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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 11th Nov 2013 at 7:31 PM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Apartment Life
Default CC houses not showing in bin
Few days ago went on downloading spree here, but NONE of the houses show up in lot bin. Posted in "Random stupid questions" Mootilda asked:
"Do you have the correct EPs and SPs?" YES
"Are you using Clean Installer?" YES
"Do you have lots of stuff in the lot bin?" YES, but I've removed a lot of it. IS there a limit?
"Test with just one new download; try removing the Lot Catalog". I did these; the results are the same. When I tried to install (from the SimPac, checking only "lot") I get the same message "can't install because already exists".
Mootilda had explained this message (and my questions about 2 folders I had not noticed before, Teleport and Downloads, in the same place; i.e. Documents/Sims2):
"SimPacks are 1st put into the Teleport folder, when the game is run those files are combined into another format and put in the LotCatalog folder as package files. Your game is having problems convertin the files into the correct format, so they are left in the Teleport folder.

NOTE: I have been having other problems that I have discussed here and elsewhere, resulting in the concensus (?) that: my hard drive is damaged/dying or/and I have corrupted my INSTALLATION (in C-drive, not just the save-game files under Documents/etc).

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 11th Nov 2013 at 8:06 PM
Are you sure you have the right EP/SP for you may need a store edition also to use.

Put a link to one of the houses that does not show up and I will down load it and try to install and see what happens.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
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#3 Old 11th Nov 2013 at 9:47 PM
Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
"Do you have lots of stuff in the lot bin?" YES, but I've removed a lot of it. IS there a limit?
I have run into a problem with some limit at least once. It may depend upon your EPs. To create an empty LotCatalog, just move your existing LotCatalog to your desktop and then create an empty LotCatalog folder in your save game. If you don't create the empty LotCatalog, the game will create one for you and fill it with all of the shipped Lot Bin lots.

Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
"Test with just one new download; try removing the Lot Catalog". I did these; the results are the same. When I tried to install (from the SimPac, checking only "lot") I get the same message "can't install because already exists".
That message means that the file already exists in your Teleport folder. Remove everything from the Teleport folder, then try again. When you run the game and access the Lot Bin, the game should remove the files from your Teleport folder and create a new file in your LotCatalog folder. If this isn't happening, then there's a problem with the lot, with the installation technique, or with your game.

Note that you still haven't told us whether you're using the default installation, or whether you are specifying things manually. If you specify things manually, you can end up with files which are unusable.

Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
I have been having other problems that I have discussed here and elsewhere, resulting in the concensus (?) that: my hard drive is damaged/dying or/and I have corrupted my INSTALLATION (in C-drive, not just the save-game files under Documents/etc).
A corrupted installation could conceivably cause problems transferring the files from Teleport to the LotCatalog.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#4 Old 11th Nov 2013 at 11:52 PM Last edited by grammapat : 12th Nov 2013 at 12:38 AM.
I use default installation, with clean installer. I have all the needed packs. I did try removing contents of Teleport (& also the Downloads folder in same location) - did not fix. I also removed the LotCatalog with same results (and what does this do to lots already in game or in bin?)

But I will do as you suggest again, and link to the house ...
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=318361

Emptied Teleport folder (but not Download folder in same location)
Moved Lot catalog to desktop
Downloaded to desktop folder, moved this to Downloads/Lots and extracted there.
RESULT: house does NOT show in bin. Interesting though; game generated lots of lots I haven't seen in years, including 2 occupied lots.

I'm assuming that the in-game bin "gets full", not the Lot Catalog...correct? I've deleted many lots from the bin; I already didn't like the fact that I had to search through all the vacation, college, and community lots to find a house. I've kept their SimPack for when I want to build with those.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Mad Poster
#5 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 1:46 AM
When you removed the Lot Catalog folder to your desk top the game made a new one with all the org. houses.

Ok the house installed as it should and I have all EP's and SP's so the only thing I can think of is yes you have a dif. problem than just your game.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#6 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 1:53 AM
As in, my computer?

