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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago

Re: New Sims 3 expansion: says in-game content, can't install

@JamiyaM20  I've merged your post with the master thread for this issue.  The only fix is to uninstall and reinstall the entire game, unfortunately.

If you have the space available on your computer, I'd suggest renaming the Sims 3 folder that contains the game's program files rather than uninstalling.  (This is NOT the user folder in Documents > Electronic Arts, which contains saves and other user data.)  Some players can't reinstall the game at all, but having a backup copy of the program files can help get around the issue.  Make sure the EA App is closed and the EABackgroundService is NOT running in the Task Manager, then change the folder name to something that doesn't include "Sims 3."

Open the EA App and choose to install the game into a different folder than you used previously.  If it works, you can delete the old Sims 3 folder you renamed and get the space back.  If you run into a download error, close the App and kill the EABackgroundService, then copy the program files to the new location where you want to install Sims 3.  When you try to install again, the App should simply verify the existing files rather than trying to redownload the data, and it will hopefully also download your new pack.

4 Replies

  • phina1234's avatar
    phina1234
    Rising Newcomer
    2 years ago

    What is the folder that we are renaming?

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @phina1234  The folder is called "The Sims 3" and contains the game's program files.  It's wherever the EA App installed Sims 3.  You can see the full file path by opening your App game library, clicking Sims 3, and selecting Manage > View properties:

  • Paladin_Empire's avatar
    Paladin_Empire
    2 years ago

    I am starting to suspect that the issue I am experiencing might be the location of the install. A hint might be that managing the game from the EA app when managing properties is that the "uninstall" option is blurred-out. I suspect this is because it was installed in what was previously an Origin folder rather than the new launcher. Might this be the cause of why I can't install new things to it? If that is the cause, how might I go about resolving this issue?

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Paladin_Empire  If you think that's the problem, uninstall the base game and reinstall it into the standard location the EA App uses:

    C:\Program Files\EA Games

    If you'd like to be as thorough as possible, uninstall both Sims 3 and the EA App with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine).  This will remove all traces of the game and the App from your computer, so you'll know you're starting fresh.  If you have saves or other user data you'd like to preserve, first go into Documents > Electronic Arts and rename the "The Sims 3" folder to something that doesn't include "Sims 3" in its name.  That way, Revo won't find it.

    However, I'm not sure this will actually help.  As far as I know, it didn't help at all when this error first showed up, but it's possible things have changed since then.

    @Dominique23_1996 and @Applebytes  I've merged your posts with the master thread for this issue.  Please see the accepted solution on page one.

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