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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 5th Oct 2018 at 10:41 PM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Apartment Life
Default Downloaded lots/houses wont show up in game
Hello all,

I've recently attempted to download a few lots and houses from the site into my game but they do not show up in the lots/houses bin in the neighborhood. I've tried re-downloading them and placing them in my download folder where I keep all of my other downloaded content (all of my other content shows up just fine.) I should add that the aforementioned lots do not have custom content they are made entirely from elements already present in the game (or at least they all had "No CC" in their headers)

I see that the lots/houses downloads are sims2pack files, would this make a difference in where I should have the file unzipped to after downloading?

Also, I believe I may have massively screwed up in a desperate attempt to find a solution on my own. Previously when I would download from the site, the files were not opened with any particular program (that I could see). It just had a simple white paper icon next to the file in the WinZIP program.

After I got desperate, I tried played around with different programs to open the file (Adobe Acrobat, Notepad)

I know, I know, it was dumb but I was desperate. I thought I could just change it back to the default but I dont know what the original program was used or if there was a specific program at all.

I have removed the files from the game folder altogether since I dont know how the game would react to the files being opened by these programs.

I would very much like to enjoy the beautiful lots and homes created by the amazingly talented folk on this site!! Any advice or help will be greatly appreciated!!
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Scholar
#2 Old 5th Oct 2018 at 11:06 PM
use Clean Installer [ http://modthesims.info/d/409950 ]


favorite quote: "When ElaineNualla is posting..I always read..Nutella. I am sorry" by Rosebine
self-claimed "lower-spec simmer"
Alchemist
#3 Old 5th Oct 2018 at 11:07 PM
Lots don't go in the download folder. You use the installer to install sims2pack files and it puts them where they belong automatically.
Mad Poster
#4 Old 5th Oct 2018 at 11:09 PM
Quote: Originally posted by MrMark1224
Hello all,

I've recently attempted to download a few lots and houses from the site into my game but they do not show up in the lots/houses bin in the neighborhood. I've tried re-downloading them and placing them in my download folder where I keep all of my other downloaded content (all of my other content shows up just fine.) I should add that the aforementioned lots do not have custom content they are made entirely from elements already present in the game (or at least they all had "No CC" in their headers)

I see that the lots/houses downloads are sims2pack files, would this make a difference in where I should have the file unzipped to after downloading?

Also, I believe I may have massively screwed up in a desperate attempt to find a solution on my own. Previously when I would download from the site, the files were not opened with any particular program (that I could see). It just had a simple white paper icon next to the file in the WinZIP program.

After I got desperate, I tried played around with different programs to open the file (Adobe Acrobat, Notepad)

I know, I know, it was dumb but I was desperate. I thought I could just change it back to the default but I dont know what the original program was used or if there was a specific program at all.

I have removed the files from the game folder altogether since I dont know how the game would react to the files being opened by these programs.

I would very much like to enjoy the beautiful lots and homes created by the amazingly talented folk on this site!! Any advice or help will be greatly appreciated!!


They do not go into the download folder you must install them with Sims2Pack Clean Installer http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=409950 for best results.

Once installed they will temp be in the "Teleport" folder and once you start up your game the game will move them to the house and lot bin.

All my Beginning Hoods here at MTS. http://www.modthesims.info/member.php?u=7749491
All my Beginning Hoods as Shopping Districts plus Old Town. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=523417
MooVille, a tribute to Mootilda and her fabulous lots http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=534158
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#5 Old 5th Oct 2018 at 11:30 PM
Download Clean Installer-always use it for lots, especially if they are not from this site since off-site lots might contain hacks.
Make sure you have the updated version of WinZIP or other rar unzipping program. The old version of Win rar won't download rar files zipped on the new version. unzip the file.
Right-click your unzipped download and click properties-open with-set to Clean Installer.
Once associated with Clean Installer click open your package and look inside. No CC should mean it's just the lot file.
Click install. You should see that it's going to the teleport folder. Do not put lots in downloads.
Say yes, install and run the game.
The lot should be there in the lot bin.