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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#7 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 2:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
Downloaded to desktop folder, moved this to Downloads/Lots and extracted there.
Do not name a folder "Lots" (or any other name already used by the game). It may conflict with the Lots subfolder for the neighborhood and may be confusing the game.

It doesn't make sense to place the Sims2Pack files into your save game, since they are extraneous to the game and will just slow down loading. Just install directly from the desktop to the default location for lots.

Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
I'm assuming that the in-game bin "gets full", not the Lot Catalog...correct? I've deleted many lots from the bin; I already didn't like the fact that I had to search through all the vacation, college, and community lots to find a house. I've kept their SimPack for when I want to build with those.
I haven't done the research required to find out exactly where the limit exists. All that I know is that I tried installing a large number of lots and they wouldn't show up until I emptied some of the other lots in the Bin.

However, it seems likely that the limit is not an O/S limit, but a game limit.
Mad Poster
#8 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 2:27 PM
Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
As in, my computer?


Yes as in your computer, you already said you were told your computer or hard drive is not working as it should.

Try this, delete that new "LotCatalog" folder and make a new folder in there called "LotCatalog" just like the org. one and this way it should be empty when you start up your game then stop your game and install 1 of the lots you downloaded and start up your game again and see if the worked.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
Mad Poster
#9 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 2:30 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Mootilda
Do not name a folder "Lots" (or any other name already used by the game). It may conflict with the Lots subfolder for the neighborhood and may be confusing the game.

It doesn't make sense to place the Sims2Pack files into your save game, since they are extraneous to the game and will just slow down loading. Just install directly from the desktop to the default location for lots.

I haven't done the research required to find out exactly where the limit exists. All that I know is that I tried installing a large number of lots and they wouldn't show up until I emptied some of the other lots in the Bin.

However, it seems likely that the limit is not an O/S limit, but a game limit.


As in the "Lots" folder I used the same way she did and it should have read as "LotCatalog" folder instead.

And to grammapat
Quote: Originally posted by grammapat
NOTE: I have been having other problems that I have discussed here and elsewhere, resulting in the concensus (?) that: my hard drive is damaged/dying or/and I have corrupted my INSTALLATION (in C-drive, not just the save-game files under Documents/etc).

until you get this fixed then it will be hard to help you for it may just be you computer is not able to do the game the right way.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
Site Helper
#10 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 5:55 PM
Do not have a folder named "Downloads\Lots". Do not have a folder named "Downloads\LotCatalog" either. Never use an existing name for a subfolder of Downloads. That's likely your problem.

If I were you, I would rule out all other problems before worrying about your hardware.
Mad Poster
#11 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 8:53 PM
Mootilda I think you are reading more in to this tread than what has been posted.

Who said any thing about having a lots folder in downloads. I have not read any where in this tread about a lot folder in downloads.

What has been said is she remove her LotCatalog folder to her desk top and let the game make a new one but her problem is still there.

I said delete that new "LotCatalog" folder and make one her self so it would remain empty to be able to try another install of 1 of the lots.

As you can see in post #8, no one said any thing about make one for the downloads folder.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#12 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 9:04 PM Last edited by grammapat : 12th Nov 2013 at 9:29 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Mootilda
Do not name a folder "Lots" (or any other name already used by the game). It may conflict with the Lots subfolder for the neighborhood and may be confusing the game.

It doesn't make sense to place the Sims2Pack files into your save game, since they are extraneous to the game and will just slow down loading. Just install directly from the desktop to the default location for lots.

I haven't done the research required to find out exactly where the limit exists. All that I know is that I tried installing a large number of lots and they wouldn't show up until I emptied some of the other lots in the Bin.

However, it seems likely that the limit is not an O/S limit, but a game limit.


THANKS! So the Downloads sub-folder "Lots", where I keep the SimPack AND all the xtras that would otherwise just be loose in the Downloads folder (messy) - I will rename the folder and leave all those extra things (CC and ?) in Downloads (on the assumption that the game DOES need those). The SimPacks I will remove to a desk-top folder, which I already have with all those Vacation/Uni/ Community SimPacks. I have deleted all of those from the in-game lot bin in effort to clear up some space. It just means next time I want to build with any of those lots I will have to re-install.
============================
PS I also just noticed THIS--in Documents/EA/there are 3 folders: Downloads, Teleport, & Sims 2.
Frankly I don't remember the 1st 2 folders BEING here.
If I open Sims2, there is my regular Downloads folder (as usual) and I also notice a folder "Teleport" - inside is only one thing "lot-{numbers and letters}.xml".
Is this arrangement of folders correct? If so, what is the SECOND Teleport folder (under Sims2)?

