I am on patch 1.67 and re-installed my game via disk on my new PC, however I have an external CD-rom and it isn't fun to run the game (rather loudly) through that external drive. I really don't want to install the 1.69 patch and not be able to use all the lovely programs I've been missing out on with my old iMac all these years. After the install, my game still seems to be reliant on Origin to start up and when I try to use noCD, it tells me I still need the game disk. I am trying to bypass the launcher through the TS3.exe (also tried TS3W.exe) in my install location>origin games>TS3>Game>Bin.

I know I'm doing something wrong. Perhaps It was the fact that I installed the game previously by digital download? Would appreciate any suggestions.

It sounds like you're already on patch 1.69, both from the location of the game files (in Origin Games) and because Origin is controlling the process of launching. To double-check, look in the lower left corner of the launcher, and you'll see your game version. Origin also doesn't allow players to bypass the launcher.

If you are in fact on patch 1.69, you have two options. One is to uninstall your newest pack by release date and reinstall it through Origin, which would remove the need to use the disc. In this case, it would be a good idea to remove the registry entries related to that particular pack before reinstalling, because disc-based entries and Origin-based entries have different characteristics, at least some of the time.

The other option, if your base game disc was manufactured before September 2012, is to uninstall the entire game, clean your computer's registry, and reinstall using only the discs, without allowing Origin to interfere at all. Then you'd end up on patch 1.67 and be able to bypass the launcher and use the tools you want. If you're not sure when your base game disc was made, check the copyright date in the fine print on the back of the case.

If you'd like help doing an all-disc, no-Origin install, just ask.

puzzlezaddict wrote: ↑

October 14th, 2020, 10:47 pm

It sounds like you're already on patch 1.69, both from the location of the game files (in Origin Games) and because Origin is controlling the process of launching. To double-check, look in the lower left corner of the launcher, and you'll see your game version. Origin also doesn't allow players to bypass the launcher.

My launcher does say 1.67 and Origin even keeps asking me to update to 1.69 when it connects to online. Also, the version.tag file in my documents folder for sims 3 also says that it's on 1.67.

I originally purchased the game online through gamestop, I think, as a digital download, however it kept giving me issues to download it when my game messed up. I now have a disk that was sims 3 plus seasons and the disk says the copyright on it is 2012. My husband purchased it for me whenever it came out. I have kept origin from auto-patching the game or even starting the auto-patch process, which it did the first time I installed the base game, by setting origin to offline.

If it's not a pre-2012 disc as I thought it was, then I will just buy one from Amazon and see if I get some luck there.

Does the box/case that the base game disk came in have Origin logos on it? If it was manufactured before Sept of 2012, it may already be one of the older ones so replacing it with another older one won't help. But I suspect it's of the newer Origin-required variety from your descriptions of the game's behavior.

By the way, you aren't actually running the game from an external CD-ROM drive. All that should be doing is the authentication check on startup. I know that's a pain in the first place, but has the external optical drive always been noisy throughout play? Is the drive older and perhaps not aging gracefully?

igazor wrote: ↑

October 15th, 2020, 10:46 am

Does the box/case that the base game disk came in have Origin logos on it?

I checked the outside of the box previously and didn't see the origin logo, but did a more thorough investigation of the box last night and the booklet inside has it on the last page. I also checked when seasons came out and it came out in November, so I think you are right, this game disk came out after September. I missed it since it was in the booklet and not on the outside of the box, which is where I have seen it in pictures of those produced after Sept. 2012, but that was just the base game and not a combo base game plus EP.

igazor wrote: ↑

October 15th, 2020, 10:46 am

I know that's a pain in the first place, but has the external optical drive always been noisy throughout play? Is the drive older and perhaps not aging gracefully?

As far as the disk drive, it's actually brand new (purchased this last Monday). I just purchased it for the purpose of installing Sims 3 and playing it again on this new PC. I will test it with another game this weekend and see if it acts the same way as I believe several Steam games I own just authenticate the game on start up as well, if I remember correctly. It may just be a faulty drive, in which case I may need to exchange it. I've never needed an external drive before because I usually play on my mac, but my CD drive on my Mac no longer works and the laptop I purchased does not have a CD drive.

Thank you for the suggestions! I am always grateful to learn more about the game and computers from you all!