How To: Re-Install Sims Store Items

[Flynn Arrowstarr]

I recently tried to do a Factory Reset on my laptop. After letting the game re-create the Sims 3 folder and copying all of the store content into my Downloads folder, I installed. I ran the game afterward and everything looked fine, but when I went to launch the game again, the Launcher showed none of my stuff was installed except for a very few items, and mostly stuff from the Library and Union Cove.

So, I tried a number of things including a complete re-install. Nothing seemed to work until I tried the steps below. I found the initial instructions on Sims VIP, but modified them a little. It still took a couple of tries before things stayed installed (and some items still show as uninstalled, though I did confirm the items are still available in the game). I decided to post these in the hopes it can help others having the same or similar problems with the Store content.

As usual, make sure you backup your The Sims 3 folder before making any of the changes below. A number of files will be deleted in the process, and if something should go wrong you can re-copy your Sims 3 folder from the backup.

• In your The Sims 3 folder, go into DCBackup and delete all of the files in there (including ccmerged.package if it's there).
• Delete any .ebc files in DCCache.
• Delete the contents of the Library folder. *
• Delete the contents of the InstalledWorlds folder. *
• In you main The Sims 3 folder (\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3) delete the following files:

• CASPartCache.package
• compositorCache.package
• scriptCache.package
• simCompositorCache.package
• Sims3Logs
• Sims3LauncherLogFile

* Note, if you're doing this from a Factory Reset or a fresh install, you will not have anything in your Library or Installed Worlds folder.

Now, re-install your Store content. -- Start with the worlds, then lots, then sets and single items last.

Once that's finished, close and re-open the Launcher. If all went well, you should see most or all of your items on the Installed Content tab of the Launcher. Otherwise, follow the steps again.

If successful, it is highly recommended to create a backup copy of this The Sims 3 folder in a safe location.

I really hope this helps people having this problem.

Flynn

[JudesSims]

If you delete the ccmerged.pkg won't special items like MultiTab 6000 stop working? I created a new sims 3 folder for an Immortal Dynasty I'm going to try to do and very many items didn't install, just as you explained. But, I really like the MultiTab.

[Flynn Arrowstarr]

When you re-install the premium items, it will re-create the ccmerged.package file, so you should be fine there. My Multitab works just fine after the re-install.

The key is deleting the .ebc files in the DCCache folder. This clears out any store items installed in the game.

Flynn

[JudesSims]

Okay, great! Thank you!

[Flynn Arrowstarr]

No problem. Let us know how it goes. It took a couple of times before all of my store content successfully installed.

Flynn

[thecatsrule1]

This worked amazingly for me! Since I first got The Sims 3 I have been unable to have anything from the store or anything that needs to be installed manually. I have all the expansion packs and I got almost all of them pre-ordered, so even though I got special content I was unable to use it. Today I got the Island Paradise expansion, and I decided that I had, had enough and I would try again to find a way to fix this. This was the only thing that helped! I have a Mac and this worked just as well on it. Thank you so much 

[Flynn Arrowstarr]

You're welcome.

The 1.55 patch finally fixed an ongoing bug where the store items wouldn't install properly. Especially if you have a lot of store items. When installing store items, the game creates a number of files ending in .ebc. These files are the databases that store your items. Before the patch, most times the game would try to create a massive .ebc file that would quit working after maxing out at 2 GB. Once that happened, the launcher would allow you to install store items, but after re-launching the game, the items would disappear from the Installed Content tab.

Hope this helps, and happy Simming.

Flynn

[Tandrael]

Hi, I know this topic is old but perhaps someone might see it...

I didn't have all the EP and I haven't bought them in order: at the beginning of the year I bought Dragon Valley, recently I bought Generations, being such an old EP I uninstalled everything but the base game to re-install them in order. I did not uninstall Dragon Valley but it wasn't there so I tried re-intalling it and I got a note saying "Dragon Valley is already intalled"; now I can not find it anymore and since it is not an EP I can't even find it in Origin. 

[KhaineGB]

Isn't Dragon Valley located in the launcher rather than Origin? Pretty sure you have to install it from there...

[Tandrael]

Yes, I first tried to install it from the launcher, nothing happened; then I again did all the steps from this thread step by step and downloaded it first from Sims Store/Purchase history: nothing happened.

I did a factory reset, after doing a backup, tried to download it from the page, nothing happened.

As it says here after a factory reset the "InstalledWorlds" folder would be empty so I thought Dragon Valley would download from the "Sims 3 Store": noting happened.

