Store Content Uninstalls Itself and Cannot Be Reinstalled
I've enjoyed TS3 for many years, but recently I've run into an issue that is bringing me to my wits' end. Starting a few months ago, my game has begun to stop recognizing my installed store content. The game will work without any issue for days or even weeks. Then, without any warning, one day I'll open the launcher and be able to tell that the game is broken again because my 'Installed Content' tab lists only my installed store venues (as CC) and nothing else. If I try to reinstall my store content from my Downloads, the game gives me the following error: "Installation failed: Please make sure your game has the latest Software Updates and try again."
In the past, I had some success fixing this issue by doing the following:
- Rename the Electronics Arts Folder containing this file to something like "Old-Electronic Arts"
- Attempt to open the game by launching the game through the EA App. This will generate
a brand new EA folder. Close the game. - Copy the Saves, Screenshots, SavedSims, Mods, Library, Recorded Videos and Installed World folders directly from the Old-EA folder to the newly generated Electronics Arts/Sims 3 folder.
4. Open the Old- version of the DCCache folder and copy all .ebc and .dbc files (anything that is not a .tmp or the missingdeps.idx file) and paste it into the new DCCache folder in the newly generated Sims 3 folder. Do the same thing with ccmerged.package in DCBackup.
The first time I encountered this problem, that was all I needed to do to fix it. The next time, I was baffled when this exact same process failed to fix the problem. I then added a 5th step of deleting the SigsCache folder from the NEW file after it failed to load, and miraculously, my content was back.
The problem is that even now that doesn't work. My last desparate attempt to fix the issue was to do a complete reinstall of the game. I then redownloaded every piece of store content from the store website, and found that I was actually able to install everything properly. After about an hour, my game was finally working again.
That lasted for three days. I opened the game up again today... and all of my content was gone once again. I realize now that the only way the game will actually install my store content is if it's downloaded directly from the store while the launcher is open. If I attempt to use what it's downloaded previously, I receive the same error about software updates. I've also noticed that SOME of my old content will actually be reinstalled. Most of the items appear without thumbnails in the launcher, but a few random items in the launcher still show up properly. Those few items will re-install without the launcher complaining, but it refuses to process the rest of the folder. As far as I can tell, there is no difference between the items that it still recognizes and the ones it demands that I re-download.
Obviously, I cannot re-download the entire store every single time I want to play the game. Does anyone have any idea how to stop this problem from cropping up, and why it's happening in the first place?
