Launcher Not Working

[Rhoxi]

Trying to get back into the Sims 3, but I am unable to open the launcher - when I hit the orange play button in Origin, nothing happens. This started immediately after I contacted EA and asked them to move 3 expansions from an old account to my current one, as I couldn't figure out how to access all of my content at once (this used to be a non-issue, but this time the launcher was not letting me download the expansions from the old account for some reason). I'm not sure if the move screwed up my launcher - like, caused some anti-piracy thing to trigger and thinks my games were illegally downloaded - or if that's just a coincidence.

Things I have tried include:
-uninstalling and reinstalling the Sims 3 and all it's expansions, as well as Origin
- used the repair function in Origin
- looking for the exe file to bypass the launcher, but it's not there, searching .exe in the Sims 3 folder only brings up Sims3Launcher.exe.config and no other .exe files
- restarting in safe mood, still didn't work
- reclearing cache per https://help.ea.com/en-in/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/ - although one folder called Logs wouldn't let me delete it at the step where you delete everything but Local Content, as it insisted in was running somewhere else even though Origin was closed

I'm rather bamboozled. Anyone have any tips?

Edit: I do have the TS3.exe file, it just brings up Origin when clicked on.

[Trip]

Is Origin itself fully updated? And if you open Task Manager, does it ever appear there?

[Rhoxi]

Origin should be fully updated - I got an update this afternoon. Origins does show up in the task manager when running.

[Trip]

What about the Launcher then? I have seen it stuck in Task Manager before as a not fully launched program. I'll do some reading up on this too.

[Rhoxi]

The launcher is not appearing in task manager.

Just had my fiance try to get it playing on his computer, and it's also refusing to launch. Soooo I guess that means it's something to do with the account itself - such as flagged for piracy. Very frustrating! Well, at least EA left my ticket open and gave me an access code to keep trouble shooting.

[Rhoxi]

I know earlier, when I was trying to get all of my content onto the launcher, but couldn't get those 3 expansion packs on the other account, I tried inserting a physical copy of Late Night (one of the 3 missing). Since it was registered as part of a different account, it got piracy flagged or what not, and the game would launch - but with an immediate error notification. Problem went away as soon as I uninstalled Late Night.

[MrsFlynn]

It sounds like you're describing two different problems.

1. The game and/or packs aren't showing up in Origin or aren't being downloaded via Origin.

2. Sims 3 launcher won't open.

Using the Origin version of Sims 3 won't allow you to by-pass the launcher. It's been that way since probably 2014 or 2015.

If you're not able to download or install the game or packs, and tried uninstalling Origin, and running Ccleaner or another registery cleaner to help clean up temporary files, internet cache files and other files that are left behind that are no longer being used.

Ccleaner, It's free
- http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download  -- PC

How to use CCleaner to fix PC issues
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-CCleaner

And reinstalled Origin, but still not able to download the game and packs. You may need to contact EA's customer service to see if it's an issue with your account.

If the problem is the Sims 3 launcher won't open, try moving your Sims 3 folder to the desktop, and then playing Sims 3 again. This will give you a new Sims 3 folder and should allow the launcher to be opened.

If the launcher opens and the game plays fine, you can start copying these files and folders over to the new Sims 3 folder.

Folders: -

- DC Backup - for this file = ccmerged.package
- DCCache - Contains all installed Custom Content/Exchange/Store items that you installed through the Launcher.
- Downloads  - Items to be installed
- Exports - Files you export from the Game via CAS or Edit Town and will have and will be in .Sims3Pack format.
- Installed Worlds - Custom or Store Towns you have installed.
- Library - Sims and lots that you've installed.
- Mods - Mods and custom content
- Recorded Videos - Videos taken in-game using the V key.
- SavedSims - Saved Sims that are in the SimBin
- Saves - Game Saves
- Screenshots - Photos taken in-game using the C key.
- WorldCaches - Cache files for your installed custom and Store towns.

