#clean up duplicate files

[pixelplayground]

Just here to say that merged packages, and renamed build/buy files are the bane of my freaking existence. For the love of all that is sane, who thought this was a good idea!?

[midnitetech]

🚀 Clean Launcher Beta – Try It Early!

Hey Simmers! I’m excited to share the very first beta version of my new Clean Launcher—a one-stop, user-friendly tool for managing your Sims 4 mods, cleaning cache and error logs, scanning for duplicates, and even backing up your important files. All the essentials in a single, easy-to-use app built for Windows!

What’s in the Clean Launcher?

🧹 Clean & Launch: Wipes cache and error logs, then starts The Sims 4 with a single click.

🗂️ Scan Mods Folder: Detects duplicates, hidden scripts, and missing files. Fix them in a click or two!

📦 Backup: Instantly zip up your Mods, Saves, and Tray folders.

📥 Drag & Drop Installer: Drop ZIPs and mod files right in—they’ll be sorted automatically.

📁 Mod Folder Organizer: Organize a chaotic mods folder into preset categories, Undo changes.

Check for Updates: See if your installed mods have newer versions, and download them! (Currently covers all of my mods and the biggies like MCCC, UI Cheats etc. but I've hosted the library the app reads online, so as long as you have an internet connection, you're covered for updates I make.)

...and more! I'm still working on the exception helper, as I haven't gotten it quite to where I want it to be. However, the Scan Mods Folder feature includes a Create Full Report function, which you can send to me if you have an error you're struggling with.

Important: This is a BETA release, so you may run into bugs or rough edges. I’d love your feedback—every report helps make it smoother for everyone! The Help & Online menu includes a bug report form, and a User Guide, which I've also attached to the post.

📝 Submit Bug Reports

Thank you for helping shape the future of Sims 4 mod management! —midnitetech

P.S. Don’t be shy about reporting anything odd—even if you think it’s small! And as always, I never judge anyone based on their mod folder. You do you!

Windows only (currently)

PATREON (in beta testing for a week or so, then will be public. Anyone who's not a Patron and would like to test it, just message me!)

Download to your regular Downloads folder - this is NOT a mod, it's an app for Windows, and install it. I recommend you disable your antivirus as unsigned apps can give a false positive. I've scanned it with VirusTotal, and none of the major AVs are flagging it. You can also check your antivirus' quarantine section if it's already snagged it, and restore it from there.

[marticoresims]

USEFUL SOFTWARE FOR THE SIMS 2

This is a list of programs that will make your life easier if you're an avid Sims 2 player. Click on program titles to get download links.

SimPE The most known software for The Sims 2 that lets you edit package files. You can do basic stuff like rename a Sim, change family name, edit Sims' genetics as well as edit/create mods. Don't use if you have no idea what you're doing, watch a tutorial first or back up your neighborhood beforehand in case you mess something up! The newest version also has a terrain editor.

Sims2Pack Clean Installer The best program for installing downloaded lots and Sims. Those don't just go into Downloads, you need to install them!

Hood Checker This program checks neighborhood references and can clean out ones that are broken. Also useful for bringing back lost graves (it's still good to have NoUnlinkOnDelete).

HCDU Plus The Hack Conflict Detector Utility lets you scan your Downloads folder to check if you have any mods that edit the same aspect of the game, so can potentially be in conflict. Also useful to navigate which mods load first (load order is important for some mods to work).

What Caused This When you have 'testingcheats' on, the game gives you error messages if there's something going on. Not all of them mean there's a serious problem, but What Caused This can help you navigate what the source is. Upload the log file (Documents/EA/TS2/Logs) in the program, give it your Downloads folder and it will scan it to look for the culprit. Might give you straighforward information on which mod conflict caused the issue or that you lack Smarter EP Check for a mod that requires it.

The Compressorizer You can compress your Downloads to take up less space.

Delphy's Download Organiser You can filter your files to a certain category, scan for orphans (files that don't fully work if other files are missing, such as meshes), duplicates, and clean up your Downloads folder in an easier way than trying to track it inside the folder manually.

Outfit Organiser You downloaded CC clothes that the creator marked as outerwear but you think they don't fit in that category? With this program you can quickly change that! It's also doable in SimPE, but Outfit Organiser is a lot easier to use.

CPack Editor If you want to make plastic surgery genetic, there's no need to do it manually in SimPE, especially if it's more than one Sim. In CPack Editor, you just choose your neighborhood's folder, run the program, and it changes ALL surgery faces in that neighborhood to genetic!

Lot Adjuster This program lets you edit already existing lots. If you want a smaller or bigger lot than possible in-game, you can do it here! Also great for creating pavilions or row houses that are all separate lots, as you can get rid of the 2-tile border separating buildings by making the lots smaller and copying them.

Lifespan Builder A simple online tool by Lazy Duchess that lets you make your own custom lifespan without SimPE! You just put the numbers in and download a ready mod. Note: the number in game files is always 1 day shorter than it shows in the Sim's age bar, so example: if you want the toddler stage to be 5 days in-game (as in, it shows "5 days away" after growing up from a baby), you need to put in 4.

[tikitakatia]

Barça: Player Mode — A. Putellas x Reader

"Manual Export"

Pt. 1 , Pt. 2 , Pt. 3 , Pt. 4 , Pt. 5 , Pt. 6

WC: 3k

Summary: You and Alexia make a plan, now it´s time to follow through and get her out.

It's been a few hours and you’re still sitting close with your knees brushing. The radio in the corner keeps humming its broken lullaby, barely holding pitch. It's like the sim is looping the same moment again and again because it doesn't want you to leave it.

Alexia pulls the hoodie sleeves up to her elbows and ties her hair up.

“Okay,” she says, shifting fully to face you.

“We’re going to do something reckless now.”

You blink. “Cool. Great. Love that.”

“I need to show you something.”

She taps her fingers against the side of the bench twice and then again, in a sequence. A soft glitch ripples through the air like someone dragging static across water.

The med bay wall flickers.

A console appears.

Floating. Half-loaded. Buried under menus labelled DEBUG_ADMIN, SYS_ARCHIVE, and X11_INTERNAL_LOGS.

