Neighbourhoods stopped showing up

[Stephsim]

Two of my neighboorhoods which I have been playing with for ages have stopped showing up in the game, even though they still exist in the Neighboorhoods folder.
Any ideas how to fix this? 

[miros]

Gah!  Got a backup?

<runs off to make a backup right this second>

[Stephsim]

I do but it's from November   

*curses self for not making more recent backups*

I just think its weird that it would not show up even though all the files are there in the Neighbourhood folder.

[SaraMK]

Delete groups.cache and NeighborhoodManager.package

If that does not work....

Did you use TS2Enhancer? That program is known for corrupting neighborhoods. Unfortunately this is permanent.

If you did NOT use Enhancer, try this:

Make a complete backup of your neighborhoods (the Neighborhoods folder), and put the backup in a safe place. Open SimPE. Select the Tools menu. From the menu list, select Neighborhood (it's the first option on the list). From that menu, select Fix Neighborhood Uid's. Read the warning, but I fail to see how things could get worse for you.

[Stephsim]

Sara MK,

I have never used TS2 Enhancer, I always use SimPE to edit my hoods.

Deleting groups.cache and NeighborhoodManager.package didn't help.

This is probably because I am stupid and/or blind, but I do not see an option to Fix Neighborhood Uid's in SimPE Neighbourhood Menu.

Not even Sim PE seems to recognise the two hoods - they show up as 'Unknown' and when I open them no resources show up.

The other hoods that I have are fine.
   

[SaraMK]

I probably didn't explain it too well. Here's a screenshot.



So you're saying when you open N00#_Neighborhood.package in SimPE, nothing shows up at all? What about browsing your list of neighborhoods in SimPE using Neighborhood Browser? Do the neighborhoods show up as an option?

[witch]

Did you use TS2Enhancer? That program is known for corrupting neighborhoods. Unfortunately this is permanent.

Ah, I didn't know this beforehand but I sure have experienced it. Luckily I'm fairly manic about backing up, usually before every play session. Syncback is free and a great backup programmme, you can set everything up beforehand, click some buttons and let it go.

Not that it helps you right now Stephsim, but maybe for next time. 

[maxon]

I probably didn't explain it too well. Here's a screenshot.



So you're saying when you open N00#_Neighborhood.package in SimPE, nothing shows up at all? What about browsing your list of neighborhoods in SimPE using Neighborhood Browser? Do the neighborhoods show up as an option?

Wow - I've never seen that in SimPE before.  I've just booted it up and checked - with or without a neighbourhood loaded, the option isn't there.  Does it only appear if you have a problem?

[witch]

Did you use TS2Enhancer? That program is known for corrupting neighborhoods. Unfortunately this is permanent.

Just wanted to add some more info to this - the corrupted hoods I got from Sim Enhancer, they were hoods I'd tinkered with, Delete All Characters, created townies from letterboxes etc, so I thought my hood might not have looked right to Sim Enhancer. Just a thought.

[Stephsim]

I probably didn't explain it too well. Here's a screenshot.



So you're saying when you open N00#_Neighborhood.package in SimPE, nothing shows up at all? What about browsing your list of neighborhoods in SimPE using Neighborhood Browser? Do the neighborhoods show up as an option?

I just checked again making sure I followed the screenshot -  I only get Neighbourhood Browser, Sim Browser and Sim Surgery under that menu.

I'll try to explain myself better - you know how under Neighbourhood Browser there is a list of hoods? Well the 2 that don't show up in the game  appear as "unknown" instead of their real names, and when I click on them to open them, there is no resources, no data, no sims, nothing.

witch - thanks for the tip about the backup prgram, defintely will be making sure I do that more often for now on! 

ETA: The same thing happened when I opened the neighbourhood.package in Sim PE without the Neighbourhood Browser - nothing there. 

 


     

[SaraMK]

Wow - I've never seen that in SimPE before.  I've just booted it up and checked - with or without a neighbourhood loaded, the option isn't there.  Does it only appear if you have a problem?

Are you guys using ADVANCED MODE? The option does not show up if you are not in advanced mode, since the warning claims that it can seriously mess up neighborhoods (but like I said, if you need this option, your neighborhoods are already messed up).

To turn on advanced mode, choose Extra from the menu, then Preferences, then select SimPE Settings from the left column, and there should be a checkbox that says Advanced Mode. Check it, then shut down and restart SimPE.

I'll try to explain myself better - you know how under Neighbourhood Browser there is a list of hoods? Well the 2 that don't show up in the game  appear as "unknown" instead of their real names, and when I click on them to open them, there is no resources, no data, no sims, nothing.

Does the same thing happen when you go to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N00# and double-click the file N00#_Neighborhood.package? I have had SimPE fail to ope neighborhoods through Neighborhood Browser before. Try opening the file directly from the N00# folder, without having SimPE open.

[Stephsim]

Ah that's why I didnt get the option - I didn't even know there was such thing as advanced mode!

Double clicking the neighbourhood file directly from the Neighbourhood folder did the same thing - no data.   

I'll see if Fix Neighbourhood UID's made any difference.

ETA - nope Fix Neighbourhood UID's didn't help either. 

 

[maxon]

Are you guys using ADVANCED MODE? The option does not show up if you are not in advanced mode, since the warning claims that it can seriously mess up neighborhoods (but like I said, if you need this option, your neighborhoods are already messed up).

OK so there's the little bit of crucial information.  Thanks.