CAW and Sims 3 Version Mismatch Work-Around

Reproduced with permission of Kiritra; I have reworded it slightly so any errors are most likely mine. Please correct me if you spot any mistakes, or can offer any improvements!

The original thread was here; not much is left now I'm afraid.
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=450303

CAW and Sims 3 version mismatch work around explained

Please first follow all steps in this guide regarding removal of custom content and clearing caches.

This should work in all cases where your game is newer then your CAW version (that is to say after a new patch), but isn't likely to work when you don't have the latest EP or SP (see below).

This condition will usually result in the following error:

STEP 0 Be sure that you are using a CAW version that is compatible with your game version; if you have the latest EP or SP then it is likely you want the lastest CAW:
Download it from the EA Site at this link. <----newest version.

If you do not have the latest EP/ SP then please see the table below; each CAW version will only work with compatible game versions because it is coded to look for files from the new EPs, when this is the case it normally crashes to desktop, runs Launcher instead of EIG mode or else gives one of the following errors:

STEP 1 Be sure that User Account Control is disabled if you are on Win 7 or Vista (Google 'turning off UAC'), otherwise you will not be able to edit the files. Remember to re-enable UAC after you have completed this!

If you still get an error that you don't have permission to edit the file:

Quote: Originally posted by auntielynds

Take a deep breath. You can try opening it as administrator, or, copy it to the desktop, alter and save, then replace the original with the altered one.

STEP 2 Locate your game folder, by default:
32 Bit Operating System: C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\[Latest EP or SP intalled]\Game\Bin
64 Bit Operating System: C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\\[Latest EP or SP intalled]\Game\Bin

For Digital (Origin) and Steam versions:

Quote: Originally posted by simsample

The Steam versions are irrelevant as regards this thread, as CAW will not work with the Steam versons. The Steam install has a different game version, also it has different reg keys and a different file structure. The advice for Steam gamers seems to be to install the Origin version of the game if they want to run CAW:
http://forums.steampowered.com/foru...d.php?t=1746411

The Origin versions of the game are now installed to [Game Install Location] \Origin Games \The Sims(T) 3, which on a default install would be C:\Program Files (x86) \Origin Games \The Sims(TM) 3 or C:\Program Files \Origin Games \The Sims(TM) 3.

If you still cannot find your game install location then right click the shortcut you use to start the game, choose 'properties' and then 'open file location'.

STEP 3 In your Game\Bin folder, backup the Default.ini file. To do this, copy it to a safe location so that you can restore it later should you need to.

STEP 4 Locate your CAW folder, by default:
32 Bit Operating System: C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Create a World Tool
64 Bit Operating System: C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Create a World Tool
Or right click the short you use to start the CAW, choose properties, then open file location.

STEP 5 In your CAW folder, open the Default.ini file with notepad -if you get a file access error see step 1.

STEP 6 Find the section of the file that looks like this:

Code:

     [Version]   
               languages=en-us,fr-fr,es-es,es-mx,de-de,it-it,nl-nl,sv-se,
                             da-dk,no-no,fi-fi,pl-pl,pt-pt,hu-hu,cs-cz,
                             pt-br,el-gr,ru-ru,ko-kr,zh-hk,ja-jp   
               GameVersion = 1.11.12.012037 
               CompatVersion = 12
               WorldBuilderCompatibilityVersion = 9

Copy it to the clipboard by highlighting the last 2 lines (CompatVersion & WorldBuilderCompatibilityVersion) and pressing Ctrl-c or right click copy.
Please note the numbers in your section might be way different depending on your version of CAW it doesn't matter copy it, this what CAW requires to work.

Close the Default.ini file without saving.

STEP 7 Return to the sims game folder from step 2, open the Default.ini from the Game/Bin folder with notepad. Again, if you get a file access error see step 1.

STEP 8 Find the section of the file that looks like this

Code:

     [Version]    
              languages=en-us,fr-fr,es-es,es-mx,de-de,it-it,nl-nl,sv-se,
                             da-dk,no-no,fi-fi,pl-pl,pt-pt,hu-hu,cs-cz,
                             pt-br,el-gr,ru-ru,ko-kr,zh-hk,ja-jp 
               GameVersion = 1.11.12.012037 
               CompatVersion = 12
               WorldBuilderCompatibilityVersion = 9

Highlight the last 2 lines (CompatVersion & WorldBuilderCompatibilityVersion) and hit ctrl-V or right click paste, to replace it with the version that you copied earlier. Save and close the Default.ini file.

STEP 9 Turn UAC back on if you turned it off in step one.

STEP 10 Before patching to a new version, restore the backup of Default.ini to the Sims 3 Game/Bin folder, or the patch will fail. To do this, copy the backup Default.ini file and paste it into the location in Step 2.

If you didn't make a backup and need to patch, try downloading the full version of the patch, which should work.

Using this method, others from here and MATY have had good results.
I REPEAT: this is for cases where you game is newer then CAW

In Cases where EPs/Sps are missing-
Look for the latest EP/SP that you own, on the table below.
The patch levels for both the EP/SP and the base game are the maximum that can be used with that version of CAW, patches of a lower version are fine but higher will break CAW.
Also, if you don't have Town Life Stuff and/or Generations you can't run CAW 1.11.10 plus, or patch 1.24.3 with CAW 1.11.9 or lower, it will not work.

Old CAS version downloads from: Auntielynds

the table below
CAW Version	BG Version	Expansion	patch	Stuff Pack	patch
1.5.126	1.8.25	World Adv	2.3.33*
1.6.72 from 1.5.126 *This is a patch	1.11.7	World Adv.	2.6.11	High End Loft	3.2.8*
1.9.14	1.14.11	Ambitions	4.2.32*	High End Loft	3.5.8
1.9.16	1.15.34	Ambitions	4.3.4	Fast Lane	5.0.44*
1.10.9	1.17.60	Late Night	6.0.81	Fast Lane	5.2.4
1.10.9	1.18.9	Late Night	6.1.11	Fast Lane	5.4.4
1.11.4	1.19.44	Late Night	6.2.4	Outdoor Living	7.0.55*
1.11.9	1.21.123	Late Night	6.2.4	Outdoor Living	7.0.55
1.11.10	1.22.9	Generations	8.0.152*	Outdoor Living	7.3.2
1.11.12	1.24.3	Generations	8.0.152	Town Life	9.0.73*

*This SHOULD work without the fix as it is the patch level and CAW version intended, if not perform the above fix.

Apply the steps above to both EA's latest EP/SP that you own and the basegame sims 3 folder, that is to say do steps 2-8 to in both the basegame sims 3 folder and the newest Stuff pack or expansion folder, steps 1 and 9 only need to be done at the start and the end of it.

Tested CAW 1.11.12 with base game Patch level 1.24.3
Tested CAW 1.6.72 with WA no patches beyond those required to install WA...
Tested CAW 1.9.16 With WA & AMB no patches beyond those required to install AMB..
Tested CAW 1.11.9 with LATE AMB WA no patches beyond those required to install Late night...
Tested CAW 1.11.12 With GENE, LATE, AMB, & WA, Patch 1.24.3.....
Again always the newest if you have GENE but do not have any combo of WA, AMB or LATE, it is still CAW 1.11.12 and patch 1.24.3

Again, full credit to Kiritra for this information; also thanks to auntielynds for the CAW archives, and to all others who contributed by testing.

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