Meteorite Hit Leads to Mailbox and Trash Can Problem

[Calgary_Rose]

I had a meteorite strike my Sims' house, wiping out their car and charring the front door and windows.  I replaced the door and windows, but I still get a dirty surroundings moodlet at the front of the house.  I also get a gear or sunburst cursor when I hover over the trash can and mailbox (which look normal), but when I click on them I can't do anything to them.  The flag is up on the mailbox, but I can't get any mail from it.  What's wrong and how do I fix it?

[TGBlank]

It's a bug with meteors, it bugs mailboxes and trash cans when it hits them.
If you have a save prior to the strike, that would be the easiest method. The other thing I can think of is destroying the mailbox and trash can and having the game regenerate them, but I am unsure how to enable debug interactions without mods.

Last option is to move to another lot.

[gerrr00]

I have had this problem before, actually that meteor destroying my house was the reason why I joined this forum.  There was no way to fix it.  I had to move my Sim to a new house.  Unless there is something that I have missed recently, no solution as of now.  Sorry.  Maybe someone else has better news for you!

[Jancy]

I deleted my mailbox by accident when I had move objects on, which I didn't realize and saved my game. There was no way to get it back.  There was no mailbox in buydebug mode.
I then decided to save that game under another name by doing save as. When I started up the saved as game I had a mailbox.
I would try saving that game with another name and give it a shot, it may be fine then.
If that doesn't work maybe deleting the mailbox and then doing the save as may put the mailbox back in game with normal functioning.

[TGBlank]

The game automatically regenerates the mailbox if lost. It is good to hear it's possible to delete it with moveobjects, I haven't had such luck with the trash can and just assumed the mailbox was the same.

[Jancy]

Actually TG the game I had with the deleted mailbox never regenerated it, even when I shut down and went back into it. I did the save as just so I could play around with the original game to try to get it back.  I was really surprised when I eventually started up the saved as game and saw one there.

Haven't tried the trash can and I hoping to never have too. 
That's why it really pays to make sure to do moveobjects off when done. 
Now I always check to make sure the mailbox and trashcan are there before I save my game after knowing I was doing anything with moveobjects on.

[Calgary_Rose]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.  I just deleted the whole game and plan to start over.  This time I think I'll copy the house into the neighborhood I want to play in before I begin.  It's a shame--I had a huge garden and my Sims were doing well in their careers.

[Sara]

You can always put the Sim in the library and load them in a new game, they continue with their skills I think.

[Gheez]

I've found a solution!  *does happy dance, to the delight of the dog and the disgust of the cats who were peacefully sleeping*


Put into your family inventory any 'personal' items that you wish to keep.  Move out (selling furniture) into an empty plot.  Immediately move back, choosing furnished house.

Your house and its contents will be as you left them* and the mailbox will be working.  It may cost a little because of the depreciation factor but otherwise everything is the same.



Chester was hit with this problem following the recent meteorite strike against the side of his house. ( http://www.carls-sims-3-forum.com/index.php/topic,3333.0.html ) I didn't realise there was a problem until a couple of days after sending off several jewels to be cut, including a pink diamond.  He's just moved back in, I've checked the mailbox and, delight of delights, Chester has just collected a heart-shaped pink diamond and a complimentary copy of his latest novel.

Note, I checked the mailbox on the empty lot that he moved to - there was nothing in it; it wasn't until he moved back to his original house that the items appeared in the mailbox.  

The trashcan/bin also appears to be working properly.  At least, I was able to get Chester to recycle the newspaper into it.

* Well almost as you left them - other bonuses included a clean sink and counter and the burnt window was as new - but I expect that he 'paid' for that.  Apologies because I didn't think to see just how much it cost to move out and back.

[Hosfac]

I use edit town quite a bit to make different lots, I do have a possible idea.  Granted, I've never had sims in the proximity of a meteor strike, so I've had no opportunity to test this.

Go to edit town and move the entire family to the clipboard, then change the lot from residential to community.  Normally, when you do this, it completely removes the mailbox and trash can.  Then immediately change it back to a residential lot and put your family back in.  In theory, the game should automatically generate a new mailbox and trash can.

If anyone has a save game with a broken mailbox, perhaps you can see if this works?

[Leto85]

Doesn't it work by pressing Ctrl+Shift+C, typing in 'testingcheatsenabled true', pressing enter, pressing Ctrl+Shift+C again, typing in Buydebug, pressing enter, using the eye droplet on the mailbox and voila, you've got a new one? Doesn't that work?

[Gheez]

... Go to edit town and move the entire family to the clipboard, then change the lot from residential to community.  Normally, when you do this, it completely removes the mailbox and trash can.  Then immediately change it back to a residential lot and put your family back in.  In theory, the game should automatically generate a new mailbox and trash can.

If anyone has a save game with a broken mailbox, perhaps you can see if this works?

And

Doesn't it work by pressing Ctrl+Shift+C, typing in 'testingcheatsenabled true', pressing enter, pressing Ctrl+Shift+C again, typing in Buydebug, pressing enter, using the eye droplet on the mailbox and voila, you've got a new one? Doesn't that work?

Unfortunately, my save game has been over-written once I found my solution so I can't test these but will do if it should ever happen again.  Thanks for the suggestions.

[Leto85]

And

Unfortunately, my save game has been over-written once I found my solution so I can't test these but will do if it should ever happen again.  Thanks for the suggestions.

Ah, okey. To bad I won't know the answer. But at least I'm happy to read your problem have been solved.

[inclement]

Doesn't it work by pressing Ctrl+Shift+C, typing in 'testingcheatsenabled true', pressing enter, pressing Ctrl+Shift+C again, typing in Buydebug, pressing enter, using the eye droplet on the mailbox and voila, you've got a new one? Doesn't that work?

Sorry for the thread necro, but this does not work.

I currently have a Sim who is "using" the mailbox, even when she's not. I can't send mail, get mail, nothing. Resetting her doesn't work. I can't delete the mailbox. I can't copy it like that. I'm currently hoping it fixes itself when she dies (which should be any day now, I think she's at 94 days).

If not, I'll pack up everything, change from residential to commercial to residential. Might even rebuild the house too.

[Hosfac]

If not, I'll pack up everything, change from residential to commercial to residential. Might even rebuild the house too.

You don't even have to pack anything.  Simply go to edit town, remove everyone from the house to the clipboard, change the lot type, then put them all back in.