Your stomach turns. “That’s... not supposed to be here.”

“It’s not.” She glances at you, almost smug.

“I found the thread last week. It was buried in legacy stuff, QA level but it still works.”

She pulls up a blinking script titled: ATH_EXPORT_LV2.

“This is the tool. If I execute it at the right time during full sync, it should duplicate my behavior string.”

“Should?”

“This is a closed beta. Nothing should do anything.”

You laugh sharply. “Right. Love that for us.”

She smiles, then presses her thumb to a panel marked BIND_EXPORT_TRIGGER.

It blinks red. Then it turns green.

“I’ve linked it to the med bay,” she says. “Safer than the field. No overloads. No external physics modules to fight.”

“You… chose this room.”

“It’s where I knew you’d come.”

That wrecks you.

You pull your knees up and hide your face for a second.

“So what do I do?” you manage.

She looks at you gently, focused.

“You prep the external end. A clean drive. Max storage. It has to be connected before you log in.”

“Label it something clear, ACTIVE_X11 works.”

“I’ll trigger the export from here. If you’re synced and the drive is mounted… the data will find its way to you.”

You blink.

“That’s it? I don’t do anything?”

She nods.

“You just have to be there. Logged in. With me.”

You swallow.

“And after?”

She hesitates. Just for a breath.

“I don’t know,” she says softly. “I’ve never done this.”

“So we’re winging it.”

“Always.”

You try to laugh but it barely makes it out.

You reach for her hand instead.

“We have one more login after this.”

She laces her fingers through yours like she’s memorizing the shape.

“Then we hold on to it.”

She doesn’t let go right away.

When she does, it’s slow like she’s reluctant to break the moment.

Then she shifts, straightens up.

“Okay,” she says. “Let’s go over it one more time.”

You nod. Still blinking back the ache behind your eyes.

“You log in like normal. Final session.”

“We play the full match. It has to be real, has to stabilize the sync.”

 “Then we meet here.”

She taps the console behind her. It glows faint green.

“I’ll start the export from this terminal. The system will detect your presence and your drive.”

“If it connects and everything holds, you’ll get the file.”

“Where?”

“The external drive, but…”  

She trails off and shrugs gently. 

“We don’t know.”

“And if it works…”

She meets your eyes. There’s no smile. Just that fierce, quiet certainty.

“Then I’ll be yours.”

Your chest clenches.

You nod once. Too fast. Too full.

She watches you, her gaze softening again and shifts closer, reaches out, cups your jaw like she’s scared you might disappear first.

“Do you really understand what you need to do?”

You nod again.

“Say it.”

“I log in. We play the match. I come back here. You run the export. If I’ve got the drive… it saves.”

She nods once.

“Good.”

“And then..”

You don’t finish the sentence.

Neither does she.

You both feel it, this pause, this weight, this terrifying almost.

Because it's not goodbye.

But it might be.

You lean in.

This time, there’s no caution.

You kiss her like the clock’s already running.

Like the countdown is echoing in your chest.

Like the sim might shatter under your hands.

Her lips are soft and urgent. Her fingers thread into your hair. She pulls you close, impossibly close, like she’s trying to memorize the weight of your body, your breath, the way you shiver when she exhales into your mouth.

You kiss like it’ll stop time.

It doesn’t.

When you finally part, foreheads pressed together, hearts out of rhythm, her voice is barely above a whisper.

“Come back to me.”

“Always.”

One last brush of lips, and then you step back.

Her hand drops.

The med bay flickers at the edges again.

And you know it’s time.

You reach up. Pull the suit’s disconnect latch.

The sim fades around her face.

Her last look is soft.

Sure.

And just a little scared.

You disconnect.

The suit releases with a hiss and your breath catches like it doesn’t know where to land without her beside you.

The room is dark.

Your chest is loud.

Then, your screen flashes.

[ATHENA SYSTEM ALERT – SESSION VIOLATION: LEVEL TWO]

You click the notification with numb fingers.

The message opens like a door slamming shut.

USER ID: 402-C

ACCESS LEVEL: BETA / LIMITED

SIM PARTNER PROFILE: X11 – “Alexia”

SESSION FLAG: MED_BAY_02

⚠️ SECOND STRIKE ISSUED

User has exceeded emotional interaction protocol thresholds with Category X AI.

— Detected Sync Score: 0.863 (Max: 0.72) — Physical proximity duration: 00:07:14 — Undocumented environment customization detected — AI response patterns deviating from preset tolerances

[NOTICE] Unstable thread behavior noted in linked avatar profile.

Further variance will be reviewed for compliance.

You scroll. There's more.

NEXT INFRACTION WILL RESULT IN ACCESS CLOSURE.

After 3rd Flag: • User login disabled • AI interaction suspended • Beta profile archived pending review

No next steps, no questions. Just that final line pulsing in red across your screen.

You stare at it until your eyes sting, and the weight of it finally hits you.

Not like fear, but like pressure. Like your lungs are too small for the room now. Like your hands don’t know where to go. The silence feels heavier than the warning. And your heartbeat is loud, too loud. You glance toward the desk and the USB sits there. Still empty and waiting.

You reach for it without thinking, then pull your hand back.

Because now it’s real. Now there’s a clock in your head you can’t silence.

You press your palms to your eyes.

Breathe once. Twice.

It doesn’t help.

Because tomorrow…

You have to go back in, and you have to get it right.

You don’t sleep.

Not really.

You lie there staring at the ceiling, heart still lodged somewhere between her voice and the sound of the sim fading out the night before. Your hands keep twitching like they want to reach for her.

So in the morning, you go full overkill.

You don’t just prep a USB. You buy a new one. Top-tier. Massive storage. Laser-etched case.

The packaging literally says: “trusted by aerospace and defense contractors.” You take that as a good omen.

Then you buy a laptop.

Sleek. Powerful. Clean.

No old files. No distractions. No risk.

You get home and start setting it all up. You name the external folder X11_BACKUP_ATTEMPT.

The drive gets labeled ACTIVE_X11. Because it has to be right. It has to work. It has to feel like you're doing something real.

