What is DCBackup folder?

About deleting everything in the DCBackup folder...

I was under the impression that you were NOT supposed to delete the ccmerged file as it boinks up the functionality of some of the premium content store items. I deleted mine and, though I'm not sure whether that's the real cause or not, sure enough, some of my items seem affected. I've actually been researching how to fix my error without having to reinstall everything. If it's not that big a deal though, I would love to know so I can stop researching and worrying over it!

Running the Sims 3 with outdated mods, custom content OR some other bad or corrupted file in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder is the most common cause of crashes and your game not working correctly.

NEVER, NEVER ASSUME THAT 1. YOU DON’T HAVE ANY MODS OR CUSTOM CONTENT; OR 2. YOUR MODS AND CUSTOM CONTENT ARE UP TO DATE OR ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEM; OR 3. THE OTHER FILES IN THE SIMS 3 FOLDER ARE NOT THE CAUSE OF YOUR PROBLEM.

PLEASE NOTE STEP 7 AND THE BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING TIP AT STEP 16.

So below is my guide to safe and error free patching and installing new expansion and stuff packs.

BRONWIN’S GUIDE TO SAFE PATCHING, EXPANSION AND STUFF PACK INSTALLATION AND TROUBLESHOOTING.

We all want to play and we don't want to spend our time trouble shooting. Ever since I started following these procedures I have not had a failed patch, expansion or stuff pack installation. I install from disc because I do not trust download installs. These instructions may work fine with downloads, but if anyone wants to update this guide with special instructions for those who download from Origin please do so. This guide is written for Windows and I have used it successfully in Windows XP, Windows 7 and now Windows 8 Pro. My current game is patched to 1.47 and I have all expansions and stuff packs. My game is running fine. Mac users will need to modify these instructions for their machines.

I invite any corrections or comments to make this guide easier and better.

A great many of the problems arise from not knowing the basics of how the Sims 3 works and the player failing to follow some VERY simple procedures. IF YOUR GAME IS HAVING TROUBLE TRY THE SIMPLE TROUBLESHOOTING STEP AT ITEM 16.

NECESSARY BACKGROUND

1. WHAT YOU CAN’T MESS WITH. The first thing to know is that when you install the Sims 3 it installs to C:\ program files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 (any disc expansion packs are also installed here). If you download from Origin they will install to C:\ program files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3 (plus any Origin expansions).

Take a minute and use Windows (file) explorer and navigate to the Electronic Arts folder (or, if applicable the Origin Games folder). These are all the installed game files. YOU SHOULD NEVER MESS WITH THESE FILES. These are the files modified whenever you apply a patch or install an expansion or stuff pack. If you do mess with these files you run the risk of rendering your game unplayable and requiring you to uninstall and reinstall your game. If you have everything, as I do, this can consume hours of your time. I speak from sad experience. A word to the wise: Don’t mess with these files!!!

Note: You can’t have two copies of the same game or expansion in both the Electronic Arts folder and the Origin Games folder. You may be able to have a combination of disc and Origin downloads so long as they are not the same. Disc installs will go to Electronic Arts folder and Origin downloads to the Origin Games folder.

2. WHAT YOU CAN MESS WITH. Now navigate to (My) Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3. This folder and its contents are generated from the installed game files and your user input. This should be the same for both disc and Origin. This is where your saved games, saved Sims, collections, custom content to include downloads, mods and other user data is stored. If you delete this file a clean one will be regenerated from the game files.

Let me say this again, if the Sims 3 cannot find (My) Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 it will regenerate a new and pristine The Sims 3 folder. This is useful to know for troubleshooting. You cannot mess up your installation by changing anything in this folder. You can lose your settings and saved games etc., but you cannot disable your game. At worst you will have to start with brand new folder. Take some time to explore this folder and see what is stored there. All your store items, for example, go into the downloads folder. Any Mods go into the Mods folder (which you must manually create by the way. I have instructions at the end of this guide and you can find excellent guides posted elsewhere). If anything is going to cause a patch, expansion or stuff pack to fail to install properly it is this folder. If you play the game you modify the files in this folder, if you buy items from the store you modify the files in this folder, if you look at your computer screen you modify the files in this folder (ok, I exaggerated this last part).
If, for some reason, you want to see if your installed games are working correctly simply rename The Sims 3 folder to The Sims 3 old and launch the game. This simple thing will act as a complete uninstall and reinstall. The difference is that this takes 5 seconds and the other takes 5 hours.

3. To repeat: If you think that you need to do an uninstall and reinstall, DON’T. Simply move or rename the Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder. Unless you have messed with the files in Program Files (WHICH YOU SHOULD NEVER DO) a new The Sims 3 folder will be generated and the game will behave as if it were installed for the very first time. It will have no custom content, saved games or any of your settings. But this is normal and what we want at this point. We want a totally clean game with only Electronic Art files in it. This is the only way to make sure that a glitch is EA’s fault. All your old stuff, settings, saved games etc. is perfectly safe in The Sims 3 old folder. With this understanding in mind, how should you install a new patch, expansion or stuff pack?

