The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection - problem after Origin update

Well, you might need to reinstall and install the new redistributables, too.

Hi @Arw165,

An update for The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection was released 31st of October, so I'm guessing your game was also updated.

From what you describe, there might have been an issue with the download of the new version of the game. Let's try to find out if that's the problem! Please, go to your Origin Game Library, right click on the game and select the 'Repair' option.

Let Origin work and once the reparation is done, try to play Belladonna Cove again.

Any changes? 🙂

-Mai

Hi, thanks for reply(ies)!

I remember installing The Sims 2 update that day and activating the game to check, if everything would work, and had no problem playing. Hours later, when opening the Origin again, I got the notification about update for Origin Application (not the game) and after updating, I couldn't enter the location anymore. Of course, it might have been a coincidance, but I thought to mention it just in case it would turn out relevant in any way.

I tried "repair" with no result.

My bad, then, @Arw165, it made more sense if it was related to the game update. Thanks for trying with the 'Repair', and yes, it's important to mention that kind of details. Even if sometimes it's just a coincidence, most of the times it's related. 😉

Can you try these steps?:

1. Go to Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\Neighborhoods and rename E001 folder as E001 not loading.
   This folder contains your Belladonna Cave.
2. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Apartment Life\TSData\Res\UserData\Neighborhoods.
   This folder contains a default copy of each of the neighborhoods.
3. Copy E001 folder from here and paste it in Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\Neighborhoods.
4. We have just reset your Belladona Cave. Please, open the game and check if the default Belladonna Cave loads, or you are still having the same issue with a clean copy of the neighborhood.

If the game loads, it means the issue is in your Belladonna Cave save. If it doesn't, we will know the issue is somwhere else.

-Mai

I did all the steps and after opening the game it disappeared completely. I cannot even pick it. Hm...

That is very strange, @Arw165. So Belladonna Cave is not showing in the neighborhood selector at all?

Could you open Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\Neighborhoods and make sure there's still a folder named E001 in there?

Thanks,

-Mai

This is how it looks on a screen:

Hi @Arw165,

Let's try something different then!

With the game closed, please, go to Documents > EA Games and move your The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection folder to your Desktop.

Now, open the game again and check if the neighborhood is back and working. You will notice none of your Sims are in there, but please, don't worry, they are in the folder we just moved to the desktop.

Let us know how that test goes 🙂

-Mai

Progress - the neighborhood is back and working. 🙂

That's good to read!

The game created a clean folder to save your user files, and it seems there's something wrong with the one you moved to your Desktop. Probably a corrupted file.

Let's move things to the new and clean The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection folder the game just re-created in Documents \ EA Games, to try to recover your save games.

With the game closed, first, copy the contents of E001 not loading folder into the E001 folder that's now in Documents \ EA Games \ The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection \ Neighborhoods. You will be asked if you want to overwrite files - tell Windows you do want to overwrite them.

Once finished, open your game again and take a look. Still working? Then close the game and copy contents from the F001 folder in your Desktop to the F001 folder in  Documents \ EA Games \ The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection \ Neighborhoods. Repeat with the contents of G001, N001, N002 and N003.

Finally, open the game and check if your Sims are back.

Still working well?

-Mai