OK, so it’s pretty clear that the Sample household I posted to the Exchange is corrupted. I’m a bit perplexed, since it actually had very little custom content. I’m going to take the link down from my Download A Sample page.
I am really sorry about the trouble it’s caused you guys, particularly Simmentary. If my download really contributed to your CAS fail, I am very unhappy. There’s a good chance it didn’t, though, since household Sims3Packs install to the household library that you see at the bottom of the screen in Edit Town. They aren’t available in CAS. If you haven’t tried this yet, try clearing out your SavedSims directory, INCLUDING the downloadedindex (I’m doing this from memory, so names are approximate). The Buffy Summers sim that I downloaded trashed my CAS, and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with my system. (And more annoyingly, I never found any CC on that sim, so this stuff is just a mystery to me.) I was able to reload a dozen times and get her out into a household (because she was an awesome sim), then remove the file from SavedSims, and I never had any more trouble.
I am a naive uploader, and I’m just starting to read up on the pittfalls of uploading Sims3Packs to the Exchange with cc in them. The strange thing is that there’s almost no CC in that Exchange upload. Mostly it’s just the silver skin tone, so I have to assume that’s it. Or it my be that the game/Exchange just randomly corrupts stuff. Sigh.
All hope is not lost. I have an alternate download that SRaina (I think) taught me to do. Here you can download a household in package format http://illation.net/Sims3/Uploads/SamplesGen4-5.package. I believe you can just drop this file into your Library folder, bypassing the launcher install, and it should show up in your household library without all this drama. This is a later household after Zahra, Fabian, and Ada are gone. However, I’m trying to get time to do the same thing with the earlier household that’s on the Exchange.
SRaina, please let me know if I’m getting this wrong because I haven’t actually done it myself yet.
Alternately, I know that Isa uses a utility by the notorious JM Pescado that cleans up these Sims3Packs, and I think that’s how she got my household into her game. I was delighted to discover DragonWife had a simself on the Exchange, and I can’t get THAT to install due to the standard, “We have no idea what’s going on, so please update your game” error message. I intend to try this utility on it.
EDIT: I have had that package file up for download for quite some time, and I know SRaina used it, but Safari is convinced it can be rendered as a page rather than downloaded. I fixed this by right clicking and choosing the option “Download linked file As…” or whatever the equivalent is in your browser. But now I want to do some additional testing because I don’t want to give you guys any fresh corruption.
EDIT2: OK, the package file is tested, and it seems to be fine. Chrome downloads it properly just by clicking the link above. The whole trying to render it as a page seems to be a Safari quirk. So you can install the Gen 4 & 5 Samples, including Enigma and Ghost by dropping that .package file into your Library folder.
Yes it does work that way with just dropping the file into the library folder.
This is good to know!
At this point I don't think it's your household. I was wondering, since so many people had had issues, whether this one extra issue was too much and pushed my game/laptop too far. I really doubt that at this point. I've taken the household out and tried running the game with an old set of files (I back up my entire Sims 3 folder every month or so just in case I accidentally delete something really important), still no dice. I think my laptop has just finally had enough.
On the bright side, hopefully I'll be able to grab the family (especially Forest, I have plans for him too) when I have a new computer, which will happen either the weekend of the 15th or over Easter, depending on whether I get all the pieces together by the 14th so that my dad can come down and help me build it that weekend.
Simmentary: Well, that doesn't help your computer situation, but I'm relieved to know I didn't screw up your computer.
Everyone: I tested the package file in this post, and it works fine. Just drop it in your DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3Library folder. Engima and Ghost are bonuses.