Hey there, with my recent creations in Sims 2 I thought it would be nice to make a little guide to installing Sims2Pack files. Everyone's games and computers are different so I'll be listing to ways to do this. If you're not good with computers however, I suggest the alternative method.
The "Normal" Way:
Ususally when you download a Sims2Pack file it'll be in an archive file like .zip/.rar/.7z etc. You'll need to extract it to use it. Windows 11 has an extraction tool where you can simply right click on the file and click "Extract here" and the file will be extracted into a folder with the name from the archive file. It will also be in the same location as the archive so if your downloads folder is a bit full you may want to tidy up a bit or move the archive somewhere else, like inside another empty folder. If you run windows 10 or earlier you can download 7zip which is free. Using 7zip you right click the archive file, hover over 7-zip and then select "Extract here". Below are some images that might help.
Left Click on an Image to Enlarge
After you've extracted it, it will either look like a file with no opening software (some sort of white paper icon), or it'll have the Sims2Pack icon (Shown Below).
If it is this blue icon, then you just double click it and it will install it through the Sims2Package Installer that came with the game. If it is the white paper icon I mentioned you'll need to right click, (Windows 11 users will need to click "Show more options") then hover over "Open with..." then click "Choose another app". This will bring up a window of potential software to open this file. (Anything other than the installer will bug out if you tried it.) At the very bottom of the window there will be a link that says "Choose another app on your PC", click it. It will bring up a window that will allow you to search through your PC for the program.
The easiest way to get where we need to go is to click on "Desktop" in the menu on the left, then look for your Sims 2 shortcut, right click it and click "Open File Location". Depending on what game version you have it will open to the folder for EP9 Fun With Pets or Mansion and Garden Stuff. Now you'll want to go up to the nav bar and look at the filepath. It should be something like: ...The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection/The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff. You'll want to click the part that says "The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection" and it'll take you back to that folder. Then open for the file named "The Sims 2". Inside here you'll find several files but you need to open "CSbin". Inside this folder you'll see 2 files, highlight "PackageInstaller" and click open at the bottom of the window. Now you'll be take back to the programs list. Click "Always" and then simply double click the file and (after a very very long time) a little blue window should eventually open asking if you want to install the file.
Since you already set it up, all you'll have to do to install Sims2Pack files now is double click them and wait. (You have click and wait and install each one seperately.)
Now then, if this never opens the little blue box or something else goes wrong, or this method is simply too complicated, (which I totally understand) You should use the second method listed below.
