TS2 and Windows 7

[ancienthighway]

From my post on Simbology:

Win7-64 bit is up and running.  I still need to tweek the video a bit since I'm not getting my 1600x1050 display and a couple other minor things, but it's running.

I used the Windows Easy Transfer app to back up My Documents and a couple other folders, then began the installation.  If you have a 32-bit Windows now, you'll have to make sure you boot from the DVD rather than hard drive to install the 64-bit version.

Installing Windows was rather painless.  Your old Windows, Program Files, and Document and Settings will be saved as Windows.old.  If you've used the EA Download Manager to install any digital versions of the game, ProgramData will be saved also.  You'll need to install all the drivers for your video card, audio card, printers and scanners, and anything else you've have that need drivers.  

All applications must be installed also.  Avast, WinRAR, and FireFox are up and running on my box now.  Avast and WinRar are the 64-bit versions, FireFox is the 32-bit version.  Then came the joy of loading TS2, base game, 8 EPs, and 8 SPs.  If you copy the Windows.old\ProgramData folder to the C:\ or the root directory, you won't have to download programs if you've kept the digital installation files.  5 of my Stuff Packs, Castaways, and NHL 09 are digital versions and I was just able to install them.  Pests, yeah I installed it too, needed to be downloaded before installing.

Once everything is installed, you can install your backup of TS2.  The only thing left is to make any changes needed in the Program Files, the Inteen G file, lighting mods, Scriptorium, clean neighborhoods and the like.  If you use a nocd mod, you'll want to put that in, too.

The 64-bit version of Win 7 has two Program Files folders.  Program Files is for 64-bit apps, and Program Files (x86) is for 32-bit apps.  TS2 installed into the 32-bit folder.  I've played around 14 hours game time with out any issues, and really don't expect any.  The EA Store indicates all the TS2 games are compatible with Win 7.

Still to come, installation of SimPE, HCDU, Clean Installer, and various other utilities.

[Paden]

Thanks for the heads up, Ancient and please keep us updated! I've been considering the switch, but am very happy with XP most of the time.

[ancienthighway]

I was quite happy with XP myself.  However, Microsoft wanted to shut down XP when Vista was released.  Unfortunately for them, Vista was a piece of crap and businesses shunned it.  Windows 7 is supposed to have corrected the problems businesses had with Vista, and if that's the case, XP support will be shut down.

Moving from 32-bit to 64-bit is a biggie for me.  My old box had 4 GB of RAM, but any 32-bit operating system will only use 3 GB.  The addresses for the rest is beyond the capability of 32-bit I believe.  My new box has 8 GB of RAM which is now fully used with the 64-bit OS.

I've been running TS2 all all morning without any problems.  In fact I was having so much fun doing so, I forgot to add my tweaks to the Program Files.   

[Nalia]

Thank you, Ancient, for the info. I'm about to build my new pc and will install Windows 7, and I was a little concerned about my Sims since I will move them there. I am wondering, however, if I will be able to use the same user data, with the exception of config file.  Because, if not, I will have to start from scratch, an idea that does not thrill me at all.

[lovelygoth101]

I was quite happy with XP myself.  However, Microsoft wanted to shut down XP when Vista was released.  Unfortunately for them, Vista was a piece of crap and businesses shunned it.

I have Vista...and I concur it is a piece 

My grandfather recently gave me a junked computer with XP and I prefer the way it operates much better!!!

Glad to see Windows is trying to fix the problem NOW...

Thanks for teh post Ancient!!!

[ancienthighway]

Nalia, I've had no problem with my neighborhoods ported over to Win 7.

[Nalia]

Nalia, I've had no problem with my neighborhoods ported over to Win 7.

I am talking about installint from scratch; as I am keeping my current pc as it is, I'm not upgrading from XP to Win 7 -- I'll buy a new copy of Win 7 for my new... piece of art. lol
We are meaning the same process, right?

Then, thanks again, this is a *big* relief. For I'm tired running TS2 with shaders off and my pc groaning every time I get over 4.2 GB of CC. This is time I'm going for the best quad Athlon can give me *waiting excitedly for December*

[ancienthighway]

Pretty much so.  I upgraded from XP 32-bit to Win7 64-bit, so I was basically a clean custom install.  Even though TS2 is a 32-bit game, I recommend installing the 64-bit OS.  The housekeeping tasks, and other background programs you have that run 64-bit won't take memory TS2 could potentially use.

[Nalia]

And 64-bit it will be! My current pc, built 5 years or more ago, is for 64-bit but the Win XP I had bought before building my current pc was 32. Last time I did something horrible to my pc and myself: bought only 1 GB RAM and when I wanted to upgrade technology had made DDR sticks almost useless -- and hard to find.

