Store items deleting/installing

@Briona_rd  Are your installed files being deleted, or are they present but not recognized by the game?  All user content is located within the Sims 3 folder in Documents\Electronic Arts.  Store content is installed into .ebc files in DCCache, with worlds and lots also having corresponding files in InstalledWorlds and Library, respectively.

Please check all of these locations and let me know what you see.  How to troubleshoot depends on whether the files are disappearing or simply not being read properly.

@puzzlezaddict I've uninstalled all downloads,  so I'm going to explain what was happening.  I would install the store content and close the launcher, when I open it back up the store content showing as boxes,  not pictures as previously before. They were still in my DL folder.  When I went to open the sims game, none of the store content showed up in game. Like my worlds (roaring heights,  riverview) and all of the other content. 

@Briona_rd  When you uninstall a store item via the launcher, the .ebc file that held that content doesn't get smaller, and if you uninstall all the items that the .ebc file held, it doesn't get deleted.  Uninstalling through the launcher should remove files from InstalledWorlds or Library, but that doesn't always happen.  The point is, reinstalling after uninstalling often doesn't work: if the corresponding .ebc file is corrupt, or there is still a file in InstalledWorlds or Library, you're likely to have the same outcome.

It seems like the best approach here is to start with a clean user folder and rebuild your content from there.  Move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, open the launcher to spawn a clean folder, install one small store item, and see whether it shows up in-game.  If it does, quit, restart your computer, and check again.

If the content disappears, please let me know whether there's a file labeled dcdb0.ebc in DCCache (as opposed to the temp files that will also be there).  Please also let me know whether you have OneDrive running.

@puzzlezaddict sorry, should've told you everything that I did. I deleted everything in downloads, ddache, dc backup,  installed worlds and worlds cache. I emptied the recycling bin. I'll try everything else now.

@puzzlezaddict  I ran into a new problem.  I believe something is wrong with the launcher.  When I try to log in to install things,  it doesn't do it.  I enter my password and the box pops up again to enter my password. Also, in game it's saying unable to identify hardware(game card). Warning:Unable To Identify Hardware. The game is unable to identify your hardware.Please contact customer support. You may need to adjust your graphics settings manually for optimal quality and performance."

@Briona_rd  The message about not identifying your graphics card is normal if you have a card not in the game's database, which basically means any card released after 2013.  You're only supposed to see the message once, but the info that you've seen it is stored in options.ini, so a new version of that file means you get the message again.  It's not a problem in itself, although if it bothers you, it's easy to address.

I never sign into the launcher to install content, and it's never been an issue for me; being signed in on the store site seems to be enough.  If you can't sign into the launcher at all though, try clearing the cache for Internet Explorer.  Even though you never use it, the launcher does for some purposes.  Be sure to uncheck the box to preserve data for favorite sites.

https://kb.wisc.edu/page.php?id=15141

This may also help with the original issue, but if ot doesn't, try installing an item through the Downloads Dashboard at the Main Menu.  Sign into your account, click on the three dots in the lower left corner of the menu, bring up the Dashboard, and you'll see a list of your owned content.  The list is kind of a mess to navigate, and not as reliable as the launcher, but perhaps this way of installing will work better for you.

@puzzlezaddict Good morning, just to update you.  I did the solution with the clearing clearing cache, that work. Thank you! I did the download through the download dashboard,  so far nothing has been deleted.  I did not remove the sims folder to desktop , yet.  I wanted you to see what was happening if it happens again. I did not dl everything.

This is what happens. 

Btw, this doesn't happen right away,  it's like when I get half way though my dls.

Edited: I'm wrong, so I did what you told me to do. Installed some and closed it and when I opened it back up,  nothing was installed.

@Briona_rd  It's best to move the files out of Downloads (in your first screenshot) once you've installed the content.  You can put them in a backup folder on your desktop if you want, so you don't need to redownload them later, but the point is to keep Downloads fairly empty.

When the content disappeared, did the .ebc files in DCCache disappear too?  I'd still like to know whether they're getting corrupted and the game can't read them, or whether the files disappear entirely.

You didn't mention whether you had OneDrive running, so please let me know, and also let me know what antivirus you have and whether you use a cleaner app that runs automatically.