Corrupt file on The Exchange

In June 2010 several players noticed that a .package file was attaching itself to other packages in The Sims 3. The file was a corrupt girl doll, incorrectly cloned from the teddybear. Simmers became 'infected' by downloading lots, houses or Sims with the hidden doll attached, similar to the way many computer viruses spread, and the doll was determined to cause longer loading times and even game crashes.

Many The Sims community sites began reporting the issue and a simmer named glitzyangel posted a guide on how to get rid of it. After a while EA responded with a sticky on their forum, informing the community about the issue.

Guide on how to remove the file

 * 1) Backup your game just in case if something will go wrong. For most of the people this doll is removed successfully without problems.

2. Check if this doll is not in your houses as a toy or if it's in your kids inventory.

3. Go to Installed Content in the game's laucher (not Downloads) and look for the doll and uninstall it.

4. Check in DCBackups (My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/DCBackup) for this file 0x038a68fe04da61a6aa65f939d77fbc37.package and delete it too.

5. Also be sure to check your Downloads because it was the place that the doll was installed from to the game (if it was originally downloaded from The Sims Resource or from the exchange with some file); use the Custard Tool to check your .sims3packs.

6. Go to your Export folder (My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Exports) if you sent something recently to exchange. Because this doll is attached to the files. It will be in your uploads too. Remove files or clean it with the Custard Tool (untick the doll).

7. Check all your creations that are in your Studio at TheSims3.com or on other pages that you sent something too. If they have the doll remove it immediately.

(The link this signature refers to is now dead)