I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

by Guest Wed 09 Jul 2014, 07:49

Here's my history.

I used to play Sims 3 in 2013. At first without expansion packs, I think it was summer when I started to install World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night and Generations. By Christmas I already had ALL the expansion packs, and the majority of the Stuff Packs. During that time I created my families, developed a neighbourhood creating with new buildings, adding my personal style... and I've got lots of items from many different websites such TheSimsResource or Parsimonious. I loved all them. I had different problems, especially with the launcher which sort of "died", but the game worked.

But then I formatted my unit C and switched from Windows 8 to Windows 7 back. I thought it wouldn't be a problem because I installed everything about the Sims in the unit D, but the game didn't work anymore. So basically I deleted the game (not the save files) and I forgot about the Sims for 6 months (six months when I was busy in real life). Now it's summer and I have a lot of free time and I am trying to get back to "my Sims life", but I am sort of confused. First I had issues to install the Sims 3, but I guess I already managed to repair it. My Sims 3 with all expansion and stuff packs are working perfectly (though very slow and laggy when I go to create a Sim or I try to edit the room decoration), and I even managed to install my "dream neighbourhood" (which I tried to get in 2013, but for some reason it didn't work). And I'm starting to install the Premium Content (something I didn't have before, except the famous Cowplant). I have the feeling that some Premium content is not really displaying, but my real question now is how do I manage to get back ALL my former items from those websites. I also have my save files, but I imagine they will work after copying them as long as I get back those items. I'm sort of confused with the folders, I think I remember better how it was in the Sims 2 than in the Sims 3.

by **The_gh0stm4n** Thu 10 Jul 2014, 21:25

Enric wrote:Here's my history.

I used to play Sims 3 in 2013. At first without expansion packs, I think it was summer when I started to install World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night and Generations. By Christmas I already had ALL the expansion packs, and the majority of the Stuff Packs. During that time I created my families, developed a neighbourhood creating with new buildings, adding my personal style... and I've got lots of items from many different websites such TheSimsResource or Parsimonious. I loved all them. I had different problems, especially with the launcher which sort of "died", but the game worked.

But then I formatted my unit C and switched from Windows 8 to Windows 7 back. I thought it wouldn't be a problem because I installed everything about the Sims in the unit D, but the game didn't work anymore. So basically I deleted the game (not the save files) and I forgot about the Sims for 6 months (six months when I was busy in real life). Now it's summer and I have a lot of free time and I am trying to get back to "my Sims life", but I am sort of confused. First I had issues to install the Sims 3, but I guess I already managed to repair it. My Sims 3 with all expansion and stuff packs are working perfectly (though very slow and laggy when I go to create a Sim or I try to edit the room decoration), and I even managed to install my "dream neighbourhood" (which I tried to get in 2013, but for some reason it didn't work). And I'm starting to install the Premium Content (something I didn't have before, except the famous Cowplant). I have the feeling that some Premium content is not really displaying, but my real question now is how do I manage to get back ALL my former items from those websites. I also have my save files, but I imagine they will work after copying them as long as I get back those items. I'm sort of confused with the folders, I think I remember better how it was in the Sims 2 than in the Sims 3.

Hello,

BEFORE you formatted your C: drive, did you make a backup of the folder The Sims 3, located in My Documents/Electronic Arts ? This folder "The Sims 3" contains all your savefiles, and mods/custom content.

If you didn't make a backup of that folder, then everything is gone (because of the formatting) - and you have to start over I'm afraid. Also, you have to re-download all the store items, if you don't have a backup of them somewhere.

As for installing the items, make sure that when you use the launcher, that you only install the items in small batches - if you install too many files at once, then they won't show up in-game.

by Guest Fri 11 Jul 2014, 02:52

Thanks for answering me. Smile

Yes. I had that backup, but the Sims have so many things that I felt confused after half yearwithout play. I didn't know what is exactly everything. The pictures or screenshots are easy to find, and so are the saved games. Can't say the same about installed items. I know the downloads folder, but as they are not actually installed there I deleted them after installing. And I think there was much "trash" in my folder.

