If you REALLY want to use Launcher to install Sims3Pack with 1.8/2.3

[GnatGoSplat]

If you insist on using the Launcher to install Sims3pack the same way you could before patching to 1.8/2.3, here's how to do it.

Simple Instructions - For those who like to do their own thinking.
Launcher will install .sims3packs into a .dbc file in your DCCache folder if you swap the main game .exe with a 1.7/2.2 or older version.  That would be TS3.exe or TS3EP01.exe if you have WA.  If you have HELS, you can take either .exe and and rename it to TS3SP01.exe, it'll work.  You can create a copy of the Game/Bin folder and only run the launcher from that folder, or you can swap .exe files, whichever is easiest.  You can then take the .dbc file that Launcher created out of DCCache and throw it into your Mods/Packages folder or modify Resource.cfg to see it in your DCCache folder without moving it.

Lengthy Instructions - For those who need a little hand-holding.
1. If you are at v1.7 or WA 2.2 and have NOT patched yet, save your old game binary (TS3.exe or TS3EP01.exe).  Otherwise, you'll need to find a 1.7/2.2 or older version somewhere (try Google for older no-CD binary crack, check your install disk, or use Vista/Windows 7 "Restore previous versions" feature).
- If you have WA, it may be found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin.  You're looking for TS3EP01.exe.
- If you do NOT have WA, it may be found in C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin.  You're looking for TS3.exe.
You just need one or the other, not both.  Just copy and paste it into a temporary place like on your Desktop.

2. Patch up to latest versions if you haven't already.

3. Make a COPY of your Bin folder AFTER patching and installing all desired EPs and SPs (i.e. C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin).  Use the Bin folder from your highest EP or SP.  I copied and pasted it into the "Electronic Arts" folder, but you can probably put it anywhere.  Then rename it to something meaningful, like "working_launcher".

4. Now take the TS3EP01.exe or TS3.exe that you saved, and move it into your "working_launcher" folder, replacing the one that was originally in there.  If you have HELS, then delete TS3SP01.exe and take the .exe you saved and rename it to TS3SP01.exe.

5. Resource.cfg will need to be changed so it can find .dbc files in the DCCache of your saved game folder.  Since Resource.cfg doesn't support spaces, you will need to use the DOS equivalent path.
For example, my DCCache path is: "c:\Users\Shawn\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache". Its DOS equivalent path is "c:\Users\Shawn\DOCUME~1\ELECTR~1\THESIM~1\DCCache"
The only way I'm aware of to find the DOS short folder names is with "dir /x" at the command prompt.

For Resource.cfg, backslashes in the DOS path need to be changed to forward slashes and the absolute reference to c:\ drive needs to be changed to a relative reference, so what actually goes into my Resource.cfg looks like:

PackedFile ../../../Users/Shawn/DOCUME~1/ELECTR~1/THESIM~1/DCCache/*.dbc

6. Run game, make sure your store items show up.  If it doesn't, you messed up somewhere.

Run launcher ONLY from the "working_launcher" folder.  Do NOT run the game .exe from this folder.

Caveats
- If you have multiple people that play Sims 3 on that machine under multiple Windows accounts, they either must be Administrators or the Administrator needs to grant everyone access to your DCCache folder.  This is because Resource.cfg is pointing to your specific DCCache folder and regular users typically don't have access to another user's folders.
- For the same reason as above, the user whose DCCache points to is the only one that can install/remove CC using the launcher.

If you are the only one that plays Sims 3 on your computer, then the above points don't apply.

EDIT: Update for HELS.

[witch]

Will this work if people keep 2 copies of the *.dbc files? If they overwrite the cache file in their mods folder after installing the .Sims3Packs, then it should work as far as I can tell. I'm just thinking junction points are a bit advanced for some and can be dodgy if you forget to remove them.

Otherwise, thanks for the tip that the old .exe allows installation via the launcher.

[Aoife Aella]

I agree on Witch's point that junction points are a little advanced for some (myself included). I understood everything about that except for that part; I don't mess with files much beyond the very, very basics- I have other people for that. Unfortunately, said person is on the other side of the country right now and likely too pissed to simplify this for me in anything resembling English.

If someone could explain junction points in small, simple words for n00bs like me, that would be great. I generally use Delphy's installer for .sims3packs, but it doesn't give me the .world file that I need for the Riverview fix, so I figured the Launcher would solve that problem... if the Launcher actually worked.

