Store content refuses to show up ingame and EA is plum useless as usual

KatNip

Hi guys, for the past few months EA has been nothing but completely 🐸🐸🐸🐸 useless with helping me, and I just don't know what to do. The Sims 3 works seamlessly fine on my computer, but several months ago, all the store content in my game just... stopped showing up. I've done practically everything I could online and went to EA multiple times, getting these solutions:


There was another one I just can't find.

I'm at a complete loss. I don't know what to do anymore and it's so frustrating. I've spent hundreds of dollars on the Store alone and I moved on to the Sims 4 for a little while before trying again. I've even factory reset my computer and everything refuses to work. I'm just worked up and frustrated and sad and I just, I don't know what to do anymore! I just don't! Nothing's been working and I just feel like I've wasted so much time and money for 🐸🐸🐸🐸 nothing!!! I just don't know what to do anymore. I just want to play my favourite game that I've spent a good quarter of my years playing, and I can't even be granted the full privilege of that anymore. I'm so tired and I literally just don't know what to do anymore.

KatNip

It'll show up in my downloads folder and in the downloads section of the launcher. Once I install it, it shows up in the installed section. It's only with store content- any custom content installed through the launcher shows up ingame. When I open the game, it doesn't show up in CAS/Buy/Build, and it disappears from the Installed Content folder.

puzzlezaddict

I can see why EA's suggestions didn't help; store content not showing up is an issue of the TS3 game folder, not Origin's cache (first suggestion) or the game's program files (second suggestion). When you uninstalled, did you preserve the game folder in Documents? If so, whatever problem was preventing the game from displaying your store content before would still be present after a reinstall.

So the first thing to try is installing one or two store items into a clean game folder. Drag your existing folder out of Documents\EA, open the launcher to generate a new folder, and pick a couple of small items. Do they show up in-game? If so, you can install more store content, but add it in batches of no more than about six items at a time—the launcher doesn't handle large amounts of data well. Worlds should be handled separately, not in a batch with anything else.

If even the one or two items you test don't show up, quit the game and check both the Installed Content tab and DCCache in your new game folder. In the latter, you should see a file labeled dcdb0.ebc; this is the bundled store content. If it's not there, maybe your game folder is being uploaded to or synced with OneDrive, and the added files are being lost along the way. This seems less likely given that your cc is working, but it's still worth checking out. The easiest way to keep OneDrive from interfering is to disable it entirely.

Given EA's advice, it sounds like you're on an Origin/1.69 install, but please mention if this isn't the case.

KatNip

@puzzlezaddict I can't believe after several months of this insanity it finally worked!!! Thank you so much. You're an absolute angel!!!

ZeeGee

@KatNip If you're doing a store reinstall I HIGHLY recommend Ciane's thread on how to do that without repeats or items coming up missing!

It's here: https://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/866577/how-to-install-store-items

KatNip

@ZeeGee Thank you!!