The Sims 3 Store Content Won't Show Up in Game

[domingues55]

@puzzlezaddict The fix worked fine well for me, I have downloaded a HUGE amount of content from the store, and everything is okay - at least for now. Onde again, thank you very much, my friend!

[dtmaste09]

@puzzlezaddict Thank you, sir. I did try what you suggested and removed The Sims 3 from Documents ->Electronic Arts. However, exact same issues are occurring and now I'm getting a video card error? I've attached screenshots. 

First screenshot is the error I get when I start downloading something that I have already purchased from the Sims Store. I either get this one or the one that says I do not own whatever it is I'm trying to download. 

Second screenshot is a new error regarding my video card. 

Third screenshot shows how the launcher doesn't allow me to click anything anytime I get the error mentioned in screenshot one. I have to close the program via Task Manager

Tbh, I'm am just about at the point of being willing to pay someone to fix this crap. Lol. 

Here are my system specs in case that is helpful.

[puzzlezaddict]

@dtmaste09  The unrecognized video card error is because your graphics card's device ID isn't in the game's database.  This isn't a problem by itself—the game will run fine with an unrecognized card—but we can fix that if it matters to you.  You saw it once here because it always pops up when the game creates a new options.ini file, which it did when you moved the Sims 3 folder to the desktop.

For the store downloading issue, please try using a different browser.  Please also make sure you're signed into the same account on the store site that you're using in the EA App.  If the accounts don't match, the store content won't work properly.

If that's not the issue, do you have a third-party antivirus that might be interfering?  The easiest test is to disable it temporarily; as long as you're only downloading store content and not using any other websites, your computer should be safe.  Have you changed your firewall settings to block any data from EA?  That can also cause problems with store content.

[dtmaste09]

@puzzlezaddict I did have my Norton VPN turned on! I turned that off and switched to Firefox and it worked. I am so grateful, thank you so so much! 

[Nefertys]

I look forward to your solution, I love playing TS3 with the contents and worlds I bought from the EA Store but the game doesn't install them and sends a message saying I need to update even though there are no more updates to do. I am very frustrated mainly because I bought all the original games and spent my
 EA money. Sorry for the rant, I sincerely hope you manage to resolve this issue. Thanks for listening.

[puzzlezaddict]

For anyone still having this issue, if the steps listed by @EA_Cade  don't completely resolve things:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/The-Sims-3-Saved-Games-Not-Loading-After-Store-Content...

The next step is to try playing in a clean user folder.  Move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, and open the launcher to spawn a clean folder.  This will remove all your saves and other user content, but it's all intact in the folder you've moved, and you can restore it later.

For now, please install one Sims 3 Store item into the new folder and make sure it stays installed through a restart of your computer.  If it does, you can install the rest of your store content a few items at a time—the launcher doesn't handle large amounts of data very well.  If everything stays installed, move your saves and any other data you want to keep to the new folder.  Here's a description of the contents of the folder so you know what to transfer:

https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/01/faq-user-files.html

Keep in mind that it's always better to let the game generate a new file or folder rather than resuing your old ones, so only transfer the files that contain data you'd otherwise lose, for example saves or saved builds.