Decrapify vs. manual .dbc files?

[Capitaine Marie]

Pes said creating manual .dbc files is no longer recommended, but why?  And if I use decrapify, will I be able to install arr'ed content through the HELS launcher without using GnatGoSplat's solution?

[Capitaine Marie]

Cool!  Does the launcher still freeze when scrolling through installed items?

[Capitaine Marie]

Good!  That was annoying.

[Drakron]

Not from my experience.

Well it does in mine.

I wait until it gets out of experimental.

[Capitaine Marie]

Well, I must be doing something wrong, too:  I can't get the launcher to install them at all.  I dragged and dropped the files over the decrapify.exe, then the s3rc.exe, and vice versa.  No dice.  Does the Recompressor need to be installed in a particular folder?

[Capitaine Marie]

When I try to install the arr'ed content, all the packages show in the DCBackup folder.  But the .dbc file is only 1 kb.  Urrgh.  Maybe I'll start from scratch tomorrow. 

This is the problem with online tech support. If you could just give me your computer I could solve this in a second. 

[Drakron]

ETA: Yes, it freezes for a couple seconds as it reads all the packages (since there are over 200 in there) but after that it works flawlessly. I don't see a couple seconds as that big of an inconvenience. If you do, too bad.

Two things happened, missing thumbnails and then it was several minutes of freezing.

[J. M. Pescado]

Not that I know of, I just have mine in downloads but I move it around depending on where I need it. I'm not sure why it's not working for you. This is the problem with online tech support. If you could just give me your computer I could solve this in a second. 

That's why they invented "remote assistance". This way you can leave your "helpee" feeling both incompetent and VIOLATED.

[Capitaine Marie]

Well, Pes, at least you didn't say I was doing it wrong.  Or poke me with a sharp stick.  Yet.

[GnatGoSplat]

Well, I must be doing something wrong, too:  I can't get the launcher to install them at all.  I dragged and dropped the files over the decrapify.exe, then the s3rc.exe, and vice versa.  No dice.  Does the Recompressor need to be installed in a particular folder?

I've found drag & drop won't work if I leave the .sims3pack in my Downloads folder.  I put s3rc.exe and decrapify.exe on my desktop, then copy all the .sims3pack to my desktop, drag and drop onto decrapify.exe, then move them back to my Downloads folder.  You can verify if the decrapification actually took place by looking at the Modified Date.  It should be pretty close to current date and time.

For some reason, a few specific Store hairs intermittently drop out leaving some sims bald.  I've tried recompressorizing and even re-downloading them from different sources to no avail.  A few specific examples are afhaircandylong and amhairshaggy.  The only solution I've found to get those Store hairs working reliably 100% of the time is to point Resource.cfg to the .dbc file in my DCCache folder.  That loads it as a regular package file which has the drawback of longer initial game loading and Store items don't have the special icon on the thumbnail, but better that than intermittently bald sims.  It has nothing to do with decrapify because those same hairs intermittently dropped out on 1.7/2.2 as well.

[Capitaine Marie]

I've found drag & drop won't work if I leave the .sims3pack in my Downloads folder.  I put s3rc.exe and decrapify.exe on my desktop, then copy all the .sims3pack to my desktop, drag and drop onto decrapify.exe, then move them back to my Downloads folder.  You can verify if the decrapification actually took place by looking at the Modified Date.  It should be pretty close to current date and time.

I also start with the .sims3pack files on my desktop, and the date does change.  So I don't know what's going on.  Do you drag and drop onto s3rc.exe, too, or just decrapify.exe?

[GnatGoSplat]

Just decrapify.exe, but I've downloaded a few that needed to be dropped onto s3rc.exe as well to recompress them.

Have you tried removing your DCCache folder and reinstalling all your .sims3pack files from scratch?

[Capitaine Marie]

Have you tried removing your DCCache folder and reinstalling all your .sims3pack files from scratch?

Yup.

[Indiasong]

Speaking of decrapifying, I have just had to patch because of awesomemod message, installed Hels, and my game has the freezing every minute bug.
Would decrapifying help? And what should I decrapify: packages/ merged packages/ launcher dbc files (I don't have any other, as I used the non patched launcher) objects only/ other items/ ? Saves of course.
I have been playing with my old save, which still has a few days of playing in it.

