and can ANYTHING be done to fix them? I thought I was doing the right thing by moving my downloads folder, creating a new one and moving across only the files I really wanted, correctly named. Big, big mistake. Now half my downloads aren't showing up in my game. I've followed the 'Help-custom content not showing up' advice on here and it's left me with the conclusion that the files have become corrupt. But WHY?! Why would moving a file from one folder to another and back again suddenly mess everything up? It's so upsetting because the downloads are years old, and of course there's no opportunity to redownload them now. What's the point in constantly backing up if the backups don't bloody work when you need them?!

So, what I'm asking is:

Can anything be done to resuscitate my dead files?

How can I prevent this happening in the future?

Thanks for your help.

After you move the files did you delete the cache files yet.

Hi marka, thanks for replying. I've deleted the cache files a few times, when my game has refused to start up. I'll do it again now and see if that helps. With my downloads, I've actually managed to track down some of the originals on Sims 2 graveyard, and tried reinstalling the things from scratch. Now I'm more confused than ever! While many of old downloads are showing up no problem (furniture, clothes, rugs and 'new mesh' sculptures) other items, including potties, toyboxes, art, hot tubs and recolours of nursery items are behaving very strangely. Some aren't in the game at all, others appear when I move my whole old 'Downloads' folder across, but the recolours vanish when I cut and paste their file singly into my new downloads folder! I just don't know what to make of it. As I say, I had thought it was my old files that were corrupted, but how can that be the case if redownloading the originals doesn't work either?!

Do you have the CEP installed in this new version?

Yep. I got all excited when I read that in the 'Help-custom content not showing up' spiel because my CEP was in my old downloads folder, but when I installed it in my new one it didn't make any difference.

Could somebody maybe test out one of the downloads I'm having trouble with in my game - then I'll know at least if it's just me.

http://sims2graveyard.com/

The Simsquirts 'Drivesailfly' set is one I'm having issues with. The main items of furniture are showing up but the potty and toybox, for example, aren't. I never had any problems when it was in my old downloads folder.

Oh, deleting the cache files didn't work either.

Just download it and they all show up for me but I have all EP/SP's.

The toy box and potty chair are just recolors of the org. in-game items and show up with no problems.

Are you sure you have all the CEP files that you need? I know after I reinstalled the game on my current computer I couldn't understand why my toy oven recolours weren't showing but other recolours were and turns out while I had CEP I didn't have all the needed files.

Yes if you just copy over the CEP file from 1 Downloads folder to the new one then you need to re-install CEP.

Thanks for your help guys - I really appreciate it! Honestly though I'm stumped! Why would some of them show up one minute but not the next? Why would some (as you point out) base game recolours not appear at all?

I did redownload the CEP from here just today. In my 'CEP documentation' folder I have:

CEP-Extra_Documentation.pdf
CEP_RecolourInstructions.pdf
CEP_Objects_list.xls
CEP_Objects_list.pdf
CEP_FAQ.pdf

Does that look right, or am I missing something?

Do you have the CEP extras? And EnableColorOptions?

What are the 'extras', and where's 'Enable colour options'? I just chose the automatic installation - it said that was good up to M&G stuff.

After re-install CEP and deleting the cache files now restart your computer and then try.

If that does not work then cut your downloads folder out (the new one) then "cut" and paste the old one back in and delete cache files and see if that works.

WOAH! Ok that worked! But what's different? I tried deleting cache files before, that didn't do the trick. Maybe it was restarting the computer? But then that doesn't explain why it's still not working with the new downloads folder...

I'm going to play around with it for a minute and see what happens. Keep the ideas coming guys!

What made you think the files were corrupt in the first place, before you started making a new downloads folder?

Just moving files from one folder to another should work fine, but you didn't just move them, you also renamed them. Is it possible you created file names that aren't readable? Does each file name end with .package?

The fact that some of your CC still shows up with the new Downloads folder installed would suggest that the folder name is fine (Downloads capitalized and spelled properly with an 's' on the end), but is it possible it's not, and that the CC you're still seeing is installed somewhere other than in the Downloads folder?

Well, I went through the advice section on here 'Help - custom content not showing up' and as I'd tried everything, and it said that if nothing was working they'd probably be corrupt, I assumed that was it.

I didn't actually rename the files, I just organised hem into clearly labeled folders. They still all end with .package

So, this is the situ today: My old downloads folder, which I'd moved to my desktop and renamed 'Old Downloads' I moved back to my Sims 2 folder, deleted the 'Old' and tested it - my missing items are showing up no problem. So I moved it back and tried the new Downloads folder again. I'm still having the same issue!! Focusing on my nursery sets, high chairs, cribs and changing tables are all there, while potties, toy boxes and toy recolours aren't! What on earth is going n?

Well since you old downloads folder works why don't you just organize it in-stead of a new one.

By all accounts your new one should have worked but for some reason your computer is not allowing it.

So put your old one in then take out a few items you don't wont any more and test your game to make sure it works and do it that way.


ADD: I just had another thought in maybe you have change the order that your mods should be in and you may want to run the "Sims 2 Hack Conflict Detection Utility" http://www.simwardrobe.com/ its under Programs.

Also move the set that don't show into a file called zzz "what you want it to be" folder this way that set will load last.

Worth a try I guess! Still, how strange my new one is allowing some recolours but not others. I don't trust it at all!

Aaaarrrrggghhhh!! No, that's not working either!! What on earth is the matter with it?! Does anyone have any more ideas?

While I have loads of hacks in my old downloads folder I haven't moved any across yet, so that can't be it. Pretty ironic really!

Ok this is the last idea I have.

1 Move your "Neighborhoods" folder to your desktop.
2 If you have a user start then move it to the desktop.
3 If you have camera mod then move your "Cameras" folder to your desktop.

Now after all this move your "The Sims 2" folder from my doc. to your desktop and start up the game. This will make a new "The Sims 2" folder with all the org. files in it, quite the game.

Now cut and paste you new Downloads folder you made with what you want in your game and see if it works.

Great, I'll give it a go! I haven't played any of my neighbourhoods or created and sims yet, so I don't need to move those folders do I?

You need to move them so they will be ready to put in the new game after you test it out to see if your mods work.

Or you can leave them in the old "The Sims 2" folder and just make sure you delete the new "Neighborhoods" folder from the new set up then copy and paste the old one in after testing your mods.

But does it matter if I'm testing the recolours on a newly generated Pleasantview, as opposed to the old one? Anyway, I did and the problems are the still occurring. I got all hopeful when I found that incorporating my messy 'Old Downloads' folder into the new one allowed the potty and toybox recolours to appear, only to realise that all my new mesh items disappear if I do that!!!

I don't know what's going on here but it's seriously bizarre! Surely I'm not alone in experiencing this?

Marka, please don't leave me! I'm at my wits end and sure to do something desperate if you do!