[Read First] Sims 3 Store guide
Overview
This guide covers how to acquire and download Store content, and how to troubleshoot various associated problems. If you need further help, please create your own thread, in this section...
Forum Discussion
back to: Overview
jump to: How Store content installs
jump to: Best practices
jump to: Common errors
jump to: Disappearing content
Over the years, Firefox has consistently been the most reliable browser when purchasing or installing Store content. I would suggest using it if you run into any trouble with your preferred browser.
To install your content, visit the Store site (https://store.thesims3.com/), and sign in with the same email address and password you use in the EA App or Origin. You can click Store > My Store Account > Purchase History to view your purchase history and download items from there, or you can download an individual item or set from its product page.
When you download an item, you're downloading a file ending in .Sims3Pack that lands in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Downloads. Once it's there, open the launcher's Downloads tab, select the item, and click Install.
The information in this section and the next applies to all types of Sims 3 installs: Windows plus EA App, disc, or Steam; and the 32-bit and 64-bit Mac versions.
The Sims 3 launcher bundles installed Store content into files ending in .ebc, stored in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > DCCache. The files are numbered sequentially, starting with zero: dcdb0.ebc, dcdb1.ebc, etc. (The files that end in .dbc are bundled third-party custom content.) When the current file exceeds 200 MB in size, the launcher creates a new file the next time it installs an item.
When the game cannot read a particular .ebc file, or that file is missing, it does not attempt to read any higher-numbered files. So if you delete dcdb3.dbc, the game won't read the contents of dcdb4.ebc even if the latter is intact. This can make content appear to be missing or corrupt when it's not. Files can be renamed though: dcdb4 could become dcdb3, and the game should be able to read it again.
When the installed item is a venue, it also deposits a .package file in ...The Sims 3 > Library. When the item is premium content, it also deposits data in the ccmerged.package file inside ...The Sims 3 > DCBackup. "Premium" in this case means an item that includes new interactions, for example the glass blowing station or the basketball hoop. It does not refer to items that involve interactions already included in the game: a chess table is not premium content.
Again, Firefox is the most reliable browser for downloading Store content.
The launcher doesn't handle large amounts of data very well, and the launcher and game may struggle to read excessively large .ebc files. For these reasons, it's best to install only a few items or sets at a time, and worlds (which are very large files) separately. If the .ebc file currently in use is just shy of 200 MB already, installing a world may increase its size to the point of breaking it.
So keep an eye on the size of the current highest-numbered .ebc file, and as it nears 200 MB, install only smaller sets and individual items until the launcher creates a new file. Once it does, you can install your next world, then proceed from there.
Once you've installed an item, you can remove its .Sims3Pack file from Downloads; the game no longer needs this data. You may want to store these files elsewhere on your computer for convenience—you can later use them to reinstall your content without downloading it again. This is not completely reliable, so end up needing to redownload your Store content anyway, especially if you've installed the game on a new computer.
You can also delete any files in DCCache that end in .tmp. The launcher should delet these once it's finished installing Store items, but that doesn't always happen. Finally, you can delete all files in DCBackup except for ccmerged. The other files are duplicates of launcher-installed content, meant to allow this content to attach to Exchange uploads. They serve no other purpose and can occupy a significant amount of space on your drive.
If you're often reseting or deleting the Sims 3 user folder, or you like to maintain multiple folders, or your Store content disappears from time to time, I would recommend making a backup copy of the Sims 3 folder after installing Store content and before adding anything else to it. You'll be able to restore this backup with all your Store content intact rather than needing to install everything fresh.
"There are no packages to install"
In the EA App, open Settings > Notifications, and disable "When I'm in a game." Disable the in-game overlay as well. If this doesn't help, disable everything on this settings page.
You don't own this item
If you see a message saying you don't own the item in question, refresh the Store page. If that doesn't help, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser.
Additionally, if you use a VPN, disable it and restart your computer.
You're asked to sign into the launcher
This should not be necessary when installing Store content. If it happens anyway, clear your browser cache, or use a different browser. If that doesn't help, disable your VPN and restart your computer.
Mac-specific issues
Please see the first post of this thread:
Only some content is missing/doesn't work
First, identify the items that aren't loading or working. If these items are only premium content, you may have a corrupt ccmerged.package file. If you have a backup copy of ccmerged, you can try restoring it. Note: In order for this file to work, it must have been present when you installed all of your premium content. Otherwise, please see this post from Nonamena for further information:
https://nonasims.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/dcbackup-ccmerged-package-and-your-premium-content-items/
If the issue is not limited to premium content, you may have one or more corrupt .ebc files. Try removing the highest-numbered file and reinstalling one missing item. If it shows up, great, reinstall the rest of the missing content a few items at a time. If the first reinstalled item doesn't load in-game, remove the next-highest-numbered .ebc file and try again. Proceed until any newly-installed Store item stays installed.
None of the content works
Please first confirm that the relevant files are in DCCache, inside Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3. If the files are intact, close the game and launcher and try deleting the SigsCache folder inside Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3. If this doesn't help, you'll likely need to reinstall all of your Store content. I would recommend installing into a clean folder, as described in the next post.
If there are no .ebc files in DCCache, the issue may be OneDrive (Windows) or iCloud Drive (macOS) pushing files to cloud storage and removing the local copies. If you think this may be your issue, please see the corresponding master thread (Windows, macOS) for help. Both these guides are written for Sims 4, but the cloud storage principles and relevant settings are the same.
Reinstalling Store content
Please see the next post below.
