Unable to Download Expansions

I've been trying to get Sims 3 to work for a few days now but because of my extremely slow internet, it has been taking so long. 

I downloaded the Sims 3 base game, the patch, and the fix. Now I am downloading 3 expansion packs: University life, Pets, and Ambitions. So far University Life and Pets have completed downloading, but Ambitions is still in the process (4 more hours! Ah!).

So I decided I can start installing the two other expansions. I followed the guide by using Stuffit Expander, making the disks, etc. But when I tried installing University Life or Pets, it said To install the Sims 3 University Life I must already have the Sims 3 installed. So I moved the Sims 3 to the Applications folder instead of a folder within the Applications folder, but it still didnt work :/

So I searched through many threads and found out I had to update the Sims 3 first before I install the expansions:facepalm: . So I used the patch that I downloaded and updated the Sims3. However, it gave me an error when I opened the game.. Thennn.. I went on Finder->Go->Library->Preferences and deleted the preferences I had for The Sims 3.

And the game opened! But the Expansions still wont install... it gives me the same error that I need to have the sims 3 installed in order to install the expansion pack..

Thanks in advance

Hello,

Please see my post for installing the game succesfully, and make sure you apply all the steps. Let me know the result.

I dont have any file called the Sims 3 Uninstaller.. Is there another way I can uninstall the game?

EDIT
I downloaded Appzapper to uninstall the game.

So I uninstalled the game, reinstalled it, updated it from the launcher, now I am going to install the expansion packs. However, after I install the expansion packs, do I re-apply the update before I do the cracks, like it says on this post? And I can't use the patch at all, right? A

Also for the crack, do I only apply the files inside the #crack folder or do i also apply the files from the Ambitions folder; in other words, do I follow the mac guide on the games4theworld website or the #InstallationGuide from the ultimate fix?

thanks

EDIT:
I am still getting the same exact error, that I must have the Sims 3.app in order to install the Sims 3 Ambitions.

EDIT 2:
ALL I had to do was edit the name of the file and remove the ! I think I found another fix for people that still get this problem!

So it was all working well- I was able to play the game with minor lags until 30 minutes into the game it gave me the error "exception raised" and the game quit.

Hello,

Did you delete your preferences folder from your library?