I even bough a new item and with it the launcher opened when it downloaded, then I had to download it again from the launcher to have it in my "Installed Content", it seemed as if it was downloading just fine but when I loaded the game nothing from the store was there.

[MrsFlynn]

I'm not quite sure I'm understanding the problem. But let me give it a go.... Sounds like you've got Dragon Valley downloaded. And the launcher *Says* its installed. However in-game it is not installed.

If this is the case, it's been suggested to try installing it via the in-game store, via shop mode. If you do not have this on. Click the 3 dots (...) at the Main Menu and select Options. Click the Gear Tab (General Settings) and enable shop mode.

If this doesn't work, another suggested tip is to uninstall the store items, and reinstall the items in groups, such as store worlds, lots, sets, and then the single items.

The links are below if you want to read up on what I searched out.

MrsFlynn

=====
The Sims 3 Dragon Valley Installation problems
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/The-Sims-3-Dragon-Valley-Installation-problems/td-p/1549057

Q: The installed world doesn't show up ingame
A: Sometimes the world doesn't get installed correctly. Try installing it again.  Also if you tried installing through the launcher, try the ingame Store instead or the other way round.

-----
The Sims 3 : [FAQ] The Sims 3 Store
http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/FAQ-The-Sims-3-Store/td-p/333394

Q: I installed my Store Content but it's not showing up in my game
A: Unfortunatly, the Launcher is a very unreliable tool. The more stuff you have, the greater the chance that files which have your stuff installed get messed up. If that starts happening to you. It's best ro reinstall all Store content, using this method:

    Close your game and launcher
    Go to documents\electronicarts\thesims3 and move the folder DCCache to your desktop (this is ALL your custom content, so if you have 3rd party content as well, you might wanna just move the *.ebc files as well as the missingdeps.idx)
    If you have any worlds installed go to the installedWorlds folder and delete all Store worlds from there.
    Go to the DCBackup folder and delete everything in there. You don't really need the stuff in here except for the ccmerged file but since you're reinstalling everything, it will be recreated.
    Open the launcher and start reinstalling all store stuff in groups. Don't install all in one go. Start with the worlds, then lots, then sets and single items last.

When you're done, backup the DCCache folder. If the same starts happening again, go back to that backup so you don't need to start over. Make a backup from time to time, especially after you've installed worlds and lots.

[MrsFlynn]

Here's the other tip I was trying to remember. If you're not wanting to mess with turning on shop mode. Use the Download Dashboard to find and install Dragon Valley.

SaltyPaws made a topic on it, and Grimsoul posted photos of where it's at.

Topic: Downloads Dashboard
http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,16094.0.html

MrsFlynn

[Tandrael]

Oh, hey MrsFlynn, thank you so much for trying to help me.

It is weird with my Dragon Valley, it all went well when I first downloaded it, I even have a saved game in Dragon Valley and it shows, I can load that game, but if I go to the + sign to start a new town it is not there.

A curious thing, if I load my game in Dragon Valley, and I hover the mouse over a building, instead of saying "Theater" it says: "Community lot DOT09_World/RabbitHole/LotAddress:Theater" and if I hover over a Sim, instead of saying its name, for example "Aislin" it would say:"Gameplay/Excel/DOT09_World/Sims:Aislin"

I'm right now doing everything you recommend, so "enable shop mode" is clicked (on).

I did a Factory Reset, so the "InstalledWorlds" folder is empty, and I erased everything MrFlynn recommends to erase in this thread, then went to Sims3Store/Purchase History and tried to download ONLY Dragon Valley, and nothing happened. I bought something from the store to see what happens when you download something from the store, just in case something was happening that I wasn't aware of, but when buying that new item the launcher opened and a bar started to fill and then I got the message that the download was finished; still when I loaded the game that item wasn't there either.

I'll go and do you last tip, and I'm also doing some research on other pages.

Again, thank you so much for helping me!

[Tandrael]

So, I went to SaltyPaws's topic and was solo happy to see all of my purchase history, I even found more stuff than I thought I had!

So I JUST clicked Dragon Valley to download it, and the launcher opened as if it were going to download but then nothing happened, only an exclamation sing (!) next to Downloads tap... and it froze. 

[MrsFlynn]

Huh... That's very strange!!

I've been searching some more and the tip I found probably won't help. But it maybe worth mentioning anyway.

So here's a stupid question. What browser did you use to download DV and the other missing store content with? If it was with Chrome/IE, it's been suggested to delete the downloaded files and re-download them with Firefox - if you haven't already.

I had the thought already in my head to ask. That's why the "stupid question" comment. But saw it come up a lot as I was searching for answers.

MrsFlynn

PS: Sent you a PM