Files: -

Options.ini - Game and Graphics Options
userPresets.package - Saved colors, patterns and textures

[Rhoxi]

For anyone who is curious, the regular EA folks can't seem to help, so they escalated my case to an EA account specialist. Here's the conversation so far:

    

Hello,
      
My name is Herrick and I am a specialist with EA Help.

I want to assure you I am going to find every possible way I can advocate for you and/or fix whatever is preventing you from enjoying EA's games to their fullest. Lets see if we can get your issue sorted out.

I've encountered similar problems myself when I have gamed and had crashing issues.


I see issues on the RAM side where it appears that there are bad sectors in the RAM. With bad sectors, the result is that you'll encounter crashing.

If Ram is working as intended, both of these two sections match. If they don't, then it indicates missing sectors of RAM. With the crashing of the RADAR_PRE_LEAK error, that indicates a hardware error causing crashing. So, it does make sense that this is ongoing and the only other cause I see for the crashing. That means, this is a hardware related crash.

I would advise taking this computer into a local PC repair tech as this issue is outside of what we can do work around for. Feel free to ask me any questions though.

As a little fyi, if you make a chat or phone call on this case it will take it out of my personal queue and I will no longer be able to respond to you. If you need to check on the status of your case create a new case and contact us via a live channel (chat or phone).

We also have a toooooooooon of great self help resources at your fingertips! Please check out answers.ea.com, ea.com/forums, or the social media pages for any of your favorite EA titles for additional information, help, or even nuggets of advice from our helpful community!

Once again, thank you for speaking with our specialist department at EA help. Should you have additional questions please feel free to reach out or add them as an addition to this case. Thank you again and fair thee well until we speak again!    

Still need help? You can reach us on help.ea.com .

Herrick E.
EA Help



Hey Herrick,

Thanks for reaching out and contacting me!

I do not think that this is a hardware related issue, as it is happening on multiple PCs. Both my fiance and I have pretty up to date gaming PCs. We are both able to play all of our other EA games, Steam games, World of Warcraft, etc. We even tried making a new account and buying a temporary Sims 3 access for $5, and can launch the game just fine using the new account.

My request at this time would be for you to issue a brand new account, with all of my expansions, stuff packs, and store content. I've invested hundreds of dollars in this game, and it literally doesn't cost EA anything to issue a brand new copy, as everything is digital and I am not asking for new physical copies. I realize this sounds like an extreme solution, but here's where I'm coming from:

I've had problems with the game not launching in the past and have been able to fix it. This time around, nothing is working.

Some things I have tried include:
- rebooting the PC
- uninstalling and reinstalling all Sims 3 content and the Origin launcher
- cleaning my registry using CC cleaner
- following EAs instructions on how to clear my cache
- running the computer in safe mode
- following forum advice to delete additional caches
- using Origin's repair tool
- attempting to bypass the launcher and run the game using the .exe file

Again, I believe the issue is account related because it will not play on multiple, high end gaming computers that have no problems playing other games, and the problem began when changes were made to the account.

To give you some history as to how this problem started:
- Before EA issued the Origin launcher, back in the day I had two Sims 3 accounts with EA
- I was able to play all of my content at once, despite it being on two accounts, because the Sims 3 launcher allowed that
- Now that Origin exists, the game will no longer allow that. It only allows you to play the games on the account you logged in on, and the Sims 3 launcher won't let you download the games from your other account
- I called EA and explained the situation, and asked if they wouldn't mind transferring the 3 expansions from the other account onto my main account
- They did so
- Immediately, the problem began and the game has not been able to launch since, the Origin screen simply flickers, and the blue Sims 3 launcher does not appear

At this point, I'm completely stumped and have spent hours and hours trying to fix the game. What can you and EA do to fix this situation?

