More Awesome Than You!

The last two times I ran the game I had a problem with CAS: no custom content was showing up in the choosing sections. It's still there. A random sim may pick a custom hair, and the sims already in game still show up the same, but as for choosing, I got nothin. Nary a pre-made sim. My thumbnails also seem to have been reset to the Eaxis ones, rather than the default replacement showing ones I had before. I don't think I've installed any hack/mods since the game last worked for me. I disabled my newer CAS catalog-effecting mods, but that didn't do it. It's not effecting the build and buy mode catalog. I have all the EPs and SPs. So, any suggestions? As most hacks effect gameplay and behavior, not CAS, I don't even know where to start.

Does your Downloads folder have a capital 'D'? It can stop things from showing if it is just named 'downloads'.

No, still capitalized (it would've driven me nuts otherwise). I did put some new subfolders in my Downloads subfolders, but not for all the CAS stuff. I think that's what baffles me the most: it's all CAS content being hidden, not just the clothes, hairs, or genetics.

I have all my stuff in subfolders, so it can't be that.

Have you tried generating a new Sims2 folder and putting a couple of your CAS downloads in there to see if it works? Don't forget to enable custom content though.

There's a help thread on MTS2 about downloads not showing up.  Check it out and work through.  I think the last option is to do something in bodyshop so that the game makes it's own Downloads folder.  For some bizarre reason, one you make yourself doesn't always work.  http://hideki.modthesims2.com/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:GCCTSU

That tutorial seems to be for people who can't figure out why something doesn't work the first time. Mine did work perfectly last month, several times after installing FT and BV.
Now, I've removed everything I can think of from the game except for CAS custom content. There are only two things I can think of short of saying "fuck it all" and doing a complete reinstall:
1: Assume the Documentswhater/EA Games/The Sims 2 folder is corrupted somehow and delete and replace everything possible/make a new one --> How much of that can I delete? I mean, I know to back up the neighborhoods and stuff, but if I delete the entire thing, does the game replace it or bork?)
2: I put in a catalog modifying mod that borked everything and don't know where to look to fix it. Any suggestions?

I really, really, really don't want to reinstall every effing game. Do you, if necessary, just reinstalling FT might fix it?

You don't have to delete the directory, just drag it to your desktop and the game will generate a new one. If the problem goes away you can start moving things back and you should be able to isolate the rogue file if your issue returns.

Thanks. The new Sims 2 folder works fine. Now I've just gotta re-add everything piecewise and hope it doesn't bork again. Though if it does, I'll be able to figure out why and fix it this time. It may have just gotten corrupted, but if there was a specific reason, I'll post it here for future reference.  :D

Just checking you know not to put the old cache files back.  They get corrupted and deleting them regularly is a good idea.  Thats groups.cache and accessory for the game and cigen for bodyshop.  The MTS2 wiki/game help  has a piece on the caches and I think there's another about how to do what you're doing.  Might be worth checking out.