I originally asked this over in Stupid/Random Questions but the more I think about it, the more I feel like this deserves a post of its own to not get buried there. How on earth does Clean Installer actually work?

I have two computers, the desktop where I usually play and which has all of my CC and the laptop where I play casually with only gameplay mods. A while ago I installed on my laptop a lot I built on my desktop with only one item of CC in it, I used Clean Installer and everything worked fine, the lot worked fine and the item showed up in the catalogue as expected. Fast forward to this week and I'm trying to share another lot, I had built it ages ago with liberal use of CC thinking it would be for personal use but someone on reddit was interested in it and I decided to share it. Obviously I wouldn't just share it as it was, I went through everything that was packaged with the lot in Clean Installer to remove unused recolours and to know what pieces of CC they would have to manually download (I knew custom modular stairs need to be downloaded separately, but there were recolours of rugs, for example, that didn't package). I sent it over to my laptop to test if everything was working fine, I installed it with Clean Installer, I saw the package files appearing in my Downloads folder, I moved them to my desired subfolder, but when I opened the lot ingame everything had been replaced by Maxis items and none of the CC that was supposed to have come with the lot was even in the catalogue - but Edge Smoother White, from that other lot, still was. I tried deleting the package files and reinstalling the lot, nothing changed. Eventually I created a different subfolder inside Downloads, moved everything to there and it worked, they appeared on the catalogue and in the lot. But why? Why didn't it work originally? This was the first time something like this had happened to me.

You had it set to the Teleport folder? And you didn't change any setting? I know if you change anything the CC won't show up in the lot.
Also this really belongs in help not general chatter.

Was the subfolder 1-3 layers deep, or did you have an excessive use of subfolders (type "Downloads/subfolder/subfolder/subfolder/subfolder/subfolder/subfolder/files")? If the file/folder path goes over 256 characters, the game doesn't read the files.

The game can read some defaults and a selection of other files from outside the Downloads folder (SavedSims folder is readable, and some people have had success with making a Defaults folder, plus some other files could be readable too - I'd still recommend using the Downloads folder for everything, though). The "Edge smoother" file could've been one of those exceptions to the Downloads folder rule. Buy/build and CAS mesh files usually need to be in the Downloads folder.

As I mentioned before, sometimes the Downloads folder is there, but the game doesn't properly recognize it. Regenerating the Downloads folder by deleting it and running Bodyshop can be a good idea. Also works for the SavedSims folder.

You'll want to set up CI to install in the Downloads folder. It should auto install the lot to Teleport. If you have an unusual install and need to fix the game path for CI, here's how: https://modthesims.info/showpost.ph...0&postcount=152

CI does send the CC to the downloads folder and the lot to the teleport folder without you having to do anything. You don't have to direct the cc to the download folder, it does it anyway.

Mine didn't - It kept making new folders where they didn't belong. I had to fix the game paths first (UC). If the files aren't installing where you're expecting them to install, that could be the issue.

If they are installing into the correct folders but things aren't working, then something else is going wrong.

(If you have trouble again, try regenerating the Downloads folder, then enablie CC and restarting the game - and doing it once more if it doesn't "stick". Also try to put in some random bits of CC from different categories and see if they show up after enabling CC. Some pieces of clothing and hair using new meshes, and a few random things from different places in buy mode and build mode. Put a few things directly in the Downloads folder, and a few things in a subfolder, and see if they show up. The odd bit of CC could be showing even if CC isn't properly enabled - could depend how it's categorized and where it is)

I used the default installation settings on Clean Installer. The CC appeared on the main Downloads folder, which I then moved into a subfolder Lots and into a subsubfolder with the name of the lot. I created a subfolder at the same level as the Lots subfolder and moved everything there and it worked. But I've used plenty of subfolders within subfolders, both on my desktop to categorise CC (like a subfolder for Veranka items within a 4t2 subfolder) and on my laptop with the few gameplay mods I have there, and I never had any issues.


Sorry about that, you're probably right.

Are your downloads now working from the base Downloads folder, or just from subfolders within it?

If the downloads are working now, it's possible there was some issue with the CC not being properly enabled and/or recognized the first time around, that somehow sorted itself out after a few restarts. Occasionally the game needs a couple rounds of trying before things work.

The only time I had CC not showing up in game was when I tried doing it separately. I unticked the CC and sent the lot file to the teleport folder then I ticked the CC and sent it to the download folder. It was in the catalogue but not on the lot. Which is why I asked if you changed things, as changing things caused me that issue.

It could be it depends on your set up since there are a few ways now to do that, disk, EA, download.

Also delete your cache files just in case.