You can also install cc free lots while the game is running. After installing simply switch to another sub-hood or hood and the lot should show up in the lot bin. It's a good idea to keep the lot bin tidy by placing most lots down in the game and then deleting them from the bin. That way the lot bin will load faster and you can see easily if your lot showed up.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Test Subject
#6 Old 17th Oct 2018 at 8:46 PM
Thank you so much, this was immensely helpful to me, too!
Just yesterday I downloaded the "mini-lots" from this site and after opening them was at a total loss. I've never seen a 'Sims2Pack'!
I've already downloaded the 'Clean Installer' (I didn't trust the in-game installer, lol) but nevertheless would still like to know where they go to (I guess the LotCatalog folder, but still...). It would make identifying them (not the mini-lots, other houses maybe) as bad content easier.

Thank you also, Jo, for the helpful tip on how to keep the Lots and Houses Bin tidy! I will dedicate a neighborhood just for that!
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#7 Old 17th Oct 2018 at 11:12 PM
The lot file goes to the teleport folder on installing. Then when you load the game or another hood the game moves it to the LotCatalog folder. If the lot has CC that you don't already have you can only install that when the game is not running.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Test Subject
#8 Old 23rd Oct 2018 at 11:11 AM
Thank you Jo! I still have one question left: Is it save to rename the package files in the LotCatalog folder? I already know that I can rename packages in the Downloads folder but does that mean all the other packages, too? The game installs the lots from the teleport folder with a consecutive file name and I would like to change that to something meaningful so I don't have to constantly search for the date stamp.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#9 Old 23rd Oct 2018 at 1:28 PM
I don't know, the game assigns it a number. Test hood, install a lot and try it.

Why are you searching for a date stamp? You've lost me.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#10 Old 23rd Oct 2018 at 1:37 PM
I'm guessing so that they know which lots were last installed. The numbers sometimes get a little screwy.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#11 Old 23rd Oct 2018 at 1:53 PM
I've never in 14 years of playing searched for a lot date stamp. Wouldn't even know how!

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Undead Molten Llama
#12 Old 23rd Oct 2018 at 2:28 PM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
I've never in 14 years of playing searched for a lot date stamp. Wouldn't even know how!


It's easy. You go into the Lot Catalog in Documents, and sort the files by "Date Modified." Then, the last one on the list (or the first one, if you sort them in reverse order) is the last lot that was installed. This can also be a useful for finding your most recently installed hacks, for instance...IF you have a habit of running the Compressorizer on all your files as you install them. Compressing the files alters them, which means that the "Date Modified" stamp on the file updates to the day/time you ran the Compressorizer on the file instead of the last time that the creator altered the file. So, you can then easily find your most-recently-installed hacks if, for instance, you start having mod conflicts after installing new ones.

@NoTagForMeHere You can rename those files, yes. Generally speaking -- there are exceptions, but they mostly involve the install files, not the user files in Documents -- file names are meaningless when it comes to how the game finds and uses those files.

I'm mostly found on (and mostly upload to) Tumblr these days because, alas, there are only 24 hours in a day.
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Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#13 Old 23rd Oct 2018 at 11:01 PM
Oh that, I know how to search by date modified, do that all the time for CC. I've never needed to do that on a lot though, so I am wondering why they constantly need to.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Test Subject
#14 Old 24th Oct 2018 at 9:27 AM
@joandsarah77: I'm a newbie. Atm I'm setting up my game and seeing as there are so many users that are having problems with CC I am trying to keep track of the things I'm installing. Which is why I asked, where the teleporter installs the files. If you don't know where they are, one way to find newly installed files is by their time stamp. I started to search for the stamp after I got the Clean Installer and moved a lot of CC around at once. I didn't always have the time or patience to go after them immediately to rename them.
@iCad: Thank you for the information, this is very helpful. Sometimes the names of the packages aren't very expressive (at least for me) and I like to rename them into something meaningful (for me).
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#15 Old 24th Oct 2018 at 9:49 AM
CC from lots does not go to the LotCatalog folder, only the lot file itself does. If CC is packed with the lot, those files show up separately in Clean Installer under the lot file. On installing they will go loose to your Download folder and should be put into a folder. The other option if all the links are given is to go download them individually, making folders as you go. That way is my preference.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#16 Old 24th Oct 2018 at 11:44 AM
You can sort by "date created" or just "date" too. It (most of the time) shows the date the file was put into the folder or first created on your computer. "Date modified" shows when the file was last changed.
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