Sims 2 freetime expansion no longer working (disc version)

@FlyingFinny , so the first thing to do is to move your Sims 2 folder (found Documents > EA Games > Sims 2) to your Desktop. This will protect your saved games, CC, mods and allow you to uninstall and reinstall everything safely without fear of losing your progress so far. 

The next thing we need to do is uninstall the game. I know pain the rear, but to install everything properly you need to install everything in release order. With newer games it doesn't matter, but considering Sims 2 is an older title, you need to install everything in release order. So you start with Base Game and add everything in the order listed below.

The Sims 2
University
Nightlife
Open for Business
Family Fun Stuff
Glamour Life Stuff
Pets
Festive Holiday Stuff (also called Happy Holiday Stuff)
Seasons
Celebrations Stuff
H&M Fashion Stuff
Bon Voyage
Teen Style Stuff
Freetime
Kitchen and Bath Stuff
IKEA Stuff
Apartment Life
Mansion & Gardens Stuff 

A couple of other things to note. Download Graphics Rule Maker and the 4GB patch. Further instructions on how to run Graphics Rule Maker (which updates the GraphicsRule.sgr file to recognize your video card) can be found on Leefish's forums. A Google search will take you to Leefish's forums. Make a copy of your original GraphicsRule.sgr file and place it on your Desktop for safekeeping so that you always have a copy if you mess one up. Once you successfully edit your GraphicsRule.sgr file, copy it into a file on your Desktop so that you can copy and paste it into each new Expansion/Stuff pack you install. The 4GB patch gives your game some more breathing room on memory usage and instructions on how to apply that step by step can be found in a YouTube video which is found by searching for 4GB patch Sims 2.

Our next steps are to install the game. If you are running them off of disks, sometimes Windows 10 doesn't like older games so here are some instructions on how to successfully install the game from the disks.

1) Insert your Sims 2 CD/DVD into your disk drive and open up your local hard drive.

2) Go to File, New Folder and create a new folder. Name this folder "Disk Images."

3) Go into the "Disk Images" folder and create another folder called "Disk1." If you're installing a version of The Sims 2 or an expansion/stuff pack with multiple disks, create folders for each disk. Label them "Disk2," "Disk3" and "Disk4." *Note* It's important you do not put a space in between "Disk" and the number you use.

4) Open up "My Computer" and select your Sims 2 CD. If the autorun comes up, cancel it as well as the installation.

5) Right-click The Sims 2 CD. Click "Explore."

6) Click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window and choose "Select All." You can also press CTRL+A.

7) Click on the "Edit" tab again and select "Copy." CTRL+C also works.

8) Open up your "Disk1" folder. Go to the "Edit" tab and select "Paste." CTRL+V works as well. Continue until you've copied and pasted the information from all the disks into their appropriate folders.

9) Find the autorun file in the "Disk1" folder and double click it. This should install the game as normal. When you are finished, you can delete the "Disk Images" folder or the contents.

Tips

If you encounter any file transfer errors when copying and pasting, try cleaning your disk. If that fails, your disk is either scratched or corrupted.

Do this with the Base Game first. Apply the 4GB patch and GraphicsRule.sgr files and start up the game to make sure everything works like normal. Remember that none of your saved games, CC  or mods will be present. Start a new game and play for about an hour just to insure that everything works correctly. Save this game so you can test each Expansion/Stuff pack as you install it. Repeat this process for each Expansion/Stuff pack until everything is installed and the game is working properly again. 

I understand that this process will take several hours to complete, but in the long run you'll have everything working again. Please keep me updated and once the game works again, I'll help you transfer your saved games back into the game.

Oh my gosh, thank you for your reply! I honestly thought it was going to take a few days to hear anything, so getting an answer (especially one so comprehensive) is amazing! :D 

I really do appreciate it, but I will just say now that I am the least tech savvy person ever <:c  and am hoping for just a lil more clarification. For instance, I was able to install all the expansion packs quiet easily the first time around so is the method you suggest with renaming discs necessary? (Just because when I read it, I became very lost after 'insert sims 2' )

Thanks again, I know you don't work for EA but the fact that you seem to know so much about all this is just amazing. I wish I knew more about this sort of stuff, but honestly I am just a install and pray kind of person XD 

@FlyingFinny , I'm not sure what version of Windows you are playing on, but sometimes, Windows 10 doesn't like to install older games from disks due to protocols within the Operating system. If you are running on an older computer with Windows XP or 7, you might just be able to insert the disks and install the game as normal. 

I'm not a major techie either. 🙂 But if you print out a copy of the instructions and go step by step one at a time, you should be able to install the game. I understand reading that can be daunting and it was a long post, but I wanted to cover all the bases for you. 

So, take a deep breath. Move your Sims 2 folder to safety to keep your saved games safe and don't be afraid to experiment. I'm here if you get stuck at any point. I try to check the forums at least once a day.

@FlyingFinny , so glad you got it working again! 🙂

Could I also ask a question please? I’ve just managed to install the Sims two on Windows 10 after about 5 years Of trying on and off! Are use the graphics marker utility was amazing my problem is that I’ve installed The expansion packs and some stuff packs up to seasons but it won’t install any of the other expansion packs because it’s telling me it uses a different file or something and it says that if I install it all my saved games will be gone but what happens when I try and install bon voyage I haven’t tried free time yet it crashes the game and the resolution goes right back down to 680 x 800. I am installing them in the right sequence.

Could you help me please?

Thank you

@lince918 , first thing I'd do is make a copy of your Sims 2 file with your saved games. Simply move the copied file (do not create a shortcut!) to your desktop so that all your saved games will be safe and if anything goes wrong you're ok. 🙂

I know there are some threads on here detailing how to install the game without doing it in release date order. I'll see if I can locate one and link it here. Try the suggestion listed in the last post of this thread. https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-The-Sims-Games/how-do-you-install-the-sims-2-from-a-disc-on-pc-windows-10/m-p/6160361#M13984