[HOW TO] Find and remove bad custom content (CC)
How can I avoid CC I don't want?
Where is the CC installed that I see in my game
Disclaimer: All links and tools mentioned in this thread are not supported by EA and you'll be using them at your own risk.
What is this thread about?
A lot of Households/Sims/Lots contain custom content (CC) that is either bad or that you don’t want. Some of them are very hard to find in the launcher for they look nothing like the picture you see in CAS and unfortunately you can delete them in CAS directly.
There are methods, tools and lists around that can help you find and avoid this CC .
The intention of this thread is to give you links to those and help you if you have problems understanding them. This thread is not for spoon feeding you every step that has already been stated. If you have trouble understanding something, be specific in your questions.
This thread is also for helping you with CC that is not listed anywhere and that you can't find. Please check the available lists first before posting and if you feel up-to it, try the method described below to find out yourself.
My time is limited and I have many other projects, so please do me the courtesy and READ before posting. Thank you.
What is bad CC?
Bad CC is Custom Content that harms your game. One should distinguish between unwanted and bad CC. Unwanted CC is CC YOU don't like but others very well might want while bad CC is content no one should use for it can harm your game.
There are the following kinds of bad CC:
- CC that is categorized for too many age groups and both genders
- CC that is categorized for wrong ages and/or naked
- CC that crashes/freezes your game
- CC that causes the blue lot issue
- Clothing that colors on other parts (only listed in German, see the FAQ for more info)
- CC that hides in other CC
- Tight Arms (unsure if still an issue, only in German)
- CC hair that looks terrible (not listed, FAQ)
- CC windows/doors that crash the game since LN (not listed)
- CC that comes with Sims
- Simply badly done CC (not listed)
- CC that was made before patch 1.26/Pets and was never fixed (not listed)
There's also CC that likes to attach to everything you upload whether you use it or not but there are so many of those that I can't list all of them
When putting CC in your game, always remember that corrupt CC can crash your game, slow it down and maybe cause your launcher not to work properly.
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How do I get rid of that CC ?
Please refer to this blog post for information on that
- How to get rid of unwanted Custom Content
- How to find a certain download in your Launcher
- Downloads that are attached to Sims directly
- How to keep a Sim but get rid of the CC it came with
- Game Help:TS3 Finding Problem Custom Content
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How can I avoid CC I don't want?
When you download something from the Exchange, always use the Add To Game button and not Save as. Save as corrupts the thumbnails and you can't install the stuff. Add to Gamewill no longer install the content automatically so you can check it before installing.
Check all Households/Sims/Lots before you install them. There's a tool called Custard/CleanInstaller by Delphy that can help you check your stuff.
Instructions can be found here: Delphy's Custard
For Package-Files there's another tool called Dashboard, also by Delphy that can pinpoint you in the right direction: Delphy's Dashboard
Both tools can only help you with some errors. There are many errors that can't be detected. If the tools say it's safe, that isn't necessarily true.
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Where is the CC installed that I see in my game
All CC can be found in Documents\ElectronicArts\TheSims3.
There are two different kinds of CC. Packages and Sims3Packs. Sims3Packs are the only ones that show up in your launcher. Packages are installed a different way. Please check this thread for details: How-To-Install CC/Mods "The New Way" Guide
This thread is mostly about Sims3Packs.
Sims3Packs are containers for package files. When you double click on such a file a few things happen:
- The Sims3Pack gets copied to the Downloads folder and then shows in Downloads in the launcher
- The Package-Files inside (they all have long numbers) get unpacked to the DCBackup folder. They do almost nothing (see FAQ below)
- The Package-Files inside get compressed together and installed to the files *.dbc (or *.ebc for Store). Files that are installed here, show up in your Launcher.
For further info on your user files, check this: User Files Explained
You could, in theory, move the Package-files from DCBackup to the mods folder and use them like package files but a lot of Package-Files are bad for your game performance so if it weren't for the launcher, Sims3Packs are actually better to use than package-Files.