Tag: Sims 3

Intel HD 6000 – fixed Graphics files for Sims 3

Published on by BluebellFlora42 Comments

Only applicable to the 32-bit version of the Sims 3

That pesky Intel HD 6000 chip that’s caused so many problems for Mac users attempting to play Sims 3? Well, after some testing we’ve finally managed to get it working, and I have pictures to prove it:

This Intel chip has proven to be the most difficult for users to get working and I could not have edited the GraphicsCards.sgr and GraphicsRules.sgr files successfully without zebragirls1221’s help. She has the 2015 13″ MacBook Air and after swapping information back and forth she can now successfully load and play her game. I cannot thank her enough, and neither should you when you get your game working again!

If you would like to apply this fix to your game you can download the edited files from my SimFileShare download. I have also included instructions on how to do it. All it involves is copying and pasting text from my files to yours.

Download Link – http://simfileshare.net/folder/38108/ or here

Remember, there are two other very important fixes you will need to apply to your game if you have Ambitions/Late Night/Fast Lane/Outdoor Living:

  1. Adding the packs to the Launcher
  2. Fixing the Unknown Error message

So, after following those three sets of instructions, you should be good to go 🙂

Apple dropping support for 32-bit apps. Sims 2, Sims 3 and SimCity will no longer work in macOS

Published on by BluebellFlora9 Comments

Apple announced last year that macOS 10.13 High Sierra will be the last version of the OS to support 32-bit apps. You can read this article which explains why they are doing this and what it means. Most apps produced in the last few years are 64-bit so there is no cause for concern but for most of our beloved Sims games this most likely means that it will be the end. This does not affect Sims 4 as it is already 64-bit.

If you have updated to macOS 10.13.4 you should have started receiving this notification when launching 32-bit apps:

Until we can download the beta of the next macOS we’re not going to know when 32-bit apps will be rendered completely obsolete. I hoped to wait until we had the beta before posting this but I’ve received so many messages asking about it I thought a post now may help.

The following Sims games are currently 32-bit:

The Sims 2 Super Collection (Aspyr)
The Sims 3 (EA/Maxis)
SimCity 4 (Aspyr)
SimCity 2013 (EA – Origin; Aspyr – Mac App Store)
Sims Medieval (EA/Maxis)

If you would like to carry on playing these titles after 32-bit support is withdrawn there is a workaround. You can install High Sierra on a bootable external drive and install your 32-bit games on this drive. You would then simply boot up your Mac from that drive when you want to play. For those who haven’t done this before, it really is a very simple process – don’t be scared! I will upload a tutorial soon showing easy step by step instructions on how to do this.

Aspyr have announced that they hope to update their 32-bit games to 64-bit so they are still playable on future releases of macOS. You can read their support statement here, together with a full list of affected titles.

EA have yet to confirm or deny whether they will update their titles.

If you would like to see whether your apps are 32-bit or 64-bit read Apple’s article for instructions on finding the info in System Report. You can also check when the app is running by opening Activity Monitor:

No longer supporting Sims 3

Published on by BluebellFlora9 Comments

The time has come for me to stop trying to help Mac users attempting to play Sims 3. The game came out in June 2009 and hasn’t been updated at all since January 2014. That means that no version of macOS since OS X 10.9 Mavericks, probably 10.8 Mountain Lion would be more accurate, is supported  so there is no guarantee it will work. This is also true for all Macs released since 2013 as the hardware will not be supported.

There are fixes you can try and if anything miraculous comes to light then I will update my pages. These workarounds still work for some:

To be honest, I’m growing weary of users posting the same issues over and over again and expecting a magic fix when there simply isn’t one. EA have been silent over the Sims 3 for years now, they’ve moved on. It’s disappointing that the game had such a short shelf life for us Mac users but it never worked well right from the beginning due to EA’s decision to use Cider.

If Sims 3 works for you great, count yourself lucky. If Sims 3 doesn’t work then maybe it’s time to move on and accept that you will not be able to play.