Hi! So I bought/built a new pc last year and didn't put a CD drive in it because, this is 2020 and everything I own is digitally backed up. I didn't think I'd need it, but low and behold, here comes sims 3...

I've seen lots of posts lately on twitter about step by step fixes to get the game running flawlessly and I was excited to try them out. One of them addressed the patch issue and how 1.69 quite literally borked the game. So I downloaded 1.67 super patcher and it won't let me rollback, and I was told that's because I need something *before* 1.69 and super patch it to 1.67.

Now ... if this isn't possible, would I theoretically be able to purchase basegame on Steam, and still somehow run my DLC (I own literally everything) thru origin, but it somehow piggybacks off my steam version? Ugh LOL This is such a dumpster fire but if there's a workaround, even if it's wild, I would like to try it! Thanks in advance!

Most players can get the game running on Patch 1.69 with the Origin and Launcher tie-in, it's just not a stable way to start the game overall and it can be a really annoying waste of time. Once the game is up and running, there shouldn't really be any difference between the two patch levels because the game files themselves other than their internal build numbers are exactly the same.

If you force the 1.67 SuperPatcher on a 1.69 install, it will break the game installation entirely and it will all need to be redone. The SuperPatcher is meant for retail disc installs.

The two remaining ways to have a new 1.67 installation on Windows (Macs are different) are:

1 - Uninstall the game and all packs, clean the registry, reinstall the disc version of everything but disallow both Origin and its predecessor, the EA Download Manager (EADM). This requires a base game disc manufactured before Sept 2012 (the age of the EP/SP discs do not matter) and a working CD-ROM drive (an external one would be fine, they don't typically cost very much). As soon as you allow any one of the packs to be installed or controlled by Origin, you will be back on 1.69 with no questions asked so that step needs to be avoided each time. Then run the SuperPatcher.

2 - Repurchase everything on the Steam platform, meaning the base game and all EP/SPs that you wish to run, uninstall, clean registry, install the Steam versions instead. You can't mix and match the Origin or disc versions on Steam, it has to be all Steam or nothing because although the game is the same and still 1.67, the install and DRM are very different between the two platforms. This could be an expensive proposition unless you wait until the next time TS3 and its packs are on sale by Steam at a deep discount. There is in theory a way to get the Origin versions to install under Steam but involves some fancy unsupported registry tricks, it doesn't work for all players, and many of them seem to find that their games break later down the road especially if any kind of repair game utility is needed.

I was afraid someone would say that LOL I wound up installing everything on an external hard drive on another PC and super-patching it to 1.67 where my origin HAPPILY stays signed out and my game runs so beautifully. Thanks for taking the time to reply!