Archived SOLVED Requests and Queries

Sugah wrote:

I am assuming you've tried starting up your game by going to the latest EP/SP you've installed and attempted launching the game through .exe, as Mac & Russ (Caleb) have suggested?   
That's what I did. I right clicked on the .exe and chose "run as administrator", as I said in my previous post.
Since I've done that, clicking on the Sims 2 Store Edition (which included Sims 2 Pets, Family Fun & Mansion and Garden in a collection pack) shortcut on my desktop launches the game, too!   

Russ, wasn't there a way to change the properties in the TS2 desktop shortcuts to fix the issue with it no longer launching (due to EA disabling the TS2 site)?
Didn't you share that information somewhere here?
Because I think I remember changing the shortcut properties on my laptop game and it worked.

Thank you to ALL who have helped her with her installation queries.
This is excellent information for any of us who are having to start over with Windows 7 and/or new puters!

 

I did try to start it with the .exe files, but I don't think I tried "run as administrator" except on the desktop shortcut.

On my old computer, I never had any problems with the launcher as long as I clicked on it quickly. If I waited too long, it wouldn't launch. It never made sense to me, but it worked!

Yes, thank you all. I do appreciate the help. I feel like an idiot for not being able to trouble shoot well enough myself.   

I have an appointment now, but I'll be back at it in an hour or so.  

Hi Sugah,

Right-click on the icon for the shortcut and select "Properties".

Now look at the line called "Target". It probably says something like

"C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Apartment Life\TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe"

You need to replace "Sims2Launcher.exe" with "Sims2EPn.exe", where n corresponds to the highest update package.
This whole issue is discussed here and it will also give you the proper .exe SP-EP number.

Thank you, Mac & Russ.
I knew we'd discussed it somewhere here, Mac. I just couldn't remember WHERE.  
Thank you for providing the link to the original conversation.  
Mine is starting up just fine without having to make the change in the shortcut's Properties > Target.
I didn't know if it would help with Cher's issue?
And it's definitely good information worth repeating.   

BTW, my Sims 2 Store Edition collection pack is EP99, upon clicking on Properties.
Does that sound right?   

Russ wrote:

...you can right click the exe, select Properties and then click the Compatibility tab. You can check the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for: and select XP in the drop down menu. Click apply then OK

.

THAT'S how you run TS2 in XP compatibility mode!
Tim had mentioned it and I had no clue how to do so.
Thank you, Russ.

Cher wrote:

I do appreciate the help. I feel like an idiot for not being able to trouble shoot well enough myself.  

You should never feel that way, especially here, Cher.
I am blessed to have some very helpful, knowledgeable folks in this little forum who are perfectly willing to assist our members whenever needed.
We have a great group who will never belittle or make anyone feel uncomfortable for inquiring about TS2 or puter issues.
If you need help, it is here for you and always in a safe, comfortable, friendly environment!   

Cher wrote:

I did try to start it with the .exe files, but I don't think I tried "run as administrator" except on the desktop shortcut.

It'd be worth a try to do it through Start > Programs > EA Games > The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden (or whatever your highest updated EP/SP installed is)
Then, right click and "run as administrator".
Unless, there is a better way to do so, that is what worked for me.  

Sugah wrote:

always in a safe, comfortable, friendly environment!   

I've said it before, but will say it yet again! What a wonderful site you have here, Sugah!    

Captain Mac wrote:

I've said it before, but will say it yet again! What a wonderful site you have here, Sugah!

Thank you, Mac, for your ongoing support of SP and for your loyalty & devotion to our little forum family.
It means so much to have both you and your good bunny, Maikki, here with us.
At the risk of repeating myself, I remain honored to have you as such an important, irreplaceable pair @ Sugah's Place.   

Success! You all are the best!   
  

I installed everything without launching the game to check like I usually would. I think the problem, or part of it, was that Double Deluxe includes Nightlife and Celebration Stuff. Any ep or stuff pack before Celebration Stuff seemed to think I had a later version of the game and didn't want to run. Once I had installed Mansion and Gardens, I followed Sugah's advice and found the .exe file in Start - Programs - EA GAMES - Mansion and Garden and dragged it onto the desktop.

Now I have a chance to start a fresh game, with default face replacements and clean neighborhoods and all that stuff I didn't know existed way back when I last installed TS2.  

