![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladysilverwolf) wrote2018-07-06 06:46 pm
Section B. Establishing a Clean Install [Win10 Edition]
| B1. Installation of UC B2. Removing SecROM B3. Backup your Files B4. Setting Your Graphics B5. Game Resolution Settings B6. VRAM Configuration Tip B7. Win10 Update Bug & Fix B8. Additional Tweaks |
Before we proceed with this section of the guide, I recommend that you have some 'extra' time on your hands so that you can do this section from the first step to the very last. A fair amount of time will be invested here, to ensure your game environment is setup properly before we start dumping all that lovely CC into our game. Even if you have installed the game already, please take a moment to do the first Section, simply because this guide is written to help you get the most out of the Ultimate Collection. Therefore there will be no TL:DR dialog to zip through on this page.
Throughout this guide, you will be introduced to several new programs that have been vetted by many simmers out there, and are safe to use on your system. These programs include:
- TrashReg or the SecuROM Removal Tool (you get to pick your poison on this one folks)
- Graphics Rules Maker
- CFF Explorer and/or NT Core 4GB Patch
- RAMMap
- Empty Standby List
As we progress through each section, we will download and install them as we go along. All links on this page, will open up new browser windows, so you should not have to worry about losing sight of this page. Finally, if any guide I have linked to suggest starting a hood, I request that you do not. We will handle that in the next section of this guide. Simply skip that portion of any guide.
Lets move on shall we?
Section B1. Installation of Ultimate Collection
- Install the game using Origin Launcher.
- Once the game is installed, proceed to patch the game [also known as Update].
Clicked the patch/update button until there were no more updates.
[Origin will notify you when it is up to date] - Click the "Play" button on Origin Launcher.
- Let the game go through its loading screens, until you get to 'Choose a Neighborhood to Play".
[Do NOT create a single hood!]
EXIT the game.
(note : there might be a very LONG delay before the game actually runs, but it will)
--> IF the game absolutely refuses to run or load, then skip down to section B4 and B5. - After exiting the game, run the patch/update on the Origin Launcher again until you can no longer patch/update.
- Click "Play" button on Origin Launcher again.
[Do NOT create a hood or start playing]
EXIT the game a second time. - Check Origin Launcher for update/patch ONE MORE TIME.
--> If "Update/Patch" DOES NOT appear, then you can check your "My Documents" folder to ensure it has been properly placed in My Documents (file structure listed below).
--> If "Update/Patch" DOES appear, or there is no directory structure as noted below, repeat steps 6 and 7 until the update no longer appears.
(I personally had to do this three times before the directory listed below, appeared)
--> If your game refuses to run at all, skip down to section B4 then come back to Step 6 of this section. - Be sure to exit the game if it is still running. Move on to section B2.
The My Documents Directory should look like :
C:\Users\YOUR-PC-NAME-HERE\Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection
[there will be other folders within this directory as well]
Now the important part that will save you many headaches later on. UC comes with SecROM. You need to remove it. There are some great posts on how to do this, so I will simply refer you to those links now instead of trying to re-invent the wheel.
Why do we have to remove it? Because what will happen is every edit we do after this point, if SecuROM is still installed, the game engine will 'fix itself' via the Origin Launcher, and all your edits will disappear. And that... would be your wasted time and effort. So yes, remove SecurROM.
But before you run off to remove it, we also are going to need a download one additional file. The following links are here for you to obtain a working copy of the the game exe file:
|
Now lets remove that SecuROM:
| http://leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=6688 [actual link] and http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=6961&pid=36865#pid36865 [actual link] |
I will not recommend which method (or program) to use and leave that decision up to you. Once you have successfully removed SecROM, we can proceed to the next step in this guide.
REMINDER: Do NOT create a single hood!
Section B3. Backup Your Files
Sims 2 requires time and commitment, and sometimes things can get very confusing if you do not setup enough time to do things. We are also human and to Err is Human. So before we go and edit a bunch of game files, I want to provide you with the opportunity to back up your files. My method may not be clearly understood when you first look at it, but it is a starting point you can use to creating your own backup system for when things do get messed up down the road.
Located on SimFileShare, I have uploaded a file structure for you to use in the upcoming steps of this long winded tutorial. Feel free to use them, eyeball and discard, or even rename them so they make sense to YOU. The important thing here is... Create a Backup System that Works for You.
Included in this file structure are readme files I created for you (and for myself when I get old and can't remember why I did something). These folders have been labeled in such a manner that if you were to look at the installation directory of your game, you would see where to go to get and backup your files or to restore those files.
| Example : Best of Business-SP7-TSData-Res Directory would be: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Best of Business\SP7\TSData\Res Substitute the - for a \ and now you can see the directory structure |
Not in this file structure I just shared, but on my own PC, I have backed up all my files located in Config, CSConfig, Scripts (because I use scriptorium), Movies from the Double Deluxe, and finally Overrides from Fun with Pets Directory. You can also place a copy of that exe file you just downloaded here just in case you ever need a copy again, and don't want to hunt down those links. ;)
Now we can move on with the rest of this guide. REMINDER: Do NOT create a single hood! Proceed to Step B4.
