How-To: BOOTCAMP for worry-free simming

G4tW does a great job getting people simming! But it doesn't work for everybody. I know; I tried. I cracked, downloaded, copied, deleted, updated,fixed, updated, downloaded something else, tried a couple bright ideas of my own... nothing worked. Exception Raised/Failed to Start, pick your error. I got tired of banging my head on my desk. Maybe this helps another Applehead 
The solution is Windows. Bootcamp, actually – and you already have it. The good news from the other side is amazing: 1) This process is long, but very easy, so simple you'll cry for how long you spent trying to make TS3 work Mac-native. 2) G4tW Windows version works BEAUTIFULLY!!! 3) You can re-use the G4tW xpac .rar's you've got. Only big DLs you need now are a new base game & a copy of Windows. I used one off TPB  YEY!

NOTES
- I'm showing you exactly what I used, and what I did with it. I dunno about different methods or software substitutions. This method worked for me first-time, and again a second time. Tell you why, later.
- Don't try to cheat the Win-stall & use Parallels/VMware for gaming. The gameplay is craptacular.
- There's a #Installation Guide.txt in every G4tW game & xpac folder. It's your road map. You should get in the habit of unzipping a .rar to work on, then opening the Installation Guide for it. RTFM. 
- I'm happy to answer any questions about this Bootcamp/Windows installation. For the actual game installation, RTFM. It works if you're a PC. I promise.
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Pre-Flight 
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Shopping List:
• 40-80GB free space on your MacHD. ~24GB to Windows. ~5GB base game, ~5GB per EP, +10% OS head room.
• 8GB+ Flash drive (will be reformatted/erased/renamed 'WININSTALL')
• External HD big enough for ALL the xpacs you want/have got (maybe your phone via USB, if you can't get a HD..?)
• Copy of Windows (I used one off TPB. YEY!)
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PART 1: MAC-SIDE DOWNLOADS & PREP
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(if you aren't using Transmission for your file-sharing, you need your head examined)
Transmission download: http://www.transmissionbt.com/download/

1.0 Get new Windows base game
http://www.games4theworld.org/downloads.html

1.1 Get Windows
http://goo.gl/mfh6vh
I used this one because the uploader's information on it was exhaustive & professional. It looked more legit/likely to work than any of the others.
--Extract folder to your Mac desktop

1.2 Get G4TW Manual Updater & Ultimate Fix for Windows 
Updater: https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t1870-can-t-update-the-sims-3-to-v133-fix-manual-patch
UltimateFix: https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t752-the-sims-3-ultimate-fix-should-fix-most-of-your-problems
-- Extract/Copy these to your external hard drive (called ExHD here, from now on)

1.3 Get Bootcamp drivers for Windows Support
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1638
Because Windows is crap. Yes, really.
--Extract/Copy to ExHD

1.4 Get Windows Loader
http://goo.gl/GUKJwR
I haven't needed it, tbh. But if something happens or your Windows installation starts nagging, you'll want this right away.
--Copy to ExHD

1.5 Get WinRAR
http://www.games4theworld.org/downloads.html
For all your xpac .rar's when you get to game installation 
--Extract & Copy to ExHD

1.6 Get DaemonTools Lite
http://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/dtLite
For all your xpac .rar's when you get to game installation 
--Extract & Copy to ExHD

1.7 Eject ExHD. You'll cry if it gets reformatted by accident.

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PART TWO: BOOTCAMP
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2.1 Insert Flash Drive
2.2 Start Bootcamp:  Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant
2.3 Uncheck 'Download latest support software...'
    We already did. Again, we're doing this how I did it, which worked for me. 
2.4 Choose Flash Drive & Windows disk image
--point it to the .iso inside your downloaded Windows folder, which should be on your Desktop

2.5 Windows Partition size: DO NOT MAKE THIS TOO SMALL!!
I tried 50GB, and I couldn't fit all the xpacs I wanted. Had to do this ALLL over again. Windows takes ~24GB, Full TS3 is (Im guessing) ~40GB. Plus you might want to put some other software, like a decent browser. I'm at 100GB.

2.6 **IMPORTANT!! HUGE TIME SAVER ** Your system is eventually, automatically going to restart & try to start the Winstall. It won't work. The 'Format' option later also won't work. You'll be stuck, while all the guides say you're doing it right. Trust me on this...

2.6.1 After the forced reboot, hold down the Option key as soon as you hear the chime.
2.6.2 Choose MacintoshHD to boot up Mac-side
2.6.3 Open Disk Utility - Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility
2.6.4 On the left, single-click 'BOOTCAMP' (your Win partition)
2.6.4 Now in right side panel, click 'Erase' tab
2.6.5 From 'Format:' dropdown, choose 'ExFAT'      
2.6.6 Now, below Format, click 'Erase' button
-- All we did here is spoon-feed Windows Installer an easier drive to format later. This 5 minutes saves you HOURS of reading forum suggestions that don't work.

