I'm having the same issue.  Does this have anything to do with modifying the TS3.exe, aka no-cd crack?  I've tried using morriganrant's crack, but obviously just pasting over the old .exe file doesn't work.

How do you change your IP? The only way I know is to use Tor and from what I understand that's frowned upon because it hogs the available resources. Correct me if I'm wrong. Like you wouldn't.

I normally only torrent pretty obscure stuff, ebooks and old music, stuff like that. But I torrented Sims 3 because I wanted to see if it was the POS people are saying it is before I plunked down cash for it. I seeded for a while but got nervous and shut it off. I hate being a leech but I can't afford to pay for privacy service. I do continue to seed the other torrents I've downloaded as I doubt they'll draw any interest from the powers that be. Maybe I'm wrong there, too.

One other question: The notice rosenshyne got says she can reactivate her connection once she's removed the M&G file from her computer. How can they tell whether she did or not, unless she resumed that specific torrent? Is Big Brother that big?

You know what? We should all get together and make an Awesoma Guide, with all useful, accurate and USEFUL knowledge... (Enough useful? I THINK NOT! Useful, useful, awesomeradsauce information!)
*Begins brainstorming slogans*

you know, I downloaded Riverview and installed it...and near as I can tell down to the sims and the stores it's the same. The only difference is topographical details...so if you want another neighborhood just clone sunset valley if you're loathe to deal with the download manager.

Really good stuff, then.  Riverview is packed with an absurd number of Sims.  The only thing keeping me from deleting them all is thinking I might be missing something cool that the devs put in.  Think there's any thought put into these Sims in the neighborhoods that would make them worth keeping for a playthrough?  I was close to deleting them all....I'm probably overestimating EAxis by even asking the question but, it looks like all of the Sims there have some sort of story or position.

The other day during a trip to the graveyard, my sim found an old friend....

<img snip>

Well, I uninstalled and re-installed, and allowed it to install the download manager. and the launcher actualy started to work.
(when I tried to run it the other time, the launcher would nto work, but it does now that it has the DLmanager...yes, I know it is a nasty tool, but I worried that it wasnt working properly.)

Now though, the files I grabbed from here are reading as failed to install, even with the Sim3Viewer...Probably something to do with the damn DLmanager.
I will see if I can find the non-command style versiopn of the Tool, and try and Fix them with it.

I'm sorry to be a Noobie, but, does anyone know if it is possable to download on a machine you have not installed Sims3 on?
I do not trust EA and have for years, simply downloaded and transfered my items (and my few uploads) via a memory stick

(i simply DNW my online machine to get Suckrot. Yes, i hear that the bought version of Sim3 has no Suckrot, but i do not trust EA and their greedy ways, and expect they will try and sneak it or something similar onto my new machine with there blasted store)

I also, (perhaps foolishly) told the game not to install the launcher (assuming it might contain said Suckrot, since i have not had a chance to get on my online machine to read updates on THE HORROR ect)

My game Performs reasonably well, considering...however, I am entitald to my free car, my new heighbourhood and my pre-order Blue Mad Max 1 vintage car....must I sneak the game to work and install it on the Internet machine there to get the downloads they owe me?

Also...does anyone know how to make your custom items exportable without giving it to the exchange? I dont particularly think they deserve my (sometimes) hard work, but I would like to be able to share some of the things I make with the comunity...Do I need to get Pes's Tool to make the files uploadable or extractable?
(I will be getting the Tool, I just wondered if I missed the part where they told us how to do this)

I just got around to installing Sims 3 for the first time....

1. Is there a way to change lot types without having to rebuild from scratch? Specifically, I would like to change a beach property I made into a non-beach property. After 2 full days of designing and building a property on the beach that I intended to be an apartment, I thought simply putting in the apartment doors would make it an apartment. Now that I've found the thread on MATY about changelotzoning, I also saw in the same thread that apartments and beaches don't mix. I dread having to rebuild the whole thing, so I was wondering if it was possible to do that through some sort of magical means. If not, guess I gotta suck it up.

4. Is there a way to repair a family relationship connection? I moved a family from Pleasantview to a new 'hood I created, then moved their grown-up son and his family. After this, I discovered that the son no longer considers his parents to be, well, his parents. They no longer regard each other as family at all, just friends (after I rebuilt their friendship that is). I know you can manipulate relationship scores with testing cheats, but I can't find a way to artificially reconnect the two as family. Actually, I'd love to be able to do this anyway, since sometimes I later make a Sim that I want to be part of someone's family tree, like a sibling, or aunt/uncle, etc.

5. The excessive autonomy talked about for families in Sims 3 may be okay with some people, but I despise it and it is one of the reasons I won't be buying it (shouldn't be a global). I hate it when any of my Sims do anything that I don't have control over, especially when it comes to relationships. However, it seems that I can't avoid it just by avoiding Sims 3; this aspect actually debuted in Apartment Life as I discovered yesterday. While playing one family in an apartment building, another family (they were two friends, nothing more) started autonomously making out on the playground and immediately fell in love (same sex to boot, but they have never been romantically involved with anyone, so their sex preference should default to opposite sex I would have thought). They NEVER did this under my control; in fact, they never even attempted to do it while I was playing them. Are there any hacks that address the autonomy of other families in apartment buildings (apartment autonomy creates other problems as well; see #6)? Or is the only solution to never place more than one of my own created families in any given apartment building? Also, is there a way to break this unauthorized romantic relationship without cheating on them or fighting, which will end up fulfilling a fear and/or creating a bad memory?

8. Gah. F'ing apartments. Is this a known issue, or am I having some kind of conflict? The closets (not dressers) that EAxis put in the apartments seem to be bugged. If I accidentally click on one, it clears the queue of my Sims and they'll jump up/out/off from whatever/wherever they are. If they were showering, they pop out; if they were sleeping, they pop up and stand next to the bed. If I keep clicking on the closet, they keep changing directions and their little portraits keeps getting updated as if some change occurred. Sorry for non-awesome lingo like "popping," but that's the best I can do to describe what is happening.

9. What the hell is up with the creepy stalker chick that calls all of my Sims all of the time asking them to go hangout downtown, even though I've never met her (not to mention I haven't even built my downtown yet)? It's worse than Rod Humble. Is there a way to disable her? I'm not even sure what expansion she appeared with, but because of her, I now have turned off all the phones in every household, but this solution sucks since I never receive any other calls either. Of coure, that means I don't get the damn telemarketing calls either. Speaking of which, is there a hack that stops the stupid magazine offers?

I'm really starting to wish that there was a way to keep collections separate. Containers specifically for all seeds, all rocks, and all bugs would be very useful. Some sort of display for bugs would be neat, too - there's fish bowls for fish, so why not?

I also have a question pertaining to the law enforcement career track: how exactly do you write reports? I've questioned one sim and dug in the trash of two different families, and not once did the option to write a report show up. I checked both my sim's computer, his workplace, and options while he was at work - all nada. Does it require actually finding a sim guilty of something worth reporting on?

My laptop's video card is a Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset

Ok I have no idea what a build is, so here are some stupid questions:

1. Does this mean we won't be able to patch the leaked game once the patch comes out?

2. What will happen to our saved games and exports? Could they be just copied over to final game's directories? Or will they be incompatible? I'm mostly interested in this, don't want to get involved if I won't be able to access my saves with final build.

Can someone tell me the control for changing the height of wall placements, i can't for the life of me remember