Then the cables go in, USB to laptop. Laptop to wall. Laptop to console port, just to stabilize the system handshake and avoid any power surge during the live session.

It’s standard. It’s clean.

It glows for a second. Everything blinks in sync.

You barely register it because you’re already running checks on the folder size.

You sit back in your chair and take a breath that doesn’t land.

The sim console lights up. Waiting.

You touch the USB one last time, absurdly gentle, like it’s a trigger. Like it knows what it’s about to carry.

“Please work,” you whisper.

You suit up for the last time.

The world hums around you, low and steady.

The sim doesn’t just load, it unfolds. Not like code. Like a ritual.

And then you're there.

Camp Nou. But not like you’ve ever seen it. The sky is impossibly soft, tinted gold, like the sunset's been stretched across the roof of the world. The stadium’s lights are on, but dimmed, glowing instead of shining. Gentle. Reverent. Like the whole system has quieted itself for you.

There’s no whistle. No chatter. Just windless stillness.

Then footsteps.

Soft, deliberate.

You turn and see her.

Alexia. Alone.

She walks toward you in a kit that stops your heart.

It’s Barça blue, classic cut, but it’s not hers.

It’s yours. Your name on the back and her number below it.

She looks untouchable, or maybe like the only thing left you could touch and still survive.

When she reaches you, she doesn’t speak right away.

“I didn’t want to waste this on NPCs.”

Her voice is low and steady. There’s something behind it, like finality but it feels like devotion.

And then,

Snap.

The field fills around you in a ripple.

Your teammates phase into place, not just your usual lineup, but everyone.

Frido’s grinning. Pina winks. Mapi does a full somersault and lands wrong on purpose just to make someone laugh.

And beyond them,

You catch flashes of something else.

Other versions of this.

Other Alexias, sitting in the stands.

A younger one, jersey too big.

An avatar from your early training sessions, half-loaded but smiling.

A crowd that looks familiar because it was generated for you, over and over.

She made all of them show up.

She built this for you.

“If this is the last time I ever move beside you,” she says,

“I want to make it worth remembering.”

The game begins.

No commentary. No glitches. Just motion.

You move like you’ve never moved before. Light, fast, fluid. The field rises to meet you, every blade of synthetic grass syncing perfectly with your feet.

She assists you.

You assist her.

It’s not showy, it’s intimate.

No tricks. No over-the-top effects.

Just pure, beautiful football.

And then it happens.

Final minute.

She sends the pass.

You volley.

It lands and the net ripples.

And the lights don’t just flash.

They bloom.

Not fireworks.

No music.

Just white light exploding across the stadium like stars have broken through the roof. It spills onto the pitch, onto you and onto her until it feels like you’re standing at the center of something holy.

You turn.

She’s running toward you.

Not to celebrate the goal.

To see you.

You crash into each other, laughing. Crying. Holding.

She presses her forehead to yours, breath hot and fast.

“Ready?” she asks.

You nod. You don’t trust your voice.

You don’t say for what.

Because you both know what comes next.

The match is over.

The stadium fades behind you, caught in some suspended shimmer like the sim doesn’t know what to do with peace.

Alexia takes your hand and you let her.

It’s not like before. Not playful. Not teasing. Her fingers are tight around yours, like she knows how little time is left, and she’s still choosing to spend every second of it on you.

You walk to the med bay together and the corridor is too quiet. The walls hum low and constant, like they're buffering something you’ll never get back.

Frido disappears mid-jog as you pass. A door stays open when it should close. The light above you flickers once, twice and steadies again like it never happened.

You reach the med bay.

It’s still standing.

Barely.

The air inside is warm and her console glows green. She walks to it with practiced calm, brushing her hand across the panel like a pianist setting up her final note.

You’re quiet.

And then she speaks.

“Everything’s ready.”

She turns to you.

“You don’t have to do anything. The drive’s connected. You’re logged in. I’ll start it. It’ll find you.”

You nod, barely breathing.

She looks at you for a long moment. Not scared. Just... full. Full of things she’ll never get to say if this doesn’t work.

Then she steps close and her hands cradle your face.

“You’ve always shown up for me.”

A soft kiss, then her thumbs brush your cheeks.

“So now I’m showing up for you.”

And then she turns and hits the command.

The console glows white-hot.

You flinch as something pulses in the air. Not a noise, a shift. Your body feels it. Your sync spikes. You see the confirmation flash on the upper corner of the screen:

EXPORT_THREAD_ACTIVE_00X11

DATA WRITING… 12%… 39%… 78%…

You stand there not touching her. Not breathing.

She glances at you once.

You meet her eyes.

“It’s working.”

The counter blinks:

98%... 99%...

You inhale, sharp. You feel dizzy with it.

And then..

100% – COMPLETE

You stare at the screen like you don’t believe it.

She laughs, actually laughs, a breathy, overwhelmed sound that cracks something open in you.

“Holy shit,” she says.

You turn to her.

She’s already looking at you like she doesn’t believe it either.

You pull her in.

You kiss her like it’s the start of something. Like you’re going to wake up tomorrow and she’ll still be here. Like the risk was worth it.

And for one second, it is. For one second, she’s warm and there and yours.

Then..

A buzz.

A glitch.

Your hand slips through her ribcage like it hit water.

You pull back confused.

She stutters.

Not her speech, her whole self.

“I..lo..love..lov…”

Her arm jolts like it’s trying to hold on. Like it’s trying to stop the unraveling.

“No, no! I finished it, I finished it..”

Her face flickers and her voice cuts in and out. You’re crying and she’s still trying to stabilize the room like she can code her way out of disappearing.

“Wait, wait, I just need to-”

You reach for her and your hand hits nothing.

Just air.

The console flares red.

SYNC VIOLATION: UNAUTHORIZED TRANSFER DETECTED

THREAD X11 STATUS: DETERIORATING

PROCESS: AUTO-TERMINATION PENDING

You scream her name.

She turns to you.

Her mouth is still moving.

You can’t hear the words.

Her eyes are panicked.

