SyncCrate
The Sims 3 guide · Updated
Share your Sims 3 CC PC to PC.
Pass a legacy family to a friend or move years of CC to a new PC. SyncCrate copies the host's Mods, Saves and Tray folders, and after the first time only new and changed files.
FreeOpen sourceNo cloudWin · macOS · Linux
// 01 Why
Why Sims 3 CC is hard to move
Players have been collecting Sims 3 CC for over fifteen years, and a long-running save depends on all of it. Move the save without the CC, or to a PC with a different set, and Sims lose their hair and clothes, lots lose objects, and the save can refuse to load properly.
Copying by hand works once, but it's easy to miss files, and every new download means doing it again.
SyncCrate copies the host's folders to the other PC, compares every file by content, and after the first sync sends only what's new or changed. You see the list before anything changes.
// 02 What syncs
What SyncCrate syncs for The Sims 3
| Folder | Path in the game folder | Files |
|---|---|---|
| Mods & CC | Mods/.package files in Mods/Packages, plus .sims3pack and .zip downloads kept there. | .package .sims3pack .zip .cfg |
| Save Files | Saves/Save folders. When the same save changed on both PCs you choose: keep mine, use theirs, or keep both. | All files |
| Tray Items | Tray/Sims, households and lots saved to your library. | All files |
| Screenshots | Screenshots/Optional. The host chooses which folders friends may sync. | All files |
// Where it looks
- Documents folder
Electronic Arts/The Sims 3inside your Documents folder- Anywhere else
- Point SyncCrate at the folder yourself, once
Built in for The Sims 3
- Disabling that sticks. Turning a mod off renames it to
.disabledin place, because the game also loads mods from subfolders. - Duplicate finder. Finds identical files saved in different folders.
- Pack detection. Detect Packs lists the packs and DLC a PC has, and mods that look like they need one you don't have are flagged.
- Game-running warning. SyncCrate warns you before syncing while The Sims 3 is still open.
- Undo and history. Undo the last sync in one click, and put back any single file a sync replaced or deleted.
// 03 How it works
Sync The Sims 3 in three steps
Install and add the game
Install SyncCrate on every PC and add The Sims 3 in the Game Browser. Its folder is found automatically.
One PC hosts
The PC with the setup everyone should have clicks Start Hosting. The others pick it under Scan for Hosts on the same network, or paste its join code from anywhere.
Compare and sync
Check the list of new, changed and conflicting files, then Sync Now. Only the files that differ are copied, PC to PC.
TipClose The Sims 3 before you sync; SyncCrate warns you if it's still running. After new CC arrives, deleting the game's cache files (like CASPartCache.package) in the Sims 3 folder helps the game pick it up.
// 04 Common problems
When The Sims 3 mods don't match
Missing CC in a shared save
A save built with CC loads without it, but Sims turn up in default outfits and lots have gaps. Long legacies are especially sensitive.
Sync the host's Mods folder together with the save, so the other PC has everything the save uses.
.sims3pack files don't load from Mods
.sims3packfiles have to be installed through the game's launcher. Dropped into the Mods folder they do nothing.SyncCrate copies them if they're there, but install them with the launcher on each PC, or convert them to
.packagefiles.Resource.cfg is missing
The game only loads
Mods/PackageswhenResource.cfgsits in the Mods folder. A fresh install doesn't have one.Resource.cfgin the Mods folder syncs with the CC, so the other PC loads Packages the same way.The same CC twice
Years of downloads mean duplicate packages under different names, which bloat the folder and can cause conflicts.
The duplicate finder on the Content page finds identical files in different folders, and removed ones stay in File history.
// 05 The Sims 3
Good to know
- Packs aren't copied. Expansion and stuff packs come from EA, so each PC needs its own. Detect Packs shows which packs a PC has, and CC that looks like it needs a pack you don't own is flagged.
- Disabling that sticks. Turning a mod off renames it to
.disabled, because the game loads the Packages folder's subfolders. - Your settings stay yours. Only Mods, Saves, Tray and Screenshots sync, not your options or the game's cache files.
- Taking turns on one save? Share it with your crew under Shared saves on the Dashboard. It then only moves when someone takes it or gives it back, never in a normal sync, so nobody plays an old copy. Friends connect from Crews or with the join code, not over the local network.
// FAQ
The Sims 3 questions
How do I move my Sims 3 CC to a new PC?
Install SyncCrate on both PCs, host on the old one, join from the new one and Compare & Sync. Resource.cfg comes along with the CC. Install any .sims3pack files with the launcher.
Where is the Sims 3 Mods folder?
In Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods on Windows and ~/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Mods on a Mac. SyncCrate finds it automatically.
Can I give my legacy save to a friend?
Yes. Sync the save together with the CC it uses. Your friend also needs the expansion packs the save was played with.
Does it work between Windows and Mac?
Yes. SyncCrate runs on both, and .package files are the same on each.
// Related game guides
All games · SyncCrate supports 100 games.
// Free · Open source · Windows, macOS, Linux
Same The Sims 3 setup on every PC.
Install SyncCrate on each PC, one of you hosts, everyone else joins. No accounts, no cloud, nothing uploaded anywhere.