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Mad Poster
#13 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 10:08 PM
Quote:
PS I also just noticed THIS--in Documents/EA/there are 3 folders: Downloads, Teleport, & Sims 2.
Frankly I don't remember the 1st 2 folders BEING here.
If I open Sims2, there is my regular Downloads folder (as usual) and I also notice a folder "Teleport" - inside is only one thing "lot-{numbers and letters}.xml".
Is this arrangement of folders correct? If so, what is the SECOND Teleport folder (under Sims2)?

No it should only be "The Sims 2".

Quote:
It just means next time I want to build with any of those lots I will have to re-install.


You could always make a empty hood and place all "empty" houses in there and when not needed you can just move that hood to the desk top and the next time you need one of the house just put the hood back in and you can move the house you want to the bin and replace a copy back in and then you now have the house in the bin to place where you want it. After placing the house in the hood then just delete it from the bin.
When you stop that playing just remove that house holding hood for safe keeping to your desk top.
This way you can see what the house looks like in a hood and maybe you change your mind on that house and want the one next door.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
Site Helper
#14 Old 12th Nov 2013 at 11:38 PM Last edited by Mootilda : 13th Nov 2013 at 12:15 AM.
If you want to keep your zip and Sims2Pack files, a reasonable location would be Documents\EA Games\Downloads (or anywhere on your hard drive, other than in the Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 folder and subfolders). The game won't read things in Documents\EA Games unless it's under the "The Sims 2" subfolder. Anything under Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 will be read by the game. Extraneous files like zip and Sims2Pack files will just slow down your game loading, without giving any benefit.

Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 should have both your Downloads and Teleport folders. If those folders are one level up (Documents\EA Games), then that may explain your problem. Take a look at the default location when installing a lot. If it isn't your Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Teleport folder, then please give us the actual path. The default path for the Clean Installer can be modified so that your installs will work properly in the future.

As I explained above, it's important to be careful about the names of subfolders in your Downloads folder. Try to avoid any of the folder names that are already in use inside of Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2.

Quote: Originally posted by marka93
Mootilda I think you are reading more in to this tread than what has been posted. Who said any thing about having a lots folder in downloads. I have not read any where in this tread about a lot folder in downloads.
Just re-read the thread. You'll find the references to the "Downloads\Lots" folder. I agree that we are working at cross-purposes in this thread. Since this may be related to the Clean Installer, perhaps you should leave this one to me, unless I run out of ideas.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#15 Old 13th Nov 2013 at 12:45 AM
Mootilda, can you comment about the files in EA: Sims2, Downloads, and Teleport? Marka seems to say the same thing I THOUGHT; that in the folder EA there should only be Sims2. And then there is the SECOND Teleport folder I mentioned. And yes, it sometimes does get confusing having people telling you different things, especially when you don't understand what someone is saying.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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#16 Old 13th Nov 2013 at 1:16 AM
That's correct. The game will ignore anything in Documents\EA Games, except for the "The Sims 2" subfolder. Therefore, anything in those folders (Documents\EA Games\Downloads and Documents\EA Games\Teleport) will not be seen by the game. That may be your problem.

Please find the default location where your lots are being installed, by looking at the path in the second window in the Clean Installer. IF it is your Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Teleport folder, then that is correct. However, if it is your Documents\EA Games\Teleport folder, then we will need to fix your save game path.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#17 Old 13th Nov 2013 at 6:22 PM Last edited by grammapat : 13th Nov 2013 at 7:35 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Mootilda
That's correct. The game will ignore anything in Documents\EA Games, except for the "The Sims 2" subfolder. Therefore, anything in those folders (Documents\EA Games\Downloads and Documents\EA Games\Teleport) will not be seen by the game. That may be your problem.

