Reducing the Size of Your Sims 2 Installation

[Selesen]

So this stuff is definitely of interest to me, because I'm on a Mac and am thus dealing with the file limit. I raised it, but it's refusing to be raised any more and this is frustrating to my custom-content addicted self. Anyway, I have a question.
Basically I don't appear to have a TSBin, CSbin, or Support folders, all I have is TSData. Since it's been this way every time I've ever installed Sims on any computer, I assume this is a difference between the Mac and PC versions. (I also did a search to see if they were hiding in any sneaky spots on my computer, and it looks like that's not the case.) So I'm wondering if there's anything more in TSData that can be deleted without game implosion.
The specific thing I'm curious about is the N001, 2 and 3 folders in TSData>Res>Userdata>Neighborhoods. I have all the clean templates etc. installed, and N001 is renamed to prevent spawning townies. Since I've deleted these 'hoods from the game and don't ever plan to respawn them, surely it would be okay to delete them? Same question about the tutorial 'hood in the same place, as long as I never click on the tutorial button, the game shouldn't complain if I delete that, right?

[Blizzaird]

I don't know much about macs but the only reason you to rename the N001 folder instead of deleting it is to have a back up. So if you never want it, go ahead and delete it. Probably fine to axe the tutorial too, but if you want to be sure just rename it and run the game. If it's all good, go ahead and delete it. If it buggers up, just name it back.

[ninjeia]

I'm wondering, maybe out of stupidity or curiosity, if you delete all the locals except say English, will the sims speak English?

[Tamha]

The sims all speak Simlish, the locales is for the users so that they can read the text and such in the game. It has no effect on the sounds the sims make or words they speak.

[pentabet]

OP: "...TSData/Res/Movies there is an annoying abomination named "ealogo_audio.movie"... Delete them..."

tunaisafish: "You don't need to stop at just the logo movies.  Delete that annoying intro .movie too (the one that you probably 'escape' as soon as you see).
I can't remember the exact name."

---Is the intro movie this (intro_eng_audio -MOVIE file)?  May I delete it?

[Simsbaby]

Yep, that's the one.
By the way, has anyone tried deleting the CarryForward.sgfiles.package files? They seem to just contain stuff from previous expansion packs, so I'm wondering if you have all of them it would be okay to get rid of them. That would be another 395MB off the installation. Something else that I don't see mentioned that I have done, is to delete the splash.package files. The neat thing is you can keep the one from your favorite expansion pack and then it'll use that one when starting up. Or just delete all of them and not have to hear the annoying loop over and over.

[jonas]

Dude, just deleting those things from the first 3 steps saved me 2.2 GB!!! That's freakin' awesome! - Already playtested the game as well and everything appears just fine.  Thank you!

[raptureswild]

Sorry, I know necromancy is bad, mmkay, slap me.

What if there is no "English" folder in my locales?  Obviously my game is installed in English (maybe not so obviously)... so this leaves some of my locale folders empty.  I may be replying to this if my game doesn't work...

[Chain_Reaction]

Sorry, I know necromancy is bad, mmkay, slap me.

What if there is no "English" folder in my locales?  Obviously my game is installed in English (maybe not so obviously)... so this leaves some of my locale folders empty.  I may be replying to this if my game doesn't work...

None of my EPs or SPs have an English folder, just the base game. Heaven knows what it's pulling from but my game works and isn't speaking to me in a foreign language so I'm not going to question it.

[raptureswild]

Agreed.  I deleted all but the "English" folder in the base game and my game was fine.  I know others were able to save more but I got 1.56 gigs free from the first "easy" steps.  However, there are several stuff packs I don't have installed, which is probably the reason.

[Aquilegia]

This might be obvious, but I managed to brainfart it at one point and cause myself unnecessary pain, so I figure it's worth a warning--the game is somewhat bizarrely picky about what must be there for installation of another SP/EP. Help files might be okay to delete, but old update files definitely aren't and will make the installer throw a hissy fit when it's almost done. Not a problem for anyone who has all of the SP/EPs (or all that they want), but definitely something to be wary of otherwise.

[froginsox]

Yep, that's the one.
By the way, has anyone tried deleting the CarryForward.sgfiles.package files? They seem to just contain stuff from previous expansion packs, so I'm wondering if you have all of them it would be okay to get rid of them. That would be another 395MB off the installation. Something else that I don't see mentioned that I have done, is to delete the splash.package files. The neat thing is you can keep the one from your favorite expansion pack and then it'll use that one when starting up. Or just delete all of them and not have to hear the annoying loop over and over.

The Carryforward.sgfile from K&B stuff is needed for the recolors of the toy oven...don't know of any other issues