The 50/50 method

Something is breaking your game and you have no idea which mod is responsible. The 50/50 method splits your mods in half, has you test the game, and keeps narrowing the pile to a likely candidate. You do not need to know anything about the mods going in.

What to expect#

Each round, SimSweep moves half your selected files out of the active Mods folder. You launch the game, check whether the problem is still there, answer yes or no, and repeat. The number of rounds depends on how many files you started with, but even a folder with thousands of mods usually resolves in 10 to 15 rounds.

At the end, SimSweep shows the file or files left by your test answers. You can review them, delete them, or restore everything and investigate later.

Starting a session#

1. Open Tools from the sidebar.
2. Select 50/50.
3. Confirm your Sims 4 game location when prompted. If it looks wrong, check your settings to update the game path.
4. Choose what to include in the search. By default, SimSweep searches your package files. You can also include:
   • Script mods (.ts4script) if you suspect a script mod is involved.
   • Whitelisted / protected files if you want no files excluded. Use this with care, since protected files are usually ones SimSweep shields from risky actions by default.
5. Press Start, then Begin Round 1.

Running rounds#

1. SimSweep moves files and shows Launch the Game.
2. Click Launch Sims 4 or start the game yourself.
3. Test for your issue in-game.
4. Return to SimSweep and answer:
   • Yes, still broken if the problem is still happening.
   • No, it's fixed! if the game is running clean.
5. SimSweep adjusts which half to look at and starts the next round.

Repeat until SimSweep shows Found It/Them.

Heads up: Do not move, rename, or add files to your Mods folder while a 50/50 session is active. The tool tracks exactly what it moved and manual changes can confuse the restore path.

Finishing up#

When SimSweep reaches the likely file or files, you have two options:

• Delete It/Them removes the selected candidate and restores everything else.
• Keep and Restore All puts all files back where they started. Good if you want to investigate further before deleting.

If you need to stop mid-session, use Abort and restore all files. SimSweep attempts to return the parked files and reports anything it could not restore. Check the result before starting another session.

If a session is interrupted#

Reopen SimSweep and return to 50/50. An unfinished session can show Restore parked mods? or Interrupted 50/50 work. Choose Restore mods to attempt restoration. If a file operation needs recovery first, use Open recovery and follow the actions shown for that operation.

In SimSweep 4.1.16, the normal 50/50 restore handles an occupied filename in two ways:

• If the file already in Mods has identical contents, SimSweep can recognize it as already returned after verifying the match.
• If it has different contents, SimSweep keeps that file and restores the parked one alongside it with a name such as Example (from 50-50).package.

Check the restore summary and use Show in folder to inspect renamed files. This behavior applies to normal 50/50 restoration; a recovery rollback may still report an occupied location for you to review.

If one file cannot be restored, SimSweep can continue restoring others and keep the unresolved work recorded. A partial result does not mean everything is back. Reconnect any unavailable drive, close programs holding the files open, and review the remaining recovery actions.

The recovery panel also offers Save copies of my files for files it can still read. This copies them to a folder you choose; it does not finish the session or guarantee that every working file is complete. See recovery guidance before discarding a recovery record.

If something goes wrong#

• Game will not launch: Check your Sims 4 path in settings.
• Session feels stuck: Use Abort and restore all files, then check its result. Finish any pending recovery before starting a fresh session.
• Files seem out of place after aborting: Read the restore summary and recovery panel. Keep the session's holding folder and recovery records while you investigate, and contact Discord support if you need help.

Next up#

Once you have a likely problem file, Check CC before installing can help you review replacements before they go in.