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Re: My Sims 3 store bought content will not install?

@roberta591 I tried exactly what you said to do and it worked the first time but then I shut down my computer, ate dinner and then came back and started It all up and everything was unistalled again ☹️

17 Replies

  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  You'll have to do it the hard way like I did. First you have to do a factory reset. Quit your game and open file explorer. You need to find the games data folder. You need to find the documents folder. Look on the left - this pc - documents. Move this folder to the desktop. The next time you start the game that folder (and files) will be created like the game was first installed. What I did next is copy my mods folder from the desktop folder to the new folder now created in the new documents folder. Then I copied my latest game save to the new save folder. What I did next was download (don't use the old download folder) all the store items. Go to thesims3.com - store - purchase history. Then I installed the store items (anything in the purchase hisory) one at a time. Actually what I did was installed one or two items (one at a time) - close the game - open the game and check to see if the items were still in the installed content tab. It seems if I left anything old in either the download tab or the installed content tab from the old game all the items would uninstall on the game restart. So every few download items I would install I would quit the game and restart the game to make sure everything was still in the installed content tab and the download items showed an install icon. So far my game is now working like the last time I played it on the old system except I lost my gnome family and I have no idea how to restore the small gnomes. Haven't had time to really look into this issue yet. The only thing I can think is the game core files now installed in the Origin games folder instead of where the discs would have installed the game. I had thought of just restarting the game from scratch but then I would miss all the fun. If I figure out the issue with the gnomes then I will know how to completely reinstall this game from Origin scratch. One of my Steam Tombraider games I lost all my save games but I haven't played it in a while so a retart may not be a bad idea anyway.  hth

  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  If you install an item and quit the game and then start the game, were the items still there? What OneDrive does is moves new files to the OneDrive folder in preparation to sync even though you don't have anything setup to sync to. Once the files are moved the operating system (Windows) knows where the files are don't the game does not know they were moved and can't find them. If you install one item and confirm the item is installed and close the game, is the item still installed? If the game will play with the items for several open and close of the game then I think the issue is OneDrive. If the item is not installed after you close and open the game you have a version issue. One of the packs is an old version or base game. The check is done when the game starts. If the When I reinstalled my game (the original base game was a disc install and update to version 1.67 with the manual super patch). The new install was a clean install from Origin download. I had trouble with the store items and I kept getting a version error and the store items (and worlds) would disappear. It wasn't until I removed EVERYTHING from the installed content and download tab of the launcher and then redownloaded all the store items and installed them that that the version error went away. I don't use OneDrive and have disabled it. But when Windows updates it seems to come back to life and I have to disable it again. The OneDrive folder is located at c:\users\(user name)\OneDrive\documents\   My computer has no files in the documents folder which means it is not trying to sync. I do not login to OneDrive and I have OneDrive configured not to run when I boot my computer so it is not running.

  • @roberta591 the items are there after starting and shutting down the game until I shut down and then start up my computer. When I go to the one drive file there is nothing there. I haven’t logged into it and it doesn’t start up when I boot up my pc so I’m not sure what the problem could be at this point. And now the content is staying installed until I restart my PC anyway, but now the expansions keep inselecting 🙄🙄🙄
  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  I recently had to reinstall my sims 3 game and none of my store items (and worlds) would stay installed. I had to delete the items from the downloads tab and redownload all store items - then install them. There seems to be a version problem. The game from the first drive was from the old DRM (disc version updated to version 1.69) of SecuROM and I got the digital download version form Origin fro the new drive. None of my store items would stay installed until I redownloaded all the items and installed the new downloads. I kept getting a version error. I think many (all?) the store items were updated for version 1.69 and on a new install there are version issues. After I redownloaded all the store items (and worlds) I didn't have the disappearing store items any more.

  • @roberta591 after I disabled one drive I did a reinstall on my sims 3 game and it still won’t keep anything installed. I am going to try to delete everything again and try again reinstalling everything. Sadly nothing seems to be working permanently to solve the issue. I will do everything you have suggested again though. Thank you for all your help and suggestions
  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  Because it is a SSD may not be the issue but many computer makers are selling small capacity SSDs pre installed. A small capacity ssd alone may not be big enough for a gaming computer especially for games like the Sims in that you can add packs which require more space. I would not recommend anything less then a 500Gb storage device for a gaming computer for the casual Windows user. A small SSD may work (I still would not recommend it) if you maintain the storage device properly (keep an eye on the free space). You probably need a conventional data drive also but running games off the data drive defeats the benefit of using a SSD. There are advanced techniques to move system data to the data drive but again I don't recommend using these techniques for the casual user. The Windows operating system causes enough issues without helping it. If you would you can post your computer's dxdiag - link - how to post your computers dxdiag and attach it.  thank you

  • I installed the SSD in my laptop about 6-8 months ago. I don't remember when these problems with my sims 3 content started happening. Just curious if it could be the reason it unistalls because the SSD restarts the computer in the same state every time... wondering if maybe it isnt saving the install. 

  • greeneyes90's avatar
    greeneyes90
    8 years ago
    @roberta591 I forgot to tag you In the post where I put the dxdiag. It’s the post above this one. Also when I turned on my computer today everything was still installed *fingers crossed*
  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  That SSD size would be the minimum I would recommend. Does your laptop have the ability to add a conventional data drive? A place for non linked data like music and pictures and other files not required by other applications. The processor is weak. I use AMD processors but I get the AMD FX series processor. The video driver seems a little old. The problem with AMD APU processors is the clock is shared between cores and that means a weak processor gets weaker as other core get used. The graphics chip is integrated into the AMD cpu which is not the most desirable for gaming. The 1366X768 resolution is a computer resolution and as 4K resolution is catching on 1920X1080p is the common resolution. This is information for your next laptop.

  • @roberta591 no it doesn’t. Because I took the conventional drive out and put the SSD in. I’m probably going to be buying a new laptop with my tax return though probably only want to spend around $600 lol so I will keep those specs in mind. For now I have an external HD I can transfer all the music and things to that I don’t need ?
  • @roberta591 also sadly I started up my laptop for the day and had to reinstall everything all over again😑 I just don’t get it. I turned it on yesterday and everything was fine... turn it on today and everything is gone. At this point I may just give up on sims 3
  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  If it works after you close the game and start the game it's probably not a version issue. OneDrive does the move on a weird schedule. These are the most common issues that describes what is happening. Are you installing anything from disc? Is the base game installed from Origin? Are all the packs installed from Origin?

  • @roberta591 everything is installed with origin. I haven’t installed anything with the disc. I checked to make sure there is nothing in the one drive folders and there isn’t. So idk what the difference between yesterday and today is. The whole thing is weird
  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @greeneyes90  I'm seeing some radar errors at the end of the dxdiag. I see you you have 4Gb of memory. I think you may be running out of resources (resources is not the same of memory). It could be a memory issue. I'm thinking adding memory up to 6Gb or 8Gb may cure the issue. This I'm not sure about - it would be nice to try adding memory to see if that helps. As there are other programs with the same issue it may be there are too many programs open at the same time. I beginning to think this is one problem that needs a physical look over. It's one of those cases where a computer on the workbench may resolve the issue.It looks like the laptop comes with one 4Gb modules and when you open it up there should be an empty slot. It is preferable to match the module in both speed and size as the memory should run in dual channel mode (faster) then if you mismatch the models. Get a program like cpuz and that should display type and speed of installed memory. This is one upgrade that will benefit performance even if it don't fix the issue. This is a moderate job for a DIY (about 15 minutes and one beer). 8Gb is the new minimum for a gaming computer.

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