Internal hard drive--can't open sims3packs with launcher

by Guest Tue 18 Mar 2014, 02:00

Hello! I'm not sure if this was the right thread but it seemed like the most relevant one...sorry if it's wrong!

Okay let me start by saying that this is way more complicated than the title makes it sound.
I needed to move my game to another drive (Z:\) so I rescued all my replaceable files (CC, saves, worlds, Sims, etc.) then uninstalled everything from the C:\ drive. I followed the install directions up until step 4...when it started to get weird.

The instructions say to put the files in the C:\...Program Files (x86), but that's a little impossible if I want the game to be NOT on the C:\ drive. I put them instead in Z:\...\Electronic Arts\Game\Bin, which should be the same thing (it has all the same files and everything). I ran the game and it runs fine, latest update is on, absolutely no problems whatsoever with the launcher or anything else, so that isn't the issue. (I'm just explaining what I've done so far.)

When I try to open .sims3packs, there are no programs available to open them because the packs are routed to the C:\ drive and all my game files are in the Z:\ drive. I guess the actual game doesn't "see" the packs because they're in different drives. So I did a symbolic link using this command:

mklink /D "C:\Users\[me]\EA" "Z:\Games\Electronic Arts"

This was to create a folder that the files could open onto in the C:\ drive but then be redirected to open to the Z:\ drive (or so I understand?)

But now I can't figure out how to actually make the launcher open the .sims3packs, because every time I try it gives me the "error during startup, see log" issue. There actually isn't even a launcher log in my Bin file.

I'm not sure if all of this is because of the symbolic link or if I need to redo the fix or what, but I'm pretty much turning homicidal over this. People's lives are in danger. Ugh. Hopefully I'm overcomplicating this and I know I didn't follow the instructions to a T but....what was I supposed to do if my Z:\ drive doesn't have a Program Files on it? -___-

btw I'm on Windows 7.

Thanks for any help and for all the great resources you guys make available! Sorry if I sound huffy and inarticulate haha I've been at this all day. Facepalm

by **The_gh0stm4n** Tue 18 Mar 2014, 16:19

alltherave wrote:Hello! I'm not sure if this was the right thread but it seemed like the most relevant one...sorry if it's wrong!

Okay let me start by saying that this is way more complicated than the title makes it sound.
I needed to move my game to another drive (Z:\) so I rescued all my replaceable files (CC, saves, worlds, Sims, etc.) then uninstalled everything from the C:\ drive. I followed the install directions up until step 4...when it started to get weird.

The instructions say to put the files in the C:\...Program Files (x86), but that's a little impossible if I want the game to be NOT on the C:\ drive. I put them instead in Z:\...\Electronic Arts\Game\Bin, which should be the same thing (it has all the same files and everything). I ran the game and it runs fine, latest update is on, absolutely no problems whatsoever with the launcher or anything else, so that isn't the issue. (I'm just explaining what I've done so far.)

When I try to open .sims3packs, there are no programs available to open them because the packs are routed to the C:\ drive and all my game files are in the Z:\ drive. I guess the actual game doesn't "see" the packs because they're in different drives. So I did a symbolic link using this command:

mklink /D "C:\Users\[me]\EA" "Z:\Games\Electronic Arts"

This was to create a folder that the files could open onto in the C:\ drive but then be redirected to open to the Z:\ drive (or so I understand?)

But now I can't figure out how to actually make the launcher open the .sims3packs, because every time I try it gives me the "error during startup, see log" issue. There actually isn't even a launcher log in my Bin file.

I'm not sure if all of this is because of the symbolic link or if I need to redo the fix or what, but I'm pretty much turning homicidal over this. People's lives are in danger. Ugh. Hopefully I'm overcomplicating this and I know I didn't follow the instructions to a T but....what was I supposed to do if my Z:\ drive doesn't have a Program Files on it? -___-

btw I'm on Windows 7.

Thanks for any help and for all the great resources you guys make available! Sorry if I sound huffy and inarticulate haha I've been at this all day.

//MOVED

Hello,

Yes, you can have the program files themselves installed on a different drive than C:

But you "user data" like save files, mods/CC, etc. will ALWAYS be on the C: drive, namely in My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3. As far as I know, you cannot change this location of the folder "The Sims 3", unless you (maybe) modify the TS3W.exe file, which requires lots of coding/programming skills (and which you have to acquire elsewhere, than on here).

Anyhow, if you start the game the first time after re-installing it, a "user folder" will be created in that location I mentioned above. Basically, you'll need to put your .sims3packs into My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Downloads.

Then open the launcher and look into teh "downloads"-tab. Mark all items and install them (should be self-explanatory). And that's it; there's not much behind that actually.

If you "don't have a C: drive" anymore (not sure if I understood you correctly), then look where the game has this folder named "The Sims 3", with all saves, mods, CC and so on.

Good luck for now.

by Guest Wed 19 Mar 2014, 00:31

Thank you, I guess the main issue is that I was trying to open the sims3packs right from my desktop and the launcher was wigging out. Before it wasn't an issue, I could just click "open" and the launcher would come up and install everything. (Also, my C:\ drive is still in existence haha sorry that was unclear!)

I'll try your advice when I'm on that computer again and see if it works!

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