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Line524's avatar
2 years ago
Solved

Sims 3: Missing items warning

Hi,

When I press play on the family I want to play, now a warning comes up that items are missing and then it doesn't load my family but acts like I'm starting a new game?

I checked that all my games are checked off before I start the game..

The computer is with Windows 10 Pro

Here's a picture of it because my english is not the best. The text on the picture is in danish because that's my language.

  • @Line524  The only good move here is to revert to the backup copy of your save.  Inside Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Saves, you'll see a folder for your save and another folder with the same name plus a .backup extension.  For example, you might find SunsetValley.sims3 and SunsetValley.sims3.backup.  Rename the save and delete the .backup extension (e.g. SunsetValley1.sims3), and the backup will be available to load from the Main Menu.

    Please also delete the five cache files in this same Sims 3 folder.  They should be deleted regularly anyway, and every time you quit the game while you're troubleshooting.  For reference, they are:

    • CASPartCache.package
    • compositorCache.package
    • scriptCache.package
    • simCompositorCache.package
    • socialCache.package

    If this doesn't help, my only other suggestion is to add a few mods to try to recover the save.  They may or may not work, depending on how corrupt the save currently is, but there's no in-game way to repair this kind of damage.  The mods you'd use are NRaas ErrorTrap, Overwatch, and MasterController, all described here:

    https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-Common-Game-Fixing-Mods-Hero-Approved/m-p/9838855#M244208

    ET and OW do their jobs without player input; MC does nothing unless you use it to issue a command.  With the backup save (better chance of recovery), load the save, then click City Hall and select NRaas > MasterController > Town Options > Reset Everything.  When the reset is finished, it'll let you know.  Let the game clock run for a few sim-minutes, if you can, then "save as" to rename the save (so the original remains intact under its old name), quit, delete the cache files again, reload, and see whether the save works.

4 Replies

  • @Line524  Do you use any mods or custom content, and if so, which ones?  A list or a screenshot (taken with Windows key-shift-S, not a photo of the screen) would be fine.  It's fine if you use mods; I just need to know which ones both in case one of them is the problem and because some could help troubleshoot this issue.

    Additionally, what expansion and stuff packs do you own, and are you sure they're all loading in-game?  An easy way to check is to start a new save, not this save that looks new but a real one, and go into Buy mode.  Click the snowflake icon on the right of the user interface, and you'll see the option to filter by pack, but this will only list the packs you currently have installed.  Make sure all your owned packs are listed, and if not, close the game, uncheck and recheck the packs in the launcher, and try again.

  • Line524's avatar
    Line524
    2 years ago

    I only use what's included in the game. The only "custom" I did was choose another color for a piece of clothing.

    I went to the game to check that all my expansion and stuff packs were available and they were. I also tried to uncheck and recheck the packs and it still does the same. I have the following:

    Late Night

    Town Life

    Ambitions

    Fast Lane

    Pets

    Generations

    Island Paradise

    World Adventures

    Seasons

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @Line524  The only good move here is to revert to the backup copy of your save.  Inside Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Saves, you'll see a folder for your save and another folder with the same name plus a .backup extension.  For example, you might find SunsetValley.sims3 and SunsetValley.sims3.backup.  Rename the save and delete the .backup extension (e.g. SunsetValley1.sims3), and the backup will be available to load from the Main Menu.

    Please also delete the five cache files in this same Sims 3 folder.  They should be deleted regularly anyway, and every time you quit the game while you're troubleshooting.  For reference, they are:

    • CASPartCache.package
    • compositorCache.package
    • scriptCache.package
    • simCompositorCache.package
    • socialCache.package

    If this doesn't help, my only other suggestion is to add a few mods to try to recover the save.  They may or may not work, depending on how corrupt the save currently is, but there's no in-game way to repair this kind of damage.  The mods you'd use are NRaas ErrorTrap, Overwatch, and MasterController, all described here:

    https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-Common-Game-Fixing-Mods-Hero-Approved/m-p/9838855#M244208

    ET and OW do their jobs without player input; MC does nothing unless you use it to issue a command.  With the backup save (better chance of recovery), load the save, then click City Hall and select NRaas > MasterController > Town Options > Reset Everything.  When the reset is finished, it'll let you know.  Let the game clock run for a few sim-minutes, if you can, then "save as" to rename the save (so the original remains intact under its old name), quit, delete the cache files again, reload, and see whether the save works.

  • Line524's avatar
    Line524
    2 years ago

    The problem is solved! I reverted to the backup copy and deleted the cache files. Thank you so much for your help!

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