Please find the default location where your lots are being installed, by looking at the path in the second window in the Clean Installer. IF it is your Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Teleport folder, then that is correct. However, if it is your Documents\EA Games\Teleport folder, then we will need to fix your save game path.


An Ah HA! moment. Those 2 folder WERE NOT in the Documents folder there before!
QUESTION: Should I delete the 2 extra folders inside EA Games - Downloads & Teleport?
I DID have a problem after lots of computer work was done by Geek Squad; the Clean Installer path to the Downloads folder was NOT AVAILABLE, but they found it. I suspect THIS problem is the same "route loss". BUT I can now open Clean Installer (to look at Downloads stuff) and the route goes to my Download folder, so is there a SECOND route for it to open SimPacks? And does it matter if I install them from my desktop, or when I "save to" should I be sending them to my Downloads, and install from THERE? (Note, I actually USED to "save to" the Downloads sub-folder "Lots", then create another sub-folder just for that SimPack, just so all the extra stuff would not be loose in my Download folder - although sometimes I still would find lots of stray stuff I would have to move. AND YES, I have renamed that "Lots" folder.)
Going to look for route..
DDon't know what THIS means: [b[IF[/b]. Were you trying to attach something? Don't know what you mean by "second window" in SimPack. When I open SimPack there is only a "choose directory" drop-down; it contains Downloads, Lot Catalog, Saved Sims, TELEPORT, and Browse. These are all Item in the same list (inside the Sims2 folder), so I'm thinking the route IS correct, but the PRIOR Teleport folder IN THE WRONG PLACE (in the EA folder) is "snatching" the SimPack and preventing it from going to the correct Teleport folder.
I'm going to try deleting those 2 folders (wherever did they GET there!?) in the same place as the Sim2 folder.

CRAPOLA! I again installed a SimPack (did it while it was in Download folder. Checked Teleport folder INSIDE Sims2; one XML document is there.Ran game: house DOES NOT APPEAR. Went back to where SIms2 folder is: THAT DAMNED TELEPORT FOLDER HAS REGENERATED

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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#18 Old 13th Nov 2013 at 10:25 PM Last edited by Mootilda : 13th Nov 2013 at 10:51 PM.
The first thing that you need to do is to answer my question. Where is the Clean Installer trying to install the files?

When you install a lot file, the Clean Installer will display a window with the lot and CC information. Then, you choose what you want to install and click on the Install button. At that point, the Clean Installer displays a second window, which includes the full path to the installation location (see attached picture). We need to see that installation location in order to determine whether the installation location is correct. You can copy the text by selecting it, holding down the <ctrl> key, and then typing the C key. Then, paste that string into your post. Alternatively, a screenshot may answer the question.

After seeing that path, we may be able to solve your problem. Then, we can discuss what to do with existing folders that are not currently being used by the game.

My recommendation is that you don't save the zip or Sims2Pack files inside of your Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 folder. Anywhere else on your hard drive is fine. My suggestion is that you create a folder for your zip and Sims2Pack files inside of Documents\EA Games. That way, they'll be easy to find, but they won't affect the time that it takes to load the game.

Note that the installation location for CC is not dependent on the location of the zip or Sims2Pack files. Instead, the Clean Installer asks your system registry where to find the save game. If the registry is returning the wrong information, then there is a way to tell the Clean Installer where your save game is. However, first we need to know whether this is the problem.
Screenshots
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#19 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 1:14 AM Last edited by grammapat : 14th Nov 2013 at 1:40 AM.
I misunderstood your directions to "find the path in the second window of clean installer". I clicked on the Clean Installer ICON and described where THAT goes... now I understand you wanted me to dbl click on the SimPack...odd I never noticed what this "install" window SAYS.

I do see a problem: MINE says:C:\Users\Patricia\Documents\EA Games\\Teleport\
Your pic shows the correct path as "..\EAGames\TheSims2\Teleport\"

But I can't change what it says!

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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#20 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 1:56 AM
Yes, it looks like the Clean Installer is getting the wrong information from the registry. Instead of "The Sims 2", it's getting an empty string.

