And now things seem really messed up.

I stupidly updated to Patch 1.69.43.024017 because I thought that might fix certain textures. (I read it on the Innernet.) I backed up my Mods and Save games (at least I had the brains to do that!), but did not remove them before the update.

Now I can't get that Mods folder back in there. Not parts of it. Not one file of it. Nothing. I get the dreaded black screen.

I CC-Cleaned, experimented with doing a 50/50 (I initially thought the update broke something in my CC), tried moving the missingdepx.ipx folder to desktop (did NOT delete it ... just moved it, and I've moved it back), deleted the four safe cache files. Though the game claims it didn't recognize my graphics card, my info is correct in Notepad, so I have no idea what is going on here. It LOOKS OK in the game (except for those clothing textures, which I was originally trying to fix.) Also, my settings are just fine in the game, and my FPS is at 60 as well. At least that's good. After getting that message about the video card, I was extremely concerned that the game erased the settings. I have not received the same message on subsequent loads.

I know I made a really stupid mistake, but this is frustrating. EA, I'd like my packages back, please! My downloads folder works just fine, by the way. The good news (?) is that the main problem seems isolated to the Mods folder. The only thing I can think of right now is to somehow reinstall the resource.cfg file and force a new Mods folder. But I am so green to Sims 3 that I don't think I'd attempt that unless I knew it was Ok to do.

If I rename the Mods folder and leave it in there, the game is fine with it, though I don't get the CC, of course. So the presence of the package files in the game don't seem to affect it. I have not downloaded ANY user-made Sims, so that's not the problem. I have not downloaded a Sim at all, so it's not a Saved Sim issue. (Yes. I do read the Game Help tips. )

Since I have the Sims 3 Starter Pack (Base game, Late NIght and High End Loft Stuff), and it came out in 2012, I do have that on Origin. My other EPs and SPs are on disks. Windows 7, NVIDIA GTX 950. I'd prefer not to reinstall, if humanly possible.

And if there is a way to optimize clothing textures, I would appreciate that as well. But first things first! Thanks!

And from now on, even if those clothes are looking like an Impressionist painting, I'm not touching updates unless forced to. Ever.

Were you merely patching up from 1.67 to 1.69? I've heard of saves getting corrupted in the process and I've heard of game folders themselves, something about their structure, getting compromised, which is why it's a best practice to pull them out first. But I've never before heard of damage being done to the content itself by way of a patch like that.

Can you start up a new game on a clean game folder now, that is if you pull out your entire TS3 folder from Documents entirely and let a fresh one with no content at all spawn in its place? All EP/SPs working? On the graphics card and FPS question, note that Patch 1.69 uses TS3.exe for an executable. Patches 1.67 and below used TS3w.exe (with the "w"), so if you are relying on something like an Nvidia control panel to select between dual cards and/or limit frame rates, that has to be adjusted for the "new".exe file.

If all of the above eventually checks out in vanilla-world, it sounds like your best way forward is to declare your current game folder a disaster area and begin the process of rebuilding the new one with a redo install of all your sims3pack store and custom content, worlds, saved sims, and library files, redo the framework, put your package files back in maybe a fraction at a time and test for issues. Note that core mods in particular (there are only five of them in popular usage, see the link below) will need updating to 1.69 versions, the rest will not need any changes. Then finally, maybe your prior saves.
http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Patch+1.69

From what you have described, you do not have a path back to 1.67 with or without reinstalling. Any reinstall that involves Origin in any way will bring you back to 1.69. In order to reinstall and stay on 1.67, you must have an all-disc installation with the base game disc in particular having been produced before Sept 2012; a Steam installation; or be playing the Mac version of the game.

Finally, though it's not your most pressing concern as you said, I don't get the entire texture thing. Patch 1.69 did not change a thing about gameplay over 1.67. It only changed the way in which the game launches.

Well, that's what I get for following stuff on the Internet without double-verifying it.

I had Patch 1.69 before. This is apparently an update to that patch. The game starts fine with a renamed Mods folder, and has no issue with the Downloads folder. My save appears fine. My Sim in the last save is right where I left her.

It's just that the Mods folder named as Mods that is causing the problem. Right now, I've renamed it to Mods1234, and the game launches fine. I do not have dual cards.

Is it possible to uninstall (hopefully, that means just pull out the Mods folder) and try the resource.cfg file again? I'm thinking that the Mods folder itself is corrupted. I also have one from a backup. I could try that, I suppose. Be right back! Since my current Mods folder is already renamed, it oughtn't cause problems. The only problem is that I reorganized the Mods folder since then, and might have to re-organize, but maybe not. This would be an easy solution. Let me try the easiest ones first!

EDIT ... Nope. My backup Mods folder doesn't work either, which is making me think the resource.cfg file got messed up with the update somehow.

