simsmodmanager.com
Three kinds of broken CC, and what finds each
| What is wrong | What you see | What finds it |
|---|---|---|
| The file itself: empty, cut off, still zipped, made for The Sims 3 or 2, too deep in folders | The item never appears in the game | The checker on this page |
| Duplicates and items sharing one ID | An item listed twice, or one item replacing another | S4MM's Duplicate Finder and ID Conflicts tools |
| CC that loads but is out of date or badly made | A hat floating above a Sim, stretched or missing parts, errors | Better Exceptions, Sims 4 Studio batch fixes, the 50/50 method |
The floating hat is EA's own example of a custom content item that has gone wrong.
Step 1: check the files
Start with what can be proven from the file alone. Pick your Mods folder in the checker on this page. It reads each file in your browser and lists the ones that are empty, damaged, in another game's format, still inside a .zip, duplicated, or more than five folders deep.
Delete those and download fresh copies from the creator's page. The checker cannot judge how a working item looks in the game. That is what the next steps are for.
Step 2: use a mod manager to look and switch off
The Sims 4 Mod Manager by GameTimeDev does not label files as broken, but four of its tools make the hunt faster:
- Thumbnails and 3D viewer. See what a file is without starting the game. When a Sim's hair is broken, you can find the hair by its picture and not by a file name like
xx_0412.package. - Activate and deactivate. Switch off one file, a selection or a folder, test in the game, and switch it back on.
- Duplicate Finder. Finds copies by content, whatever they are named.
- ID Conflicts. Lists CC items that share an in-game ID, which the author says can cause conflicts and unexpected behavior.
Its Polycount Analyzer also finds very high-poly items. Those are not broken, but they can slow the game.
The CurseForge app helps in a narrower way: if the broken item was installed through the app, an orange Update button shows when the creator has posted a fix.
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Step 3: find CC that loads but looks wrong
- On a Sim: install TwistedMexi's free Better Exceptions. Turn on
testingcheats true, Shift+click the glitched Sim and choose Locate Outfit CC. It lists every CC file in the outfit the Sim is wearing. - Errors while playing: Better Exceptions reports game and UI exceptions as they happen and names the likely file in most cases.
- Old CC broken by a past patch: Sims 4 Studio's batch fixes (Content Management > Batch Fixes) repair whole folders of older CC and keep a backup of the originals.
Step 4: the 50/50 method, by hand
When nothing points at a file, EA's own method always works in the end:
- Back up your saves, then move everything out of the Mods folder.
- Put the files back in batches. After each batch, start the game and check whether the problem is back.
- When it returns, the bad file is in the batch you just added. Take half of that batch out and test again.
- Keep halving until one file is left. Update it from the creator's page or delete it.
EA advises removing game mods before custom content, because mods that change gameplay cause problems more often than CC. In a manager, deactivating half of a folder does the same job as dragging files to the desktop.
More on managers: Sims 4 mod managers compared.
FAQ
Can a Sims 4 mod manager detect broken CC?
Not directly. S4MM finds duplicates and ID conflicts and lets you preview and switch off files, but nothing in its feature list marks CC as broken or outdated.
How do I find which CC is broken on a Sim?
With Better Exceptions installed, enable testing cheats, Shift+click the Sim and choose Locate Outfit CC. It lists the CC files in the current outfit.
Why did my CC break after an update?
EA says a mod that caused no issues before can cause them after an update, which is why the game disables mods when it updates. Check the creator's page for a new version.
Is deleting broken CC safe for my save?
Back up the Saves folder first. EA warns that content may be removed from a saved game if you save and exit while custom content and mods are disabled.