i need help with downloading files using windows vista

[foxxymamma]

hi i just recently purchased a laptop with windows vista....i have a comp with windows xp.......i just found out i cannot use the simfilemaid2 on windows vista to download items.....what can i use and how do i install the items....i am computer illeterate so plz help me.....ughh!!!!!!

[jamesabrown1]

I'll have to wait until this evening to get on my VISTA machine and locate the correct folder path, in the meantime you need to get the clean installer http://sims2pack.modthesims2.com/index.php?page=3 and a free copy of WinZip, you can find that on download.com. Just save the clean installer to a folder you create to keep it in until you install it. I'll try to give you step-by-step instructions tomorrow after I've looked up the folder path. I've not tried the File Maid in quite some time and never at all on my VISTA machine. When you install WinZip, choose to start in WinZip classic, not in the wizard. You may want to print the quick start guide and such for the clean istaller, this will be on the left margin of the download page.
 
I'll also tell you how to transfer what you have already on your XP machine onto your VISTA machine, including saved games in case you want to pick up on the new one where you are on the current one.

[rwills]

Strictly a personal prefrence, but would recommend not bothering with either Winzip or Winrar and using 7-zip instead (free, handles both types of compressed file formats, and is not nagware like the Win ones are):

http://www.7-zip.org

[jamesabrown1]

Cool enough. Whichever you choose, clean installer will check for hack conflicts, among other things. It will also identify duplicates and help you to organize your download folder(s). Anyway, save the download file to a folder of your choosing (and/or creation) and open the downloaded file with whatever zip you choose, or with either that or clean installer (if you don't have that Sims 2 comes with a simspack installer that will open it automatically based on file type .rar) and if you are using WinZip (I am not familiar with the other one), select the files in the zip file that are not .rar and extract (extract button) to Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads. Then double click any .rar files in the zip archive and the installer (sims2pack or clean) will install those files automatically to the correct destination, this folder path will be found under Users/*whatever* where *whatever* is a user name. Since I'm the only one set up on the computer, I only have one user. This is essentially what Sims2 File Maid did. Whichever downloading methodology and/or software you choose, play with it a little and get comfortable with it. You'll be downloading with ease in no time. Oh, there is a drop down menu in WinZip that will allow you to specify the path to the download folder.
 
Now, to move your games in progress from the XP machine to the VISTA machine, simply copy the EA Games folder along with all of it's subfolders found in My Documents to a flash drive, then copy from there to your VISTA machine User/*whatever*/Documents and you are good to go. This will copy all of your custom content and your saved games. Check the total size of the folder first (properties) and make sure you use a flash drive big enough to hold it. For most people, a CD simply will not hold everything. Of course, you need to have all the same game, EP, and SPs installed on both machines.
 
If you really have a bucket full of problems and don't want to worry too much about the download issue until you get some practice, simply use the File Maid to install the CC on the XP machine and do the procedure described in the above paragraph. I move my games back and forth between my laptop (VISTA) and my PC (XP) routinely.
 
Sorry to sound so basic but I gathered from your posting you have not ever used anything other than the File Maid, so I got a bit wordy. If it is pretentious or insulting (worse, boring), I appologize.