Patch 1.69 was released three times, in November 2015 then a couple of refreshes in January 2016. The Patch numbers were 1.69.36, 1.69.42, and 1.69.43 respectively, the rest of the digits do not matter. Collectively we refer to them all as "Patch 1.69." You can't get the older two anymore anyway.

Yes, you can totally remove your entire Mods folder and replace it with a fresh one, including a fresh Resource.cfg. Or a stale one, whatever is more convenient to try first I guess. It's all hot-swappable.


Edit: So forget much of what I said prior and rebuild your framework.
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...Setup_and_Files

Well, of course I'll back up first, because it's what we always tell people. I guess I just pull the Mods folders out? There is no reinstalling process, correct? Perhaps a CC Clean and registry check to see if there are any stray files. Delete those four safe Sims cache files, too. Will that need my backup Save folders, too? I had a lot of sliders in the game. I'm not sure if her features were affected.

But it's really early in the AM here, and I'll have to do this later. I'll let you know what happens later. Thanks so far!

My hope would be that once the Mods folder is in there, see if the game works with a blank one, then put the package folders back in there, bit by bit.

Mods are "installed" just by being there and clearing the caches. There is no process beyond that and the registry is not involved in any way. Again, the entire Mods folder can be removed or swapped out with another one at any time. The framework I linked to comes with two small sample mods, NoIntroMovie and NoBuildSparkles that will tell you if the new Mods folder is working before you put any real content in it.

I couldn't resist, so I gave it a try,

When the mods folder had just the two samples, the game loaded but I got the black screen when I exited out without saving. I could not get out of the black screen, so I had to end the process.

When I put other packages in, though, I got the black screen again when loading. I tried taking them out, leaving in just a few overrides. Nothing. Renamed the mods folder again. The game loads fine, but you don't have the packages in the game. I know some people have mentioned that this newest patch did nasty things to Sims 4. I wonder if some of it seeped into Sims 3; if the patch messed up the resource.cfg folder itself. If so, I might have to see if there is an update to that folder soon. I have read a couple of posts elsewhere that had problems specifically with this specific recent update, as opposed to other updates, but they don't seem as widespread as when 1.69 came out in the first place:

https://simsvip.com/2016/01/11/the-...uary-11th-2016/

It's quite possible I've held off on the last Sims 3 update for a few months. Maybe that's why I haven't been seeing problems until now. I see others had similar problems with it earlier in the year. My policy had been if the game worked, don't mess with it. I can't believe I now miss those blurry textures! (Well, I did have a partner in misery a few months ago: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=582755 . This gives me hope. Maybe someone can figure out what happened here, too! I'm a little luckier, I guess. I can at least play the game with no CC.

This last update is a fairly new update, so perhaps people weren't stupid enough to bite yet ... unlike yours truly.

I'm ready to go play more Sims 2 at this point! :\. And I will hold out on the Sims 4 update as long as humanly possible.

The black screen for several minutes on exiting without saving is normal for many of us. Not sure exactly why it happens, some have theorized it has to do with FeaturedItems, but it always resolves for me and the program quits properly eventually. Can take up to five or six minutes, though that's a bit unusual. I'm always in windowed mode when I quit, so I just minimize the program to the taskbar and do something else (or walk away) while it's sitting there not appearing to do anything.

For the black screen on loading, are you sure the program is crashing? Maybe, just a thought, you aren't waiting long enough for things to happen even though they seem to be stalled? Have you tried taking Origin offline and loading with no intention of logging in at the Launcher level?

There have been no changes to TS3 from EA whatsoever since January 2016. Origin yes, but that's another story altogether.

At least I finally got a message now.

I got the dreaded black screen, went downstairs and did the dishes. When I came back, I found the game had crashed to desktop, and I got this message:

"It looks like you installed an unofficial game modification that does not match your current version of The Sims 3 blah blah blah."

Well, at least we know now that it's not a loading issue. It's definitely something with the mod folder. The problem is, even if I put one piece of CC in there, I'm getting problems (the long black screen at the end when I re-did the reconfig file. It was much, much longer than the usual black screen I got).

I can try doing the reconfig again, trying it with the two sample mods again, and try with just a few pieces of clothing this time. What gives me concern is that I tried this twice before; putting in everything but any mods or modded items. I still got the black screen issue. And the game was working 100% before this update.

I'm going to sound like a dummy here, but this was a Sims 3 update. I didn't get the usual nagging I get when Origin in general has to update. Usually, I can't bypass this at all. And since I got the game after Patch 1.69 came out, everything is patched for that. I did not have 1.67 at any time (wish I did now). It seems I will have to do a lot of research as well and see if anyone had problems with specific mods and CC that was properly patched for 1.69, but later gave their games issues.

Problem is, the game's clothing textures still look blurry after this! I can see why some people give up in disgust with Sims 3 and 4, particularly when Origin is involved. Origin is evil.

