Hello dear people,

I've read so many times that Sims 3 players start their game without Origin/Launcher and how it works totally fine. Buuut it simply won't work with my game.
I did every step exactly how it should be - several times, on several days, since weeks - but Origin opens always! No matter if I do the steps for playing without or not, the game only starts via Origin and the Launcher. And that annoys me a lot.

Can you help? Is there any solution?

Thanks so much in advance and sorry for my grammar,
Sun

Origin, by default, will turn on when you start your computer.

Go to the top left corner of the origin page, right of the origin symbol, click on "origin". Scroll down to "start up options" and uncheck the "Auotmatically launch origin when I log onto windows" button.

This works for me.

Thank you very much for the reply ... but ...

... sadly, this won't work in my case, because oddly enough the box "Auotmatically launch origin when I log onto windows" was already unchecked by default. *shrugs* So, it makes no difference at all for my Game Start. I really don't know what I can do to solve this problem.

*one day later*

Is there really no one who can help??? Please ...

Why not uninstall Origin? Then test it again...bypassing Launcher.

Oh, a new reply. Finally. Thanks! ^^

Unistall Origin. I thought about that, yeah. But I've read most of the times it can crash the game. And I really don't wanna lose my current game nor reinstall everything again. ... How safe is it to delete Origin?

• Sims 3 - Game Problems
  Please go through this FAQ and follow the instructions, doing each step in order and not skipping anything:
  • Game Help:Sims 3 Game Problem^wiki
  Most issues with the game can be resolved by following those steps.
  
  
• Sims 3 - Launcher and/or EADM Issues
  If you encounter issues while downloading Store/Exchange items or when trying to patch or Launcher won't even start, please try the suggestions on these FAQ articles:
  
  • Game Help:Launcher Issues^wiki
  • Game Help:EADM Issues^wiki
  
  

Which is why, when we guide folks to troubleshoot, the first step is always to do Game Help:TS3 Back Ups^wiki.
Second step is to do the above linked Game Problem FAQ.
Which you have read right? Since it is in the Announcement when you started a new thread, after all. Instead of waiting for someone to respond, I'm also waiting to see if folks do this step without being prompted.

Deleting Origin is probably unsafe.
Uninstall? That is perfectly fine. Plus it is not so hard to redownload and reinstall, right? It is better sometimes to do this extra step as Origin sometimes cannot even update itself without glitching. We have a guide on that too, incidentally (click the 2nd FAQ I link above on EADM issues). And reinstalling is a tedious thing, I agree, but sometimes it is inevitable. Especially if we have exhausted every other troubleshooting path and possible situation. Next troubleshooting step is to have a clean slate to exclude all other possible causes.

Having Origin is what can cause a crash. Not having Origin is usually a non-event.
You also didn't state what patch you're on? And whether you have a DVD version or a Digital version?

First of all, thank you for your detailed help! ^^

But I have to admit - I think we have a little misunderstanding here. Right now it looks like I didn't read the FAQ carefully or like I would sit and wait until somone is fixing my own problems. It's not that case. I'm a very careful player and I read several Sims-Help-guides more than once before I do something I'm not used to. I'm a total newbie to Sims 3 so I'm extra cautious. And I always search through the web for solutions. For me the asking in Help-Threads is always the last choice. And this time I just couldn't find anything that helps.

Look, I do not have a problem with the game itself. I do not have a patching problem nor any other Sims 3 problem that must be fixed. I patch my game like it should be, I backup my files every day, I don't use hacks nor many CC. The only thing I would like to know is a working hint to bypass a) Origin and b) Launcher. Because 1.) I would like to play offline, 2.) I would like to play with my Security off. And everything people write about how one can bypass won't work with my game.


Actually I thought this isn't important for my question, but ... my game is on Superpatch and I use regular DVD versions of BG, Generations, Pets and Seasons. I don't patch to 1.55 right now because Help Guides say it's better to wait until updated CC is out or rather wait how it works for others, right?

Again, thank you for your help and I hope my reply doesn't sound kinda rude. I really mean everything nice and calm. ^^

1) Disconnect from the internet. That is the only way that I know of to go around origin. I, myself, don't mind being online.

2) Do number 1 and don't worry about security

Without the background on why you're encountering the issue or what exactly you're trying to accomplish by bypassing Launcher (ie using Launcher won't launch the game at all?), it is sometimes hard to give suggestions. And as we don't know what someone who posts have or have not read (if it is not mentioned), have or have not done, I like to cover all the bases instead of asking one question at a time and have a tennis match of back and forth Q&As.
Also, if this is a new issue that arose after just patching to 1.55 or has always been like that (which is why the patch version detail was asked)...every little background info helps give me a clue on the situation. So, since you're still on 1.50, were you able to bypass Launcher while on earlier patches or bypassing has always failed, no matter the version? Even while on base game's 1.0.631 (when you just freshly reinstalled)? How was Origin installed, initially? From a freshly redownload .exe off their website, or from the DVD (of whichever pack)?

So, now, with the info that you don't have Digital versions, I can say that Origin is totally unnecessary to play Sims 3. Well, unless you have one of the new Sims 3 base game that requires Origin that some folks are reporting is now mandatory. But without testing one myself personally, I don't know if that is really the case.

I'm feeling mellow, so it's all good.
So, if you'd rather do morphius1's suggestion and not answer all those questions, might be easier for you. Well, unless you have a chat program open all the time, or like to surf the 'net while waiting for Sims 3 to load or switch screens or something...