[Rhoxi]

Update:

    Thank you for the reply. Transferring content to a new EA account is not possible at this time. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is because after looking at the account, I see suspicious attempts to login, so granting content to a new account is not something we can do for you, for security reasons. It is also for that specific reason, I suggest that you maintain login verification on the account at all times.

Second, granting in game store content is not possible within the tools. Stuff packs, expansion packs, games, yes. But store content is not possible to grant.

Additionally, this is the error I found in the MSINFO and the reason for my information that I gave to you:

10/16/2019 2:58 PM Windows Error Reporting Fault bucket 1867144474318402301, type 5 Event Name: RADAR_PRE_LEAK_WOW64 Response: Not available Cab Id: 0 Problem signature: P1: TS3.exe P2: 0.2.0.32 P3: 10.0.18362.2.0.0 P4: P5: P6: P7: P8: P9: P10: Attached files: \\?\C:\Users\geeka\AppData\Local\Temp\RDR113A.tmp\empty.txt \\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER113B.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml \\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER114C.tmp.xml \\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1166.tmp.csv \\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1196.tmp.txt These files may be available here: Analysis symbol: Rechecking for solution: 0 Report Id: b7cef35d-6e9f-4352-8bb2-8386e9dece07 Report Status: 268435456 Hashed bucket: 4fc81791598942e1f9e96e01c014f2fd Cab Guid: 0

That's a lot of jargon and gibberish in there, but the most important thing to note in this error code is

"Problem signature: P1: TS3.exe"

which means the exe for TS3.exe (The sims 3 .exe) is crashing

and, "Event Name: RADAR_PRE_LEAK_WOW64"

This specific event is linked to a hardware failure that is either a motherboard failure for handling the RAM or it is linked to data being saved in bad sectors of RAM.

I coupled this information with the snapshot the MSINFO provides for the RAM on the computer:

Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 16.0 GB
Total Physical Memory 15.9 GB

The "Installed" amount is how much the stick of RAM or sticks or RAM say they are worth. Total Physical Memory is the actual amount the RAM allows the system to use. If the two do not match, it means there are bad sectors of RAM and those bad sectors can then cause crashing issues.

Hopefully this makes sense, feel free to ask any questions.




Hey Herrick,

I'm still confused as to how this could be a hardware issue, for a number of reasons. 1) The issue did not happen until changes were made to my account. It was working fine just before the changes were made, earlier that day. 2) My fiance subscribed to Origin access basic so we could test the game on a different account on the same computer, and I can run the Sims 3 when logged into that account even though it's the same Origin install and computer. 3) We tested logging in from my fiance's computer, and the problem is the same with launching the game from my account, but not his.

If something about the account is looking suspicious to you, that would seem to confirm my theory, which is that the transfer of the 3 expansions to my account from an old account triggered an anti-piracy flag to prevent the game from launching. Please let me know where we can go from here.

[Rhoxi]

More recent updates, as the saga continues and the case is again escalated:

       
   My name is Tony and I am with the Specialist team here at EA Help. I've received a case that was escalated on your behalf, and you are in good hands! I read up on your interactions with other agents, as well as Herrick, and it looks like you have an issue in The Sims 3 on your PC where the game no longer wants to start on any of your PCs. I know how painful that can be, so let's see what we can do to get it sorted out.

I wanted to first reach out and confirm whether this is accurate and go over some of the other details around what is happening. To ensure that I fully understand what is going on and help me get to work on this, please reply to this email with the following:

- You mentioned this began after changes we made to your account - what were those changes exactly?
- On how many different PCs have you tried this?
- May I have permission to set a temporary password on your account and login as you so that I can try to reproduce the issue on yest another PC? (it helps to see it, as I'm sure you can imagine)
- Any additional details or updates you deem relevant

I also want to make sure that you have all of our self-help resources on hand in case of any future issues. We have an extensive knowledge base full of troubleshooting located at help.ea.com. You can even join the conversation with fellow players and our Social advisers at answers.ea.com, ea.com/forums, or the official social media pages for any of your favorite EA titles. I've personally found a lot of solutions that I use by going the official pages for the games I play and talking with other players. We want to keep your EA games running as smoothly as possible for you, so please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you run into any new problems later on.

