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puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
6 years ago

Re: Sims 3 Store Worlds not showing up in game

@emmagr11  Great, so you can install your other Exchange worlds into this folder too.  (They are third-party worlds from the Exchange, right, not EA store worlds?  Because store worlds need an extra step to add them to your existing folder.)  Install the worlds one at a time, test in-game, and make sure they're all loading before doing anything else.

If you'd like to add these worlds to your existing content, it's simple enough.  Rename the Sims 3 folder in Documents\Electronic Arts, the one that your worlds are in, to something else, e.g. The Sims 3 Worlds.  Put the old Sims 3 folder back in Documents\Electronic Arts, open the launcher, and uninstall those same Exchange worlds.  Make sure the relevant .world files in InstalledWorlds are also gone—you don't want two copies of anything in your user data folder.

Now go into DCCache inside the old Sims 3 folder, and count the number of .dbc files.  They'll be labeled dcdbx.dbc, with x being a number; the files are numbered sequentially starting with zero.  (Ignore the .ebc files, which are store content.)  Whatever the highest number is, you're going to rename the .dbc file(s) in your Sims 3 Worlds folder in sequence.  So if your main Sims 3 folder has dcdb0.dbc through dcdb4.dbc, and you have dcdb0.dbc and dcdb1.dbc in your Sims 3 Worlds folder, those two will become dcdb5.dbc and dcdb6.dbc.  Then you can move them to DCCache inside your main Sims 3 folder.

Be sure to also move the .world files inside InstalledWorlds from the Sims 3 Worlds folder to the main Sims 3 folder.  Everything should now show up in-game.

12 Replies

  • emmagr11's avatar
    emmagr11
    6 years ago

    i have exchange worlds that already work, but the store worlds are the ones causing me trouble. I should've clarified, sorry :/

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    6 years ago

    @emmagr11  Yeah, that's why I asked—there's a bit more work involved, but it's not so difficult.  The instructions are mostly the same, with an extra step, so I'm going to add that and just c/p the rest of the instructions, while (hopefully) changing all the tiny details that matter.

    Trash the new Sims 3 folder you've created, the one into which you've been installing store worlds.  Move the old one back into Documents\Electronic Arts, and use the launcher to uninstall all the store worlds that haven't been working.  Make sure to remove their .world files in InstalledWorlds as well, if it doesn't happen automatically.  Then move the folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts again.

    Open the launcher to create another clean folder, but this time, don't install anything yet.  Go into DCBackup and delete ccmerged.package.  Now go into DCBackup inside your old Sims 3 folder, copy ccmerged.package, and paste it into DCBackup in your new folder.  This file has a record of all the store premium content you've installed, and that content won't work without the file.  So you essentially need the same one ccmerged file to be present while you install all your premium content.  (If you don't own any other premium store content aside from the worlds that don't work, you can skip this step and keep the new Sims 3 folder's new ccmerged in place.)

    Now install the store worlds one at a time, checking in-game after each one to make sure they're all still loading.  If everything works, you can move the store content into your old folder.  Rename the Sims 3 folder into which you've installed your worlds, e.g. "The Sims 3 Worlds."  Put the old Sims 3 folder back in Documents\Electronic Arts, and move the ccmerged.package over as well, again into DCBackup.

    Now go into DCCache inside the old Sims 3 folder, and count the number of .ebc files.  (Now .ebc, with the e, not .dbc.)  They'll be labeled dcdbx.dbc, with x being a number; the files are numbered sequentially starting with zero.  (Ignore the .edbc files, which are custom content.)  Whatever the highest number is, you're going to rename the .ebc file(s) in your Sims 3 Worlds folder in sequence.  So if your main Sims 3 folder has dcdb0.ebc through dcdb4.ebc, and you have dcdb0.ebc and dcdb1.ebc in your Sims 3 Worlds folder, those two will become dcdb5.ebc and dcdb6.ebc.  Then you can move them to DCCache inside your main Sims 3 folder.

    Be sure to also move the .world files inside InstalledWorlds from the Sims 3 Worlds folder to the main Sims 3 folder.  Everything should now show up in-game.

  • SugarHeart73's avatar
    SugarHeart73
    5 years ago

    I'm having the same problem....only I didn't create a new folder, one called installed worlds was there already or generates itself. The exchange worlds work too, and so do 4 store worlds. Its jusr the same 4 store worlds im having this with...but there is no new or old folder? Thats where im lost a bit.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @sugarheart644  Please clear out all the files in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Downloads.  This is where .Sims3Packs (content from the store and exchange) land when you download them, but they don't need to stay once you've installed the items.  Then download one of the store worlds that's not working, and try to install it.  If it says it's already installed, uninstall it through the launcher first.  Please also make sure there is no corresponding .world file in InstalledWorlds.

    If this doesn't work, that's fine, there's a more complicated way to go about this, but please try this first, since it's so much easier.

  • SugarHeart73's avatar
    SugarHeart73
    5 years ago

    Sorry....misunderstood. saw whole thread and get you now. I will tell you if it works.

  • SugarHeart73's avatar
    SugarHeart73
    5 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict @I've done that and turns out things been a bit more complicated. It started refusing to let me log back on....then i went to origin and it turned out my game was not only broken but there was a duplicate which wasnt in my favourites, thats why I'd not noticed it before. I've fixed the one in favourites and backed up my folder...the duplicate is not fixed and i suspect it may be the root of the problem in the first place. If i unistall it would it uninstall the fixed one too? Meanwhile I will try the same steps with the copy that is fixed by opening from origin and not the desktop icon. Both copies show they were played at same time

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    5 years ago

    @sugarheart644  I'm not sure what you mean by duplicate.  Could you take a screenshot or two showing me the two copies?  Whether uninstalling would help depends on where the duplicate is.

  • Ailux13's avatar
    Ailux13
    4 years ago

    Hi @puzzlezaddict! I'm having the same issue that @sugarheart644 shared. I tried the procedure you explained but it still doesn't work and now my saved game doesn't appear when I start playinh even though it appears in the Saves folder. Any thoughts about this? I could use any help, thank you! 🙂

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @Ailux13  Have you tried installing a world into a clean Sims 3 folder?  If you haven't already, please do so now: move the entire folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, open the launcher to create a clean folder, download one world, install it, and let me know whether it shows up.

  • Ailux13's avatar
    Ailux13
    4 years ago

    Hi! Actually that worked, but it happened several times. The thing is that I found another solution: every time this happens I just restart the computer, and when I launch the game again, everything works fine (I've done that at least 6 times and it works 100%). Just in case someone new has this issue. 🙂 Thanks everyone!

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