I've tried both of these softwares but I'm encountering obstacles. To start with, the latest tutorial I've found for TSRW regarding setting up its file paths was made back when the "Electronic Arts" folder was "Origins"

It wanted me to go to "Program Files (86x) > Origins > The Sims 3" but that directory doesn't exist anymore. Going to the "Electronic Arts" file directory just leads to a "MySims" folder that results in an error which reads "Could not load game file contents, Folder: Error: Value cannot be null" S3OC refuses to launch. I've browsed the threads regarding this but all links leading to any sort of software that might fix the issue 404 now.

I found a base game directory it likes, by "C:\Users\NAME\Downloads\The Sims 3" but I can't find the expansions. Though it still includes horse related objects? Nothing of the other pets, however. I'm just calling this a win for tonight.

Both of these programs should auto-detect the correct install location on their own for most versions of the game, unless you installed to a custom location (but in that case, wouldn't you know where that was?).

C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts or a similar file path with an inbetween for Origin, SteamLibrary, or EA App depending on the source of the install. If you have the Steam or EA App version, you should be able to open the game files from within those programs.

Your install being located in your Downloads folder implies you may have an illegitimate copy of the game, which you would have to seek support for elsewhere.

I swear I don't, I genuinely do not know when and where from that sims 3 in my downloads showed up. All I know is it worked for my purposes. I bought the Sims 3 on origin decades ago and have kept the same EA account on which I bought it with since.

For some reason I only find a "MySims" file under the Electronic Arts in Program Files (x86). I don't know why. I can't even access that game in the EA launcher? I have it on disk and since I lost the activation key I was never able to install it.



I promise you I have no clue why it's there.

That's fair enough! That at least confirms that is the correct install location.

Typically, the expansions are in the same root folder (Downloads, in your case) in their own folders like 'The Sims 3 World Adventures' so on.
If not, and you haven't reinstalled since the Origin era, you may well still have an Origin Games folder somewhere.

Though if you plan on making CC, it may be worth it to reinstall back to a standard location so that all the various tools can auto-detect correctly.
There used to be an option to point to a new location if you moved it yourself, but of course they remove useful features from the EA App as soon as they notice their accidental existence...

Of course they did, lol. I've been trying to do that, but pressing "uninstall" within the EA app seems to do nothing. A part of me is a bit nervous about doing it since I don't know how it'll affect the CC I currently have installed.

In my experience, S3OC will auto detect. Not sure what happens if Sims isn't in correct place. TSRW, you will need to set location manually. Top left, click EDIT, then Preferences. I suggest looking in all of the options, to see what applies to you.

Click Folders.To the right are 3 dots. Click them, then manually go to each folder to set location. Same for Milkshape, or other plugins.

All of your user data, including CC, is in the Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder (this location should definitely be the same on all systems)- which is safe to copy and paste somewhere so that it isn't affected by uninstalling. The only thing that may need to be reinstalled is content from the Store.
Control Panel may be able to uninstall if the EA App won't.

Or look into the TSRW settings above + S3OC's are under Settings > Game Folders - but my understanding is that you found these settings already but not the location of your expansions?
If you search for the name of an expansion and the shortcut appears in the results, you should be able to right-click 'Open File Location', then repeat on the shortcut itself, to take you to the install folder for that expansion.

Best of luck