Oh, how wonderful, Cher!
I can't tell you how happy I am that we could be of help to you here!

Cher wrote:

Now I have a chance to start a fresh game, with default face replacements and clean neighborhoods and all that stuff I didn't know existed way back when I last installed TS2.

  Yaaaaaay!   

  

I am going to leave this thread open for awhile.
With Windows XP no longer being supported and many TS2 Simmers having to switch to Windows 7...
I have a feeling this issue will come up again.   

So glad everything worked out for you, Cher!  

*woot* *woot*

My mouse pointer was freezing (and freezing up my system at random but very annoying moments). I resubscribed to DriverDetective and updated my mouse drivers, but also my AMD graphics drivers. Mouse still gave problems, did a virus check, even ran my system without internet connection, still no solution. Then (doh) tried a different mouse. Problem seemed to go away. Let that be a lesson to all geeks (or those who think they are)   

But now have a very curious thing happening. My game plays fine, but each sim moves on a rectangular dark shadow as in the illustration below. May have something to do with updating the graphics drivers.



For the record, that's my selfsim in the center of the rectangle. All the sims now seem to have that rectangle. Any ideas???  

And here's maikkij in her rectangle...



Seems to be only when walking/standing on interior floors, not outside nor on stairs nor sitting. Seems to hold true for more than one house.

It's definitely an graphics driver problem. Last fall both AMD and Nvididia made some sort of change to their drivers, Which TS2 doesn't seem to like for some reason. The black squares will only appear if shadows are set to high. There are three solutions to fixing this. You can revert to the older drivers which should clear the issue. You can also either set the shadow setting to medium or use the cheat boolProp simShadows false, Both will fix the shadow issue. Now with the last to solutions there will be no shadows for sims.

I've been trying to find a better solution, But up to this point haven't found any. I have a hunch it has to do with TS2's Shaders.

While finding fixes for installing Sims 2 on Win 8, I found the following for allowing Sims 2 to address more than 2Gb of RAM. My loading time dropped about a minute less with Win 7 Pro and 8Gb of RAM.


Link: http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Sims_3:CFF_Explorer

Even though it is for Sims 3, it works on Sims 2 as well. You copy the exe of the EP you start your game with, paste it in a save folder (just in case) and on your Desktop. You modify the one on your desktop and copy and paste it back into the folder you originally got it from.

Success, with a little work around Sims 2 with all Expansion and Stuff Packs is up and running on Win 8.1.

It happened to me, too, and setting shadows to medium fixed it.

Russ wrote:

Success, with a little work around Sims 2 with all Expansion and Stuff Packs is up and running on Win 8.1.

That's good to hear, Russ!  

I wanted to re-post what Aaron shared awhile back on how to bypass the Sims 2 launcher:

The only way around this issue is to use the game exe and not the launcher. To do that You need to change the shortcut You have for the game. Right click on the shortcut and then left click on properties, After that a new window should appear. In the window will be several tabs Your look for the one called Shortcut, The window should start on that tab. Once on the Shortcut tab look for the text Target, To the right of Target should be text similar to this "\Program Files\EA GAMES\Latest expansion or stuff pack\TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe". You need to replace the text Sims2Launcher.exe with where the actual game exe is, To do that select the text Sims2Launcher.exe and replace it with Your newest Expansion stuff pack. To find which Expansion pack or Stuff pack is Your is newest game(by order of release), Usually when You play it will tell You what Your newest game is. Once You found out what Your newest game is replace the Sims2Launcher.exe text with one of the games below

Here is the list of all of the games exes
Basegame           Sims2.exe
University         Sims2EP1.exe
Nightlife          Sims2EP2.exe    
Happy Holiday      Sims2SP1.exe
Open for Business  Sims2EP3.exe
Family Fun         Sims2SP2.exe
Glamour Life       Sims2SP3.exe
Pets               Sims2EP4.exe
Seasons            Sims2EP5.exe
Celebration        Sims2SP4.exe
H&M Fashion        Sims2SP5.exe
Bon Voyage         Sims2EP6.exe
Teen Style         Sims2SP6.exe
Free Time          Sims2EP7.exe
Kitchen & Bath     Sims2SP7.exe
IKEA Home          Sims2SP8.exe
Apartment Life     Sims2EP8.exe
Mansion Garden     Sims2EP9.exe

After that press the Apply button and the press the Ok button. From now on the game should run properly.


