My Sims 3 game has always ran very well on my MacBook Pro, but since i updated to 10.7.5 it keeps crashing as it loads. I've done all the troubleshooting things suggested from EA with no success and i feel like it must be related to the update. If anyone could shed any light would be much appreciated.
MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.5)
The tl;dr version is "While 10.7.5 and 10.8.2 brought this problem to light, the problem is actually on the EA end (actually one of their contractors/suppliers) and you should absolutely be contacting them for support with this issue." I propose a workaround at the end of this message.
I believe this is related to the problems reported by Wineskin and Crossover and other utilities for running Windows programs on Mac OS X. While Wineskin has released an updated version that fixes the bug, EA has yet to do so for Sims 3. And to be honest, I would not wait with bated breath.
Let me explain.
Many games that run on OS X use "Wrappers". Basically this means they take the Windows game, and "Wrap" it in another application. This wrapper notices when the Windows application tries to do something the Windows way, and translates it to the Mac way of doing things. Everything from playing sound to drawing a single pixel on your screen is translated completely behind the scenes. These wrappers almost all use technology from the Wine project, which for a long time has worked on allowing people to run Windows application on other operating systems.
Sims 3, and many other popular games, use a wrapper called Cider, from Transgaming. If you Ctrl+click on the Sims 3 application and Show Package Contents, and then select Contents - Resources, you'll see a transgaming folder. Inside there, you will see a folder called c_drive, and if you poke around further you can still see the Windows .exe files.
This allows game developers to develop only one version of the game (for Windows), and then rely on this wrapper to also sell the game to Mac users, instead of developing a custom version of the game.
In the 10.7.5 release, Mac changed something (I don't know what) that brought to light a bug in XQuartz, a component important to running Windows applications on a Mac. This package is used by Wineskin and possibly Cider as well.
The process moving forward for EA is wait for transgaming to update their wrapper, and then package that wrapper in an update for Sims 3. If it's a priority, it's a week or two of work. Definitely contact them to ask for support; while the update from Apple brought the problem to light, the issue lies with EA (specifically with Cider, which I assume uses XQuartz).
I employed a workaround, both to continue my play and to verify that the problem is with Cider: I ran Sims 3 in another wrapper. Because the Sims 3 application is not affected, you can actually replace the wrapper it ships with (Cider) with another wrapper (Wineskin) fairly easily. I cannot comment on what this might mean in terms of the EULA, but:
- create a Wineskin wrapper
- copy the contents of the c_drive in Sims 3 to drive_c in your new Wineskin; overwrite if prompted
- copy the contents of Frameworks in Sims 3 to your new Wineskin, overwrite if prompted
- copy the Preferences folder over
- run the appropriate registry update files to complete the Sims 3 install
Sorry that is not a very accessible todo, but honestly if that is all Greek to you, you should focus your efforts on bugging EA or restoring your Mac from an old backup. You can also buy the Windows version and install it to a Wineskin; THAT there are instructions for online.
Hope that helps without overwhelming!
The tl;dr version is "While 10.7.5 and 10.8.2 brought this problem to light, the problem is actually on the EA end (actually one of their contractors/suppliers) and you should absolutely be contacting them for support with this issue." I propose a workaround at the end of this message.
I believe this is related to the problems reported by Wineskin and Crossover and other utilities for running Windows programs on Mac OS X. While Wineskin has released an updated version that fixes the bug, EA has yet to do so for Sims 3. And to be honest, I would not wait with bated breath.
Let me explain.
Many games that run on OS X use "Wrappers". Basically this means they take the Windows game, and "Wrap" it in another application. This wrapper notices when the Windows application tries to do something the Windows way, and translates it to the Mac way of doing things. Everything from playing sound to drawing a single pixel on your screen is translated completely behind the scenes. These wrappers almost all use technology from the Wine project, which for a long time has worked on allowing people to run Windows application on other operating systems.
Sims 3, and many other popular games, use a wrapper called Cider, from Transgaming. If you Ctrl+click on the Sims 3 application and Show Package Contents, and then select Contents - Resources, you'll see a transgaming folder. Inside there, you will see a folder called c_drive, and if you poke around further you can still see the Windows .exe files.