BASIC PROCEEDURE TO INSTALL A PATCH, EXPANSION OR STUFF PACK

Always do the following (write this down and tape it to your computer somewhere):

4. Open the launcher and go to Game Updates. That’s the last button on the launcher dialog box. You will see a check box labeled Automatic Updates. Uncheck that box. You will be notified when there is an update. When an update is released you will get a notification and an option to apply the update. When you see that notification DON’T do the update/patch yet, go to the next step.

5. Update Origin. Either launch Origin and allow it to automatically update or go here—http://www.origin.com/download and manually update it. Once it is updated go to the next step.

6. USING THE SUPER PATCH: Decide if you want to apply the incremental patch or Super Patch. If for some reason (you didn’t follow these instructions, for example) you tried an incremental patch and it failed you will need to apply the super patch. The reason is that a failed incremental patch may overwrite only some of the game files in Program Files (those files you are not supposed to mess with) corrupting your installation. The Super Patch will force an overwrite of all the files and (hopefully) correct the failed incremental patch installation. You can get the super patch here-- http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/175477.page It’s stickied in the Sims 3 web site in Forums-General Discussion-Technical Discussions as the very first item. Neither the incremental nor the super patch should corrupt any of your saved games.

7. THIS STEP IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL!!!! IF YOU OMIT THIS STEP YOUR PATCH OR INSTALLATION MAY FAIL!!!! If you want to argue this point you can stop reading here and do whatever you want, but don’t complain when your patch, expansion or stuff pack installation fails, which it most likely will.

Otherwise:

GO TO DOCUMENTS\ELECTRONIC ARTS\THE SIMS 3 FOLDER AND RENAME IT THE SIMS 3 OLD. DON’T MESS WITH THE SUB-FOLDERS. RENAME THE WHOLE THING.

NOTE 1: You can choose to move it to your desk or anywhere else you want, but renaming it accomplishes the same thing, so I recommend renaming.

NOTE 2: I had a question as to why this step is necessary. It’s because if you are going to corrupt your game this is where you are going to do it. This is where you will get "the sims 3 is corrupt or not properly installed." error message if the patch or installation program finds a file it does not like. Users do all sorts of things in this folder. Don’t assume that because you ABSOLUTELY KNOW that you don’t have CC or mods you don’t need to do this. How often have I heard variations from people that ABSOLUTELY KNEW they didn’t have any custom content or mods that : A. I forgot about that. B. But that mods always worked before. C. How did that get into my downloads folder? We want a clean and trouble free install so we want to eliminate this as a variable. Plus it only takes 5 seconds so why not do it?

8. Once Origin has updated its time to install the patch. Go back to the Launcher and select the box to download the incremental patch. If you want to install the Super Patch and you haven’t already downloaded it do that now.

9. The incremental patch should download and install without any problem. If you have downloaded the super patch you can install it now. As part of its installation the patch will look for The Sims 3 folder in Documents\Electronic Arts but it won’t find it because you have renamed it. It won’t crash on any bad mod or corrupted file in that folder. As far as it is concerned the old folder is not there and it will create a new The Sims 3 folder.

10. Once the patch has installed, launch the game. It will be pristine and should play. Of course it won’t have your downloads, mods or any user files, but that’s OK. At least you know that you still have a good patch installation. Exit the game.

11. Now install the expansion or stuff pack. Test it to make sure it works. Play a test game. Create Sims and do anything else you want to test the installation.

12. So now we have a good installation and we know that the game is working properly. It’s now time to put The Sims 3 old folder back.

13. Before you do anything else update all your mods. I don’t care if the mod has always worked. Patches, expansions and stuff packs can change core code, so always expect to update your mods. Do this even if you have the latest patch. The expansion or stuff pack may have changed some more code and the mods may need to be updated again.

14. Delete The Sims 3 folder and rename The Sims 3 old folder to The Sims 3. That is, delete the word “old”.

15. Launch the game. It should work. If it doesn’t then that means that you still have a bad file or files in The Sims 3 folder that you will have to troubleshoot, but you know that your installation is OK and that the game works.

16. BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING TIP. If you are having trouble with your game, navigate to documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 and rename The Sims 3 to The Sims 3 old then launch the game and test it. This simple procedure restores the game to new and insures that there is nothing that you have done that is causing the game trouble. (Don’t simply load to the main menu and stop there. By test I mean start a new game. Use Riverview for example. Create a Sim and play with all the options. If you had a glitch with The Sims 3 old folder try to recreate it.) If you are having problems in the test game, freezing, crashing etc. then you will have to do more advanced trouble shooting, but at least you will know that the problem is not of your creation and it really is an EA problem.

Good luck

Bronwin’s guide to adding mods.

