Game Launcher Question/Remove Custom Content

[deknbluz]

Noob here.  I've decided to do the smart thing and start managing my custom content properly.  I've read/printed all the wikis/instruction/advice I can find on the subject, so I'm good there. 

My question has to do with the Game Launcher.  Specifically, the downloads tab.  This is what I've been doing up until now.  After I've downloaded CC, I'll extract the package into the MyDocuments/EA/Sims 3/Downloads folder (wrong, I now know).  I'll then start the Game Launcher and find that new content populated in the Downloads tab.  After I install the new content, I'll see an exclamation mark by both the Installed Content tab header and also the Downloads tab header.  I switch to the Installed Content tab to clear out that alert, and then I go back to the Downloads tab to clear out that alert as well.  Once I've switched back to the Downloads tab, I'll press Select All to highlight all the content and then Delete it all.  So if I delete it all, what happens to the files in the folders?  When I go back to the folder I extracted them to, the files are missing.  But they obviously still have to be on my computer somewhere because they're available in gameplay.

The reason I'm asking is that, if I'm installing CC, I'm going to want to clean out the Downloads tab just to get rid of the clutter.  However, I still need to find those files in case I have CC issues and need/choose to delete them. 

[Ricalynn]

Once you install items from the downloads folder, they are compiled into your DCCache folder as installed and occupy a separate tab on the launcher as Installed Items.  The downloads folder can then be emptied if you wish by doing what you were doing by deleting them.   When you delete things from the downloads section all you are doing is deleting the uninstalled original file.  If you ever wanted to reinstall that piece because you deleted the download you will need to redownload that item before installing again.   To get rid of a piece of CC you need to remove it from the installed Items not downloads.

[JudesSims]

Once you install items from the downloads folder, they are compiled into your DCCache folder as installed and occupy a separate tab on the launcher as Installed Items.  The downloads folder can then be emptied if you wish.   To get rid of a piece of CC you need to remove it from the installed Items not downloads.

However, I found out the hard way if you don't remove from your downloads too, you might end up installing it again.

[deknbluz]

What I've decided to do is erase everything, reinstall the game, and get a fresh start.  So I uninstalled all the CC via the game launcher, then uninstalled the game as per the instructions from Origin (I got my game via digital download from Origin), and finally reinstalled the game.  Once I had the game installed again, I started a new game and verified that there was no CC existent within the game.

The question now is eliminating the CC completely from my computer.  I want to delete the junk, but avoid deleting something that I need to keep.  I opened the DCBackup folder and found it filled with files.  After running the Dashboard, I've verified the obvious junk because it all comes with descriptions from the creators and the file types are listed as either Objects or CAS Parts.  I feel safe in deleting those files.

Now that I've deleted those things, the only files left in the DCBackup folder are listed as either Sims 3 Packages or else Patterns.  Should I hang onto that stuff, or is it safe to delete everything?

[Ricalynn]

DCBackup is the folder you can delete completely without any repercussions to your game other than it possibly running better.