"Unable to start game - service initialization failed" - At the end of my tether!

I will try to be brief so that I don't waste anyone's time! (Thanks in advance for any help).

I have downloaded the Sims 3 and the following expansions/stuff packs:


High Loft stuff pack
Ambitions
Late Night
Generations
Seasons
University life

I installed them in that order (with the base game first, of course), and then followed the instructions in the PDF file from the ultimate fix. (both the ultimate fix and the update were downloaded today, so they were up to date).

I followed the instructions up until instruction number 11. where I downloaded the update from here: https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t1870-can-t-update-the-sims-3-to-v155-fix-manual-patch

I am 100% sure I followed the instructions correctly, and still I get the error message and I have NO idea what causes it!

Other info: 

I'm using Windows 7
I have attached the error message as a JPEG file
I downloaded the Sims from games4theworld but a few of the expansions were from other sources (Reloaded, vitality etc.)
I am trying to install TS3 onto my External HDD, not my internal.
I have read a number of other threads (as I don't like posting and wasting time) but I cannot find anything. 
I have installed, reinstalled, wiped off and tried again 3 times and still to no avail (so I'm pretty certain I'm following the steps correctly!

Thank you for your time, I would greatly appreciate any help  Please feel free to ask me any questions!

cat2006house wrote:Hello,

Carlos G. wrote:In Windows, click on start, then "Run". In the prompt, copy & paste this here: diskmgmt.msc . This should open the "disk management" utility. You should now see your drives in a list. Right click on your external drive and change the letter to its original letter (=the letter you used when installing).
Of course, you need to plug in/switch on your external drive while doing that.

Hello,


Try the above.

 Hey! Thanks for the reply.

I'm not entirely sure what I am supposed to be doing. When I installed TS3 I installed everything onto my external (Drive F), and haven't changed anything since. What does the instruction to change it to 'the letter you used when installing' mean? 

Regards

PS. I've never tried installing on C: because I assumed that'd make no difference, and that hard drive is incredibly full up and low disk space generally!

cat2006house wrote:Hello,

"The letter" means the external hard disk letter (like your external drive with the letter F:). Are you sure the letter is the same when you installed the base game and expansions onto your external drive and now?

 Yes I am quite certain. When I installed the games, I simply changed the letter in the default address from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3" to "F:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3"

So nothing has changed since I installed it (a few hours ago) and now, at least nothing that I have noticed. I have not yet been able to play the game.

I can't post links because I am too new.

The code is:

"Unable to start game 

Service initialization failed (0x0175dcbb)"

-nothing to see here-

Moderator(s)/Administrator(s): please delete this post.

Nope.
Open the registry, and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Sims.
Delete any folder that correspond to a game that is not installed on your computer!
That should make it work!

Shamrock wrote:Nope.
Open the registry, and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Sims.
Delete any folder that correspond to a game that is not installed on your computer!
That should make it work!

 Thanks a lot!! Turns out this is what it was  I must have installed the Sims many months ago and forgotten about it, there were several expansions I didn't own in keys there!

Sure
Anything else we can help you with?