2.6.7 If you want to set either Win7 or OSX as your default startup disk, go to:
System Preferences (System) Startup Disk
--IF 'WININSTALL' (your reformatted flash drive) is an option, pick it! Makes the installation restarts much easier. You can re-set this more permanently anytime you're in OSX.

2.7 Reboot - If your flash drive isn't default, hold Option for the boot menu & pick it.
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PART THREE: WINDOWS INSTALLATION
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3.1 Yes/OK/Agree your way to the window with Windows choices. I picked the one with no activation. Yes, really. I/we have Loader if it goes wrong.
3.2 Installation volume - look at the sizes. Choose the one a bit smaller than you thought. 100GB became 93 for me.
3.3 If it gives "Cannot install here" error, click the 'Advanced Options' the 'Format'. Because of step 2.6, this should work now.
3.4 Several restarts, lots of waiting. If your FD isn't Default, you have to Option to it each time or manually restart using Power button if you miss the chime. PITA, but still less annoying than Mac-cracked TS3.
3.5 YAYYY, WINDOWS! 
3.6 Install WinRAR
3.7 Install DaemonTools Lite

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PART FOUR: INSTALLING TS3
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4.1 Unpack your base game & open #INSTALLATION GUIDE.txt
4.2 You can start unpacking EPs while you're installing base game
4.3 Run the Updater after base install but before any expansions. So much smoother.
4.4 As with all things G4tF, RTFM & FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!! They're really quite good

Admin edit: Links censored/fixed. (Our host doesn't like those TPB redirects)

- ADMIN




DO NOT POST ANY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS IN THIS TOPIC. INSTEAD, PLEASE OPEN A NEW TOPIC IN THE APPROPRIATE FORUM-SECTION, "MAC SUPPORT"! THANK-YOU-NOTES CAN BE POSTED IN THE SECTION WITH THE SAME NAME.

Note that any and all questions posted under this thread, will be deleted without any explanation or advance warning. We have the Forum sections dedicated to Support purposes, for a reason.

Hello papertigress,

Such a wonderful post! Thank you for explaning the process step by step. It'll help all who can't make The Sims 3 work on their Macs. I'd ask from Admins to make that topic sticky so everyone can see it.

Thanks for your contributing to the forum!

Thanks for the words, Phoebe  I hope helps somebody else who's tired of struggling with Mac cracks. My Sims went from all bad to aces. I'm in Win right now, actually

 //MOVED
//MADE STICKY
Shamrock

Hello,

Thank you for this very extensive guide! I'm sure it'll help a lot of fellow Mac users.

Thanks, I really hope it helps some people  I think people are afraid to do it! They think they'll lose OSX or their files, and it's not true. It uses empty space, you can choose how much -and you can boot OSX anytime even by default. Or they haven't realized you can use a Windows torrent in combination with Bootcamp. Really I feel silly for how long I struggled with Mac TS3 before looking into this. It's so simple & the game hasn't given me one single quit or error ever since, even overnight.
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 I'm playing with University Life, Ambitions, Supernatural, World Adventures, and Generations. 100GB Mac-side allotment, 93GB actual, 58GB used/42GB fre. TS3 & EPs only on this partition.

Hey, this looks really cool and I'm going to try it  But I get this page when I click on your link to download windows... Can you give me a 'full' link to the download?
Thanks!

Hi Eadin, sorry for the wait - weekend vacation . I put the full link, but I think G4tW site maybe use some sort of minifying.
*Edit - TPB direct link removed, I missed the Admin comment/edit regarding this on the original post*

maybe this is OK :\\ Copy-Paste to a new browser window.

Code:

 http://thepiratebay.sx/torrent/8821917/Windows_7_Ultimate_SP1_x64_en-US_Pre-Activated_Aug2013

I used the July version, but the uploader stays up-to-date with the latest Windows Security updates etc, so you have to do much less waiting around once you get it installed. Let me know how it goes for you! My TS3 installation is freakin' flawless. I've got everything installed now except Late Night - giving that a go in the next few days.

Thanks! I'll try it as soon as I get my hands on a HD 

Thanks,
I tried to be as specific as possible, in hope more people will do it. This solution is so easy & the payoff is so good! The best part is I no longer EXPECT my game to fail. I just start it play it like any other software.

There's even a neat Windows taskbar button to reboot into OSX:

Thank you for such an exhaustive guide! One question: do you have a suggestion for finding a windows licence that will work? I'm having trouble getting any I've tried to download to install. The one you recommend has evidently been taken down.

Thanks again!


Moderator edit: Questions are NOT allowed in this topic here, so please, if you have difficulties with finding a working Windows copy, post a new topic in "PC Downloads support". Thanks  

- Carlos