How to Restore Your ccmerged.package
If you’ve already deleted your ccmerged.package, you’re going to have to get it back somehow. This is easy to do, especially if you back up your Store downloads (you DO back up your Store downloads, don’t you?). To do this, we will use the “factory reset” method (re-name “The Sims 3” folder) to create a fresh game environment. Then we will install all Premium Content, and move the resulting ccmerged.package to our old The Sims 3 folder. See detailed steps below.
1. Go to DocumentsElectronic Arts and re-name the folder called “The Sims 3” to something else. For Example: The Sims 3.old (All of your current content is store in this folder and it will not be lost in the process.)
2. Start the Launcher. The Launcher will now re-build all necessary files to run the game.
3. Move your backed up premium content sims3packs into DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3Downloads . If you did not back up your downloads (tsk tsk), you will need to re-download your premium content items. You only need your premium content items. Note: You can use the World sims3packs (Hidden Springs/Lunar Lakes/Lucky Palms/Monte Vista/Aurora Skies/Midnight Hollow) to install Premium Content items that came with the worlds.
4. You may need to restart your launcher to see the now full Downloads tab. Otherwise, click on the Downloads tab and install the premium content items via the Sims 3 Launcher.
Optional Step: You may now wish to test your premium content before moving your ccmerged.package. Simply launch the game and try to use your premium content objects. If they work, your ccmerged.package is good and you can continue to Step 5.
5. Close the Launcher. Find the ccmerged.package in DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3DCBackup and copy this file to the DCBackup folder in your old The Sims 3 folder (The Sims 3.old). If you still have a ccmerged.package in your old DCBackup folder, choose replace.
Important: Do not rename the ccmerged.package.
6. Re-name or delete the current “The Sims 3” folder in DocumentsElectronic Arts
7. Re-name your old The Sims 3 folder (In this example: The Sims 3.old) to The Sims 3
8. Go to DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3 and delete the scriptcache.package.
9. Start your game and test your premium content items. If they all work perfectly, YAY!
10. If your premium content items are still not working properly, there are few possible reasons for this:
You may have an out of date premium content mod. This would have to be a mod that alters premium content moodlets, skills ingredients, plants, or recipes, In other words, a mod that alters a resource in the ccmerged.package.
You may have an older copy of the ccmerged somewhere in your Sims 3 folder, such as in your Mods folder, or somewhere else.
You may have some other package, or corruption in your Sims 3 folder which is causing the ccmerged not to be loaded properly. I highly recommend using the Optional Step in Step 4. Test your objects in the clean Sims 3 folder and make sure they are working before you move the ccmerged to your original Sims 3 folder.
You can also try the following:
Download the ccmerged.zip below and unzip it to DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3DCBackup
Alternatively: Place a copy of ccmerged.package in your ModsPackages folder. NOTE: This requires Mods framework.
I do not recommend keeping your ccmerged.package anywhere except in the DCBackup, as otherwise you must remember to update the package every time you install new Premium Content.
If you installed your premium content as package files, place the ccmerged.packaged in ModsOverrides.
Also, try reading the “It Sill Doesn’t Work!” section.
You can achieve the same results by uninstalling the your premium content through the launcher and then re-installing. However, I personally think using a clean Sims 3 Folder is easiest. The launcher is very clunky to use, and if you have many objects installed via the launcher, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to properly uninstall all premium content objects through the launcher. Simply re-creating the ccmerged.package by using a factory reset and re-installing the objects is a very quick, safe and easy way to get a working ccmerged.package, especially if you back up your downloads.