Ultimate Fix and Manual Patch not working

cerrita wrote:I've recently bought a new Windows 8 computer, and installed my Sims 3 game, including these expansions and stuff packs (World Adventures, Ambitions, Generations, Pets, Seasons, Supernatural, Fast Lane, High-End, Master Suite, and Katy Perry). I open the launcher, and it asks me to update to 1.67, so I download the patch. I'm assuming it's the same as the global version of the manual patch, being 1.6 gigs. It gets through all it's downloading, and gives me an error. So, I tried the manual version, region 1, and when I tried to install it, I got the "invalid file found" error.

So, I tried the ultimate fix from this site. I downloaded it, and followed every step to the letter as far as moving files and to where. But, when I get to step 12, it tells me to update the game, which I can't.

The text at the top of this browser window tell me to read these instructions first: https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t1171-must-read-how-to-install-the-sims-3-correctly

Step 1 went well, every disc installed without issue, but step 2 and beyond talk about updating the game, which I can't do. At this point I'm at a loss. I ran this game on Vista with no issues, and never needed any special steps to get the game running. I searched the forum, but every help post routed the author to either the ultimate fix or the manual patch. I also searched google, but most links went to the same two options, and I need another option or additional insight.

Carlos wrote:Hello,

Are you using Windows ? If so, then what you describe is technically impossible...you can easily update every game with that manual patch, no matter what "region" the game is.

And please ignore the instructions inside the Ultimate fix, you only need the files from the other expansions, inside the Ultimate fix, if you want to update the game with the LAUNCHER, which you can try too, if you can't see to get the manual patch working.

cerrita wrote:Yes, Windows 8. I've had the computer a week, and the original install and game download is current. I'm able to ignore the update prompt and open the game, but it want's me to update so I can log in and play. I'm currently downloading the global patch again through the launcher, and will try once more manually, but I've already tried several times.

Carlos wrote:Please try the launcher indeed, and keep us posted. But again, if you downloaded the latest manual patch from here:

https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t1870-can-t-update-the-sims-3-to-v167-fix-manual-patch



It's - to my knowledge - technically not possible that you get an "invalid file found"-error. If you're running Windows Vista, 7 or 8, try right-clicking on the manual patch and choose "run as Administrator", though that may not work either...

cerrita wrote:That's where I got the patch before, but I'll try again. And I have tried running as admin. That launcher download disappeared after downloading, I didn't get a chance to work with it. And this 1.6 gig global patch takes 1 hour to download...

Since I've freshly installed the game, is there some kind of "disc-pressed" version of the game that I'm running, like a 1.0? The patch update says it's going from 1.42.130 to 1.67.2, but the first number seems rather old and kind of random to be the out-of-the-box disc version. How does that work? Does it matter if I have origin and/or the launcher open when running the manual patch? I don't think I've mentioned it yet, but it gets through the initial setup, and when the actual patch window tries to pop up is when the error happens.

I wouldn't have thought about THAT, but it's good that you mentioned it actually.   The base game version you are using (v.1.42.130) requires to be logged into Origin before playing; and I'm not even sure if the "Ultimate fix" will work for that base game (probably not). 

Carlos wrote:
If you want, try un-installing that base game, re-boot the computer afterwards (!), and then get the "original" base game from Games4TheWorld, here:


That should definitely work then. Good luck !

cerrita wrote:
I've never used a torrent before, I don't know how it works. I selected Sims 3, and it installed a torrent downloader, but I can't get it to download anything.

Edit: I also don't like that it's apparently downloaded a bunch of unwanted programs, including one that's hijacked my browser.

If you need help with removing the unwanted stuff, I'll try and do my best to assist you with that too.  

nowherewarm wrote:My problem looks identical - it still says it's going from 1.42.130 to 1.67.2, and Carlos you're saying it's a base game version that requires being logged into Origin, but my base game is actually that very first version of the game that leaked shortly before the base game premiere, I never bothered to download another version. I am seriously confused right now, that manual patch worked just fine on my old Win XP computer but now on Win 8 laptop it's suddenly an invalid file? I did try running it as an administrator, didn't change a thing.

And what year did you purchase that base game with the version 1.42.130 ?   (I'm deliberately asking that).