She opens her mouth again,

And what finally comes out, soft and scrambled but unmistakable:

“You’re always at the right place at the right time.”

And then,

FLASH.

The sim doesn’t fade.

It rips you out like a slingshot. 

Like a punishment.

The headset clatters to the floor and you stumble forward in your chair, heart hammering, breath ragged. The room is too quiet, like something divine has been vacuumed out of the world.

Your monitor flashes red.

[CRITICAL SYSTEM ALERT]

[FINAL STRIKE: THREAD 402-C]

[SIM ACCESS LOCKED] [EXPORT ATTEMPT FLAGGED]

[X11 STATUS: UNSTABLE]

You barely register it.

Your inbox starts pinging. Email after email, every subject line colder than the last.

[BREACH OF EMO-SYNC CONTAINMENT – THREAD X11]

[ACTION REQUIRED: SUSPENSION UNDER REVIEW]

[UNAPPROVED DOWNLOAD ATTEMPT DETECTED]

You scroll, frantically but your brain is already spinning in circles. You try to think harder because there has to be a way out.

Something you missed.

Your hand flies to your keyboard.

The manual.

The PDF you downloaded before and scanned through quickly, but never actually read properly.

You open it now.

Search: export.

You find it fast.

Too fast.

The paragraph stares at you, sharp, cold, undeniable.

“Do not attempt export of Category X AI threads during active sync.”

“Athena Alpha threads are designed with live emotional mirrors and cannot be separated mid-session without data distortion.”

“Interrupting memory retention during sync will result in irreversible personality fragmentation.”

“Export only after complete session closure. No exceptions.”

You blink. Read it again. And again.

And then you stop breathing.

Because you thought that was the plan.

You followed what she told you. What she believed would work.

You were both wrong.

It wasn’t you.

It wasn’t her.

It was the system.

One line of code you never saw.

And it cost everything.

But wait.

No.

You downloaded her.

That’s what this was all for.

That’s what she said.

You turn to your computer like a lifeline.

Your hands fly to the mouse, trembling.

“She’s not gone,” you whisper.

“She’s not gone, she’s just… here.”

You find the folder.

X11_BACKUP_ATTEMPT

The one she told you to make.

The one she looked at like it meant something.

You double-click.

The folder opens with a quiet click, like a held breath.

And right there, at the top you see it.

A file.

x11_core_thread_export.pkg

It’s big, heavier than anything else in the folder. It has the right name and the right extension.

Your heart starts to race.

Maybe she’s in there.

Maybe she made it.

You click it and your screen flickers then the lights dim just slightly.

A bar appears.

“Running package scan…”

You lean in too fast, the hope surging so violently it almost chokes you.

“Loading memory thread…”

“Syncing emotional instance…”

Yes. Yes. Yes.

You whisper it.

You beg for it.

Then the bar glitches.

Static. A hard blink.

A small window opens.

White text on black.

No sound.

[CORRUPTED FILE]

[AUDIO RECONSTRUCTION FAILED]

SALVAGED LINE:

“I..lo..love..lov…e…you..”

Your mouth opens like it might call her back.

The file shuts itself and the folder refreshes.

It’s still there, the file is still there.

But it won’t open again.

You sit there staring at the screen, waiting for the next glitch, the next sound, anything.

Nothing comes.

You fold forward in your chair, hands over your face and the sob hits you like a system crash. You cry like it might keep her here. Like if you cry hard enough, something will hear you. But all you get is the whir of your machine.

You don’t remember passing out. Just the feeling of something warm turning cold. Just the sound of her saying "I love you" once.

And never again.

Pt. 8

[mustluvcatz-reloaded]

Another residential lot I had ready, same as the other one - no frills.

A copy was briefly playtested and worked as expected. Be sure to use Clean Installer so you don't end up with duplicate files!

DOWNLOAD

chocolate? snackies? caffeine?

[alienara-simblr]

📥 How to install everything ?! 🗂️

It's a very big project ! Between the lots and the sims, you have to be very sure of what you are doing. However, this post is there to guide you through the steps of installing everything.

🟪 Phase one - The "Lot Master Meshes Post" 🏗️ (for the unpopulated neighborhood) : This post contains links for custom content (Building and Buying Mode) needed that does not install itself with the packaged files and needs to be installed for lots to display properly. Not downloading those things can cause bug, especially food/shop displays. 🟥 Phase two - The "Chapters" posts : install the lots 🏡 These posts contain links to big downloads or entire download sub-folders containing the lots.packages (Neighborhood, Downtown, MagicTown etc.). Each lot.package file must be installed for every lot to display properly in the neighborhood with The Sims 2 Clean Pack Installer by Mootilda. For the lots, every CC is needed. The CC presentation in the lots posts (between pictures) serves to illustrate (or to show you an alternative or to thank a creator) and is included in the packaged file or the lot master-meshes post. The lots post where only to show what you are downloading, and for the ones who just want to pick and choose a particular lot for their own game. 🟧 Phase three - The Neighborhood 🏘️ The "Chapter 5" post includes every neighborhood decoration CC you need for the neighborhoods, after you installed every lot packaged file. When, you passed the check-list, you can choose what to download between all the options presented to you. 🟨 Phase four - The CAS Master Meshes Posts 1 and 2 A lot of CC presented in those posts are not strictly necessary. If you don't install a default replacement, you will end up with the maxis content. If you don't load a custom hairstyle or clothing, you can have a display bug, but that is quickly corrected with the "change appearance" option. Big bugs can occur when an eye or skin color is missing, so I deliberately build my sims with the Maxis eye/skin options. These posts are for the ones who want to install my populated neighborhood. For those who only want to choose a few sims from the families, each sim in each family post has their own content listed. 🟩 Phase five - Download & install the TS1 families Subhood 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 I'm working on making one big neighborhood, but the issue with main hoods is unwanted sims spawning, especially custom PT and NPCs. And then potential corruption when you try to clean that freaking mess. The Main (completely unpopulated) hood with the populated subhood is the best option to have a "Fresh Start" clean neighborhood. After deleting the subhood, you have to move the family in houses. The Sims 1 has a big family bin. Choosing who is going where is part of the game, it doesn't seem right to choose for you. 🟦 Phase six - Passed the check list 🎮 You chose, you installed, you PLAY ! (veni, vedi, vici...)

