
Wrong Region Code
Problem
I get the error message The setup has detected that the regional install code for The Sims 3 is different than what this expansion requires.
This product requires The Sims 3 to have the same regional code in order to be installed.
Cause
The base game and the EPs have a so called region code.
The codes are as follows (last two numbers of your version number)
Base Game/World Adventures
- 01 = US
- 02 = Worldwide (incl. New Zealand and Australia)
- 03 = Asia
- 05 = Japan
- 17 = Digital Download
From High-End Loft
- 01 = DVD-Version
- 17 = Digitaler Download
This error occurs for two reasons
Different regions for the base game and world adventures
The base game and the world adventure expansion pack need to have the same region code or they don’t work together and you’ll get the error message above.
Newer addons don’t have this issue since EA got rid of the region code. Download and DVD Version can be mixed and matched without getting the message.
Wrong manual Patch
If you manually patch your game and use the incremental patch, you must make sure that the patch you download matches the region code of your base game.
Solution
For both solutions below you will need to find out, what region code your base game has.
The last two digits of the version number tell you which one you have.
Different Region for Base Game and World Adventure
If you bought World adventure in a different region/country than the base game, you will need to change the region code in manually in your Registry.
Always backup your registry before making any changes. If you feel you’re not tech savy, this solution is not for you.
- Open the registry by typing regedit in the Start prompt or Run window
- Save your registry via File – Export
- Click on the left side of the window on the arrow next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Click on the Arrow next to SOFTWARE
- For 64 Bit Systems Only: Click on Wow6432Node
- Click on the Arrow next to Sims (NOT Electronic Arts)
- Click on The Sims3
- On the right side, double click on the SKU
- Change the value to match the WA key (see table above)
- Save and close the registry
Redeem code for Download Version
To match both games, you can also redeem the codes for both your games at Origin and get the download version. You will need to uninstall the dvd version for this solution.
Wrong manual patch
Make sure to choose the patch with the region code that matches your game. If you can’t get it to work, use the super patch or use the Patch Downloader.
Further Reading