1. Navigate to Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3.
2. Open The Sims 3 folder.
3. Create a new folder called Mods.
4. Open the Mods folder.
5. Create a folder called packages
6. Using note pad create a text file that has the following (cut and paste):

Priority 500
PackedFile DCCache/*.dbc
PackedFile Packages/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package
Priority 495
PackedFile ModBuild*.package

7. Name the file Resource.cfg. Save it and put it in the Mods folder. It does not go into the packages folder.
8. All mods go into the packages folder.
9. As a suggestion you can use nested folders in the packages folder. Two indispensable mods that I use are Twallan’s Overwatch and Errortrap. They are found here: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/ So open the packages folder and make a new folder called Nraas mods 1.47 and put Overwatch and any other Nraas mods updated to patch 1.47 in this folder. These mods are updated after every patch, so labeling the folder will help you keep the patch level correct. So, for example, EA releases a new patch, let’s call it 1.xx. Before you can run the game you will need to update your mods. Create a new folder and name it Nraas mods 1.xx. Go to the Nraas site and when the mods are updated to patch 1.xx put them in the new folder, delete the 1.47 folder and replace it with the new one.

"mickeysimmouse;c-16621583" wrote:
I don't mean to necro an old thread, but I have a concern. I am a creator, well a brand new one. I recently built a house and shared screenshots, and people really want me to upload it to be downloaded. The problem is, I've deleted everything in the DCBackup folder. I was completely unaware that you can't upload creations with CC if you do that until I found this thread. Is there any solution to this? Do I have to re-download every piece of CC in the build in order for it to work properly?

In that case, you would need to reinstall the relevant CC so that the DC Backup entries can be re-created. Whether that requires downloading them again depends on whether you have spare copies of the sims3pack files for that CC to install again.

If players do not have the CC you have used on their own, then the game will make somewhat random and not always pretty or appropriate substitutions wherever you have used the CC that players are lacking.

"igazor;c-16621616" wrote:

"mickeysimmouse;c-16621583" wrote:
I don't mean to necro an old thread, but I have a concern. I am a creator, well a brand new one. I recently built a house and shared screenshots, and people really want me to upload it to be downloaded. The problem is, I've deleted everything in the DCBackup folder. I was completely unaware that you can't upload creations with CC if you do that until I found this thread. Is there any solution to this? Do I have to re-download every piece of CC in the build in order for it to work properly?

In that case, you would need to reinstall the relevant CC so that the DC Backup entries can be re-created. Whether that requires downloading them again depends on whether you have spare copies of the sims3pack files for that CC to install again.

If players do not have the CC you have used on their own, then the game will make somewhat random and not always pretty or appropriate substitutions wherever you have used the CC that players are lacking.

One more question. I've read that the files that appear in DCBackup after installing CC through the launcher are package files, and therefore can be moved to your mods folder like other package files. Is this true? And if it is, can I still upload creations and have the CC be installed by the downloader normally, or would they have to have the files in their package folders as well?

I really just want to get away from using the launcher for CC as much as possible, basically I only want to use it for store content. It's just so much easier to sort, keep track of, and remove custom content using the mods folder.

There are ways to extract and convert sims3pack content to package files for your own use. I've never heard of putting the files originally landing in DC Backup in Mods\Packages and have no idea if that would work, perhaps someone else here can comment on that.

http://modthesims.info/d/364038
(but I see you already have this tool and have posted there)

But either way, I don't see how that will help others who wish to download your creations if they do not have the same package based CC installed that you have used on them.

"igazor;c-16624328" wrote:
There are ways to extract and convert sims3pack content to package files for your own use. I've never heard of putting the files originally landing in DC Backup in Mods\Packages and have no idea if that would work, perhaps someone else here can comment on that.

@mickeysimmouse Yes, when you install a sims3pack it puts a package file into your dcbackup folder. If you move that package file into your mods/packages folder you will have that content in your game. However, as igazor said, it won't upload with a build as a package file in the mods folder. You have to have the sims3pack installed and the package file in the dcbackup folder for the content to be uploaded with your build.

If it is store content, you don't have to have the package file in the dcbackup folder. If the person who downloads it owns and has installed the store content you've used, the game will recognize it and put it in its proper place. I personally tested that out and it worked.

"ZeeGee;c-16624418" wrote:

"igazor;c-16624328" wrote:
There are ways to extract and convert sims3pack content to package files for your own use. I've never heard of putting the files originally landing in DC Backup in Mods\Packages and have no idea if that would work, perhaps someone else here can comment on that.

@mickeysimmouse Yes, when you install a sims3pack it puts a package file into your dcbackup folder. If you move that package file into your mods/packages folder you will have that content in your game. However, as igazor said, it won't upload with a build as a package file in the mods folder. You have to have the sims3pack installed and the package file in the dcbackup folder for the content to be uploaded with your build.

If it is store content, you don't have to have the package file in the dcbackup folder. If the person who downloads it owns and has installed the store content you've used, the game will recognize it and put it in its proper place. I personally tested that out and it worked.

Thank you both! Yes, I have the tool and downloaded it, and fully intended on using it. But I was unable to even open it because I'm on a Mac...So I decided to see if there were any alternates and came across that solution. I suppose I'll have to provide downloaders with links to all of my CC if they want it to look right...lol.

Thanks again for your help!

http://images.starcraftmazter.net/4chan/for_forums/bump.jpg

Thank you!:)

And can you tell me what is userPresets.package in C:\Documents and Settings\My documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder?
That's the other thing I can't figure out. It's kinda big file.