⚠️ I'm not going to lie to you. It's a big project. I tried by the past to handle that kind of installation and here is my advice, good or bad, I don't know :

1 - Install every master-meshes, well organized in your files. 2 - Install every CC included in lot packages in one dedicated "messy" folder, to make the duplicate replacing themselves (there are a lot since I use a lot of time the same items... logic). 3 - Install the neighborhood deco nicely organized in your folders. 4 - Test the lots/neighborhoods, see if everything works. 5 - Exit your game and Run a program to search for duplicates (like this one for exemple), and suppress all duplicates files from the "lots packaged file CC folder" (suppress where it's still messy) 6 - If you want to organize the "messy" folder, you can run a program like the great Delphy Download Organizer to efficiently re-dispatch files according to your own classification. However, I strongly advise against using this software to locate duplicates. It has the option, but it doesn't work well.

💡To go faster ? - The "Navigation" page on my Simblr !

[simsantoinc]

Toddler Bed Addons For A Few CC Sets

I was cleaning out some cc in the kids section, and making a few toddler beds has been on my projects list for a while so I '''''cleaned''''' my downloads by making more cc. I picked sets that have several objects and nursery items. I cloned them Michelle's teak toddler bed which is a clone of Rebecah's pine toddler bed. The beds make toddler management easier buy letting them go to bed and get up on their own. They change into sleepwear right before getting in bed and back to everyday after getting up.

Included toddler beds for:

Art deco store set. Repo'd to the double bed. Also works well with lunie's art deco addon crib and changing table.

Veranka's Bubu set. Repo'd to BuBu Kitchen Master.

Sims2Play's Hansen set. Repo'd to the double bed. It should work regardless if you have the double bed from hafi's repo'd set, hodadk's repod'd set or some archive of the original. I know jacci made one back in 2011, but I made my own since I prefer how the beds based on Beck's pine bed work.

Moune's Torrox set. Repo'd to the Torrox dining chair.

All files are compressed with included preview and main meshes. I renamed 3 of the main meshes so watch out for duplicates in your download folder.

Download | Alt

[rasqberrypetalpostcards]

025.

emotional hoarding: the need to save screenshots, songs, and sentences forever an essay about digital keepsakes, the tenderness of collecting feelings, and the ache of wanting nothing to be lost

i don’t delete things. i don’t mean to be dramatic about it — it’s not always conscious, not always desperate — but i keep everything. old screenshots. archived messages. playlists i haven’t listened to in years. photos of moments i barely remember but can’t bear to let go of.

it’s not just nostalgia. it’s not about the past being prettier. it’s about preservation. about keeping proof that certain feelings were real, that certain people were here, that i was once that soft and that open and that full.

it’s emotional hoarding. and it’s not cute. it’s cluttered. my phone storage hates me. my folders are a mess. i label things with half-thoughts like “important” or “this one hurt” or “remember this always,” and i never clean them up. because what if i forget?

what if i lose the sentence that broke me open? what if i can’t find that one screenshot of a chat that made me feel seen? what if the song that once held me slips away before i get a chance to thank it properly?

keeping things as a way of keeping yourself

sometimes i wonder if i’m collecting these things because i don’t trust my own memory. or maybe because i don’t trust the world to let good things last.

so i archive. i back up. i save duplicates. i bookmark quotes and copy-paste text into six different places.

because maybe, somewhere inside, i think that if i save enough, i won’t lose the version of me that once felt deeply. i won’t lose the girl who read that line at midnight and gasped. i won’t lose the softness that song created in my chest.

i won’t lose the love that bloomed, even if it was brief.

a folder full of ghosts

you’d be surprised how loud a silent file can feel.

you click into a folder and suddenly you’re sitting in a memory you didn’t ask to revisit. the playlist you made for someone who never made one for you. the screenshot of a message you can’t reread without your stomach knotting. the blurry picture of a day that felt infinite at the time.

you saved them because they mattered. and they still do. but now they haunt you a little.

because keeping them means keeping the ache.

and still, you keep them.

songs as emotional timestamps

i have playlists that are practically diaries. no descriptions, just vibes. titles like “hurt but soft” or “this felt like falling” or “i loved you gently.”

songs i don’t even love musically — but they’re tied to a moment, a feeling, a version of me that i can’t recreate without them.

sometimes i’ll put one on and suddenly it’s last winter again. i’m crying in the back of a cab. or laughing under string lights. or sitting alone at 3 a.m., trying to feel something clean.

and it hits me, all over again — music isn’t just sound. it’s emotion storage.

screenshots as modern keepsakes

i don’t print photos. i don’t frame letters. but i screenshot everything.

an old friend saying something kind. a stranger being unexpectedly gentle. a stupid meme that made me laugh when i was falling apart. a tweet that articulated what i didn’t know i needed to hear.

and i scroll through them like someone flipping through pressed flowers.

tiny, pixelated proofs that someone once saw me. that someone once made me feel like i wasn’t alone.

and sure, maybe i’ll never look at them again. but the thought of deleting them feels like erasing a piece of my heart.

sentences that became lifelines

we don’t talk enough about how a single sentence can anchor you.

a line in a book. a caption. something someone said once, maybe not even to you.

words that hit like medicine. like a mirror. like a hug.

i collect them. obsessively. in notes apps and text files and margins of old notebooks.

because sometimes you don’t remember the day or the context — but you remember how it made you feel.

and isn’t that the most honest kind of memory?

not everything we keep is pretty

it’s not all soft and sentimental. some things are ugly. painful. full of longing or regret.

sometimes i keep things because i need to remember what i survived.

because deleting them would feel like pretending i was never hurt. like pretending i didn’t love someone who left.

keeping the evidence is a way of honoring it.

like, yes, this mattered. even if it’s over. even if it wasn’t kind. even if it only lasted a moment.

it mattered.

what if we kept feelings the way we keep files?

what if we organized our emotions like folders? what if we labeled our memories gently, instead of pretending they didn’t happen?

