F.A.Q. Tutorial

Downloading Custom Content
The Maxis content doesn't seem to be fitting you just right, and you're ready to get new, custom content in your game. This is the right place.

1. Find a modding* site that you enjoy, such as ModtheSims, Simply Styling, Around the Sims 2, Parsimonious, Holy Simoly, and a lot more. Download what you want. Make sure you have the software* to download.
*Modding=custom content to install to your game.
Software=archive softwares to extract from, such as Winrar, Winzip, and 7Zip. These enable you to extract from if not all, most of compressed files. The Windows Extracting Wizard only extracts .zip files, not .rar

2. Put the files in the correct folder. For Windows XP it is Documents and Settings/*Your Username*/My Documents/EA Games/Sims 2/Downloads*.
*For Windows Vista AND MAC: Users/*Your User Account*/Documents/EA Games/Sims 2/Downloads 
If you installed the basegame as Sims 2 Deluxe, Double Deluxe, or Sims 2 Holiday Edition, put your content in those Download folders. Example: /EA Games/Sims 2 Double Deluxe/Downloads.

3. Extract your files*. Right click the .zip and .rar (etc.) for interactions such as Extract, or the name of the installing software and then Extract.
*If it's a Sims 2 Pack File, double click it and a message will pop up asking if you would like to install.

4. Delete compressed and Sims 2 Pack Files. They take up unnessesary space. You don't need them. Make sure you keep your .package files though!

5. Go through your .package files. Installing software usually places the content into folders. Look through the folders to see if there are any compressed/Sims 2 Pack files inside of them. Also check for ReadMe documents, such as XM, HTM, HTML files or anything of that nature. The game can't read them. Delete them after reading.

6. Turn on your game. Check through your game catalog. If you can't find your custom content, go to game settings and check to see if Custom Content is allowed in catalogs, and off for the custom content list that pops up right before the neighborhood menu if you have Nightlife and newer expansion packs.

7. Enjoy your content!

8. Is it not showing up? Make sure you've followed every step thoroughly and you understand everything. Read through it again.

9. Is it still not showing up?
Maybe it would help to check out this excellent tutorial from ModtheSims.
Downloading for Fracking Idiots
Still no custom content??? Check out this second tutorial from ModtheSims also.  Getting Custom Content to Show Up
For general custom content issues: Game Help: Custom Content

I hope this helped a lot, more F.A.Q. will be coming up.

Questions I won't answer:
Questions that have been answered in this tutorial.
I will however answer any specific questions, even if they are explanations for types of files or such.

Up Next: File Sizes and Types
On: May 25, 2010