"It looks like you installed an unofficial game modification that does not match your current version of The Sims 3..."

This message should only ever appear if you have a core mod not intended for Patch 1.69. There are only five TS3 core mods in popular usage.

NRaas ErrorTrap (versions for each patch level available)
NRaas UntranslatedKey (no update, but this one is really for developers)
CMarNYC's XCAS (versions for each patch level available)
Consort's 2XWeight/Fitness (versions for each patch level available)
AwesomeMod - there is no version for 1.69, as far as I know

That is where I'll do the most research. I have the Error Trap one and perhaps the XCAS (I'd have to look this up).

I've put the Mods folder to desktop again, and will boot up that resource file one more time to start a new one. Make sure I have all expansions and that the update didn't do anything to the custom content in the game.

What was odd about this Sims 3 update is that for some reason, it unchecked my EP/SP games in the list, and I got a plain Sims 3 shortcut. For a while, I couldn't even run the game properly at all, and it took a few tries to get the game to accept all the EPs and SPs and KEEP them checked. Then I got a message that the game didn't recognize my video card, which cleared up the next time I used the game. I've done many a patch for all three series, and never saw THIS much hassle with a patch update.

And to the person who disagreed ... if there is anything anyone missed, please write what it is. A "disagree" is not going to help any here. (Unless you're disagreeing that it's a really stupid mistake. This whole stupid update was a mistake, IMO!)

The EP/SP Pack Chooser on the Patch 1.69 Launcher itself, once you get that far, "forgets" the packs checked off for a lot of players. Those have to be looked at every time before starting up.

This is the current version of ErrorTrap for Patch 1.69: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/ErrorTrap+Patch169
This is where the current version of XCAS for 1.69, alongside a couple for Steam that wouldn't apply here, can be found: http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=434270

Well, I've been combing through my files. The good news is that since I still haven't played Sims 3 all that much (about 4 -5 hours a month), and I haven't really looked into downloads all that much, my folder is far, far smaller than Sims 2. The bad news is that it seems that the update doesn't like where I put one file. I had it in the Overrides folder, since it WAS an override, and the game thought it was fine there until the update. The good news is that for some reason, the game is OK with the file in Packages so fine. That's its new home.

The good news is that I don't get the black loading screen when I start initially now. The bad news is that I get an error message when I go into my household. But at least I'm making progress! Years of playing Sims 2 makes me think it's similar to Sims 3 in that if you get a message upon loading a household, it's either a CC file, a corrupted lot or a corrupted Sim. The File Formerly in Overrides is not causing the issue. I've already ruled that one out.

The good news is that the folder that seems to have the offending file has only about a dozen or so files. I just haven't been able to get to it yet since life has a habit of interfering, and right now, someone is on my gaming computer, and my glaring at the back of his head to hurry up and finish what he's doing isn't working.

But a dozen files is not terrible. I have folders in Sims 2 that have far, far more files, and my total number of Downloads files there exceeds 20,000. I don't even have 200 files in Sims 3! A folder with a dozen files SHOULD be a piece of cake next to my Sims 2 when doing 50/50s (looks balefully at EA). Should be. Ought to be.

As for blurry clothing textures, I think I need to realize a couple of things:

1. My 950 GT card probably won't get the texture detail of a 970 card, no matter how much I hope.
2. It seems Sims 3 has another similarity to Sims 2. There was an earlier period in Sims 2 where textures were just horrid. After creators learned better techniques for making clothing, the textures improved. My Sentate Sims 3 dresses have very little blurriness in my game. (Sentate made great Sims 2 clothing too, and I see some nice ones for Sims 4).Like Sims 2, new creators also may have issues with blurriness as they learn the ropes.

I'm not sure why the Maxis clothing seems somewhat blurry, but when someone claiming to have a similar problem posted a picture on the officials, the posters said it was not a problem. I have read of a couple of HARMLESS things to try. I can give them a shot later. But I may have to live with the clothing, and now that I'm looking at it and after all of this, it doesn't look that bad!

I'll edit this post when I find the second culprit. One down, one to go.

EDIT ... Found the second culprit. The initial loading looked fine ... fingers crossed. Thank you so much for your assistance!

For future reference perhaps, in TS3 the Overrides folder is for when a player has two mods that would otherwise attempt to affect the same game resources so as to impact the load order. When a developer instructs us to put their mod in Overrides, that should be the only time to do so. I have easily over 1,100 package files by now and have only 2 things in Overrides (both happen to be mods by Arsil). It's a pretty unusual instruction to be given.

It's not for things like default CAS part replacements, that's a different use of the term "override."

It's possible that in the earliest days, I mistook someone saying this mod is an override as an instruction to put it in Overrides. There is a thread on the TS2 forums about stupid things we did as newbies to the game. This is something I can add here in six months or so.

Again, igazor, thank you so much for your help!