Sims 3 Mod Folder Not Working - Mac 2022

[fe612cb407b9b8cd]

My Sims 3 Mods folder is not working on my laptop. I have recently begun to play Sims 3 again, and tried installing brand new CC (I previously did not have CC). I followed multiple pages' instructions on installing a Mods folder correctly, but nothing is working. The Mods folder is in The Sims 3 folder in my Documents, has the Resource.cfg file, and all my CC items are in a Packages folder - however, it's just not showing up when I launch the game. I feel like I have tried every option I could find online. Can anybody please help me?

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@fe612cb407b9b8cd  The Mods folder needs to be called "Mods" , with only the M capitalized, and "Packages" needs to have the P capitalized.

But that's not why your content isn't showing in the launcher.  Nothing in the Packages folder ever shows up in the launcher; that's only for Sims3Packs.  (Those you put in ...The Sims 3 > Downloads so the launcher can read them.)  The script mods in Mods > Packages will show up in a list at the Main Menu, and if you're using nointro and NoBuildSparkles, you'll notice the effects: no intro movie when the game loads and no sparkles when you place a wall in Build mode, respectively.

[puzzlezaddict]

@fe612cb407b9b8cd  Please post a screenshot of the contents of the Packages folder, as in, I'd like to see the files themselves.  Please also post the full file path to Packages.  Right-click on the folder and select Get Info, then look for the file path under Where.  You can write [username] instead of your actual username, but leave the rest of the file path intact.

[fe612cb407b9b8cd]

@puzzlezaddict thank you for the response! i've attached 3 screenshots of the Mods folder, the Packages folder (inside of the Mods folder), and the full file path as requested. let me know if you need anything else.

[puzzlezaddict]

@fe612cb407b9b8cd  That's exactly the info I needed, thanks.  If you look at your first screenshot, the file path is listed as iCloud Drive > Documents etc.  Sims 3 won't read that folder; instead, it always reads the data in Macintosh HD > Users > your username > Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3.  So that's where your mods need to be as well.

To open this folder, open a Finder window and click Macintosh HD in the left panel, then open the folders listed above.  If you don't see Macintosh HD, click Finder in the upper left corner, then Preferences > Sidebar, and check the box next to hard disks.

[fe612cb407b9b8cd]

hi, i believe i correctly did what you said would work (attached is a photo), however, the problem is still persisting . when i open the sims 3 game launcher, there is no content under downloads, uploads, or installed content. could there be something else i'm doing wrong?

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@fe612cb407b9b8cd  The Mods folder needs to be called "Mods" , with only the M capitalized, and "Packages" needs to have the P capitalized.

But that's not why your content isn't showing in the launcher.  Nothing in the Packages folder ever shows up in the launcher; that's only for Sims3Packs.  (Those you put in ...The Sims 3 > Downloads so the launcher can read them.)  The script mods in Mods > Packages will show up in a list at the Main Menu, and if you're using nointro and NoBuildSparkles, you'll notice the effects: no intro movie when the game loads and no sparkles when you place a wall in Build mode, respectively.

[fe612cb407b9b8cd]

yes, sorry, that's what i meant - none of the CC files are showing up in the main menu, despite all the files now being in the correct location as per your previous posts - i'm really unsure of what else to do to solve this problem. could there be any other reason as to why the CC is not showing up at all in the game? the nointro and NoBuildSparkles you mentioned also do not work . i've never had a problem with CC before in the sims 3 or 4, so i'm just at a loss as to what the problem could be. everything is updated, and my sims 4 CC works just fine. could it be an issue with the sims 3 itself?

[puzzlezaddict]

@fe612cb407b9b8cd  Custom content won't be listed at the Main Menu; that list only contains mods that include scripting, which cc does not.  You'll need to check for the cc in-game.  Please delete the five cache files in the Sims 3 user folder as well:

• CASPartCache.package
• compositorCache.package
• scriptCache.package
• simCompositorCache.package
• socialCache.package

The issue with nointro and nobuildsparkles may also be that you haven't deleted the cache files since fixing the original issue.  Specifically, scriptCache needs to be deleted any time you add or remove a mod.  The others should be deleted when you add or remove cc, and they should all be trashed frequently, as some of them can get quite large.

[fe612cb407b9b8cd]

hi, thank you for all the help you have offered - it's interesting because the nointro and nobuildsparkles packages work, but none of the other CC. maybe all the other CC files that i have downloaded are broken/no longer work? i'm just not sure . i haven't played the sims 3 in some years, and although everything is updated, maybe the files haven't and no longer work. thank you again for all the help you've given me - it seems i will just have to accept the CC files won't work 😭

[puzzlezaddict]

@fe612cb407b9b8cd  Just in case this is the issue, only files with a .package extension go into Packages.  Any custom content that comes in Sims3Pack form goes into ... The Sims 3 > Downloads, where it can be installed from the launcher.

If you'd like, I can test a few of the cc items that aren't working.  Just send me a few download links via private message (third-party links aren't allowed in threads) and I'll check them out.  It might be that the cc is outdated, but it's easy enough to check.