I've been trying for several hours to get my custom content to work. I've attached a picture of what my files look like currently. At first, I used the framework i downloaded but when i set up the folders that way the game crashes. It is only the package files that don't work. Please help!

Please look at the instructions and illustrations on this page carefully. Nowhere does it say that the Mods folder goes into Downloads, none of that stuff should be there. Downloads is for the Launcher to read during startup and it doesn't know what to do with package files, only sims3packs. There actually doesn't need to be anything in Downloads at all unless you have fresh sims3packs waiting to be installed, the already installed ones are better stored elsewhere outside of the game folder entirely.
https://modthesims.info/wiki.php?ti...Setup_and_Files

The Mods folder and its contents belong one level up in your The Sims 3 folder. Also, you might want to use the testing mods provided in the Framework download before adding a whole bunch of content at once to make sure it's working correctly. You have 813 package files there and that's a lot to dump on a game before testing any of it out in smaller batches.

Sorry, I was just trying out different things to try and get it to work. Originally I had the mods folder in only the sims 3 folder. I followed each step correctly and it would crash as soon as i launched the game. I actually reset my laptop and these mods were backed up from the previous time I had the game downloaded so I know that they work. Maybe I'm doing something wrong, I'm not very good at this stuff.

Okay got it, but it's still best to test the Framework out with just the sample mods provided or maybe one or two other package files rather than all at once.

May I ask what kind of installation this is? If it happens to be retail disc, have you run the SuperPatcher to bring the game up to Patch 1.67 and correct any issues that might be caused by incomplete Launcher provided patching? (don't do this if it's a Steam or Origin install)
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/the-...3-super-patcher

Again in the case of retail disc installs, the Mods structure as we know it today does require Patch 1.12 or higher.

In the Bin folder? You mean within Program Files/Program Files (x86)? That one should have no impact on mods that are deployed on current patch levels.

Mods should not be deployed by way of the Program Files in case this is maybe part of the issue; this changed with Patch 1.12 back in 2010. Many modern mods will not work that way. The Mods framework and the correct, updated Resource.cfg file should be in the TS3 user game folder in Documents now, not in the Program Files.
https://modthesims.info/wiki.php?ti..._Way_to_New_Way

(bewildered look) By "modern," I mean mods designed for or declared to be okay to run on current patch levels (1.67/69). If you are still maintaining a mods framework within the Program Files, and the only reason I keep harping on this is that you mentioned the Resource.cfg file in Bin which hasn't been relevant for ages, I am afraid that all bets are off and you might be on your own there. With the possible exception of AwesomeMod alone, meaning no other mods present, that is not where mods should go on current patch levels and we can't have two simultaneous frameworks. Although Aweseome's developer is kind of a holdout in this regard, really all mods (including Awesome which as you have said you do not have anyway) should be installed into a framework within the TS3 user game folder in Documents, not within the Program Files, and the former framework there should be totally undone so the game knows exactly where to load them from at startup.

But, as you wish of course. There just isn't really much point in working hard to keep the older framework system functioning, if this is at all relevant, when it doesn't provide any benefit over the post-Patch 1.12 way of doing it.