Hi all,

I'm new to this site. I've been a simmer for a while (primarily Sims 3) and I'm pretty good at installing cc to that game. I also play Sims 2, and I'm having a world of trouble installing cc! I've checked the "Guide for idiots" on here, and although I'm following all the steps, nothing is working. I have WinRar, and I have a downloads folder for the sims 2. I'm putting the files in the folder, but nothing is happening in game although I changed the settings for cc. Does it have something to do with how I open the files? All of my cc used to be opened with the sims 3 launcher, but now that I'm trying to download cc for the sims 2, I'm unsure what to select when it asks me what app I would like to use to open the files. I've even downloaded the Sims2Pack Clean Installer, and there is NO install button provided for me within the app. I only see buttons that say "Updates". "New" and "OK". I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing wrong, but I'd love to spice up my game with cc and I can't. can anyone help?

Moving to help.

Did you spell Download with a capital? And did you check under settings that CC is turned on?

Which version of Windoze are you running (if you're running it)?

To install the Clean Installer, you'll click on the .exe file from your file browser. Then you can make it into the default program for installing Sims2Paks.

Most CC, though, doesn't come in Sims2Paks - really only sims and lots. You don't have to install package files, only into your Downloads folder, and make sure it's a Downloads folder, not a downloads or a Download. It matters how you spell and whether you capitalize it.

After you select "enable CC" on the loading screen, you'll need to restart the game before the CC you've already loaded actually shows. That throws people sometimes.

True, there is an s on the end as well. 'Downloads'

Hi again,

Yes, I made sure the folder was labeled "Downloads" with a capital D and an S at the end. I also enabled cc in the game, and restarted it to no avail. I'll go back in my game and redo those steps just in case I missed something. I'm not the most tech savvy person so there's a slight possibility I did something wrong lol. I've just seen so many different ways for installing cc into this game, and its starting to become a little confusing

I actually have stuff in the downloads folder, but it's not showing up in game. They're listed as package files, so do I have to extract them? Sorry I'm a little dumb when it comes to this.

Can you link us to one of the things?

Most CC comes in a rar or a zip. You need to unzip it to see all the files. Some items need both a mesh (shape of a thing) plus recolours.

Also what Windows are you on?

No, package is the format the game uses, so you don't have to do anything to them. You do have to make sure that they are in the Downloads folder under Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 , and make sure that they are for The Sims 2.

It may help to check The Sims Wiki's guide for installing TS2 CC.

I'm running Windows 10. That may be my problem. Alot of the tutorials and articles I've read seem to be for earlier versions of Windows. I understand the thing about needing a mesh, and recolours. I also have the trial version of WinRar. Is that the program used to unzip these files? I used it for my sims 3 cc, but I always found it was easier to install cc on that game.

Yes, it is. Unzipping a file is unzipping a file, regardless of what's in it.

The Downloads folder only reads ".package" files. If they're named .zip/.rar, they need to be unpacked.

Some of the newer versions of Windows make an extra EaGames/The Sims 2 folder - so make sure you're not using the one that's empty.

The how-to is 99% the same for whichever Windows version you have. The only potential difference tends to be a slight difference in the file path.

I have enable content on in my Sims 2 and made Download folder in Sims 2 ultimate Collection and my Sims 2 content not showing?

Ages ago I had problem with my game not recognizing my Downloads folder at all even though the same folder had worked just fine on previous computer, I got it working by moving the folder out of documents/EA Games/Sims 2 folder and then running bodyshop which generated new Downloads folder, dropping my files in that folder made the game finally see them, you could try if that works for you too.

Good suggestion foxmanic - that was a fix that used to get recommended all the time. I'd forgotten about that but it's useful because it forces the game to recognise the folder by forcing it to create it itself.

Can you take a picture of your folders?

Forcing a folder is a good idea.

It's funny that foxmanic mentioned the body shop. I found out about it a little earlier, opened it, and a few of the hairstyles I downloaded were FINALLY showing. I still have an entire folder of unread files though, so I'll keep messing around. One thing I discovered though. The hairstyles that were being read didn't require a mesh to be downloaded separately, they were already included. All of the unread files that my game won't recognize required a separate mesh download. I suspect I'm doing something wrong with the separate downloads. I usually download cc from TSR so I don't really run into the separate download problem.

Keep in mind that both TS3 and TS4 also use package files, and that TSR has downloads for all 3 games, so make sure you download TS2 files.

CAS recolors lacking meshes will usually show up, but as an EAxis outfit or hair (since it can't find the mesh or proper recolor, but there is a file to read).

Some downloads may also look like they're for one age/gender, but be for another, so make sure to check potential places the items could be.