I have some custom content in my game (windows and shutters) that were installed through the launcher as Sims 3 Packs. I no longer have copies of the Sims 3 Packs. I want to be able to re-install these items if I should have to re-install the game. Is there a way to extract these items either as Sims 3 Packs or as package files? If so how? Thanks in advance for any help.

I don't know how to extract installed cc from the game but why not just make a backup of the DCCache folder?
If you also have installed world just make a backup of the InstalledWorlds folder.

Thanks so much, I tried this and it worked. So I know I will always have that CC. But if someone else knows a way to extract that content please help. As I may want to share it with someone else without having to give them my entire 4.5G DCCache file.

I'm assuming you cleaned out your Downloads folder? The game "saves" a backup copy your .sims3pack files there (it's under Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Downloads).

If they're just in the DCC files... well, I'm pretty sure those are compressed and encrypted by EA/Maxis. I don't know of any way to extract a single piece of content out of there, sorry.

You can pull the files out of DCBackup so you (or your friend) can pop them in Mods/Packages, that does present the problem of working out which DCBackup file is the one you want though.

Thanks for the response. Yes any copy of the Sims 3 Pack I had is gone. EDIT: no longer true.



DCBackup has only one file in it. Called ccmerged, I assume by the name there are more files contained within and finding what I want is the hard part. I was hoping that a program like S3PE would be able to extract each file, but I've tried and failed with that. How do you get files from the game to create new content?

Thanks everyone for your help! I actually searched an old HD I had and found what I was looking for!