Service initialization failed (0x039e8474)

Hi guys,

I have been religiously following the instructions on how to install the Sims onto my mac, but despite so (and trying it a few times) I finally managed to start the game only to have the game crash with the message

Unable to start game
Service initialization failed (0x039e8474)

The message appears after the screen enters this black screen mode where the opening sequence is supposed to play and everything. I am honestly at my wits' end and would love to have some help. I have combed the forum and all relevant threads but I honestly don't know why my installation is failing. More information: I have unzipped with Stuffit and created dmg/disk utilities to install and I managed to install the base game, Late Night and Generations. My attempt to install Seasons failed so I ditched it and went ahead to place the fixes, update my game with the manual patch, and then install the crack. I've even installed the crack twice as per a suggestion in another thread. But when I click 'play' on the sims launcher it gives the above 'service initialization' information. PLEASE HELP!

Thanks for all the hard work and effort put in to maintain this forum tho! Great work!!!!

(P.S. If this thread needs to be shifted then please do, I am very new at posting!!)

Have you tried bypassing the launcher?

Also, what is going on with your Seasons installation? What exactly is going wrong when you try to install it?

Sorry, (not sure what bypassing the launcher means, but likely that) no I have not tried bypassing the launcher. How should I go about doing that?

Seasons installation says that

Your Sims 3 Base Game is not compatible with the current Sims 3 Expansion Pack.

so yeah it doesn't proceed!

Thanks for replying so quickly

This looks like a patching issue...

You can try to apply the official Sims 3 Super Patch and then try to install Seasons & reapply the crack.

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/549552.page

//EDIT

For some reason I thought I read that you did the Ultimate Fix but you don't state that you did. Have you tried it?

https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t752-the-sims-3-ultimate-fix-should-fix-most-of-your-problems

Ok! Sorry if I wasn't clear but I did apply the manual patch, and I followed all the instructions on Ultimate Fix. I.e. Installed base game --> installed late night --> installed generations (I however ignored all the accompanying cracks with these installation folder) --> used ultimate fix (fixes, manual update patch, #Crack). Then I happily click on my sims icon and the launcher appears, I click play, and the same Service Initialisation failed message pops up again and again.

As for seasons:
I've tried to install the seasons after I installed the base game --> installed late night --> installed generations (ignoring all the cracks in the accompanying files) --> apply manual update patch --> launch seasons installation which worked --> apply Ultimate fix (fix/update/crack files). It doesn't work either.

Should I have applied the Cracks in the accompanying installation folders or was it okay to have ignored them and only used those in the Ultimate Fix?

Wow sorry for the verbosity but I hope my situation is clearer now.

I am trying to download the official patch as provided. Thank you!

Hm, yeah that sounds like you were quite thorough with the installation and fixes...

After the Super Patch try to install Seasons. Hopefully it'll boot up!!

Other things we can try:
1. Bypassing the launcher (sorry I forgot to clear this up for you earlier -__-')
http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game%20Help:TS3%20Bypassing%20the%20Launcher
2. Do you have enough space on the drive you are installing the game on?

Yes I do have enough space, about 200GB. Should I install the Super Patch before or after I place the fixes for the base game and the expansion packs as per the Ultimate Fix Guide or should I Super Patch it before I place the fixes?

Well the first thing I would try is simply bypassing the launcher...

Well, opps! I already deleted the game. Nevertheless I reinstalled it with the superpatcher and then bypassed the launcher. Still doesn't work. I guess it just isn't meant to be. But thanks for all the help!

Have you tried renaming your Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3 folder, so you can play with a fresh game?

Another thing to try is repairing your disk permissions:
Go to Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility, then click "Repair Permissions"

Nope, haven't tried renaming the folder? What's the point of that if I may ask?

And no, what is the disk permissions thing about either?

Actually I kind of found a similar thread with the same problem, and the admin staff said that the base game I used to install with is wrong. It has a Startup Disk and a Disk1 (both iso files) that ?? is not suitable for mac or something. They then provided a link for a mac version of the base game install, but I clicked and the links are all gone if I am not wrong. So... apparently the base game is for PC only or something. I then tried out another one that said for MAC, but it only installs the app, and doesn't give me a folder in my applications folder for me to install expansion packs with. Hope I made sense.

The G4TW base-game has problems with installing on a Mac, so recommended to use the Reloaded Torrent.

Been having exams and work for a while, it's been hectic. Anyway I would like to say that the PROBLEM IS RESOLVED!!!!! I downloaded a different version of a mac compatible base game, which was the reloaded one (also thanks to this other thread for pointing the way) and reloaded all the EPs in one shot and it all worked!!!! game is working and I am so thankful. CHEERS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

That's good to hear!

Happy sims-ing!