preparing to download dlc

@noescape5964  The way the Steam tie-in has always worked is that you need to install the base game from Steam, download all your Steam-owned packs there, then sign into Origin, or now the EA App, and download your EA-bought packs.  Then the game should launch from Steam with all packs available.

I understand you launch the game from the EA App, but did you install it using the App, Origin, or Steam?  If not Steam, are you saying that you have other Steam-owned packs that do show up even though you're not using Steam to play?  That would be a change from how things have always worked before, so please let me know either way.

I originally had my Sims 4 completely through EA, installed and launched. I do not like the way EA does their purchases with making me go through the whole purchase process for every single pack I want and no add-to-cart feature. Since my fiance's Sims game is 100% through steam and I would be gifting him some packs as well, I figured I would just transfer my game over to steam to make the whole process simple. So I downloaded Sims through steam, purchased my 3 packs, and installed them. When I launched Sims via Steam, the home page showed me as owning all of my previously owned packs, plus the 3 new ones I just bought. However, when I clicked to resume on my save game, it told me I did not have all of the EA-purchased packs. I contacted support and they said all packs, EA and steam ones showed as active in my account and had no idea why I am having an issue.

I tried launching via EA and it told me I didn't have to required packs: the ones bought on Steam. So I completely uninstalled Sims and tried redownloading it fresh and that is when I got stuck on "Preparing to Download" the 3 packs bought via Steam.

I have done all of the troubleshooting steps EA gave me; none of those steps fixed my issue.

Edit to add: Origin has been completely laid to rest for me. My current version of Sims is fully EA and I no longer have the Origin app even on my computer

I managed to get it working. For anyone else stuck on this, here is what I did step-by-step:

Just downloading Sims via Steam is not enough. You must *in this order*:

1. Completely uninstall ALL Sims content from all sources, make a back up of saves and mods just in case. (If you do not uninstall Sims through EA, it will not work correctly after downloading and launching the Steam version via steam, my 1st hang up)

2. Install base game from Steam

3. Open the EA app and it will see Steam managed Sims base game

4. Now EA will give you the option to download just the packs (If you try to do this before step 2, it will not let you download just the packs and will include base game as well as the packs. This is 2nd hang up I faced)

5. Once all EA packs are installed, you can then launch Sims via Steam and you *should* see and access all of your EA packs. If you have not purchased Steam packs before reading this, I recommend verifying that your EA packs are working correctly when launched through steam before purchasing. Save yourself the stress

EA Support really should be educated on this so they can help instead of saying the same scripted "we have many players facing this same issue, please wait an unknown amount of time for a solution"