03-06-2011, 05:15 PM
Here are some tips for installing and uninstalling worlds.
Installing a World You Created:
#1. Export the world via C-A-W.
#2. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Exports where you will find the Sims3Pack version of your world.
#3a. Either double-click on that file which should open the launcher and install the world...
OR
#3b. Move the Sims3Pack file to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims3/Downloads, start your launcher, click the Downloads button at which point you should see your world file ready for installation. Now install it just as you would any Sims3Pack file.
(Note: I have noticed for some reason occasionally the launcher doesn't want to allow a Sims3Pack file to be selected, as in the checkbox area is grayed out. If when you click the Downloads button your world appears but won't let you select the checkbox for installation, click on another option in the Launcher then go back to Downloads. You should be able to select it at this point.)
Installing a World You've Downloaded:
If the file you're downloading is in Sims3Pack format:
#1. Open the launcher.
#2. Start the download.
#3. Leave the setting in the download window to allow installation with the Launcher.
The Launcher at this point SHOULD auto-install the world while it's downloading.
(I've found every time I download a Sims3Pack file, the Launcher always automatically installs it for me, even if I do try to save the download instead of installing it. After it's downloaded and installed, I remove the Sims3Pack file to my second hard-drive so I still have the original file.)
If the file you're downloading is in .zip or .rar format.
(Way too many people are daunted by .zip or .rar format files. Please, don't let these scare you! This file type is known as an archive, and in this archive is the file (or files) you want, just compressed to take up less server space, use less bandwidth, and make downloading faster. Compressing a file into an archive can decrease its size by as much as 50% and has long been used as the standard for sharing files via the internet.
If you are running WinXP or later, you already have the ability to open .zip files. Free programs for opening .rar files are easy to find. I use Ultimate Zip which extracts multiple archive types, including .rar files.
#1. Download the .zip or .rar file. For ease of installation you can even download it directly into My Documents/The Sims 3/Electronic Arts/Downloads
#2. Once downloaded, right-click the file and choose the option to Extract To... If the file is already in the Downloads directory, choose Extract To Here. Otherwise, navigate within the program to the Downloads directory and have the Sims3Pack file extracted there.
#3. Either double-click the Sims3Pack file or start your launcher and install as you would any Sims3Pack file content.
Uninstalling Worlds From Your Game
#1. Open the launcher and go to Installed Content. Click the button for lots/houses because that is the sub-sort worlds are under.
#2. Find the world you want to uninstall, select it by clicking the checkbox then choose Uninstall. The launcher will prompt you letting you know it will also uninstall a saved game if there is one. If you're truly ready for the uninstallation, click OK.
#3. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Installed Worlds and make sure the world file was properly removed.
#4. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Saves and delete the back-up save (providing you had a save of this world).
#5. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/WorldCaches and delete both worldname_objects.package and worldname_sims.package files (the file names, of course won't be called worldname, but will instead have the name of the world you just installed.)
#6. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/DCBackup and delete all the files from that directory (the DCBackup directory should be cleaned out periodically if you install and uninstall any type of Sims3Pack content).
Installing a World You Created:
#1. Export the world via C-A-W.
#2. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Exports where you will find the Sims3Pack version of your world.
#3a. Either double-click on that file which should open the launcher and install the world...
OR
#3b. Move the Sims3Pack file to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims3/Downloads, start your launcher, click the Downloads button at which point you should see your world file ready for installation. Now install it just as you would any Sims3Pack file.
(Note: I have noticed for some reason occasionally the launcher doesn't want to allow a Sims3Pack file to be selected, as in the checkbox area is grayed out. If when you click the Downloads button your world appears but won't let you select the checkbox for installation, click on another option in the Launcher then go back to Downloads. You should be able to select it at this point.)
Installing a World You've Downloaded:
If the file you're downloading is in Sims3Pack format:
#1. Open the launcher.
#2. Start the download.
#3. Leave the setting in the download window to allow installation with the Launcher.
The Launcher at this point SHOULD auto-install the world while it's downloading.
(I've found every time I download a Sims3Pack file, the Launcher always automatically installs it for me, even if I do try to save the download instead of installing it. After it's downloaded and installed, I remove the Sims3Pack file to my second hard-drive so I still have the original file.)
If the file you're downloading is in .zip or .rar format.
(Way too many people are daunted by .zip or .rar format files. Please, don't let these scare you! This file type is known as an archive, and in this archive is the file (or files) you want, just compressed to take up less server space, use less bandwidth, and make downloading faster. Compressing a file into an archive can decrease its size by as much as 50% and has long been used as the standard for sharing files via the internet.
If you are running WinXP or later, you already have the ability to open .zip files. Free programs for opening .rar files are easy to find. I use Ultimate Zip which extracts multiple archive types, including .rar files.
#1. Download the .zip or .rar file. For ease of installation you can even download it directly into My Documents/The Sims 3/Electronic Arts/Downloads
#2. Once downloaded, right-click the file and choose the option to Extract To... If the file is already in the Downloads directory, choose Extract To Here. Otherwise, navigate within the program to the Downloads directory and have the Sims3Pack file extracted there.
#3. Either double-click the Sims3Pack file or start your launcher and install as you would any Sims3Pack file content.
Uninstalling Worlds From Your Game
#1. Open the launcher and go to Installed Content. Click the button for lots/houses because that is the sub-sort worlds are under.
#2. Find the world you want to uninstall, select it by clicking the checkbox then choose Uninstall. The launcher will prompt you letting you know it will also uninstall a saved game if there is one. If you're truly ready for the uninstallation, click OK.
#3. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Installed Worlds and make sure the world file was properly removed.
#4. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Saves and delete the back-up save (providing you had a save of this world).
#5. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/WorldCaches and delete both worldname_objects.package and worldname_sims.package files (the file names, of course won't be called worldname, but will instead have the name of the world you just installed.)
#6. Navigate to My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/DCBackup and delete all the files from that directory (the DCBackup directory should be cleaned out periodically if you install and uninstall any type of Sims3Pack content).