HELP!!! How can I move my downloads from one computer to another???

[dobiqueenx2]

:smt120I just bought a new HP Pavilion that has Vista.  I have tried to copy my downloads folder onto a disk (had Windows XP on old system) so I can move them to the new computer, but the new one doesnt show anything on the disk; but if I take the disk back to my old system, it does show all of the downloads on the disk.  I tried to format a disk on the vista machine and tried to copy onto the disk again and it "didn't recognize the format....I don't know what to do...I've tried everything including right clicking on my downloads folder to email it to myself; that didn't work either....I'm lost and need your help desperately....I really don't want to have to download all of my items again...that would take me forever....please help me....I'm at my whits end and so badly wanted to play tomorrow as I'm off work....HELP ME PLEASE ASAP!!!  thank you....:sad4:

[rwills]

Most likely is that there is an incompatibility between the disk drive on the old machine and the disk drive on your new machine.

There is no direct fix for that, but rather alternatives.

Best bet would be to put either the entire Downloads folder (or if it is really huge, just parts of it at a time) onto an external USB flash drive - there will be no incompatibilities moving the flash drive from one machine to the other. 2 GB flash drives are found as low as $15 (or less) nowadays (smaller flash drives even less - have seen 500 MB drives at 3 for $10 on sale), so the expense is minimal.

Or, if you are comfortable with manipulating the innards of the machines, pop the old disk drive from the old machine and plug it into the new machine (presuming the new machine has an available IDE cable), and use that drive to load the data onto your new machine.

[dobiqueenx2]

where can one find these flash drives?

[MaryH]

You can find them at any electronic stores..or department stores like Wal-Mart, etc..Best buy..in fact, some other chains do have them, like Rite Aid, in their electronics section.

[dobiqueenx2]

and from what i read online, they're fairly easy to use, correct?  Do you know, when I install them into the new computer into the new downloads folder, will they automatically show up as custom content in my game or do I actually have to go through the installing of each thing again....I know I'll have to go into the game then click to allow custom content, but is that all I'll have to do?

[Tenshii~Akari]

Once you plug the flash drive into your USB port on the computer, it should automatically install itself, so it's pretty straight forward.  It will NOT, however, allow you game files to be read from that point, as they need to be in the proper directory for the game to read them and consider them "installed".  For the files on the USB flash drive, you'll have to move/copy them to the appropriate location if you want to use them.  If you already have your Sims 2 (and any of your EPs) installed, you can go to the Users\(Current User Account)\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads\ folder and paste them in that.  

[dobiqueenx2]

thank you all for your help. I did purchase one at wal-mart but must have a lot more downloads than i thought as at 2gb it was telling me it was full...i'll have to re-download some files I used a lot, but that's ok...as far as some items, clothes, etc, I guess I'll have to do without...thanks again for all of your help

[Tenshii~Akari]

You can always go back and get the other files after you cut-and-paste the downloads into your Downloads folder.  After you get one load put on, delete them from the flash drive and go back for the rest.  That's how I did it.  

[rwills]

There is no reason you can't move all the files in stages.

When you've moved what you can fit onto the flash drive, put it into the new computer and move those files from the flash drive to your new Downloads folder.

Then delete those files from the flash drive, go back to the old computer and move the next chunk of files from your old Downloads folder to the flash drive, and so on.

[dobiqueenx2]

OK, and you said all I have to do is copy off the usb drive and paste in my new downloads folder and do nothing else? I don't have to like reinstall by using my 7zip file again or double click on the ones that show up blue that look like a sims 2 symbol?

[rwills]

Short answer: no, you don't,

Any zip or rar files you have already unpacked, and any Sims2Pack files you have already opened and installed, do not need to be redone.

In fact, those types of files don't even need to be sitting taking up space in your Downloads folder.

Once you have extracted the contents of any zip or rar file, you can either just delete it or else move it to someplace else on your computer for storage. The same holds for Sims2Pack files: once you have installed them, the Sims2Pack file itself can be safely deleted or moved for storage elsewhere.

Keeping them in your Downloads folder just bloats the size that folder, and can slow down the start-up of the game as well.

Think of any of those types of files (zip, rar, Sims2Pack) as the envelopes in which the contents you want are sitting, and think of your Downloads folder as the file cabinet in which you want to keep those contents. Once you've opened the envelope and put those contents into the file cabinet, you can safely get rid of the envelope.

The same goes for txt files and jpg or other image files which might accompany the contents intended for the Downloads folder - they can be safely deleted. Essentially, just package files belong in the Downloads folder and in any of its sub-folders.

[dobiqueenx2]

WOW...very good to know...so I should be able to just do a search in my downloads file for any of these types of files then move them to a folder on my desktop, correct? (or even a disc)...no wonder why my downloads folder seems so huge....lol....

[rwills]

Yes, but even easier is to open the Downloads folder and use View--Arrange Icons By-- Type

All the same types of files will the be automatically grouped together and you can either delete or move the ones you don't need all at once.

Repeat, of course, in any sub-folders, in case there are any non-package files sitting in those.

EDIT: Feel should also mention that if you have in the past downloaded and installed any houses or lots and want to use those in your new game, then the contents of the LotCatalog folder in your old machine (My Documents--EA GAmes--The Sims 2--LotCatalog) will need to be moved as well, replacing what is in the LotCatalog folder on the new machine.

If you have donwloaded and installed any neighborhood terrains which you want to keep, do the same with the SC4Terrains folder contents.

Ditto, if you so choose, for your Saved Sims folder and (if you happen to want to pick up exactly where you left off while playing rather than starting a brand new game), double-ditto for the Neighborhoods folder contents, the Collections folder contents and the Storytelling folder contents.

[dobiqueenx2]

Really, this is very good to know....I will definately do this...thank you all again so very much for all of your help...you're all great....:worship:

[rwills]

Best of luck with the new machine -- and in case you might have missed it, added a bit more in an edit to my last post above.