How to Play Sims 3 Without the CD

Last Updated: November 3, 2022 References

When your game CD for The Sims 3 becomes scratched, damaged, or lost, you can still play your game without having to rely on the disc itself. You can redownload The Sims 3 for free given you have the original game’s product code, or you can purchase and download a new copy of The Sims 3. There is also a third-party NoCD mod that bypasses the disc authentication process so you can play without the CD. This wikiHow teaches you how to play The Sims 3 without a CD.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Re-downloading Sims 3 Using Origin

1
Navigate to https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/store/download in a web browser. This is the website for Origin. Origin is an online gaming platform by EA that allows you to purchase and download games, including those you’ve already purchased in the past.
2
Click Download below your operating system. Origin is available for both PC and Mac. Click the download icon below the system your computer runs to download the proper installation file for your system.

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3
Open the Origin install file. When you are finished downloading the Origin install file, click it in your web browser, or in your Downloads folder to open the install file.
4
Follow the on-screen instructions to install Origin. The install process is a little different for PC and Mac. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the install process.
5
Launch Origin. It has an icon that resembles an orange "O". Click the Origin icon to launch Origin.
6
Sign in to Origin or create an account. If you already have an account with Origin, enter the email address and password associated with your Origin account and click Sign In. If you do not have an account, click Create an account at the top. Fill out the form to create a new account. Then sign in once you have created an account.
7
Click Origin. It's in the menu bar at the top. This displays the Origin menu.
8
Click Redeem product code. It's in the Origin drop-down menu. This displays a bar you can use to enter a product code.
9
Enter your product code. It's on the back of your Sims 3 manual. If you no longer have your Sims 3 Manual you can find it at the following location:
- Windows: Sign in as the administrator. Press the Windows key and type "regedit". Open the Registry Editor. Expand the following folders: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > WOW6432Node (for 64bit versions of Windows only) > Electronic Arts > Sims (Look under WOW6432Node if not under Electronic arts Folder> EP or SP > ergc. The code is displayed on the right under “Data" next to ergc or Produce GUID^{[1]
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- Mac OS X: Launch Finder, navigate to Utilities > Terminal, then enter the following code: cat Library/Preferences/The\ Sims\ 3\ Preferences/system.reg |grep -A1 ergc. After pressing “Enter,” the product code is displayed on the second line under the game description.^{[2]
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10
Enter your Sims 3 product code and click Next. Enter the code in the bar and then click Next. It's the orange button below the bar.
11
Click on “My Games” in the Origin client. The Sims 3 will now be available in your list of games.
12
Select the option to download The Sims 3 to your computer. If your original game was bundled with Sims 3 expansion packs, the downloads for these expansion packs will also be available.
13
Select the option to launch The Sims 3 when the download is complete. Going forward, you can now play the game directly from Origin without the CD.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a NoCD Mod

1
Set up your mod framework. Mods will not run if you don't have the proper framework in place. Mod The Sims has the framework available for download here. The NoCD mod will not work without this.
- When complete, your Mods folder will be located at "Documents > The Sims 3 > Mods", and will have three files - two folders labeled "Overrides" and "Packages", and a file titled "Resource.cfg".
2
Navigate to https://www.nraas.net/community/NoCD in a web browser. This is the download page for the NoCD mode from Nraas Industries.
- The mod does not bypass the game launcher, and attempting to start the game from the launcher with the mod will not work. You will need to boot the game directly.^{[4]
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3
Click on Download for patch 1.69 to download the file. It's the green button below "NoCD" at the top of the page. .
4
Double-click on the .zip file to open its contents. The folder contains a file titled "NRaas_NoCD.package".
5
Cut or copy the NRaas_NoCD file.
- In order to extract the contents of a zip file, you need an archive program like WinZIP, WinRAR, or 7-Zip.
6
Use File Explorer or Finder to open the “Documents” folder. It's usually in the panel to the left in The Finder and File Explorer.
7
Open the “Electronic Arts” folder, then open “The Sims 3” folder. You can find the Electronic Arts folder in your Documents folder.
8
Delete the file called “scriptcache.package” from the Sims 3 folder. This forces the game to read the new, modded script file so the game can launch properly at the next startup.
- If you haven't played the game yet, this file won't be there. That's normal, and you don't need to do anything about it.
9
Open the “Mods” folder, then open the “Packages” folder. The Mods folder is in The Sims 3 folder.
10
Paste the NRaas_NoCD file into the Packages folder. You can also extract the package file directly into the packages folder in the Mods folder.
11
Bypass the Launcher. How you do this is dependent on your OS Use one of the following steps to bypass the game launcher:^{[5]
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- Windows: Go to Program Files followed by Electronic Arts in File Explorer.;\ Select the folder for your most recent expansion pack. Select the Game folder, and then open the Bin folder inside it. Right-click the most recent expansion for the game and click Send to desktop.
- Mac: Access Applications folder followed by The Sims 3 in the Finder. Right-click or control-click on The Sims 3 icon, then click on Show package contents. Open the Contents folder, then open "info.plist" in TextEdit or a similar application. Search for the line that says "C:\Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game/Bin/S3Launcher.exe", and change "S3Launcher" to "TS3W". Save the file.
12
Launch The Sims 3 on your computer. The game will bypass the disc authentication process, and launch normally.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Purchasing Sims 3 Download

