Custom Content Error - What Am I Missing?

[m_evergreen]

I know I am the problem here.  I have to be missing something please help me figure out what.

After installing Generations I received the error:

It looks like you have installed an unofficial game modification that does not match your current version of The Sims 3.  We recommend that you either uninstall these game modifications or get updated versions of them - otherwise you may experience crashes or significant bugs.

Do you want to quit?

If I hit Continue I can play my game and though it seems a touch slow there are no issues.  I've played for over 10 hours this way because I can't figure out what is causing it.

What I have done:

I was using the old method for my CC so I removed all of the Mods folders thinking I needed to update to the new method.  I also removed the config files which sat in the same place.  Then I went into the bin folders and took out d3dx9_31.dll in every expansion as well as The Sims 3.  At that point I tried to run the game and I got the same error, so I got drastic.  I went to my documents and removed the Sims 3 file there to a different hard drive.

None of this worked.  Where should I be looking next?

[Koriandr]

Wherever the search function leads you?

[m_evergreen]

I'm truly not trying to clutter the forum and I wouldn't have done all of that without searching.  If you know of a topic where someone has done all of that and is still having trouble please tell me the search terms which yielded it.

[wizard_merlin]

After installing Generations I received the error:

It looks like you have installed an unofficial game modification that does not match your current version of The Sims 3.  We recommend that you either uninstall these game modifications or get updated versions of them - otherwise you may experience crashes or significant bugs.

The message tells you right here what you need to do to stop the message from appearing.  What part of this don't you fucking understand?

[m_evergreen]

I took out my Mods folders, removed them completely!!!  I got rid of the whole folder in My Documents too and let the game remake it from scratch.  Where else should I be hunting for mods is what I'm asking!  Where could they be?  They must be somewhere or I wouldn't get the error so what could I have put a mod in if getting rid of the Mods folders and Deleting The Sims 3 folder in My Documents didn't do it?  This is so frustrating.  Can anyone tell me what else to get rid of???

[kissing_toast]

Double check ALL of your EP/SP program file folders, it's painfully obvious you've missed something. I'm not sure if this has to do with anything or not but also delete your caches.

[sheep_plushi]

You may want to check if all your individual eps are patched. I think there's a tool for it at mts. Or just deal with it.

[Tever]

Did you try using the computer's search function to look for Sims and Mods?

[Naiad]

In agreement with what was said above, have you tried to actually update your mods? Or, rather, did you update them after patching last?

[unknownlUser]

VirtualStore?

[jezzer]

VirtualStore?

Non sequitur?

[unknownlUser]

You don't?
I'm surprised, Jezzer! Your conclusion derivative technique failing?

[jezzer]

I think we have sock.

[unknownlUser]

Yeah? I am missing my left one.
Is it under your bed? Does that make this yours, then?

Whose sock are we suppose to be this year? Still Rohina's or are we all Mitten's, now?

I think I must have misplaced the memo.

[m_evergreen]

I am fully patched:

TS3 1.22.9, WA 2.17.2, HELS 3.5.8, Amb 4.2.32, FLS 5.8.1, LN 6.5.1, OLS 7.3.2, Gen 8.0.152

Wouldn't the caches have been emptied when I got rid of the My Documents folder or are there also cache files that should be deleted in the Game folders?

I did a search for all custom content and it is held within the following folders and their sub-folders.  Could one of these be the problem?:

E:\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3
E:\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCBackup
E:\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Thumbnails

Those should all be newly generated since I removed the old My Documents to a different drive.

E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff\Game\Bin
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Late Night\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Late Night\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Late Night\Game\Bin
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 High-End Loft Stuff\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 High-End Loft Stuff\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 High-End Loft Stuff\Game\Bin
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Generations\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Generations\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Fast Lane Stuff\Game\Bin
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Ambitions\Thumbnails
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Ambitions\GameData\Shared
E:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Ambitions\Game\Bin

[kissing_toast]

TL;DR

[CLmeow]

did you install any Sims 3 packs using the launcher?  If so, it could be referring to that and you may need to remove that one.

[Sita]

Process of elimination. You're half way there.

It sounds to me as if the wrong file is in one of the game folders - maybe installed in the wrong place in error. You need to completely uninstall your game, making sure you get rid of any files left in the game folders on the E drive after uninstallation.

If you still get the error with a CLEAN freshly installed game, then you have a problem.

The caches referred to when folks tell you to 'clear your caches' are normally in your My Documents folder, being

CASPartCache, compositorCache, scriptCache, and simcompositorCache, and since you removed out your whole usergame from your My Documents, the offending file(s) must be somewhere in your game files (which in your case are on E).