[Mosquito]

Having the same issue like Captain Marie over there. Decrapified and all - launcher says "No can do".

I hate that God forsaken thing.

[Slymenstra]

I thought I was the only one unable to decrap.  My launcher always says it could not install decrapified sims3packs.  But I can install them just fine before (except for the old TSR ones).  I poured over other threads to make sure I was doing it right.  Not sure where I am going wrong.

[Electronic Sim]

I hate to finally sign in just for a "me to" post, but: Me to!

The launcher goes all its way, like it's instaling, says installation complete and okays and such... But if you check it, it doesn't mark the store content as installed content.

I've never had any trouble with the solutions Pescado finds for the game, that's a first. 

[Capitaine Marie]

A few weeks ago, I noticed something when reinstalling store content I had gotten free or bought.  When run through the original Recompressor, the .sims3packs wouldn't install via the HELS launcher.  If I left them alone, they were fine.  I thought it was a problem with the Recompressor, but maybe it's the new launcher.  

Maybe if we just decrapify, and don't use the s3rc.exe, it will work.  Or we could try GnatGoSplat's solution for the new launcher.

TashaFaun, it works for you.  Do you use the s3rc.exe?

[GnatGoSplat]

My decrapified stuff will all install just fine with the HELS launcher, and I also ran everything through s3rc to recompress it since that seemed to fix some issues I had with a couple .sims3packs getting stuck while installing.

I've put a decrapified .sims3pack here, you're welcome to try it and see if it works for you:
http://rapidshare.com/files/353885896/HappyValentineSet.Sims3Pack

It definitely works for me, so if it doesn't work for you, that might narrow things down a bit.

[Capitaine Marie]

Thanks.  I'll download it as soon as Rapidshare quits throwing up an error.  

I'm not sure why the heck you guys are having so many problems. Maybe Pescado could enlighten you since it's not my tool.

Think I'd get rapped in the mouth if I sent him a PM? 

[Capitaine Marie]

Nah, he'll just ignore you if he doesn't feel your question needs answering.

Hmm.  Think I'll just try it again first.  

[Chain_Reaction]

I also had the same issue Marie is having. I dropped them on s3rc.exe only and then tried installing, it said they were installed but it lied. I then tried dropping them on decrapify.exe but it didn't appear to do anything as it returned rather quickly (probably because it was already ran through s3rc?). I then tried installing again and got the same result. I then got fed up and got an old prepatched copy of TS3EP01.exe and renamed it to TS3SP01.exe and threw it in Program Files/HELS/Game/Bin which reverted the launcher back to before they screwed the pirates and it all installed fine. Then I dragged the dbc files to my Mods folder and put my original SP exe back and went on my way.

[Capitaine Marie]

I've put a decrapified .sims3pack here, you're welcome to try it and see if it works for you:
http://rapidshare.com/files/353885896/HappyValentineSet.Sims3Pack

It definitely works for me, so if it doesn't work for you, that might narrow things down a bit.

Your file works for me, too.  But when I try decrapifying, etc., myself, it won't work.  I deleted DCBackup, DCCache, Installed Worlds, and all cache files first. 

It's not like decrapifying is a complicated process, but I feel like I'm still missing something. 

[GnatGoSplat]

If my file works for you, then you're definitely having a problem with the decrapification.
Did you put BOTH decrapify.exe and s3rc.exe on your desktop?  Both files must be there, since decrapify.exe calls s3rc.exe.  Then drag all your .sims3packs onto the desktop first.  When they're on the desktop, drag them all on top of decrapify.exe.  A DOS window should pop up listing each .sims3pack.  When complete (DOS window closes on its own), drag all .sims3packs back to your Downloads folder.

Those are the exact steps I took which worked perfectly.

[Capitaine Marie]

CM are you making sure to decrapify your saved games and library as well? I'm not sure if that makes a difference to the launcher though.

I don't have a Library folder yet, and I thought I'd decrapify my saved game after decrapifying my .sims3packs.  But I'll try that in reverse later and see what happens.  (I PM'ed Pes earlier, too.)

Did you put BOTH decrapify.exe and s3rc.exe on your desktop?  Both files must be there, since decrapify.exe calls s3rc.exe. 

I extracted both to the same folder.

@TashaFaun and GnatGoSplat:  Do you guys use 3booter and FPSlimiter?  I do; might that have something to do with it?