1
Navigate to https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/store/download in a web browser. This is the website for Origin. Origin is an online gaming platform by EA that allows you to purchase and download games, including those you’ve already purchased in the past.
2
Click Download below your operating system. Origin is available for both PC and Mac. Click the download icon below the system your computer runs to download the proper installation file for your system.
3
Open the Origin install file. When you are finished downloading the Origin install file, click it in your web browser, or in your Downloads folder to open the install file.
4
Follow the on-screen instructions to install Origin. The install process is a little different for PC and Mac. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish the install process.
5
Launch Origin. It has an icon that resembles an orange "O". Click the Origin icon to launch Origin.
6
Sign in to Origin or create an account. If you already have an account with Origin, enter the email address and password associated with your Origin account and click Sign In. If you do not have an account, click Create an account at the top. Fill out the form to create a new account. Then sign in once you have created an account.
7
Enter The Sims 3 in the search bar and press ↵ Enter. The search bar is in the panel to the left in Origin. This displays games that match your search criteria.
- The Sims 4 is also available if you want to upgrade to the latest version of the game.
8
Click The Sims 3 box art. It's displayed at the top of the list of games.
9
Click Get the game. It's the orange button at the top.
10
Scroll down and click Buy Now. It's at the bottom of the page below the offers.
11
Click Buy Now below the version of the game you want. Currently, the base game retails for $19.99. You can also select a version that comes with expansion packs.
12
Click Edit Payment Options. It's in the panel to the right. This displays payment method options along with the ability add new payment methods.
13
Click Add new card. It's at the bottom of the list of cards.
- If you already have a payment method on file, click the option next to the last 4 digits of the card you want to use.
- Alternatively, you can click Paypal, EAWallet, Alipay, or WeChatPay at the top and follow the instructions to add one of those as a payment method.
14
Fill out the form. To add a new credit or debit card on file, you will need to enter the card number, the expiration date, the CSC security code on the back, your first and last name on the card, and your billing zip code.
15
Click Proceed to Review Order. It's the orange button in the bottom-right corner.
16
Click Pay Now. It's the orange button in the lower-right corner. This completes your purchase.
17
Click Download with Origin. It's the orange button below the game title. This option is available once your payment goes through.
18
Click Next. It's the orange button at the bottom of the screen. This installs the game at the listed install location.
- If you want to change the install location, click Change Location and select an install location for The Sims 3.
19
Click the checkbox at the bottom and click Next. The checkbox is next to the text that says "I have read and accept the above license agreements". After you click this checkbox, the orange button that says Next will be available at the bottom of the page. Once the game is finished downloading, you can click the Sims 3 game in Origin and then click Play.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I play it on a Chromebook?

Community Answer

Chromebooks are very restrictive. Unless the game exists in an embedded form (like on a website) or there are special plugins, you will not be able to play on a Chromebook.
Question

Is there a way to get Sims 3 for free?

Community Answer

You can pirate it, but that's illegal. The only other way is to have a friend get you it.
Question

I downloaded The Sims 3 on my PC, but then made a new Origin account on my laptop and tried to load the game without using the disc, but it said my code was already redeemed. What should I do?

Community Answer

If you contact EA, and show them that you have a disc, most of the time they will provide you with a download or alternative method.