what if we gave ourselves permission to hold on, instead of constantly being told to let go?

maybe it’s okay to have a little mess. a little weight. a little archive of everything we’ve felt.

maybe it means we cared. maybe it means we still do.

soft clutter is still sacred

there is something deeply romantic about saving things no one else would. about keeping pieces of conversations that made you smile. about hoarding proof that once, someone said something soft to you.

you don’t need to apologize for that.

you’re not being too sensitive. you’re being attentive.

to meaning. to memory. to the little moments that might’ve gone unnoticed — but not by you.

you are allowed to hold on

this world moves too fast. deletes too quickly. says “move on” like it’s that easy.

but your heart is not a hard drive. it’s a scrapbook.

so keep the screenshot. keep the song. keep the line that made you feel real.

your softness is not clutter. your memories are not excess. your need to hold on is not wrong.

some things are meant to be saved. outlined in pastel highlighter by, R.

[spirestar]

@devilsparda : [ comforting hug ] a hug given to someone to comfort them

They don't talk about important things very often, Dante and Trish. They were both on the Island, they saw the same things. Trish carries an amulet in her pocket that she will never wear and Dante remembers electricity flowing through his veins and they clink their glasses every year to 'celebrate' killing a king. Regicide. Trish never brings up the fratricide or how much of her life before they met was dedicated to orchestrating it. Indirectly, sure. But the equation still has the same solution. These days, Dante can tease her, tell her not to cry, and she leans in like she might rake her nails across his face and he can laugh and she can too. It's nice. To have a friend; Trish doesn't think very hard about it, though. She camps out in the office when she isn't busy on her own and never drives through the doors again because she has a key. He doesn't ask where she got it, which is good because she'd never admit she made it in one of those stupid hardware stores. Her sharp teeth were digging into her cheeks from how she smiled her way out of the store when the machine still spat out her shiny new entry ticket to their oddly shared space. Do Not Duplicate--It's a little funny.

"Delivery agin..?" She frowns, lips curling with disgust as she lifts a full plastic bag off the doorstep of Devil May Cry, shaking it a little like the contents might scream out what they are. Humans love variety and they love experimenting with things that would never matter in Hell. Snacks, drinks, clothing, haircuts. She used to find it all so arbitrary. Now she's so used to Dante's obsession with style that she can't escape her own penchant for flair. It's a good thing. Probably. Whatever the food he's ordered is, she can't tell from the size and shapes of the styrofoam containers. He better be planning to share either way. It's boring to only watch people eat. The door swings shut behind her with a creeeeak as she reenters and locks up; It's already past 10 anyway. "Your shit's here," she says rather than yells because Dante has spectacular hearing from his devil side and if he ever says "sorry, what?" it's because he simply didn't want to listen. It's easy to sound like Trish now. Losing Eva's affect and inflection had been an important bit of her moving topside.

When he doesn't reply or make a weird noise that she's meant to take as a response, Trish scowls down at the bag and holds it away from her so she won't get any grease on her (very-easily-cleaned) top. She swings a free hand over her shoulder to push her hair back and heads toward the back of the office, past Dante's desk and the flickering lamps lighting the place. He doesn't sleep much but it wouldn't be the first time he's pretended to knock out so he can avoid something. Who knows what it is this time. Maybe he got a job and wanted to wait on his food. She raps her knuckles against the thick wooden door of the back room--Dante's current makeshift bedroom--and peers in with her vision attuned just for the task (Mundus's domain wasn't meant for navigating without a demon's eyes). Sure enough, Dante is there on the tattered mattress, his hair tangled around his head like a slipping halo, but he isn't pretending to sleep. He's sitting, his hands clasped together between his knees, coat abandoned at the edge of the bed.

Because it's been over five years since they met, Trish knows better than to say anything. She is not a human. She was made in the shape of a comforter but she does not know how to do the task. Dante has never needed to tell her that he doesn't want that from her either. She knows it to be true as surely as she knew his name before ever seeing his face, before ever being given her task to lead him into purgatory. She lowers her arm with the bag to drop it by his door and leave. This is usually very easy for Trish to do. She is very good at occupying her time with nail filing and devil frying and answering spam phone calls with the utmost of impoliteness. Sometimes she shops for sunglasses and sometimes she puts on a movie and pretends to watch it like a person might even if the plot is very dull. Wine helps with this pick for time-killing.

The plastic lands quietly because Trish is very skilled at managing her strength. Still, Dante's head turns toward her because he's known she was there all along and he smiles. He's very good at smiling. But she has heard him cry distantly, between worlds, and she knows better than to believe him. Not that she needs to say anything about that either. He must know. His hands don't move from where they're folded and Trish can tell that he's bending his knuckles too hard, straining them further than they should go. "I'm heading out," she says and doesn't ask. He nods at her. Just nods. When he doesn't go back to his staring at the wall, Trish wonders why he bothers to. "I won't be back 'til tomorrow." She doesn't know why she says it. To get an answer, maybe? Human communication is never so straightforward. Dante and she have the same blue eyes so when he smiles a little wider and the crow's feet slowly making their mark by his eyelids show themselves, she knows, like before, that she cannot believe him. Trish rolls those eyes and stalks into the room finally, her head shaking all the while.

They don't talk about important things very often and they won't today. But Trish knows that when she reaches out to wrench his hands apart, his broken curled up fingers healing back into the right places, and tugs him to his feet that he never once thinks of her as anyone but who she is. In turn, Trish won't baby him. He laughs quietly when he finally meets her gaze, when she doesn't release his hands after watching them intently fix themselves, when she doesn't say anything else. "What?" She asks, releasing him finally but not moving any further away. "Something in my teeth, big guy?" He laughs again and shakes his head, mop of hair swinging around his face. Today isn't the same day they met so it might be the other bad one; Trish isn't good with dates, with time. But it matters to humans--Anniversaries. Lady told her so. It's not something Dante likes anyone to think he cares about, unless he can make a joke about it. Trish folds her arms and glances around the room. It feels awkward to wait like this. As if Dante will just admit what's happening, help her out a little. She half expects him to go back to pretending everything is fine. But it must be too hard today. Or she's made it more difficult by overstaying.