Great, my first post here has me looking like a total idiot. I hope this doesn't become routine.

[witch]

GnatGoSplat: Sorry to butt into your thread, but for Aoife Aella there is a Riverview.world download here. Bottom of the 1st post.

[J. M. Pescado]

Rather than using fancy junction things which don't work quite the same in, say, Mac or XP, you could just use Ye Olde DOSSE names.
Like, say, ..\..\DOCUME~1\LUSERNAME\MYDOCU~1\ELECTR~1\THESIM~1\DCCache

[Aoife Aella]

Ah, ok. I had avoided that thread on account of the fact I thought it was all torrents. I guess I should have looked closer.

DOS! Now there's something I understand...

[starsong]

Not to inflict my idiocy on anyone, but how or where would I use DOS to make this work?

If it needs to be inserted into the Resource.cfg file could someone post an example, or, if not, explain where and how using DOS deviates from the instructions in the original post?

I apologize for my ignorance and appreciate any assistance.

[Aoife Aella]

I believe JM meant using DOS-style names instead of the junction point, to fix the problem of the Resource.cfg not reading spaces.

[GnatGoSplat]

Rather than using fancy junction things which don't work quite the same in, say, Mac or XP, you could just use Ye Olde DOSSE names.
Like, say, ..\..\DOCUME~1\LUSERNAME\MYDOCU~1\ELECTR~1\THESIM~1\DCCache

Ah, but why do it the simple way when you can do it the needlessly complicated way?

I have a habit of overcomplicating things.  Of course, you're right, the old DOS 8.3 names is much simpler and you don't need the junction.  My Resource.cfg looks like:

PackedFile ../../../Users/Shawn/DOCUME~1/ELECTR~1/THESIM~1/DCCache/*.dbc

Can't start with a / for root for some reason, so the ../../../ at the beginning is needed.

[starsong]

Thank you all! That makes far more sense than what I was thinking.

On a related note, if I decide to reinstall my game completely - base game and WA - can I use the bin from that installation (before I patch of course), or will I need to track down 1.79/2.2.8?

If I do need 1.79/2.2.8, does anyone know where they may be found?
 

[mimmi]

Here just click your latest game http://www.simprograms.com/the-sims-3-patches/

[GnatGoSplat]

Thank you all! That makes far more sense than what I was thinking.

On a related note, if I decide to reinstall my game completely - base game and WA - can I use the bin from that installation (before I patch of course), or will I need to track down 1.79/2.2.8?

If I do need 1.79/2.2.8, does anyone know where they may be found?
 

Yeah, you can actually use the whole Bin folder from an older installation, but you'll have to replace Default.ini with one from 1.8/2.3.  Mainly what you need is for the Launcher in your new folder to execute the older TS3EP01.EXE because that's the file that actually generates the .dbc files.  TS3EP01.EXE from an unpatched WA install should work as well, though I haven't tested it.

[aya_alexa]

i don't really quit get the thingy if you have already the 1.8 patch. i have already installed the 1.8 patch will the above steps still apply? sorry im quit a visual person so i can't really understand some written tutorial.

[GnatGoSplat]

Pretty much if you already have the 1.8 patch, you need to get a TS3.exe (or TS3EP01.exe if you have WA) from before you patched.  You can try to download it from someplace, but if you have Vista or Windows 7, it automatically backs things up using Shadow Copy when your computer is idle so you might be able to get it out of an automatic backup.  To do that, you'd right click on the Bin folder and go to "Restore previous versions" and dig through the various automatic backups for the old version.  XP doesn't do shadow copy backups so if you have XP, you'll have to come up with some other way to get the old version.

[aya_alexa]

do i need a specific exe? i only downloaded the game online and the only old exe in the downloaded file is the 1.0.0 exe version of the sims. oh yeah if all of this work will the launcher work and stop saying "Sims3Launcher has encountered a problem and needs to close.  We are sorry for the inconvenience."?

