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ladyxixi2000's avatar
ladyxixi2000
12 months ago

What is the installation process for loading package files with the EA App

Hello All,

I've taken a long break, and when I popped on after finishing spring term, I discovered that Origin was no more. Sadly, I've had nothing but problems with my EA App, and customer services' answer is "CC and Mods are the problem, just delete them all and don't use them" I finally get my sims3packs to load, but now I can't get a package file from my mods folder to load or be visible at all.  when I doubled clicked on them at first, several days ago, that worked to load them into the app, but now I always get the message that "an missing component (I think) is needed, please check to make sure the EA App is installed correctly" 

I've gone through the customer service, I've uninstalled/and removed the app, then went onto their site and downloaded it again, and a bunch of other stuff the CS person had me do that I don't remember well enough to describe. 

Has anyone else had this problem? 

pc
technical issues

7 Replies

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    12 months ago

    @ladyxixi2000  Your .package files shouldn't be opened at all.  Sims3Packs can be double-clicked to start the install process, but that's a separate matter, and the files should never be inside Mods > Packages.  You can simply put Sims3Packs inside ...The Sims 3 > Downloads and install them through the launcher's Downloads tab.

    For your actual .package files, they do need to be inside Mods > Packages, with only the Resource.cfg file directly inside Mods.  Please also make sure you're deleting the five cache files after adding new files and before trying to play.  For reference, these files are:

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

    If that doesn't help, please post a screenshot of the contents of the folder they're in, as in, I'd like to see the file names themselves.  Include the address bar, above the list of files, in the screenshot.

  • ladyxixi2000's avatar
    ladyxixi2000
    11 months ago

    Thank you for responding, Puzzlezaddict. I know that .package files shouldn't be opened at all, but the first day that I was forced to download the EA App, the ONLY thing that worked was to double-click on files one by one rn I'm thinking scrapping all my merge files, and starting over, but I hesitate due to worrying I don't have all of the original files. 

    I am also unsure if the merge files are even showing up in-game because I've been adding downloads of anything in sims3packs. Not ideal for double-checking things. 

    I got rid of all those cache files, several bin files, and the EA Featured Items thumbnails, among others. 

    I'm shocked that no one else seems to be having this problem, my searches have turned up nothing that is my problem, exactly.  

    I'm attaching two screenshots for you.

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    11 months ago

    @ladyxixi2000  If you move the Mods folder to the desktop, can you launch the game?  If so, please recreate the Mods framework, including a new Resource.cfg, download a fresh copy of one .package file known to work (an NRaas mod would be fine), and see whether it loads in-game.  Be sure to delete the cache files again.

    The .package file will of course not show in the launcher, as the launcher doesn't read the Mods folder, but it should show at the Main Menu.  And if you add almost any NRaas mod, you should see NRaas as an option when clicking City Hall, so you'll know whether it's working.  If it does work, you can add a couple of your existing .package files to the new Packages folder and test them too.  Check them out in CAS or Build/Buy to make sure they're loading properly.

  • ladyxixi2000's avatar
    ladyxixi2000
    11 months ago
    @puzzlezaddict Yes, my post came after I'd already done just that. Although yesterday, I took everything OUT of the Mods folder (but left the folder with it's most recent resource.cfg file, and the nobuildsparkle package and nointro package. I have consistently had nobuildsparkle work, but not the nointro. Then I added a stack of packages. *some* of the package files showed up in-game. When I put all my mods back in, I bet only a fraction of them show up. I just have a whole lot, so there's no way for me to remember them after I've entered the game, and it would be tedious in the extreme for me to poke thru everything and count them. I just know when I'm looking for something I know I have, I almost always can't find it anywhere in-game.
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    11 months ago

    @ladyxixi2000  The problem is that some of the .package files could be outdated or nonworking independent of your system.  If I knew which files were a problem for you, I could test them on my machines too, but that doesn't help you if you don't know which files to test.

    Please also let me know whether OneDrive is running on this system, and if so, whether you want it gone or just not interfering with Sims 3.  I have a guide that covers the various options here:

    https://answers.ea.com/t5/PC/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-4-saves-user-content-disappearing-PC/m-p/12475370

    OneDrive syncing could mess with your mods, and other user data, including preventing some but not all mods and cc from working at any given time.

  • ladyxixi2000's avatar
    ladyxixi2000
    11 months ago
    @puzzlezaddict I ran into the problem of Microsoft holding all my CC hostage when I ran out of space in the cloud 2 years ago. After negotiating their arcane system for 9 days, I finally 1) got my stuff back without buying a SUBSCRIPTION of 1GB, and 2) how to both exclude my documents folder from OneDrive and how to disable OneDrive completely. I will say anytime I buy a new device (which forces me to sign into my microsoft account before it will even start up) OneDrive in the new device will then turn OneDrive back on in all my others, so I dread upgrading things because they've made it all quite the headache. Also why I haven't upgraded to 11, I know it's gonna be a huge pain in the *, and as I'm going more than full time at school, and also do my clinical rounds i've decided everything at home can go hang, lol.

    My computer has rejected me, and everything has gotten even weirder! I don't even believe what's going on! used Delphys to re-scan everything again, and then delt with the conflicts (which took forever cuz I want to keep everything) Then I moved all merge files out, and started adding package files a little at a time. I also went thru and started deleting duplicates, stuff I don't want anymore, etc. I found a ton of saved .Sims that I think I attempted to stupidly load through the game launcher years ago, and decided to give them a go, after double checking how to install .Sims files. Now I'm missing random things and my female Sim is blotchy-black from head to toe, her husband is fine. Everyone is fine, except for her. I decided to check on any skins, and realized I only have one, and i wasn't even using it on her. The same color selected for her hubby in CAS works...for him and everyone but her.

    I think I'm going to scrap it all and start over 🙂 at this point, it's FUBAR.
    Can you help me out with just one more thing? Can you tell me which site to go to for Delphy's because mine will find nothing wrong with any file no matter which folder I have it scan. I know there are conflicts in the folders prior to yesterday, but it was a couple days after the last time I scanned. so I think It went bad somehow.
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    11 months ago

    @ladyxixi2000  Delphy's Dashboard misses a lot of conflicts and can flag some that aren't true conflicts.  It's a helpful first step in finding problems but isn't reliable enough to be the only tool you use.  There's no substitute for testing yourself.

    Still, if you want to redownload it, this is the source:

    https://modthesims.info/d/387006/sims-3-dashboard-tool-updated-1st-july-2022-v1-3-8217-25892.html

    It's also very possible that a file was corrupted and isn't working in-game for one reason or another.  Third-party tools aren't necessarily going to catch that either.

    For the female sim, does a different skin work on her?  Does this skin work on a different female sim in the same age stage?  If you're over it, that's fine, but if you want to try once more, I'd suggest changing her skin, saving/quitting/reloading, and trying the original skin again, that is if it works on other female sims.

    For the .sim files, you don't need to install them through the launcher.  Just drop them into SavedSims, or create that folder if it doesn't already exist.

    In the future, I'd suggest testing every new cc item in a clean user folder first, making sure it works on the sims it should and that it doesn't show up for or corrupt other sims.  That way, you can identify problems before they get anywhere near your main saves.

    As for OneDrive, if you set up Windows with no internet connection, you should be able to skip linking your Microsoft account.  Even if not, linking one device should have no effect on any other device that isn't also linked to that account.  Even Windows can't sync settings across devices if those devices don't appear to be owned by the same person.

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