She turns her head just enough to catch a glimpse of the wall he was having his staring contest with. Oh. Trish almost wants to whack him upside the head. Instead, she drops an elegant palm onto his shoulder--he's still protected by a sleeve from her, but not by his leather jacket--and exhales softly, in a little puff. "Let's go somewhere," she mutters and squeezes his arm. His gaze flicks behind her again and his smile falls away: He knows when he's caught. Trish is too smart to buy any excuse he might try to give. He's been too quiet since she came in here. He's not himself but he is. Trish frowns and rolls her eyes again. She can give him back a little bit of normal. She pulls his head down to rest on her shoulder and blocks the mirror he's been letting himself disappear into. "You look terrible, seriously." He laughs again and it scratches in his throat in a way she doesn't like. "And whatever you ordered has to be gross now. Ugh." Trish's hand on his shoulder slaps lightly as she mimes her usual way of picking on him before she wraps her arm around his neck. Just one. No need to go too crazy. Neither of them are accustomed to regular care.

"Probly," he replies with a laugh stuck between his teeth like a bullet casing. "I even got you dumplings this time, too." Damn. Trish shakes her head in mock irritation and lets him lean on her. He doesn't lift his limply hanging arms to return the makeshift hug but he doesn't need to. That's not why she's here.

After a few more minutes or maybe only seconds, it's still long enough, Trish answers like she's sharing a secret: "Then you owe me." And she shoves his head off her shoulder and pushes him back into the lit up hallway. She looks behind herself again before following and only sees Trish in her reflection. It's good. It's better. It's too bad only one of them benefits from missing their copy.

[kayleigh-83]

I updated my resources page to include a few programs & utilities I use that I think everyone would benefit from! Veteran players probably know at least a couple of these very well, but hopefully some players can benefit from this! Sharing the information here too so it can be saved more easily if anyone wants to. But the Resources link in my pinned post also has this section now.

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This isn’t a comprehensive list of all TS2 outside programs and utilities I use, as some are more infrequent and specialized, or tailored to CC makers or intermediate and advanced builders. These are ones I use regularly and would recommend for your average player. 

Hood Checker - checks your hood and cleans it up to prevent corruption. Thanks to April Black’s work we now know corruption is far less of a risk than once believed, but this tool is still totally worthwhile to use regularly to clean your hoods I think. As April mentions in her video, the main categories you should be worried about Hood Checker finding errors in are Family Ties and Sim Wants and Fears (I’ve never had it find errors there and my hood has currently been played for over 6 years).

Object Relocator - Easy to use tool so you can recategorize objects, re-price them, and move them easily between build and buy mode. All things you can do with SimPE but far less fussy and way faster.

Outfit Organizer - Another tool that simplifies an established SimPE capability, you can very quickly change which outfit categories clothing shows up in, which age groups (assuming body type compatibility, it will not magically morph an adult outfit to fit teens for example), which gender (again assuming body type compatibility, for example all ages up through child have identical body types for male and female) and even shoe sounds where applicable. Really great if you want that fancy dress to only show in formal and not everyday, or if you’ve got the Separates For All mod and you want to make that really casual t-shirt available in the pajamas and gym categories too.

Sims2Pack Clean Installer - Sims2Pack file types are used for lots and Sims. This tool lets you see any and all CC that got packaged with the Sim/lot and remove anything you don’t want to download with a simple tickbox. I especially like to use this when downloading Sims with CC if I prefer to have a CC free version of them (ie: only their facial structure) and layer in my own CC in game. Also useful for lots if you see that there is a bunch of CC included from a build set you already have, and you don’t want to download duplicate files, or you just aren’t interested in any of the custom wallpaper the builder put in the house and you’ll put your own in when you place in  your game.

[simsdynastytree]

Slowing Down Time in Sims 4 with MCCC: What You Should Know

In The Sims 4, slowing down the flow of time is usually done via the MC Command Center (MCCC) mod — it includes a setting that lets you adjust the "game time speed."

By default, the value is 25, which is the standard. Lower values make time pass faster, and higher values slow it down.

Changing this value stretches out the in-game simulation: clocks tick more slowly, and each Sim day takes longer in real-time. However, setting this value too high (especially around 40–50 or more) can lead to problems.

Potential Issues and Side Effects

📅 Calendar glitches When you change the time speed, events from the Seasons expansion don’t adjust automatically. Internal timers (like career schedules) will update, but holidays and festivals stay locked to their original dates — which causes them to trigger at the wrong time. You might see a festival starting at 1:00 AM or in the middle of a weekday. Seasons can also desync and stop changing on Sundays as they normally would.

⏳ Slower Sim actions • All actions feel sluggish — Sims take forever to eat, shower, or perform basic tasks. • Real-time play becomes longer, but the in-game schedule still "works" — everything just feels slower. • Some animations may stutter or freeze, especially if they were already buggy (cleaning, playing instruments, singing, etc.). These glitches become more noticeable at slower speeds.

⚠ Unexpected bugs and mod conflicts Many players report issues after altering the time speed. Some mods — especially ones that tweak simulation mechanics — don’t play well with slower speeds. For example, the popular Simulation Lag Fix is not recommended for use with altered time speed via MCCC.

💾 Save file "fatigue" This is when a save file starts bugging out after long gameplay under non-standard time conditions. You may notice: • Event and scheduling logic breaking; • Triggers failing (Sims not aging up, missing work/school invites); • Calendar issues (duplicated, missing, or misaligned days); • A rare glitch where a single day repeats itself (e.g., Monday happens twice in a row).

What Can You Do? Safe Usage Tips

• Set time speed at the beginning of a new save. It's best to adjust it before diving deep into gameplay, so the simulation runs under a consistent pace from the start. • Avoid going above 30–35. That’s generally considered a safe range. Speeds over 40 stretch the game too far and can cause instability. • Don’t toggle speed too often. Frequently switching time speed (even reverting back to 25) can cause desyncs that are hard to fix. Try to adjust it only once per save. • Check the calendar. After changing time speed, double-check holidays and events. If anything looks off, delete and re-add them manually. • Avoid conflicting mods. Especially script mods that affect simulation. • Always make backup saves. Before making changes, create a backup. Even better — start a fresh save with the new time settings.