Anyway. Reading in Internet looking through my computer I found my 2013 downloaded items in a folder, they were all in Sim3Pack and I installed them copying them in Downloads folder and then using the launcher. Sometimes 50 MB, sometimes 180, but always less than 200 MB (this is the maximum to avoid troubles, right?). The problem is that some of them are missing. I noticed it quite fast with the skin... See the disaster...

*The forum says I'm not allowed to post my picture so copy the url: s15.postimg.org/pdz4bkbop/sims_white_black.png

At first it's funny, it looks like the game was joking to me. xD But come on, I made my Sims white and I want them to remain white. Is there a way to repair it? I really liked that white skin (downloaded), but I don't remember how it was called and I can't find it.

by Guest Fri 11 Jul 2014, 23:10

If you have a back up of your sims 3 folder you may be in luck. For example I had a issue last year and saved my Sims 3 folder. I them moved the copied the itemes that were in the DC Cache (saved sims 3 folder) and moved them to the new /mydocuments/ElectronicArts/Sim3/DCCache folder. From time to time I made a back up of the complete Sims 3 folder so I have things saved in case I have to do a reinstall or something because I have having to look for items that I loved and can't find anymore.

by **The_gh0stm4n** Sat 12 Jul 2014, 13:28

Enric wrote:Thanks for answering me.

Yes. I had that backup, but the Sims have so many things that I felt confused after half yearwithout play. I didn't know what is exactly everything. The pictures or screenshots are easy to find, and so are the saved games. Can't say the same about installed items. I know the downloads folder, but as they are not actually installed there I deleted them after installing. And I think there was much "trash" in my folder.

Anyway. Reading in Internet looking through my computer I found my 2013 downloaded items in a folder, they were all in Sim3Pack and I installed them copying them in Downloads folder and then using the launcher. Sometimes 50 MB, sometimes 180, but always less than 200 MB (this is the maximum to avoid troubles, right?). The problem is that some of them are missing. I noticed it quite fast with the skin... See the disaster...

*The forum says I'm not allowed to post my picture so copy the url: s15.postimg.org/pdz4bkbop/sims_white_black.png

At first it's funny, it looks like the game was joking to me. xD But come on, I made my Sims white and I want them to remain white. Is there a way to repair it? I really liked that white skin (downloaded), but I don't remember how it was called and I can't find it.

In that case, I'm afraid you'll have to re-download everything. You shouldn't just delete things from that folder, because exactly of this. There is no "trash" inside that folder. For future reference, these are the things you need to backup:

DCCache...contains almost all your installed .sims3packs
Installed Worlds....contains the installed neighborhoods
Mods....contains mods and generally all files in the .package file format
Saves....savefiles
Library....all the lots that you saved in the "bin" of the game, in edit-town mode

Or you make it ultra-simple: you just COPY the whole folder "The Sims 3" somewhere (like an external hard-drive). When you are done formatting or whatever, you simply copy the folder back to the place it belongs.

These folder I mentioned are the most important ones. As for the custom skin, you most likely got that skin elsewhere, and not from G4TW. As far as I know, there are no custom skins included in the store items. Which means you'll have to find out again, where you got the skin from...but when you do find it and install it, make sure to delete the simCompositorCache.package file, in My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3, before re-starting the game. You only have to do this ONCE, so make sure you do this steps right after you install the skin.

by Guest Sun 13 Jul 2014, 02:46

Ok looks like obviously you had a custom skin in your game and now you no longer have it. That is why your sim looks like that. There are plenty of beautiful skins out there. I would suggest going to my sims 3 blog and look under labels. You may find everything you once had in your game. But, trust me make a back up of the files that Carlos has mentioned. Backups have helped me many times when I had problems with my game.

by Guest Sun 13 Jul 2014, 07:20

Thanks for your attention.

I did backups all the time. And I still have not deleted my Sims 3 old folder, I'll explain a bit better all I did:

- Firstly, back to 2013, when I was downloading and installing items I kept the downloaded item in a folder I have called "Stuff for the Sims 3" and I removed it from Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Downloads. Why? Because I read that items in Downloads folder could be deleted after being installed. And I noticed that it actually was like this.

