OK, I didn't see this the last time I looked at the wiki pages for the 1.69 patch, so I thought I'd mention this.

I got a new computer, and to my delight I was able to get my game installed without installing or interacting with Origin, thus avoiding the 1.69 patch. I last installed with Origin, but a long time ago -- probably a year before 1.69 was released.

In my Program Files folder in Windows 7, I found that all my Origin Games included the installers. To be safe, I copied over the entire folders for each of my Sims games/EPs/SPs and dropped them into Program Files(x86)/Electronic Arts on my new system running Windows 10. Then I ran the installers from there, and everything installed. All I needed was the Superpatch.

I don't know at what point Origin stopped including the installers in its downloads, or if it did. I did see some forum conversations that indicated that Origin stopped storing installers on users' harddrives at some point, but that you could get them back by setting a user preference.

This might be old hat, since I've been avoiding the entire subject until now, but hey.

Hi Echoweaver
I don't quite understand your problem tbh. So you can't find the super patch to download? or what?This link has it
https://simsvip.com/2014/01/24/sims-3-g ... -67-12414/
I recently bought a new computer too and installed Sims 3 in it with patch 1.67. I installed it without EADM or Origin. When the game prompted me to install Origins I just clicked don't lol. I installed my patch 1.67 externally not via the launcher.
I have patch 1.67 with me tho I'm not sure if I could upload such a large file right now. When I was installing the patch I already had the installer from long back.

You need the super patch basically right? Try the link I gave. Or this <a class="wiki_link_ext" href="http://www.gamepressure.com/download.asp?ID=48580" rel="nofollow">http://www.gamepressure.com/download.asp?ID=48580</a>

Anyway good luck, hope your problem is fixed soon

@SkyDome - The problem is that the 1.67 disc-only install method requires actually owning the discs, and the base game disc in particular must have been manufactured before Sept 2012. Many of us were on all digital or mixed installs to begin with. It's not difficult to obtain the Super Patcher from EA directly, there is no need to go to other sources for it. But you cannot Super Patch over an already existing 1.69 install, that will break the game.

@Echoweaver - It's not old hat, but you are about the second person I've heard of out of the (fill in some really high number here) who have had success with that method. We can't really test this because doing so requires (a) access to those now much older installer files and (b) ever having had them in the first place. Origin back then never generated those installers for me even with the option selected to do so. And for those who didn't have an entirely complete install back then, adding a new (to them) Origin based install of an EP or SP would bring them back to 1.69 anyway -- in fact, this is how I ended up there but it came as no surprise by then.

I'll have reiterate what I keep saying elsewhere until enough people tell me to shut my face. Patch 1.69 is annoying. I don't like it. But for me and most players, it is not fatal. For those who just can't get it to work, or who really need the external tools that rely on 1.67 or below like EasyCASP Editor, then there are still the disc-only and Steam methods if the required repurchases are within reach. I'm leaning towards Steam myself if the 1.69 annoyances become great enough -- it's been a close call a couple of times, I have to admit, especially during Steam's 80% off or whatever sales that keep popping up.

I proceeded the same way when I reinstalled.
I also still had the installers in my folder so I backed them up like you did.
But I had to place the games I downloaded from origin in the Origin Games folder for my game to understand. Working great so far.

@igazor Oh i see that sucks.
@Echoweaver Are you not able to play the game at all now? If 1.67 is causing so much problems than perhaps you should just go back to 1.69 patch. Atleast you'll be able to play it. My game is disc only so it was fine for me. Half digital ,half disc causes problems i think. Origin downloads force you to get patch 1.69 so getting 1.67 is probably not gonna happen.

Echo (and now Mellye) are here to report their success with an install method that is not documented on this wiki and I've tried to explain why it is not written up that way. It doesn't sound like they are here to tell us that their games don't work on 1.67.

@Skydome: This wasn't a problem. It was a victory story I thought others might find useful.

I've never had any of the disks. I bought the base game for Mac from the late Direct2Drive in 2008. I switched to Windows later, using the Origin installer.

@igazor: Huh. I wonder if it's because I copied over everything rather than just the installer folders. Or where I put my files. Or maybe it's just that it had been so dang long since I'd installed from Origin. Or I just got lucky.

It makes me wonder if it would be legal to make the old installers available via download. I'd be happy to put up the ones I have on my server. They still require a product code after all. After going through all the drama to move my Origin files, I discovered that I had about 2/3 of the EP installers on Amazon Downlad because I didn't actually buy from Origin.

I know 1.69 isn't a death sentence, but it was nice to not have to install it. I'm modded to the gills, and I use CC Magic.

@Mellye It's odd that I ended up in Program Files/Electronic Arts rather than Origin Games. I THINK I was afraid to mention anything about Origin, so I just copied over my whole installed folders into something plausible and ran them to see if they worked. But now I'm not sure. The whole thing was an experiment, and I didn't take notes :-/

I take igazor's warning that it's not a method that works for many people.

Now the older style Amazon downloaders we learned will still work without Origin, as will those from other vendors who used to sell the game that way. My base game purchase (Mac originally) was from GamersGate and I can still access those installers as well even though GG, Amazon, and the others no longer sell the game and its packs that way. The 1.69 wiki page was updated to reflect that once we learned this was still viable for those of us who purchased in the past that way.

Not sure about making the older Origin generated installers available to others, though. That sounds potentially dicey and installing them that way, given the high failure rates that seem to be reported on, might not be doing too many players a favor and we really aren't in a position to provide support for that method (at least not here at NRaas). And EA might not be too happy about sharing those publicly. This might warrant a management team discussion.

That's all fair. I'm happy to make files available for download, but I can't provide support either. I'm not even a Windows user except for Sims.

I'm happy to take my windfall and go play with it by myself .