That would certainly explain why Pescado doesn't have this problem. And why I do...

/nudges eight gig Downloads folder under the bed and out of sight.

If I don't delete it, the game dithers about starting for a few minutes before vanishing from Task Manager. Sometimes I get a blank error message. Occasionally it actually loads, but it's easier to just assume it won't.

The problem's persisted after a reinstall and a restart from a vanilla The Sims 2 folder, so presumably it doesn't like my computer or my CC or something? I'm not Awesome enough to know exactly what's going on, only how to fix it.

I have to delete groups.cache almost every time I start the game, and it doesn't bother me too much, but I am awfully curious as to what's inside that file and why it doesn't behave nicely.

Your hack is certainly awesome, Pescado, but it didn't prevent a child and toddler from being taken by the social worker when their parent was at work.

But it's a moot point, as the BO hack looks like it will work perfectly. Thank you, Pandaah!

I haven't been able to find one hack that does exactly what I would like it to, and I'm wondering if it's at all possible to use two hacks for the same effect.

Specifically, I like Simlogical's No Welfare, but it doesn't allow parents to leave children unattended on the lot. Pescado's sshack does, but the social worker abducts children who are left alone while the adults are at work.

Could I use both and achieve the combination of letting adults leave without the social worker ever coming? Which would have to load first?