Game Not Loading

[Sonshine]

Hi again. I'm having an awful problem here. I just bought an item from the EA store and had a very hard time getting it to show up in the game. I was advised in the EA tech help forum to remove my DCCache and DCBackup folders which I did. Then I had an awful time getting all of my cc re-installed and so I asked how to get that done and again, I got help, to open the launcher from within the game and then installing my cc. That worked and the game worked fine the first night. Now however, I can't get the game to load at all. The launcher comes up and then I click on "play," then the window just goes black and won't go any further. Is it safe to take an individual folder out of the DCCache folder and then replace it if I still have problems or do I need to take the whole folder out and then install all of my cc again a little at a time until I find the problem? Thanks!

[Blackrosea]

Hi again. I'm having an awful problem here. I just bought an item from the EA store and had a very hard time getting it to show up in the game. I was advised in the EA tech help forum to remove my DCCache and DCBackup folders which I did. Then I had an awful time getting all of my cc re-installed and so I asked how to get that done and again, I got help, to open the launcher from within the game and then installing my cc. That worked and the game worked fine the first night. Now however, I can't get the game to load at all. The launcher comes up and then I click on "play," then the window just goes black and won't go any further. Is it safe to take an individual folder out of the DCCache folder and then replace it if I still have problems or do I need to take the whole folder out and then install all of my cc again a little at a time until I find the problem? Thanks!

Will your game run without the CC?

[Sonshine]

I'm sorry for not getting back sooner. I've been busy. Before I go any furhther, what I mean is, if I take the DCCache folder out again, then if the game does load, can I put the DCCache folder back in and the cc appears again or can I remove some of the files (the ones that are named dcdbX (X for whatever number).dbc) within the DCCache  folder until I find the problem? Each of the files within the DCCache only holds a certain amount before the game generates a new file. Would I need to reinstall all of the cc again?

[Sonshine]

Ok, I bit the bullet and took the chance and removed my DCCache folder and the game loaded fine. Now, how do I go through over 2200 cc to find the bad ones? By re-installing them a few at a time? UGH!

[Blackrosea]

Ok, I bit the bullet and took the chance and removed my DCCache folder and the game loaded fine. Now, how do I go through over 2200 cc to find the bad ones? By re-installing them a few at a time? UGH!

What CC is it you have installed?  Is it from the Sims 3 store or CC from other players?

[Sonshine]

Both. Mostly from other players. I have very little EA store stuff.

[Blackrosea]

Both. Mostly from other players. I have very little EA store stuff.

Well the Sims 3 store CC is safe. Unfortunately 3rd party CC has been known to cause trouble.  Did you download some new CC recently?  I would start there but yes, you may have to go through all of it to find the cause.

Because of the technical issues that can happen to your game (I use to have some 3rd party CC I downloaded from the Sims 3 community, and my game crashed), I decided not to use 3rd party CC anymore.

Here are a couple threads that talk about CC here on the forum.

http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=17205.0

http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=14576.0

[Sonshine]

Well, I don't know what happened. I remove the DCCache and let the game generate a new folder. I took all of the files in the old folder and put them in one at a time. I came across one that seemingly had a problem meaning that when I put it in, the game wouldn't load so I took it out again and continued. The game loaded after each file was put in, then I put the other one in again to see if the game wouldn't load it. To my surprise, the game loaded! I can't explain it. Now however, I have a different problem. The School disappeared in Riverview! Only the school bldg and not the whole property. I've never seen this before! Here is a pic of it. I can always go to another Riverview and put a copy of the school in the library, but I have no idea what would cause this!

[Blackrosea]

Well, I don't know what happened. I remove the DCCache and let the game generate a new folder. I took all of the files in the old folder and put them in one at a time. I came across one that seemingly had a problem meaning that when I put it in, the game wouldn't load so I took it out again and continued. The game loaded after each file was put in, then I put the other one in again to see if the game wouldn't load it. To my surprise, the game loaded! I can't explain it. Now however, I have a different problem. The School disappeared in Riverview! Only the school bldg and not the whole property. I've never seen this before! Here is a pic of it. I can always go to another Riverview and put a copy of the school in the library, but I have no idea what would cause this!

I think that one CC is corrupt, in my opinion.  I would not load it again. You need to be very careful with CC you download from other players. If the are using mods (as an example) it will have the potential to corrupt your game. I was using CC and had to uninstall and reinstall my game because of it.

Have you found any other CC that is making your game not start or doing weird things to it?

[Sonshine]

No, I haven't yet. I tried going into another copy of Riverview and that school is missing too! When I tried to start a new game using Riverview, it was not in the list so something is amiss somewhere! I just need to find out where! I just looked at another town and the school is there. This leaves me w/the fact that Riverview itself is missing so that may be the problem. I'm going to try uninstalling and reinstalling it.

[Sonshine]

Just thought I'd give an update here. I re-installed Riverview and things are good on that end. I think I got into trouble by trying to "install" my cc by moving the files in the DCCache folder from the desktop copy of it back into the game. I completely removed that folder again and am in the process of officially re-installing my cc the normal way. I came across a lot of dupes in my saved desktop folder b/c many of the files just had a number for a name and then a dupe of the same file, but w/a regular name. One thing I don't totally understand though is  that my game had a serious error once and I removed a couple of lots and it loaded just fine. After I put the lots back in, one at a time, the game loaded just fine after each one!

[Blackrosea]

Just thought I'd give an update here. I re-installed Riverview and things are good on that end. I think I got into trouble by trying to "install" my cc by moving the files in the DCCache folder from the desktop copy of it back into the game. I completely removed that folder again and am in the process of officially re-installing my cc the normal way. I came across a lot of dupes in my saved desktop folder b/c many of the files just had a number for a name and then a dupe of the same file, but w/a regular name. One thing I don't totally understand though is  that my game had a serious error once and I removed a couple of lots and it loaded just fine. After I put the lots back in, one at a time, the game loaded just fine after each one!

Be careful Sonshine with the lots that caused serious errors. Unless they are lots you absolutely love, I am not sure I would load them since they might cause problems later in your game.  I have had that happen before.

[Sonshine]

Hi again! On those lots I found that they were built w/Outdoor Living and I hadn't re-installed that yet. Since re-installing that, I haven't had any problems. I'm still not sure why Riverview disappeared, which is why the school disappeared, but haven't had any problems now that I've re-installed Riverview and all of my cc a few at a time.