This allows game developers to develop only one version of the game (for Windows), and then rely on this wrapper to also sell the game to Mac users, instead of developing a custom version of the game.
In the 10.7.5 release, Mac changed something (I don't know what) that brought to light a bug in XQuartz, a component important to running Windows applications on a Mac. This package is used by Wineskin and possibly Cider as well.
The process moving forward for EA is wait for transgaming to update their wrapper, and then package that wrapper in an update for Sims 3. If it's a priority, it's a week or two of work. Definitely contact them to ask for support; while the update from Apple brought the problem to light, the issue lies with EA (specifically with Cider, which I assume uses XQuartz).
I employed a workaround, both to continue my play and to verify that the problem is with Cider: I ran Sims 3 in another wrapper. Because the Sims 3 application is not affected, you can actually replace the wrapper it ships with (Cider) with another wrapper (Wineskin) fairly easily. I cannot comment on what this might mean in terms of the EULA, but:
- create a Wineskin wrapper
- copy the contents of the c_drive in Sims 3 to drive_c in your new Wineskin; overwrite if prompted
- copy the contents of Frameworks in Sims 3 to your new Wineskin, overwrite if prompted
- copy the Preferences folder over
- run the appropriate registry update files to complete the Sims 3 install
Sorry that is not a very accessible todo, but honestly if that is all Greek to you, you should focus your efforts on bugging EA or restoring your Mac from an old backup. You can also buy the Windows version and install it to a Wineskin; THAT there are instructions for online.
Hope that helps without overwhelming!
Update: XQuartz has released an update, and installing it appears to resolve the Sims 3 problem. I worried that EA would have to update, but looks like you can skip that part.
http://xquartz.macosforge.org/trac/wiki/X112.7.4
Note that this might change your system in other ways; see their instructions for keeping X11.app as your default server if this concerns you.
Hi, I have installed the update you link to and this has not solved the problem. EA have released a new patch for Sims 3 and I have also installed this. Still no joy. The game crashes within 10 seconds of loading the household and exits with the error message: "The game process cannot be started". Any help with appreciated.
Just live chatted with the EA chaps. They are working on it, have no idea when it may be fixed and suggest potential players 'ger back to them' to find out more in due course. Looks like we will just have to play outside for a while.
I installed The Sims 3 after updating to 10.7.5 and I can create a sim perfectly. It's when I get to 'move in' that everything fails and I go back to desktop.
After nearly an hour on the phone to EA they sent me a link to this patch. It hasn't helped me but it might do something for one of you guys.
http://atomicgamer.com/files/100426/the-sims-3-patch-1-39-full-mac-worldwide
Installing the XQuartz update actually worked for me, but only sporadically, and I can't trace down the problem. Sometimes it runs for hours with no problem, other times only for a few minutes before crashing.
My Wineskin wrapper solution has been working flawlessly, however, so I just use that full time now. Unfortunately it is not a very accessible solution; if I remembered everything I did, I'd write a tutorial, but it took a few attempts to get it running right and I have no recollection of what I did. Anyone with enough technical knowledge should be able to do it themselves, though.
@Anni: it is indeed the rendering of the Town that causes crashes most of the time for me, as well.
@fasgf354qvt2b5So I'm trying the wineskin option, but are the preferences, and framework folders to be pasted into drive c as well or the general wineskin folder?
@fasgf354qvt2b5 I'd like to try the wineskin approach, too. Would you be able to make it a little more intelligible to someone who really doesn't know too much about how a Mac works behind the gui?
Thanks.
Same problem. Create a sim, buy a lot but when I'm going to play it freezes.
I want to try the Wrapper thing, stil, I don't know how to create one... I'm a real n00b haha can anyone explain more or less how it works? Or, has anyone found a solution for the Sims problem? 😟
Uh! You lost me at the last step:
"run the appropriate registry update files"
I have no idea what that means... Can somebody help?
Oh boy! I'm glad they're working on it!
Should see an update any time now...
*casual skeleton*
Sims 3 been crashing since 10.7.5 update.