As I want to keep my current neighbourhood and Sims (3/4 made by me and 1/4 downloaded) I am unwilling to move them if there is going to be trouble. I hope this thread to stay alive long enough, for, once I built my new pc and go for TS2 Move In operation, I will let you know how it went.  

[mrranger]

I was quite happy with XP myself.  However, Microsoft wanted to shut down XP when Vista was released.  Unfortunately for them, Vista was a piece of crap and businesses shunned it.  Windows 7 is supposed to have corrected the problems businesses had with Vista, and if that's the case, XP support will be shut down.

Moving from 32-bit to 64-bit is a biggie for me.  My old box had 4 GB of RAM, but any 32-bit operating system will only use 3 GB.  The addresses for the rest is beyond the capability of 32-bit I believe.  My new box has 8 GB of RAM which is now fully used with the 64-bit OS.

I've been running TS2 all all morning without any problems.  In fact I was having so much fun doing so, I forgot to add my tweaks to the Program Files.   

to be exact windows xp 32 bit or windows vista 32 bit will only see 3.25 GB of ram regardless on how much you have.
for example you have 10 gb of ram on a machine that has windows xp 32 bit, windows xp will only see 3.25 of your 10 gb of ram.

on the other hand, windows xp 64 bit and windows vista/windows 7 64 bit will see all 10 gb out of 10 gb of ram.

just because the operating system only sees 3.25 gb of ram doesn't mean it will only use 3.25 gb of ram. it will use all 10 gb of ram but it will only see 3.25 gb of it.

[ancienthighway]

Check your facts.

[Carlwashere]

As another person who just made the switch, I can say there are no problems between W7 and TS2.
I backed up everything on my comp. (Took a good 10 hours), and when everything was finally loaded, my back-up was ready to go on my external hard drive (Windows easy transfer makes this ridiculously easy)
So after reinstalling all my programs(including the sims), I simply placed the back up into the sims 2 folder. It worked flawlessly, my game is EXACTLY the way it was before. Except it's faster. lol.
I'm not too experienced with computers, and I'm sure most of you are better, so you shouldn't have a problem.
Here's a tutorial I followed to the letter. If anyone is making the switch you can go ahead an PM me any questions.

I've been flawlessly running the sims 2, bodyshop, simpe, CI, and anything you can basically think of sims related pretty flawlessly. W7 = 

[EKozski]

When I got my new computer with Windows 7, I installed all my games, and just popped the folders in that Engram suggested in her tutorial. (Thank you, Engram!) and my game was just the way it was on the old computer. Except now, I got all the EP's and some SP's.

I had no problems at all.

[Nalia]

Hi, everyone, and [a very belated] Happy New Year. *group hug*

I am resurrecting the thread to share another success story.  I have --finally!-- built my new computer and installed all of my The Sims 2 games, up to Mansion and Garden Stuff pack. 
My system is AMD Phenom II 955 x4 [true quad] <--- Although there had been reports saying there were some problems when running TS2 in dual-core machines, (according to what I have read over the internet, not from personal experience) I can assure you that The Sims 2 run excellently in quad-core machines.

I installed Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate; I run a fresh install of TS2, applying the patches after each EP. From my old machine I copied my TS2 userdata to a DVD and transferred them to the new machine. When I started my game the only difference was the loading times: super fast, and the game runs better than never before. After all these years I can play with shaders turned on.

Paden,
This is for you: You should definitely make the switch. I never tried Vista, I just went from XP straight to Win 7, and I can tell you that Win 7 is probably the best OS by Microsoft. If you have the 64-bit OS, Win 7 will recognise automatically which of your applications, programmes and games are 32-bit and make the necessary adjustments so as to provide the right enviroment. 

Another thing I noticed: I installed Win 7 on a SSD and connected a Samsung HDD 1TB for other applications and programmes.  Back in WinXP, whenever I had tried to installed TS2 in another partition than the one my OS was installed, the game would cause any kind of problems. Not anymore. I installed the game in a different disk (in a partition of the Samsung HDD) while the userdata were correctly installed in My Docs (on SSD).  Everything is working perfectly well. Win 7 do all the necessary adjustments and create the right compatibility environment. By the way, when I inserted the base game disk for installation, there was a message saying "there are known compatibility issues with this programme". I just ignored it, and I have been playing the game for 4 hours with no issues at all.

So, for anyone who is still skeptical about Win 7 or quad-core machines I have to say your fears are completely groundless. TS2 run just perfect. Go for it! 

[Stelio Kontos]

Once I get up, get an ID and a job, I'll get a laptop with 7 on it.

Thanks for the info.