What do you delete before you update your mods?

MaggieMarley

I had heard that before updating your mods you should always delete your localthumbcache.package file. But I've recently heard that you're also meant to delete the avatarcache.package file before updating mods too. Is that right? Are there any other files that you are meant to delete before adding/removing mods or updating mods?

Rouensims

I delete the Resource file in the Mods folder whenever I make changes to my mods.

MaggieMarley

Rouensims wrote: »

I delete the Resource file in the Mods folder whenever I make changes to my mods.

@Rouensims really? I thought that was one of the files you were never meant to delete for some reason.

Chicklet453681

I remove my entire TS4 and place it on my desktop all the time, every time there's a patch or pack comes out. The Mods folder has the Resource file in it just generates a new one. That Resource file is nothing more than a "file tree", shows how far you can go down creating sub folders.

TheElbForest

I didn't even know you were meant to delete anything ! Thank you all so much!

gettps

Resource.cfg file should not be deleted. (Doesn't matter actually, the game will only re-create it, but deleting it is pointless) I suppose if you suspect your Resource.cfg file is corrupt, you can just delete it, start the game, and a new one will be created... but I've NEVER heard of that happening... ever.

Deleting the cache files is a VERY good idea. It should be done every time the game is updated, or you add or remove mods and CC.
It should also be the first thing you try if you're having game issues.

If you want to know what to delete in regard to cache, check this: https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/help/cache.php

AFAIK, moving your MODS/CC out of your mods directory during updates is nothing but a false rumor. A story everyone throws around that has absolutely no basis and accomplishes nothing. The game doesn't touch your mods directory during updates.

I've been playing the Sims 4 since it was released and with the hundreds of updates and patches, I have NEVER ONCE moved out my mods directory and NEVER ONCE had a problem because of it.

If mods don't work after a game patch, it's because mods break with updates. This is normal. They don't break simply because you didn't move your mods folder out and they magically got "corrupted". They break because the coding of the game changed and they need to be altered to match the new game coding. This is programming 101.

GalacticGal

Huh, well that's news to me. I always delete the localthumbcache.package file before I even play the game, let alone after I install updated mods. I was looking to see if by just modifying the name of my Mods folder, if that would suffice as opposed to pulling the mod folder itself. But by your reasoning, I shouldn't have to do a thing. Here's to this mammoth patch that only fixes one thing …

gettps

You don't have to delete the cache files before every play. While that may resolve some problems, it's severe over-kill. There's a reason that file is there... it's a "cache" file. It helps to make your game faster by caching things used and displayed the most for faster access. Deleting it before every play will only make the whole cache system useless and make your entire game a lot slower. The game has enough problems with speed. I don't know about you, but anything that helps make it faster is good in my book. It's there to speed up your game. Let it do its thing.

I would leave the cache files alone unless you either 1) Install/Remove mods/cc. 2) Patch the game. 3) Have a problem with the game.

I never understood why players insist on deleting the mods folder during updates. It makes no sense whatsoever. The game has no game files in the mods folder. Nothing. We all know this. There's absolutely nothing in there that needs to be updated during patches.

Why on earth would the game need to mess with files in a directory it has no files in, and do it so badly it would corrupt the files in there? That would be irresponsible to the point of absurdity.

I'll tell you one thing. If the game had a problem with corrupting files in a directory it has no files in and has no business being in, I STILL wouldn't be removing my mods folder. I would be removing the ENTIRE GAME. I don't want a game on my computer with a history of corrupting random files in random directories.

It's clearly an "old wives tale". I've always left the files in there and never had a problem.

If the files get messed up, there are a LOT more reasons that could be happening. We all know The Sims has a severe problem with OneDrive... I see reports of that on AHQ all the time. That could easily be mistaken for "Sims patch messed up my mods". There's also anti-virus software. Reports of that are very common also. Plus as I mentioned, all patches tend to break mods. Someone could easily mistake a mod breaking because of the patch and blame it on the patch "corrupting" mods. "I updated the game and now all my mods are broken!"

Chained_Maniac

hi im unable to post my own threads but could anyone help me with a cc issue? i have no idea whats wrong with it or how to fix it.

haneul

I remove my mods folder during updates because I always run the game once without mods after I update to make sure things work vanilla. I could disable them in-game, but I find it easier to simply take the entire folder out (as a backup of all my mods) and then put back the mods that I know are compatible/have been updated to work with the patch.

VeeDub

haneul wrote: »

I remove my mods folder during updates because I always run the game once without mods after I update to make sure things work vanilla. I could disable them in-game, but I find it easier to simply take the entire folder out (as a backup of all my mods) and then put back the mods that I know are compatible/have been updated to work with the patch.

I do that, too, and for the same reason.

Also, I delete my localthumbcache.package after every play session whether or not I've updated, added/removed mods, or made any other changes. This is simply because I don't always plan to play the same save in the next session (I have several different ones that I play). If I know I will be playing the same one next, I can leave it be, but my cleanup routine has become such a habit now that I usually do it anyway. I haven't encountered any slowdown or other problems with this routine.

Paigeisin5

I've never deleted my Mods folder before updating. In my main Mods folder I have a sub-folder that is labeled 'IngameMods'. This is where I keep all my game play mods, and it is pulled out and stored in the Documents folder whenever the game is updated. I then create a new 'IngameMods' folder in the main Mods folder where updated mods are placed. As mods are updated I delete the old versions from the old 'Ingamemods' folder I placed in the Documents folder. This way I can keep track of which mods have been updated. As other mods are said to be safe and working, I transfer those to the new 'IngameMods' folder. My main Mods folder is filled with CC and there's no way I am going to delete all of that just because of an update. I have never had a problem with CC breaking the game or causing issues. But that's also why I decided to create a sub-folder for my game play mods. All my mods are in one place, in alphabetical order, and I can easily keep tabs on my progress as mods are updated and I delete the old versions. Plus there's the bonus of not trying to find mods that are scattered throughout the thousands of CC files I have when it's time to update. As far as deleting the LocalThumbCache goes, I always delete that after exiting the game. Especially if I played for a couple of hours. I haven't experienced a difference in loading time being affected if I delete it, but I have experienced glitches in the game if I don't delete it. Deleting it after playing, after an update, after removing a mod, or before repairing your game is always a good idea.

EIisabetta

gettps wrote: »

I never understood why players insist on deleting the mods folder during updates. It makes no sense whatsoever. The game has no game files in the mods folder. Nothing. We all know this. There's absolutely nothing in there that needs to be updated during patches.

The main reason for this is actually logical and not because the mods will "get corrupted". Often, after patches (especially BIG patches), mods need to be updated. Moving your mods out allows you to start up the game without worrying about which mods are broken or not. Yes, yes, I know the game disables mods after big patches but that's not really the point. Removing the folder (I don't delete mine, I just move it) removes all doubt.

Granted, maybe some people really think that but it's just a common-sense move that allows you to play without worrying about your mods until they're all updated, or you know they don't need it.

QueenMercy

I just move my mods folder to my desktop, then put it back after I launch the game without mods once (I just delete the mods folder the game generates). I usually take most of the actual mods out and put them in a separate folder so I can either put them back or update them as needed.