And about this summer. I felt confused and I was reading different things online.

- First I Move my old screenshots to another folder the new Sims 3 folder, but then I read that moving it to an independent folder I would avoid some lag in the game. I prefer to have all pictures (old and new) together in the same folder, I don't think I need a backup of them.

- Delete everything inside DCBackup and FeaturedItems. Someone told me that they were useless and only could add lag in the game.

So other than the things DCBackup and FeaturedItems I still keep the rest. Yes, I had a custom skin. I imagine that I had the majority of my downloads (Sim3packs) saved in my computer, but I forgot that one.

I didn't understand well my stuff were saved. For what I read around lately, seems that downloaded items and clothes are saved in DCCache. But when I tried to copy I found out that I already had dcdb0.dbc and dcdb1.dbc in my new sims 3. And I didn't dare to delete the new one.

So what I did now? Replace my new DCCache folder for the old one (I changed the name of DCCache to DCCache2, so I didn't lose the new one). But what do I find after launching the game? I find exactly the same items that I had yesterday. The new and the old items, but not the old skin. So it's like I did nothing, downloaded content are not installed in DCCache apparently.

I will start to dig for new items in a few days, yes.

Carlos. For safety I prefered not copying my old mods except "nointro.package". I thought it would lead to problems because they seem to be linked with the Sims 3 version. Also among my mods there was one I didn't use anymore (only had that to delete an old bug with the bills), and others that I don't remember at all what they were.

No problems with installed worlds, I understood that easily.

The same with the saves, except one thing. There's a .legacy file in my saves, it's the name of very first neighbourhood in the Sims 3 (with Sunset valley). Do you know what it is, can I download it?

Library. Ok.

DCCache. My installed .packs = my download stuff? What about Sim3Pack? Where are they? I replaced DCCache folder and I didn't notice any change...

by **The_gh0stm4n** Sun 13 Jul 2014, 18:56

If you really have a backup of the DCCache folder, from before you formatted the computer, and you copy it over your existing DCCache folder (replacing everything) then...

OF COURSE you will delete your current stuff. Smile

In that case, you will have all your installed .sims3packs back, from before. But of course, on the other hand, your new stuff will be overwritten. That's why it is essential that you copy the old stuff into your new folder, right after you finished re-installing the game.

If you then play on as normal, and you suddenly decide to want the old stuff back, then the few items you have installed "in the meantime", will be gone - but again, you'll get your old stuff back.

Also, In My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3, delete the following stuff, after you copy back the old DCCache:

-CASPartCache.package
-compositorCache.package
-scriptCache.package
-simCompositorCache.package
-socialCache.package
-plus the contents of the folders "WorldCaches" & "Thumbnails"

Re-start the game then and see if anything improved. Normally, in that case, you will have restored your old files.

As for me, I don't have problems like these (anymore), since I have switched to .package file store content, instead of dealing with the horrible .sims3packs. The .package files are much easier to handle, and you can simply re-add other/older stuff later on, without fear that anything will be overwritten...

by Guest Thu 17 Jul 2014, 04:25

I think I just give up in it. After all, I have everything I remember except a skin. I'll try to remember this if I reinstall the game one day.

How can you convert your sims3packs files in .package? and where do you install them after this?

by **The_gh0stm4n** Fri 18 Jul 2014, 00:38

Enric wrote:I think I just give up in it. After all, I have everything I remember except a skin. I'll try to remember this if I reinstall the game one day.

How can you convert your sims3packs files in .package? and where do you install them after this?

I'm not going too much into details now on converting .sims3packs to .packages, because it's too much of a hassle for the average person, and because it's so impractical, only very few people do that themselves.

I suggest you google yourself or look on Piratebay for ready-to-use .package store content, instead of making your own .packages....(I got mine from Piratebay, a while ago already). For installing the items, read this guide here:

http://www.games4theworlddownloads.org/Downloads/Guides/How_to_install_.package_files.pdf

Good luck !

by Sponsored content

I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes

Re: I don't know how to get back my former objects, hairstyles and clothes