I recently purchased the Sims 3 game, I have read all of the problems on here but they do not cover my problem. Let me stress to you that I have triple checked that I have the right system requirements; that is definitely not the problem. The disc loads and the Sims 3 DVD icon pops up. I click on that but when I click the green diamond that says Sims 3 installer, nothing happens. I’ve been told to go to applications from my hard drive, but whenever I click the folder, my main screen just refreshes. I am extremely frustrated because I have downloaded many things before and they all simply work, but this one won’t. Also it says in the box (after I’ve clicked on the DVD icon) at the top that I have zero KBs, but I don’t know what this means. My computer is brand new and there is absolutely no way that I don’t have enough room.
I know that misery doesn’t really love company, but you’re not alone. Many people are having issues with Sims3, and installation errors are a common problem. You were right in checking the system requirements - much of the time this is the reason for installation problems. As long as you are sure that you meet the requirements, I have a few other ideas that might ease your Sims3 headache.
Selecting the Right Drive
You gave me a big clue when you said that it is showing 0kb, but that there is no way that your drive is full. Did you check the drive where the game was attempting to install? Could you be selecting the wrong destination folder for the install? Since you are using the disc, if you try to install to the current directory and the CD ROM drive is selected, there is no more room on the CD, so you will get the 0kb message on your screen. If you think this might be the case, select a directory on your hard drive for the game to install to and try it again.
Run from My Computer
If it is getting installed but is not running, you can try going to My Computer, find the game and double click on it. Find the icon that says Sims3 setup and double click on it.
Mac Issues
You don’t say whether you are using a Mac or a PC - if you’re using a MAC, then this may be your problem in a nutshell. If you have a Mac, you might need to use Boot Camp to install Windows XP and then install the Windows XP version of the game.
Bad Disc
Because you are installing Sims3 from a disc, it’s always possible that the disc itself is the issue, even if you can see no visible damage on the surface. If you’ve tried absolutely everything else to get it to install and you are still having no luck, take the disc back to where you bought it and get it exchanged. Many stores have sticky issues with returning discs, but if you emphasize that it is defective, any reputable retailer will at least give you a replacement copy. Since you purchased an actual copy of Sims3, you can use EA Support for Sims3 - they have forums where you can ask your specific question if this information hasn’t solved your problem. Good luck and happy gaming.
