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Plushybunny's avatar
6 years ago
Solved

Two PCs needed, two PCs accessible, only one is used by them! :(

So I've got a weird and very specific problem and didn't find a solution, so I ask you! :D

My family needs two PCs, so I just bought a second one (one programmer and one writer in the family.

But even after I bought this second one, they "quarrel" about the one I had first. Admittedly, the newer one is worse, stat-wise. But that shouldn't be a problem, I hope!

Both PCs are perfectly accesible, I even sat one of them down at the seat in front of the newer PC and told him to start writing. The other PC showed up in his queue, he stood up and went there.

I do not want to use door rules to make the PC only accessible to one of them or something - that'd break my immersion too much.

Is this supposed to be like this? What can I do?

  • Hi @Plushybunny - In TS4, you can lock just the computer to other sims (instead of locking doors). That should work for you and still keep the immersion. It's pretty easy to do.

    Make sure your active sim is the one you want assigned to the computer. Then click on the computer > Computer Security Settings > Lock Computer. You have 2 main lock choices.

    Lock Computer for... lets you choose to lock for "Everyone" (don't choose that one, no one will be able to use it) "Everyone but SimName" (this will mean no one else, including visitors or employees, can use that computer), Everyone but Household (not your goal here, but good for when you have random visitors show up and go straight for the computer), or Everyone but Employees (in case you want the butler to have his own computer, I guess) 

    Lock for Specific Sim... gives a choice of all the members of the household. Your active sim will be able to use the computer, but so will employees, visitors or any household members you add later. 

    Your writer might be getting up and going to the other computer if you asked them to continue writing something they started on that computer. I have had this happen to me before - for some reason, it seems to happen with programming and writing. I don't know if you can get them to finish on a different computer if you lock them out of the place they started. I know that I've tried to get a programmer to finish a video game at a different computer when the one they started it on was broken or sold and it didn't work very well. It's probably not supposed to do that, but you could have them finish first or scrap the book and start over on the assigned computer if you run into problems.

    I hope this helps - Happy Simming!

5 Replies

  • Hi @Plushybunny - In TS4, you can lock just the computer to other sims (instead of locking doors). That should work for you and still keep the immersion. It's pretty easy to do.

    Make sure your active sim is the one you want assigned to the computer. Then click on the computer > Computer Security Settings > Lock Computer. You have 2 main lock choices.

    Lock Computer for... lets you choose to lock for "Everyone" (don't choose that one, no one will be able to use it) "Everyone but SimName" (this will mean no one else, including visitors or employees, can use that computer), Everyone but Household (not your goal here, but good for when you have random visitors show up and go straight for the computer), or Everyone but Employees (in case you want the butler to have his own computer, I guess) 

    Lock for Specific Sim... gives a choice of all the members of the household. Your active sim will be able to use the computer, but so will employees, visitors or any household members you add later. 

    Your writer might be getting up and going to the other computer if you asked them to continue writing something they started on that computer. I have had this happen to me before - for some reason, it seems to happen with programming and writing. I don't know if you can get them to finish on a different computer if you lock them out of the place they started. I know that I've tried to get a programmer to finish a video game at a different computer when the one they started it on was broken or sold and it didn't work very well. It's probably not supposed to do that, but you could have them finish first or scrap the book and start over on the assigned computer if you run into problems.

    I hope this helps - Happy Simming!

  • Plushybunny's avatar
    Plushybunny
    6 years ago

    Hey!

    Thank you for the detailed solution and walkthrough!

    I myself even forgot to mention the „security details“ I can set up for the PCs. I wanted to use those as last resort if everything else fails and no solution would come up! 🙂

    I just want my Sims to freely choose between PCs.

    The second solution, though: That might just be it, if you already encountered the same. My writer AND my programmer both have a project started at my first PC. I'll try to get through those and then hopefully remember to write you if that worked!

  • Plushybunny's avatar
    Plushybunny
    6 years ago

    Hey! I think that was the solution, as another Sim but those could use the other PC despite the main PC wasn't even used.
    I couldn't test it with the Sims in question (yet), because the writer alive anymore and the programmer got twins and has... other things to do. Nice timing, though! :D

  • BlackjackWidow's avatar
    BlackjackWidow
    Hero (Retired)
    6 years ago

    @Plushybunny - Thanks for the update. I am so glad to know it seems to work for you. My condolences on the loss of your writer, it's always sad to see a sim pass on. But - Congratulations on the twins! I'm certain that will keep all of you busy 🙌