*agreed* That's right what I'm doing now. Thank you! ^.^


You're doing your job and you're doing it good. ^.^ I'm just a bit thin-skinned when it comes to things where it looks like I wouldn't try to help out myself and being lazy waiting for others doing my stuff, you know. I totally understand what you mean, though..


I never used any other patch than the Superpatch, because I started to play Sims 3 this month for the first time. So I'm a total TS3-Newbie.


Origin came with the "Sims 3 Refresh" DVD that includes Base Game and Seasons. So it was installed before Base Game because it said it needs Origin to install the game.


It seems it's right that case, right?


Great. Thank you!!!

Sunshower81, just to let you know you are not alone... I am dealing with this issue because I want to use Create a World feature "Edit in Game" and because of Origin and its override that brings up the launcher, I can't do it. I am desperately trying to figure out how to get around this issue.

I too have meticulously combed as many of the help files.. I have reinstalled twice from a very very clean uninstall (checking registry files, etc.), completely clean Sims 3 folder (so no need for deleting caches, worrying about cc or store content -- it isn't even there). I have tried all the tricks I can find for bypassing the launcher -- the norm being you go to the file ts3w.exe to open the game directly -- and this opens the launcher. I've opened from the .exe for each expansion pack and stuff pack I own, same result. I've tried pinning my running game to the task bar.

I am seeing others with this issue... Here at MTS I posted my issues after others in CAW complaining about this issue . Aee this thread here where after the Island Paradise patch the launcher is running poorly with lots of store content -- people are solving it by bypassing the launcher, but those who the Sims 3 bundled with Seasons are having no luck with that. Auntielynds has been helping me here (if you want to read all my strategies for getting around this) pointed me to this thread, same issue -- bought TS3 with Seasons. In the technical discussions area on thesims3.com you will find others with the same issue. And that is my story: I started playing TS3 this winter, bought it with seasons. And now I've been doing reinstalls all direct download from Origin and I am pulling my hair out trying to bypass the launcher!

If we are all doing direct download from Origin, and some of us can bypass the launcher, why should it be those of us who bought TS3 post nov-2012 who cannot do it? Is it just a coincidence?

One clue that may pan out: I happened to get through some sale deal a second license for the base game, and now I have TWO versions of the base game that show up in my origin window. Their boxes look like this:




So, maybe they represent two different base game files, one that forces us to use the launcher and one not? I don't know. Like I said: I am super frustrated by this and am at a loss as to how to fix it. Grasping at straws here.

EDIT: THIS SOLVED THE ISSUE FOR ME

Ok Guys. EA designed the game to open launcher so it 'gives' you the opportunity to buy stuff from the store, see the news alerts and ads, get game updates, etc, etc. It also is needed so you can buy stuff in game. Yea, they've changed a few things. So deal with it and let it load your game.

Once the game loads, try closing the launcher. The Launcher is a separate process from the game itself.

Once the game is up and running,
In Windows, hit the <CTRL><ESC><SHIFT> keys to open the task manager. Click the 'processes' tab. Find the sims Launcher and click on it to highlight it. Then click the 'End Process'. button. Launcher will close and your game should still run. If your game shuts down, then you'll have to use the launcher.

The Sims is not an online game,. It just utilizes some features like Showtime sharing of venues and the ability to purchase and install stuff while the game is running. If the launcher hogs up too many resources, just kill the process after the game loads. No biggee.

SOLVED it, at least I can now bypass the launcher...

Actually it is a big deal if, as many others are experiencing right now due to the changes to launcher in the new patch, the launcher won't load properly (as acknowledged by simgurus who are working to problem solve the issue) and if (like me) you need to use Edit In Game from CAW which has to bypass the launcher to run... I actually did try closing the process in the task manager for the launcher in order to open up Edit In Game but it didn't work because CAW needs to load the game in its own way in order to get the .world data into it. Killing the process does not fix either of these two issues I've mentioned.

Here is how I solved it:
I acquired a license to an earlier version of the base game that has the box art shown above that DOESN'T say "Go Social: All New Ways to Connect and Play with Life". I did a clean install of it, and found from the initial download that it installed differently from the more recent/bundled version of the base game... I had to click through 3 or 4 license agreements as opposed to 1, and designate the region I was using the game in. I imagine those licensing agreements in the other version are not there because it has other mechanisms to protect copyright, as in preventing us from bypassing the launcher!

Anyhow, I installed base game, superpatched, and immediately tried opening, bypassing the launcher. It worked. I then installed CAW and for the first time ever got Edit in Game to work.

I really hope this can work for others, although it is nuisance to have to get a different base game registered, meaning some people might have to pay twice for the base game.

Sorry for my late response.

Ok, I've started the thread to get a solution and that worked out well as I can play now without Origin/Launcher. In this case that was all I wanted. It was not my intention to start some kind of an argument about if the Launcher is a useful or annoying thing or what EA has intended with it.

So, I just would like to thank you guys for your detailed responses and the help! Everyone of you helped me in some way or another.

Be safe ...
Greetings (^.^)

You can bypass Launcher now with Origin uninstalled?
Or reinstalled with the current version, and still have Origin?

So that others who's having the same issue now know what to do for their own setup...

Ooops, sorry. It slipped my mind to tell that.

So, for now I'm using the method that morphius1 told me. Disconnecting from the internet and turning off the Security. Because that's the easiest and fastest way to avoid all the online things. E.g. notes, social stuff, store, potential lags [cause of too many running processes], and so on.

*waves*

Ok, thanks for coming back to inform.
So, if that's the case, I'm tagging this as answered instead of resolved.