Section B4. Setting Your Graphics
There are several critical steps in this section, and its extremely important we follow the directions perfectly as we go through each step of this process. If you make a mistake without backing up your files, then ... frankly, you will just have to start all over again, and re-install the game, and start this long process over. REMINDER: Do NOT create a single hood!
| 1. Your Graphics card will not be recognized by the game so we will have to modify your Graphics Rules (link provided for informational purposes) file in your game directory. Download, install, and then follow the step by step instructions for Graphics Rules Maker. https://www.simsnetwork.com/tools/graphics-rules-maker [actual link]
http://digitalperversion.net/gardenofshadows/index.php?topic=21931.0 [actual link] There are TWO methods available to you, depending on your system:
|
You will have to restart your system, but wait until you complete step B8 below !!! |
If you had to skip down to this section from B1 to fix graphics compatibility, complete B5 below too.
Section B5. Game Resolution Settings
If you have not already done so (because of game loading problems from above), you need to adjust your screen resolution for those big screens/monitors we all may have. When it was released, The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden was designed to run on a 800x600 screen resolution. So if you have higher screen resolutions (which most of us do) available to you, you need to visit your "Display" on Settings window that you opened in the step A3 above and see what is available on your PC (may also be known as "Advanced display settings").
Jot those numbers down on some paper, and then follow this Tutorial on how add that information to your Sims 2 game:
https://simsvip.com/2014/07/20/the-sims-2-ultimate-collection-increase-resolution-guide/ [actual link]. On step 5, it tells you to start the game, and enter a neighborhood... Please DO NOT follow this instruction. We are trying to avoid creating too many files in the My Documents Folder at this time.
REMINDER: If you had to skip down to these two sections from B1 to fix graphics compatibility, you need to and complete B1 (steps 4-8), B2 & B3 and continue on to B6. Click here to go back to B1.
Section B6. VRAM Configuration Tip
Have VRAM? Want to access it? This link describes how to do that, and its easy to do. |
Section B7. Windows 10 Update Bug and Fix
Prior to the major update done in November 2017 (aka Win10 Falls Creator Update), The Sims 2 seemed to run 'ok' for those of us who had UC installed on their systems, including myself. Never once did I experienced an episode of pink flashing hood, or family prior to that update. But after my computer finished that update, I had less 900KB of custom content (mostly mods btw) in my testing hood, and it was flashing Pink both in hood view and lot view. It made my game unplayable.
REMINDER: Do NOT create a single hood!
Thanks to gdayers [tumblr link] and Jessa from the Jessa Channel [YouTube Link], a fix was soon discovered. I present to you the following information on How to Stop Sims 2 Crashing, the Memory Allocation Fix, and how to ensure your 4GB Patch has been properly applied. to your game files. All three of these things can be reviewed in a YouTube video shared at Mod the Sims at the following link: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=610641 [actual link]
Once you have addressed these necessary files changes to fit your system and gaming needs, run your game once more, but do not create a hood yet. At this point, your game should be loading up fairly quickly, and soon you will be able to add hoods or play existing maxis content if you so desired. So, lets move on to the next section.
Section B8. Additional Tweaks
Do you plan on using Bodyshop? Then let's go back to the tutorial mentioned in B4 located at simscommunity.info. There are some additional tweaks you can do to your system to help ensure things run a bit more smoothly. In fact, I recommend bookmarking it, so that you can come back to it anytime you want. For my system, I also edited the CSConfig files because I wanted a nice environment for my bodyshop program. However if you run into the great Pink Flashing problem, these tweaks will help you decide how to eliminate it, as well as remember how your files were edit-ted in the first place.
As for myself, I actually used the information at the same website to address Sims and Pet Shadow Fix and the Fix for Low Quality Neighborhood Terrain.
LSW's Optional Step #1
Although I can not seem to find the reference for it while I am writing this guide, I still wanted to share the following information with other Win10 users who are also playing with Ultimate Collection. Sometime between fixing my Graphics Rules for my game and fixing the Graphics Rules for my Bodyshop, I found a phrase that has stuck with me. Mind you I am paraphrasing here from memory but it went something like this : Windows 10 has a habit of reading files in various directories and could cause inconsistent problems during gameplay.
That got me to think about all those Config folders and CSConfig folders that have graphic rules files, video card files, and a host of other files, all in their own little expansion directories. So I went back into my game directory and edited every single Graphics Rules file and Video Cards file and noticed that there were slight variations between each of those files, (and no, I am not including the changes I made to my most recent expansion files). I pulled up the reliable tutorial at simscommunity.info (step 4) and went to work on the rest of those files, making sure I backed up my files with the folders I mentioned in Section B3. Those bits I changed per file, now were the same across all expansions and stuff pack directories.
The first noticeable change I saw was that the cars in hood view were immediately 'spawning' and zipping around the hood, instead of there being a few moments where the game would hang.
LSW's Optional Step #2
Believe it or not, I actually created a Working copy of the game files (after they had been patched) and called the original game file "Original-The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection". Now I have a completely patched version of the game without having ever played a single hood or sim, ready just in case I ever corrupt my game. Because of this, I won't ever have to do the steps listed in section B, Never-EVER again. If you have the space on your system to do this, I HIGHLY recommend my Optional Step.
I also recommend doing this prior to installing cleaned/empty hoods simply because of the possibility of making mistakes. If however, you are confident in your ability to follow those tutorials without error, save this optional step until after installation of cleaned/empty hoods, which is covered in my next section of this guide. (I will make a mention of this in the next guide as well - redundancy never hurts)
Comments has been disabled for this particular post. However if you need assistance, I will be creating a special request post located here [link to be added soon].
This concludes "Establishing a Clean Install" for Windows 10.
In my next section, I will cover "Game Setup with Clean/Empty Hoods".
Updated: 04-2019