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retired moderator
Original Poster
#1 Old 17th Dec 2009 at 4:20 PM Last edited by ellacharm3d : 25th Feb 2010 at 4:30 AM.

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Showtime, Supernatural, Seasons, University Life
Default Launcher/Sims3Packs not working after installing patch 1.8/2.3 or later? Look in here!
Issues
  1. Missing previously installed content in-game? Go here.
  2. Cannot start Launcher to install new content ?
    • You get a "Done" status but no Installed icon and no content in-game or in Installed content tab. Go here or here.
    • You cannot even start Launcher - get "Sims3Launcher has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience" error. Go here
    • You cannot even start Launcher - get a "Service Initialization Failed (0xHEXCODES)" error. Reinstall.
  3. Cannot start game via Launcher? Go here.



Missing previously installed content in-game
It seems that some people are losing custom content that was installed via the launcher (sims3packs) after installing the 1.8/2.3 patch. Please remember to backup your files before attempting this fix.

The Simple instructions
  1. Alter your resource.cfg file to accept dbc files with this line "PackedFile Mods/DCCache/*.dbc",
  2. Create DCCache in \Mods\ folder, if not already existing,
  3. Copy your .dbc file(s) from \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache\ into your \Mods\DCCache\ folder, and
  4. Copy your Riverview.world file from \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\InstalledWorlds\ into your
    • \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\NonPackaged\Worlds\ or
    • \Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\NonPackaged\Worlds\

  • Note (i): If you have the new MonkeyBars framework installer, this line already exists in the Resource.cfg file and a folder for the *.dbc files has already been created and you can paste it there instead.
  • Note (ii): If you have a lot of custom content in your game, you may have more than one .dbc file in your \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache\ folder. Copy all files that end in the extension .dbc . For example: dcdb0.dbc, dcdb1.dbc, dcdb2.dbc, etc.
  • ETA Note (iii): If your Riverview saves become disabled (grayed out), delete the .world file from the \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\InstalledWorlds\ path, from this thread.

More detailed instructions:
  1. Start Notepad

  2. Open your Resource.cfg. It should be in either
    • \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\ or
    • \Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\
  3. If you cannot see the file, select "All Files" from the File type dropdown


  4. Add the line:
    Quote:
    PackedFile Mods/DCCache/*.dbc
    Note (i): If you have the new MonkeyBars framework installer, this line already exists in the Resource.cfg file
    Note (ii): While you have this file open, check that the last line has an asterisk in the position circled in the picture. This affects old versions of the file


  5. Save the file. You need to do a "Save As" and then under the Save As type dropdown, select All Files, then Save.
    Note (iii): If you have Vista/Win-7 Operating System, and you get permission errors, copy it out to Desktop, edit it there and copy it back
    Note (iv): If you don't do a "Save As", the file will be saved as a .txt file
  6. Navigate to
    • \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\ or
    • \Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\
  7. Create DCCache in \Mods\ folder, if not already existing


  8. Go to Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache\ and copy all the .dbc file(s) you have.
  9. Paste it in
    • \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\DCCache\ or
    • \Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\DCCache\



    i.e. wherever you installed your .package files - if you maintain your CC in WA, copy them to \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Mods\DCCache path.
    Note (v): If you have the new MonkeyBar framework installer, a folder for the *.dbc files has already been created and you can paste it there instead.
    Note (vi): If you have a lot of custom content in your game, you may have more than one .dbc file in your \The Sims 3\DCCache folder. Copy all files that end in the extension .dbc . For example: dcdb0.dbc, dcdb1.dbc, dcdb2.dbc, etc.
  10. Copy your Riverview.world file from \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\InstalledWorlds\ into your
    • \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\NonPackaged\Worlds\ or
    • \Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\GameData\Shared\NonPackaged\Worlds\
    ETA Note (vii): If your Riverview saves become disabled (grayed out), delete the .world file from the \Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\InstalledWorlds\ path, from this thread.


  11. Test a New game

  12. The launcher installed items will now show up in game (and CAS).
    Note (viii): YMMV. This step seems to cause lags in some games. If you're affected by it, try the Alternative Installers listed in the Wiki linked below.
  13. This workaround will load objects without any custom content indicator, unlike if you had used the Launcher


  14. The Launcher will not be able to install new items, try one of the Alternative Installers.
    Note (ix): If you were to try, although the status in Launcher shows "DONE", the item won't have the installed icon nor the content/files be added into the DCCache & DCBackup folders.


Cannot start game via Launcher
  • See also: Bypassing the Launcher for help with the broken launcher problem
  • If you get a Service Initialization Error - no amount of troubleshooting would help - you need to do an uninstall & reinstall. Game_Help:TS3_Uninstallwiki


Cannot install new content via Launcher
  • If you get "Sims3Launcher has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience" Error - set up a "working_launcher" folder.
    • If you had backup your files before you patched like we recommended, you'd have a backup of the \Game\Bin\ folder of the game's files from an earlier patch version. If you don't this solution is not for you.
    • Create a folder on your Desktop, name it "working_launcher" (without quotes, of course).
    • Copy the contents of the \Game\Bin\ folder of the last EP/SP you installed; ie just the files.
    • Remove the current .exe file in this "working_launcher" folder
    • Copy the TS3.exe or TS3EP01.exe from your backup folders
    • Rename .exe to TS3(?P01).exe whichever is your current game.
    • If you get confused, open Sims3Launcher.ini, the .exe name must match the same one referenced in this file. So, if the file shows this(see quote), your .exe in this "working_launcher" folder must be named TS3EP01.exe to match.
      Quote:
      [Sims3Launcher]
      GameProcessName = TS3EP01
    • Install new Sims3Packs or uninstall items using the Launcher from this folder.
    • Start the game as per normal from your shortcut to the actual .exe for your current EP/SP game.
      the above solution is referenced from this post by GnatGoSplat @MATY


Installer alternatives to the Launcher
  • Please note: The launcher seems to be broken for a lot of people after installing the new patch and installing sims3packs will fail. You can always use various tools to open the sims3pack and install the resulting .package files into the proper folders. Tools for accomplishing this task can be found here: TS3 Installation Tutorials
Note (i): Again, YMMV. Not all machines will perform the same - this step seems to cause lags in some games, also. No other suggestions at this point, other than wait for EA's fix.

It is still not working!
If you want to start a new thread because your content is still not showing up, we probably won't have any new suggestions to give you, as the fix needs to come from EA. But if you feel the need to seek help anyway, please include the following information (just to indicate that you have read this ):
  • List the games that you have;
  • your patch version number for your base game and EP/SP (if any), do NOT say latest! state the actual numbers eg if you have all three: like so 1.10/2.5/3.1 or 1.10/2.4/3.1 are acceptable;
  • if you have verified the item is compatible with your patch version(s);
  • if you have already tested after uninstalling EADM;
  • what Antivirus, Spyware, Firewall do you have installed and running (if any or different than below);
    • do you have Windows Live OneCare;
    • do you have Kapersky Antivirus?
  • have you run through any possibly-corrupted CC via the Dashboard Tool as outlined in this Game_Help:Package_File_Lagwiki?
  • done the standard troubleshooting procedure of to test with that ONE piece of CC to ensure no conflicts with other CC or caused by other glitches?

Threads without the requested information will be redirected to this sticky.

Thanks for Laurie at Simscave for some of the information, Delphy for most of the information, Ellacharm3d for the lovely pictures and Clara_P for the Riverview Saves tip.

I'm worried that my latest Salvation Army donation will result in homeless people looking like sluts from the 90s.
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