[cefwyn]

If anyone needs an unpatched copy of the game binary and they have the digital copy still on their computer (Downloaded the game through EA Download Manager and havn't deleted the install files) they can get the binary from those install files. In Vista or Windows 7 the files can be found somewhere like C:\ProgramData\Electronic Arts\EADM\cache\{ *bunch of random numbers }\sims3_ep01_sku7. Note that the ProgramData folder is hidden so you will have to make sure you have "Show Hidden Files" set in your folder view, and the sims3_* folder is likely to have a different name depending on if it's the base game, or the expansion, and what region. In that sims3 folder you will find the binary in Game\Bin\ and probably named either TS3EP01.ex_ or TS3.ex_. You can follow GnatGoSplats instructions from here on by copying the TS3.ex_ (TS3EP01.ex_) file to your desktop and renaming it to TS3EP01.exe (TS3.exe). I'm unsure where the cache files are for EADM on Windows XP but you may find a similar file tree in C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\EADM (or wherever EADM installs). This is of course only necessary on Vista or Win7 if you don't have a shadow copy (I apparently deleted my backups since the 1.8 patch).

Also if you own the discs for either Sims 3 or the expansion you'll find the binary at Game\Bin\ on your disc as well which you can just copy somewhere and rename to TS3.exe or TS3EP01.exe.

[GnatGoSplat]

1.0.0 exe might work, only way to know is to try it.  Just a guess, but I think it would work since I doubt the .dbc internal format has changed.  It's just a .package file with a different file extension anyway.  I had the foresight to backup all my old 1.7.9/2.2.8 stuff, so I used that.
You could also look for binary No-CD cracks, that typically comes with just the .exe file you would need.

[cefwyn]

I used the TS3E01 binary from my install disc and it worked fine for installing everything up to the most recent store content.

[aya_alexa]

well while i was browsing i found this sit. http://www.katzforums.com/showthread.php?t=405485 will it work?

[crotchy]

For the record, when you say to edit the Resource.cfg file, you are referring to the one in the bin/"working_launcher" folder, correct? I went to run my game (I used the binary file from my install disc) and it didn't have anything installed, even the original neighborhood wasn't there. I was previously using the fix where I copied my .dbc files into TS3WA\Mods\Packages and placed an edited Resource.cfg in the Program Files\Electronic Arts\TS3WA. I am assuming I need to clear out all that for this to work, but I am afraid I might be in a little over my head right now.

[GnatGoSplat]

For the record, when you say to edit the Resource.cfg file, you are referring to the one in the bin/"working_launcher" folder, correct? I went to run my game (I used the binary file from my install disc) and it didn't have anything installed, even the original neighborhood wasn't there. I was previously using the fix where I copied my .dbc files into TS3WA\Mods\Packages and placed an edited Resource.cfg in the Program Files\Electronic Arts\TS3WA. I am assuming I need to clear out all that for this to work, but I am afraid I might be in a little over my head right now.

No, I didn't even know there's a Resource.cfg in the Bin folder that you copied to make a "working_launcher" folder.  The correct Resource.cfg to modify is the one in the TS3WA folder.  You don't have to clear out anything from Resource.cfg.  Just create a new entry pointing to the DCCache folder in your "My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache".  This is where you need to get the short DOS filenames because spaces aren't allowed.

[cefwyn]

Based on output from a process monitor, Sims 3 looks for Resource.cfg files in pretty much every folder it opens, so putting the DCCache entry into the Resource.cfg file in Game/bin should work (At least it works for me)

[starsong]

I followed the instructions to the letter, and the first time I opened the launcher from the working launcher folder it worked perfectly. Everything I tried installed perfectly with no problems. Since then, every time I open the launcher from there, previously installed files show up properly and new download files are recognized, but they won't install. The launcher seems to consider opening the files, but never does. Instead, a black box the size and shape of the initial installation box shows up and, after processing for a moment, just disappears. After that an exception file appears in the ...My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder.

Does anyone have any idea why this might have happened and/or how to fix it?

[GnatGoSplat]

That's strange.  I've had other problems, but not that one.  One thing that seemed to work when I had problems, was to delete the DCCache folder (back it up first just in case) and reinstall everything from scratch with the launcher.  Assuming you used coyote's Riverview fix, you'll have to re-delete it from your InstalledWorlds folder to get Riverview to work properly.

If you have the files still available, you could try using all the old executables and DLLs... in other words, use the entire older Bin folder to make your working_launcher folder rather than just the TS3EP01.exe file.  You will then need to replace the Default.ini in it with the one from 2.3.

[LOolyharb]

I have pirated versions of the base game and WA. I installed the base game and patched it to 1.8. Then i installed WA but i can't play it until it's patched to 2.3. Only the update is giving me a wrong file error at the very end! It's a problem with the C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin\bin folder. I want to try replacing mine with someone's bin folder to see why i'm getting the invalid file found and if that fixes it. Can someone please send me that folder? Or maybe help me out with this if you know what's going on?