Aaron, do you happen to know what the Sims2.exe EP/SP number is for The Sims 2 Fun with Pets Collection, which includes Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff, Sims 2 Pets and Sims 2 M & G?  

Wow! This is good information regarding a very strange issue.
Thank you for posting it, Mac. And Aaron, thank you for helping with the problem.

I have yet to load up my game to play, but will be curious what happens when I do.
Upon having the Staples tech here to set up my new puter, he updated all of my drivers including Nvidia's.

 

It should be M&G's exe, But I have heard that the bundled games come with the store edition. Which supersedes all games, Unfortunately I don't know the exe's name for store edition.

Thank you for responding so soon, Aaron.
I did some research and learned the correct text to replace the Sims2Launcher.exe is Sims2SC.exe for the The Sims 2 Fun with Pets Collection pack.  
I tried launching it using that text and the game started up perfectly when clicking on the game desktop icon.

I did some further research into that exe Sugah, and it is as I suspected. It's the dang store edition of the game, Which comes with all the bundled games. I would highly recommend uninstalling the store edition. If left installed any lots or neighborhood You make will require it and since the store edition was only ever released into the US SimPe was never updated for it.

To uninstall it go to the Control Panel and click on Programs and Features. You should see a list of programs and games that are installed on Your computer. Look for The Sims 2 Store edition and right click it, From there You should be able to uninstall it.

Aaron wrote:

If left installed any lots or neighborhood You make will require it and since the store edition was only ever released into the US SimPe was never updated for it.

Aaron, I may not be firing on all cylinders this dreary Monday morning, but how does this present a problem for me as a player?   

The main thing that comes to me is that since SimPe is used to recolor objects... That You may have problems with SimPe. Unless there's something else that can recolor objects that I am not aware of.

What if I didn't do the Maxis recolors that are a part of the Sims 2 Store edition/Pets Collection pack, Aaron?
I rarely do Maxis recolors. I mostly do CC recolors.
Would it be problematic if I kept the pack installed then?

Thank you, btw, for the plethora of information you are always passing on to this little forum.

  

Sugah wrote:

What if I didn't do the Maxis recolors that are a part of the Sims 2 Store edition/Pets Collection pack, Aaron?

Possibly... The main problem really isn't the objects, But the store edition it's self. What I mean is that in the view of the game it thinks Store edition is a expansion pack. Which SimPe does as well, Unfortunately SimPe was never updated to detect Store edition. So it's it is possible that it would just completely confuse SimPe, Anything from errors from SimPe to causing SimPe to crash.

There is also a possibility that everything could run completely smoothly, In the end it really depends on how different store edition is from other expansion packs. And there certainly is some deferences between them, Because some mods and hacks don't work with it at all.

You're welcome.

I think I understand what you're saying now.

FYI: I had this same Store Edition pack installed in my previous computer.
I don't believe I had any problems using SimPE ... Well, that I can recall at least!   
I had the Store Edition pack installed for quite awhile before my old desktop went kaput and I recolored CC on a regular basis using SimPE.

But I will def be on the lookout for issues, since I know it could be a possible prob with the EP/SP in question.   

 

This is a new one for me. Some of my Maxis objects no longer show the original colors after I install recolors. I've deleted my thumbnails, but that didn't work. I've googled like crazy and all I could come up with was to check the GUIDs. I did that in SimPE and there were no duplicate GUIDs for those objects.

The thumbnail in the buy catalog looks like the original Maxis object. The smaller menu that opens up when I click on the object does not have the original color, but does have all the recolors. A couple of the items will show the original Maxis color if I place it without clicking on any of the recolors, but others won't. Once placed, I can use the recolor tool to recolor the object to a downloaded custom recolor, but I can never recolor it to the original Maxis color.

It doesn't seem to be an issue with having moved the recolors into my downloads folder rather than downloading from the original site, because I've done it both ways and the result is the same.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how did you fix it?

Definitely sounds like an override of some sort. Are you sure you didn't inadvertently download default replacements? Quite a few colourists are doing default recolours of Maxis objects.

The only thing I can really recommend (which is really labourious) is to remove all the RCs and replace them in batches, until the issue crops up. Once you've identified the batch that the rogue recolour is (or reocolours are) in, then you split up that batch and start putting them in in smaller groups until you identify what's causing the problem.