289.msg401663#msg4016634. Try Resetting Your Sims 3 User Folder. Aka Sims 3 Factory Reset. -- HowTo:
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401814#msg4018145. A hard drive that is low on space may cause the game crash/not load. It's best to move extra files such as game videos, game saves, screenshots to an external drive or usb drive if you're running low on hard drive space.
6. It has been reported that screen capture/recorders and instant messengers/video chat programs may cause issues with Sims 3 and may need to be turned off or uninstalled if issues are severe.
7. The crashing could be a potential power supply or overheating issue. Try cleaning out your computer, if that doesn't help. You may need to either have a friend help clean it out or take it to a repair shop to get it cleaned out. You may also want to have them test the power supply to rule out issues with that.
8. If you've got a new PC you may need to install Direct X9 and check that your CPU isn't what's causing it to crash.
Some players with new computers are having a hard time getting Sims 3 to run on their computers. It's my understanding it may be due to Sims 3 needing DirectX9 and Windows 10 not having it.
So you may want to try reinstalling DirectX 9. Read more in the post linked below.
Sims 3 Game Won't Launch - Windows 10
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/SIMS-3-GAME-WON-T-LAUNCH-WINDOWS-10/m-p/10711778#M247861If that doesn't help, you may need to look into seeing if it's CPU related, as some newer CPUs are having a problem with older games.
The Alder Lake processors have issues running some games by incorrectly triggering the DRM. While a number of games have been fixed, it's possible Sims 3 is not one of those games. A possible workaround (if your motherboard supports it) is to go into the system BIOS and enable Legacy Game Mode. You will need to Google whether your board supports this mode and what the instructions are for your particular board as every BIOS is different.
The thread linked below mentions some troubleshooting tips and that EA is looking into the issue. This may be an incompatibility between the computer's processor and Sims 3. If this is the case, you'll need to wait for a fix from any of the companies involved.
Sims 3 won't open: Alder Lake (Intel 12th-gen) CPU
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-won-t-open-Alder-Lake-Intel-12th-gen-CPU/td-p/110578209. Check that you do not have any programs running that my cause conflict with Origin.
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/programs-that-may-cause-conflicts-with-origin/10. Ensure that Antivirus or security software is not blocking the launch of the game. You may want to white list Origin and/or Sims 3. With there being several different antivirus programs you may need to search on how to white list Sims 3 in your specific antivirus program.
11. Try running a Clean Boot as this will help with stopping any other programs from interfering.
http://help.ea.com/en/article/how-to-clean-boot-your-pc/12. Restart computer if you haven't in awhile. This helps to refresh the computer's memory.
13. Run Ccleaner or another registry cleaner. -- This helps clean up temporary files, internet cache files and other files that are left behind that are no longer being used. * While this won't help stop the crashing, it's a good idea to clean up the registry from time to time. As it helps the computer run smoother overall.
Run Ccleaner and it's registry cleaner: (Standard Edition is Free)
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download -- PC
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download?mac -- Mac
How to use CCleaner to fix PC issues
http://help.ea.com/en/article/how-to-use-ccleaner-to-fix-pc-issues/-
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-CCleaner14. Try turning off the Game DVR and Game Bar, as it's known to be causing issues.
Turn off or disable Game bar in Windows 10
https://www.howtogeek.com/273180/how-to-disable-windows-10s-game-dvr-and-game-bar/15. Check to make sure your computer meets the minimum, or better yet recommended requirements for both Origin and the game. As trying to run Origin and/or the game on an older/lower end computer will cause both not to work at anytime.
16. It's
strongly recommended to play the game on a computer that meets or exceeds the recommended specs. If your computer doesn't meet these the recommended specs, you may have problems running this game well. Meaning you will run into crashes, lag, freezing and other general headaches. - Integrated video cards lack the dedicated video memory to allow for good gaming performance.
If none of the above tips help, please post about your issue at EA's AHQ's Sims 3 Tech Help Board:
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/bd-p/the-sims-3Sign in with your EA account, click the New Topic button, up near the top of the board, to make a new post.
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Reference Links:
SimsWiki: Sims 3 Crashing Checklist
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Sims_3_Crashing_ChecklistGame won't load - stuck on black screen
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg427342#msg427342Sims 3 Has Stopped Working
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg425117#msg425117