Sims 2 onto Origin

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@kimmmmmmzy wrote:

Please help me get Sims 2 on Origin. I have all of my old discs but my current laptop doesn't have a CD ROM drive. If I bought an external one would I be able to get my games onto Origin?

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As you might be aware, you can no longer redeem The Sims 2 disc product codes on Origin for digital downloads. However, if you procure an external optical drive and install The Sims 2 on your laptop, once the game is installed, you can add an Origin library shortcut for it. Unfortunately the shortcut won't have nice cover art like the Origin games in your library. To add a non-Origin game shortcut to your Origin library, select "Games" from Origin's menu bar. From the "Games" drop-down list, select "Add Non-Origin Game...".

In the dialog box that appears, you will then need to select the game's executable. For example, for The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, the default Windows installation location of the game's executable is C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Double Deluxe\SP4\TSBin\Sims2SP4.exe, but the executable name will depend on what version of The Sims 2 you have, and the path will depend on where you chose to install the game. Alternatively, if you don't wish to start the game directly from Origin for some reason, but instead wish to start the game's launcher from Origin, you could add an Origin shortcut for the launcher. Using the The Sims 2 Double Deluxe as an example again, the default Windows installation location of the launcher is C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Double Deluxe\SP4\TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe.

You will still need to have your The Sims 2 game disc loaded in the attached optical drive whenever you want to launch the game, otherwise you will be prompted to insert the disc. One way around this restriction would be to create a disk image (e.g. an ISO image) of your game disc and save it on your laptop's storage drive (i.e. SSD or HDD) or on an attached storage device (e.g. a USB flash drive), then mount the disk image whenever you wish to play The Sims 2. As you own the game disc, I don't think this method runs afoul of EA's user agreement. Another way around the inconvenience of needing the physical disc would be to use a no-CD executable for the game, but even though you own the game, I believe this method might be construed as a hack, and therefore I probably shouldn't say any more about it on the forum.

Note: If you are installing The Sims 2 from disc on Windows 10, you might run into an issue where the disc's AutoRun.exe is blocked by Windows' User Account Control, in which case you will see a warning stating, "This app has been blocked for your protection". If this happens (hopefully it won't) you will need to temporarily turn off User Account Control by opening Registry Editor. If you are unfamiliar with Registry Editor, you can access it by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box, then type "regedit" (without quotation marks) and press the Enter key on your keyboard (or use your mouse to select the OK button). Once Registry Editor is open, navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System, double-click on EnableLUA (alternatively, right-click on EnableLUA and select "Modify..."), and change "Value data" from 1 to 0. You will then need to restart your computer. Once you've restarted your computer, you should be able to install The Sims 2. Once The Sims 2 has been installed, don't forget to change the value for EnableLUA back to 1 (you will need to restart your computer again after changing the value back). If you are unfamiliar with Registry Editor, I would highly recommend that you back up the Windows Registry before making any changes. To do this in Registry Editor, select "File" from the menu bar, then select "Export" from the drop-down list. Give the file a name, select "All" under "Export range", then save the file.

You can find more information (compatibility information, links to patches, etc.) at https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/The_Sims_2.