To fix this, find your Clean Installer installation folder (possibly C:\Program Files\Sims2Pack Clean Installer). Find your S2PCI.ini file. Open that file in Notepad. Change the line:
SaveGamePath=""
to
SaveGamePath="C:\Users\Patricia\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2"

Save the file (don't use Save As, because that will change the file extension).

Now, try installing the lot again and tell us what you see in the second Clean Installer window, and whether you can find the lot in the Lot Bin.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#21 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 2:10 AM Last edited by grammapat : 14th Nov 2013 at 3:02 AM.
I will attempt this. If it makes any difference, this happened after installation of M&G; I just read an old thread about the same problem.

Done as instructed. Question: those extra 2 folders (Downloads & Teleport) have regenerated themselves in the same place where The Sims2 shows. I will delete them (again!)
Testing in game...no house showing.
What I find is: in Documents there are NOW 3 folders named EA Games! My computer always generates a folder named this, with one folder inside named Sims2 - which is empty..
The working EA Games/TheSIms2/Teleport folder is empty.
THE NEW EA Games/The Sims2/ONLY has one folder -Teleport, which has 4 files.
So something is still wrong with the pathway.
I'm wondering if I can change the name of the computer-generated bogus duplicate, like "The Sims2a" will that trick it into NOT generating a bogus folder? Then again, if this second Sims2 folder confused the pathway, I would have expected it to create a Teleport folder HERE...I don't think Installer would have caused computer to generate new EA Games and Sims2 folders!

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Site Helper
#22 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 3:07 AM
What path is shown in the Clean Installer when you install now? Is the path fixed, or is it still missing "The Sims 2"?

If the path isn't fixed, could you zip and attach your S2PCI.ini file?

Is it possible that the change to the INI file didn't take? Windows Vista, 7, and possibly 8 have controls on the Program Files folder and may undo any changes that you make there, unless you turn off UAC.

I assume that you are aware that spaces in file names are actually important. You must type in the exact path, not just an approximation. If you have three EA Games folders, are they spelled exactly the same?
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#23 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 3:34 AM Last edited by grammapat : 14th Nov 2013 at 4:01 AM.
Looks like I did the "correction" wrong, and Installer CREATED folders named the same - the spacing is wrong. Will redo.

And VOILA! it is fixed!

Now the question is -- what caused this? I installed M&G. I tried to run Clean Installer (to look at downloads) and could not correct the source path. I had a tec fixing stuff via remote control, and he managed to fix THAT path; I didn't realize that the OTHER path (to install SimPacks) was ALSO borked.
M&G would do this? OR just ANOTHER sign that my computer is blowing up...
Waste of money to take it in; they've said if hard drive going they won't really be able to tell me anything. And I want to do some upgrades that will require, basically, a new motherboard=a new computer. And don't have money right now.
So even if this is another sign of impending doom, I will continue to try to work through problems.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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#24 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 5:03 AM
Excellent! I'm so sorry that it took so long to find the problem.

I honestly don't know what caused the problem. I suspect that the registry entries have changed because of the operating system or type of computer or something, but I need someone who understands how to find keys in the registry to help me to determine where to find the entry needed by the Clean Installer.

In any case, I don't believe that this is a problem with your computer, but a problem with an update from either Microsoft or EA which moves the registry entry from its normal location.

So, my suggestion is that you just remove all of the excess folders. However, if there are things that you want to keep, you can copy the contents of those excess folders into the correct folders in your save game, then delete the excess folders. Hopefully, they won't respawn anymore.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#25 Old 14th Nov 2013 at 6:00 AM
I should have suspected the source of the problem, since the Installer was no longer able to find my Downloads folder (& I could NOT change it) a tech fixed it, but I didn't THINK about the fact that Installer uses a second path to install SimPacks! There is only one "excess folder", the empty duplicate that this machine insists on spawning (I've read about it before). I actually had to change settings to DISALLOW automatic updates; my NVidia card was updated and THAT caused black squares under Sims; had to undo the update.
Thanks again, your Helpfulness.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
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