I decided to start playing Sims 3 again last night and picked up the Showtime expansions. I backed up my old game saves and transferred them over to the new computer I was planning on playing on.
After launching the game, I brought up the Download Dashboard in-game to re-install the purchased items I bought through the Sims 3 store. Each item showed a check mark next it saying that it was installed to the game. I went to start a new game and the two worlds I had through the sims 3 store (Hidden Springs, Riverview) weren't there.
I loaded one of my saved games and went into Buy Mode and all the objects I bought through the sims 3 store were also missing. I exited the game and re-launched it going through downloading all my bought items again and they still aren't showing up.
I've tried everything I could think of: Uninstalling and re-installing the game, deleting all my downloads and re-downloading them, backing up any Mods I had and deleting them from the game location on my computer and still nothing.
Any CC I have will work, but the items I bought through the Official Sims 3 store isn't showing up/installing to the game.
Is there any way to fix this?
P.S. I did update everything that needed to be updated (game/launcher/etc). Sims 3 games I own are: sims 3 Base Game, Fast lane, High End Loft, Ambitions, World Adventures, Late Night, showtime. All are up to date.
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I just made a topic about this. So, I'm having the same problem. Only I started from absolute scratch this morning. (No 3rd party CC/mods at all, downloading & installing through Origin). Thanks for going into detail about this like you did.
Still can't figure out whats going on that's causing this.
I had this exact problem about two weeks ago. It was driving me absolutely mad -- I'd download and install the items. The launcher and/or the store would say they were installed, but they'd never show up in game.
As it turned out, I had not yet registered my most recent Stuff Pack with EA. As soon as I registered it, the problem was resolved and I could once again install store content (and have it stay installed).
You can check which of your expansions and stuff packs you've registered from your profile page (click your name link at the upper left) -- from there, scroll down to the bottom of the left-hand side where they list all the stuff you've registered. I just compared the listing there with the one at the bottom left of the launcher and found the EA profile listed 9 things, and my launcher listed 10, so hunted for the one that hadn't been registered yet.
Just checked my games and they're all registered
But when I try to install the items I've bought through the "downloads dashboard" I keep getting an error message. It reads something like...
"You have not purchased this item", and then it sends me to some store "patch" pop-up...which it won't let me install. Painful!
Its really annoying that the company is spending more time creating Expansion packs over fixing pre-existing issues that previous expansions and patches broke.
UPDATE:
I did not realize I had not registered any of my stuff packs. As soon as I did, my store content that had been missing showed back up
I had it working 2 days ago. The CC still showed up as un-installed in the launcher but it was in the game when I played. Decided to try and add a few for items from Thesimsresource.com, started up the game and its doing it all over again.
Went into my Downloads folder in the Sims 3 file and deleted some of the new stuff I put it and its still not working. This game is really working my last nerve. I'm about to just uninstall it and give up on EA games over all.
- The files show up in my "downloads" list.
- I install them, they successfully install and then appear in the "installed content" list.
- When I start the game they're not there
- When I restart the launcher the list of "installed content" is empty and the "downloads" list says nothing is installed once more.
As ChelleB24 already said, custom content does stay, it's just the store content that doesn't. I hope someone comes up with a solution or I might have to re-install the game again and only replace my save games or something, I don't know.
EDIT: I see there is a long ongoing thread right here: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/391729.page
EDIT: I've followed the steps in the link above and the store content stays now! Just follow these steps and I hope it works for you too!
But now I'm getting issues with the CC. Some of it will partially install while another half get automatically uninstalled as soon as I close out the launcher.
This game is infuriating. Honestly, you'd think a company like EA would have a department that would be working on fixing these things.
Someone help please
Silly question....but do you have to uninstall the game after renaming the folder? Then reinstall?
No need to uninstall the game.
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I'm so sorry but could you please tell me how you got your store content to work, mine hasn't been working for almost 5 months
thank you for your help
-Go into the Sims 3 Launcher and went to game updates.
-Your not updating the game, but just go onto your account from that update window (Since on mine it goes to the Sims 3 website after the picture goes away)
-Go to your items list, and downloaded & install them from there.
-When they're all (or most) are installed, it should show up in your game.
I hope this helps.
-Red
It's good to know that I'm not the only one. I've uninstalled all of my store content and re installed it and still no worlds.
Tried installing Sims 3 Seasons and got the error “The Sims 3 needed to be updated” and also “Can’t connect to Origin”. Search the web without much help. Attempted to download a few mega patches to update it manually, nothing worked same error. Turned out I was playing with the original Sims 3 that it never updated.
So I uninstalled all my Sims 3 games, I have 3 stuff packs and 2 expansions took some time. I did not delete any registry keys.
I then reinstalled Sims 3 base game. After I installed it I opened up Electronic Arts Download Manager and updated it. Guess what now it said “Invalid file found”.
I then uninstalled again and cleaned the registry out. By following the instructions here https://help.ea.com/article/manually-uninstalling-the-sims-3
This time after I installed the base game I opened the launcher first (DO NOT OPEN EADM or ORIGIN) and I had several patches install. This was the first time I ever saw a patch or had several install to bring my game up to version 1.50. After all the patches I noticed my launch had the following “Error during Start-up” I found that fix here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyKMnpKHGg8
After the game was done patching I then went to update EADM (Origin) didn’t work had the same errors coming up. So this time I removed everything up to the base game. When I went into the registry to delete some of the related keys, I also decided to wipe the system of EADM and Origin wherever I found it. I had to go to Program Files and Program Files x 86. I then went to Origin’s website and installed the newest version.
I then installed each stuff pack and each expansion in the order it came. After each one I would get a notice that this was an older version. I just would click ok and keep crossing my fingers and praying it would work.
I then got to the installation of Seasons which is an electronic copy. I then would get the error “Please insert correct CD” there is no CD with this expansion, so I tried 2 different CD’s I had from different expansions. Nothing worked. So I was completely irritated like if it is not one thing it is another thing. So I got to think that all the errors excluding the first one dealing with the registry. I then decided to go look in the registry for Seasons because it should not be there it has been installed. Sure enough I found it in 3 different places. Under Origin and under Sims 3, I deleted all of them.
I then logged back into Origin and began installing Seasons…it worked J
The above is the condensed version of the problems I had and everything I did to fix it. Basically I spent a whole weekend working on this issue. I do feel that EA and Origin and the Sims do not make their games user friendly for installation. Lots of work needed there, IMO.
I hope this helps people out. Please repost it wherever applicable. I think very few people return with solutions because of how stressful finding that solution was…but I know how I felt trying to find info...Good Luck!