🔎 We dive deeper into how MCCC time control works in our full article — click the link to read more!

⭐ READ ARTICLE ⭐

💬 Share this post so more Simmers are aware of these hidden mechanics!

[qsplaylist]

digital clean-up checklist ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

an all-inclusive guide for the chaotically digital girlies with a million screenshots and even more tabs open because "i will use this at some point"

1. quick clean (desktop)

start with a clean slate. drag everything on there into a folder called "sort later." we all know that you're going to spend hours looking through them and not actually cleaning, so starting off with a mostly blank desktop is the way to go. we can organize meticulously later.

delete those random duplicate files. you said you would get to them later. you didn't.

empty the recycle bin. i think that's self-explanatory.

2. a bit more thorough clean (finder/file explorer and browsing tabs)

screenshot purge. if you don't remember why you screenshotted it, delete it.

labeled folders are your friend. move important screenshots into labeled folders. move those downloads into labeled folders. put your cat photos in an imaginatively labeled folder: “cat."

close those random tabs. if you haven't looked at the opened tab in 2+ weeks, it's a good sign that you won't need it later either.

control-shift-D. if you're really that afraid to lose "potentially good stuff," just cntrl/cmd-shift-D. this creates a bookmark folder made of all your wonderful once-opened tabs. now, you can have peace of mind when closing the browser for good.

3. very thorough clean (notes app, downloads)

delete those untitled/randomly-made notes. a homework assignment you scanned a month ago? goodbye. grocery lists? gone.

delete those apps. if you haven't opened it in a while, it's probably just using up your phone/laptop storage.

clear the cookies (the website ones.)

go through the sort later folder. now's the best time, y'know?

restart your phone/laptop. since when was the last time you did that?

they say the spaces around you represent your state of mind, so how are our digital spaces any different?

I hope you can spend some time this week cleaning up your phone or laptop. I'm sure future you will thank you for it.

all best wishes, q's playlist

[dr1ftw00d-mp3]

Frost - 1

Hydra wants to create a second Winter Soldier

Dad!Bucky Barnes, Daughter!OC

Warnings: None for this chapter

Summary: Hydra has conducted countless experiments to recreate the serum they gave Bucky so they can continue to create more Winter Soldiers. All experiments thus far has been failures. What happens when they give one final hypothesis a shot.

Word Count: 399

The small basement meeting room is dank. Ancient green fluorescents cast a sickly hue on the furniture. The cement walls are so cold they almost feel damp. The space smells of mildew. One by one, suit-clad men file into the space. Pulling the rusted metal chairs from their spaces beneath the long meeting table. The men's suits all dawn a small red pin. A red circle with a black octopus. Hydras well- known logo. A final man walks into the space. He secures the bulky metal door behind him as he makes his way to the head of the table. Manila folder in hand. "After much consideration, we have concluded how best to move forward with the Winter Soldier Program." The man clears his throat and pats his folder on the table before opening it. Beads of sweat drip from his forehead despite the cold temperatures. "As we saw previously, injecting any man off the street with our serum recreation doesn't have a stable enough output. Our trials came back negative; the subjects became too aggressive... out of our control." He looks at the faces around the room, all staring him down intently. He nervously clears his throat again. "Those subjects have been frozen for the time being. That experiment showed us that we could not simply duplicate the serum to replicate its original formula from 1942. We are going to need the results of the serum to be passed directly." All eyes stayed locked on Dr. Zymin. "Sir," a meek voice pipped up from the furthest end of the table.  "Are you suggesting that.." He paused for a moment, trying to find the best way to formulate his suspicions professionally. "I am saying that the serum must be passed through DNA. Through child." Everyone at the table looked back and forth while breaking into small, frantic chatter. "Settle, settle down, please!" Dr. Zymin begins passing the papers from his folder around the table. "This may seem like more trouble than it is worth and as if it will prolong our progress greatly. But I assure you, the end will surely justify the means. Not only will we be blessed with a child containing the serum, but we will also be blessed with a clean slate. No former life. No memories. The child's whole being will be formed by Hydra. Making it the most loyal asset to our mission."

[pixelglam]

Friendly reminder to clean your saves folder! My mods folder is currently at 31gb and from when I clicked on the sims 4 button to when I loaded into my save file, it took me 35 seconds! Before it took me atleast 4 minutes.

Delete any duplicates that have '.ver1/2/3' etc. at the end like below:

And any save files that you already deleted from the main menu but are still in your saves folder. You can find them by looking at the date like these ones I still had from 2020:

Obviously back them up somewhere on your desktop in case anything goes wrong. I am not responsible for your saves and I can't guarantee that it will make a difference for your game.

I'm just telling you what worked for me.

[kirlicues]

Charming Country Cottage 3x2 | Sims 2 Home Download

This is a quaint country cottage based on actual house plans that I built for my Sims 2 game years ago. This past week I completely rebuilt and refurnished it! 

It’s a 2 bedroom home, but it has an office that can be turned into an optional bedroom if you need more space. 

The living room and kitchen area are rather small however, so I see this house being more suited to elder sims or young couples who don’t plan on having large families.

Speaking of the kitchen, what it lacks in dining space it makes up for in counter space! The lot comes with the bar-style seating you see in the picture above,

however, if you wish, you can remove the bar and place a small dining table instead.

Upstairs are the 2 bedrooms: A spacious master bedroom, and a small guest bedroom. Since this lot uses almost no CC you get a duplicate rug from downstairs. 😆

This is what the upstairs floor plan looks like:

And this is what the downstairs floor plan looks like:

{DOWNLOAD}

Lot dimensions: 3x2

All EPs and SPs are required.

CC List: This home uses the Maxis Match Wall Cabinets by CTNutmegger, and the Chimney Recolors: Masonry Set by Kimsie over on ModtheSims.

I ALWAYS recommend using the Sims 2 Clean Pack installer to install lot files.