Thanks again for contacting EA Help and I will look forward to your response!



Hey Tony,

Thanks for reaching out! To answer your questions:

- The changes made to the account: Years ago before the Origin client was launched, I had two different Sims 3 accounts online. I registered most of my stuff in one account, but had 3 expansions in a separate account. With the Origin client released, I found that I could no longer access all of my content at the same time (you used to be able to download everything from the 2 accounts using the Sims 3 launcher, the Origin client prevents this). So, I asked EA to transfer the 3 expansions from the other account onto my main account, so I could play all the content at once. As soon as they did so, the game stopped launching. I think it may have triggered some kind of anti-piracy protection? Like, the Origin client freaked out because it was like, woah woah these games used to be registered to a different account, must be piracy! Or something.

- So far, I have tried it on 2 PCs. On both PCs, they can launch the Sims 3, but only from a different account.

- Absolutely you have my permission!

Not sure if it's relevant, but in terms of trouble shooting, while trying to get this fixed, I even asked EA to delete the three expansions that had been transferred over (Late Night, Ambitions, Show Time) and that did not resolve the problem.



Hey Tony,

Been a couple of days without any updates. Just checking in.

[Rhoxi]

       
   Thank you so much for your patience on this, [redacted].

If you were bumped out of Origin a few minutes ago, that was me, so not to worry.

Couple more questions to help me zero in on this:

- When you try to launch, and it doesn't, what *is* happening? Can you walk me through what that looks like on your end?
- What is the email address of the account we moved items away from those years ago?
- What is the email address of the account from which you can currently launch the game?
- To clarify, you're saying that you *can* launch and play the game on these same PCs from this other account?
- May I also have permission to set a temp PW and access the(se) other account(s)

I will keep digging into this once I have that additional insight from you

Talk to you soon!



Hey Tony,

Yeah, I figured that was probably you logging in on the account.

- When I press the orange play button in the Origin launcher, the launcher disappears for a brief moment, and then reappears. The blue Sims 3 launcher does not appear at all.
- The other account was [redacted]. This account should now be deleted.
- The email address of my fiance's account is [redacted]
- Yes, I can launch the Sims 3 on both of these PCs using the [my fiance's] account, but not my own account, [redacted], where all of my Sims 3 content is located
- Go for it!

To clarify, the games were moved from the [redacted] to the [redacted] account on October 16, 2019, after which the game stopped launching. At this point, I am
two weeks into the trouble shooting process, with no results, so anything you can do to resolve or expedite this would be greatly appreciated.

[Trip]

I gotta admit that I'm just watching this thread for the customer service trainwreck, though Tony sounds like he knows what he's doing instead of saying "but RAM"

[Rhoxi]

Aaaaaahhh it's finally happening!!!


    
   Thank you for all the clarification. The more insight you offered, the closer I got to finding where things went wrong.

Please try to launch the game from your [redacted] account and let me know if you're now able to launch the game.


To fill you in on some of what you asked, I was indeed running into the same issue. This told me right away that, despite the potential memory leaks seen in your MSinfo, the issue was in fact account based. Trying to explain what that was will take all day. Suffice it to say that some things got mixed up in the transfer and the insight you provided helped me figure out where to look for those things.

Hoping I found them, because when I tried to launch the game on my PC just now, everything went off without a hitch.

Fingers crossed!

Try firing up the game at your next convenience and lemme know how everything looks.

Also, when you reply, please let me know if you're still missing any game elements that may have been removed in the troubleshooting process.

Talk to you soon!



