Sim files for The Sims 3 work a little bit differently than those for The Sims 2. Read below on how to get them into your game.

Summary

• Download the sim file.
• File in zip or rar format, containing a .Sim file?
  • Extract from the zip or rar.
  • Place the .sim file in the SavedSims folder in:

    

  • If you do not have a SavedSims folder, make one in the above directory.
• File in sims3pack format?
  • Go to Installing Sims3Pack

Detailed Instructions

Don't understand? Here's the simple, step-by-step "for dummies" tutorial:

Step 1 - Get a ZIP/RAR Extractor

First, you will need a program that can extract from both ZIP and RAR files.

Windows

We recommend WinRAR, which is "nagware". That means that you can use it for free for a period of 45 days, and after that you can continue using it free - it just nags you to pay for it, but you don't have to pay anything to use it. Download the installer and run it.

OS X

Zip/unzip functionality is already built into OS X (right-click and select "Open"). The free utilities StuffIt Expander and The Unarchiver handle most any archive type. For .rar files in particular, you can also use UnRarX, a simple and efficient freeware tool.

Then, once your preferred de-archiving application is installed...

Step 2 - Download the Sim File

• Click on the .sim file link. Save the file to somewhere you can locate it easily - your computer's Desktop is the easy, because you can simply minimize your windows and find it there.

Step 3 - Extract the Sim File

Once the file has finished downloading...

• Go to where you saved it (like your computer's Desktop).

Windows

If you got WinRAR, you should be able to just right-click on the file and choose Extract Here. Then you should have a new file below the RAR.

OS X

On OS X, double-clicking on an archive will extract its contents in the same location.

Step 4 - Identify File Type

Now, you need to know what type of file you have. The easiest way to do this in Windows is to right-click on the file and choose Properties. On the window that pops up, it will say "Type of file:" and then some text after that. For sims, there are two options on file types they might be: SIM files or SIMS3PACK files.

Step 5 - Install the Sim File

If you have a SIM file

If the file you got in step 4 is a SIM file type...

• Right-click on the SIM file you extracted in step 3 and choose Cut.
• Then click on Start - My Computer.
• Navigate to SavedSims in

  

• Right-click in an empty space in the SavedSims folder and choose Paste. The SIM file should appear there.
• If you do not have a SavedSims folder, make one in the above directory.

If you have a SIMS3PACK file

• Go to Installing Sims3Pack

Step 6 - Play!

Hopefully, the above steps should have worked just fine, and you can go ahead and play with your new sim in-game! You will find your sim in Create a Sim, in the premade sims bin in the appropriate category for gender, age, etc (as specified by the uploader).