Hey Tony,

Aaaaaaaaah, I'm so excited! I don't know what you did to fix it, but it works!!! All that's missing now is that I could use the 3 expansions that were transferred and then deleted restored - Late Night, Generations, and Show Time. Other than that, everything is looking great!!

Thanks a bunch!!

[Rhoxi]

    Thank you for the update, [redacted].

I think I may have fixed those as well.

Can you check on that once more and let me know how everything is looking?

Also, are there any expansions you don't have for Sims 3?

Have a great weekend and I will check on your case first thing Monday morning when I return. We're in Texas, so I'll be in at 9am, central time.

Talk to you soon!


Everything is looking great!

Yes, I have all of the expansions, and they are all correctly showing up in my account.

Thanks so much for getting this fixed! Really looking forward to downloading my store content and getting a game going this weekend. Not sure if you're familiar with it, but I'm planning on playing an Immortal Dynasty Challenge (The Sims 3 Immortal Dynasty Challenge), an 8 generation long challenge created by the Carl and Pam Sims Forum. Last time I did it, it took me an entire year! Anyway, really appreciate getting this sorted out.

Thanks again, [redacted].


Oop! I may have spoken too soon. It looked like they were both there in Origin, but then when I boot up the blue Sims 3 launcher, they are not listed with the other expansion/stuff packs.


       
   Thank you for your reply, [redacted].

Did you receive any emails with new codes for the expansion packs that were reactivated on your account?

I'm wondering if they're not showing in the launcher due to needing to be activated via the Sims 3 website.

If you don't have those emails, I'll do some more digging to see what I can find.

There's also the off chance that the content is still present despite looking like it's not loaded via the launcher.

Have you been able to start a game and see?

Talk to you soon!



Hey Tony,

No, I have no received any emails with new codes. On the Sims 3 website and in the Origin launcher, it shows me as owning these expansions. I started a game and the content is not present - for example, I cannot start a game in the town of Bridgeport, which comes with the Late Night expansion.


No 24 hour response on this so .... bump?



    Thank you so much for the reply, [redacted].

From Origin, please right-click The Sims 3, and choose Repair Game.

Once that process is finished, please try launching the game again, and see if things are working.

If those expansions are still missing, please follow the steps found in the following forum post:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/INFO-The-Sims-3-packs-installed-in-Origin-but-now-showing-in-the/m-p/6085770

If you try all that, and it still doesn't work, simply let me know, and if I may have permission to access your account again and test some things. I suspect I would not be able to reproduce this issue if installing from scratch, so it's likely that one of the above items, if not a complete reinstall of the entire game and expansions, will resolve the issue for us.

Talk to you again soon!


Hey Tony,

I tried following the instructions in the forum post, repaired the game, and uninstalled and reinstalled all Sims 3 content, but the expansions are still missing. You have my permission to access the account to test some things.



Update: tried logging into the account from my fiance's PC and running into the same issue. Looks like it's account related again.



Hey Tony,

Once again, an entire business day has gone by with absolutely no response from you. I would like to remind you that this ticket has been open for three weeks now. I'm trying to be patient, but I really don't feel that this matter is receiving the attention that it merits. If there's anything you can do on your end to expedite this process or get things moving a little faster, that would be greatly appreciated.

[Rhoxi]

After sitting on my case for a week doing nothing (because I guess Tony decided my request to expedite this case was deemed Unacceptable  ), Tony apparently transferred my ticket to some one new.


 Hello [redacted],

   Thank you for your patience.

We apologize for the delay in help. We really appreciate your patience while we tried out a few scenarios. We were able to make sure Late Night is showing up in The Sims 3 Launcher now. Please sign in and confirm that you are able to see that. If you have issues with any other Expansions then let us know.

Thank you for contacting EA Help and have a wonderful day!    
            

Still need help? You can reach us on help.ea.com .

Kevin C.
EA Help


Hey Kevin,

I can confirm that Late Night is now properly showing up! Thanks! All that's missing now is Ambitions, which is not showing up in the launcher.