I have SIMS 2, University, OFB, & seasons.
Wed nite 10/31, I tried to download the seasons patch, and it wouldn't take. Told me I should backup my files, (which I did - made a copy of My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 folder. I didn't have room on a CD to back it up, as it was about 1.9 gig, so I copied it to my desktop before un-installing seasons.
So I re-installed, it says 'install is sucessfull', then I ran the patch, which says it installed properly, and replaced the 'Sims 2' folder with the saved desktop version, and when I went into seasons, I have NO neighborhoods, or families AT ALL - just the 'custom neighborhood' option. :dontknow:
So I tried to restore my computer to an earlier time, going back to before I downloaded the patch that night, and even though I can SEE 'Seasons' - when I try to open it, I get a tiny window with a red circle with an "X" in it. The game won't load. :angry8:
I've tried different restore points, from before and after the patch was downloaded, installing with and without the patch - nothing seems to work
So it seems I'm stuck - either no game at all, or no neighborhoods. I even went way back to Monday, 10/29 - hoping I could run off the old installation - I'd loose 2 days of family development, but that's better than losing the whole game - nope - the game won't open. :cussing:
Someone on another site suggested " Try temporarily moving The NeighborhoodManager.package file in My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods to the desktop after you have restored your backup data to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 . The game will regenerate the file for you when you play the game." I tried that - game opens, but no neighborhoods.
At this point, Ihave gone back and forth enough that the patch is deleted and not on my system. It shows up in SOME 'restore' points on my computer, from 10/31 & 11/1 but was only fully installed at ONE system restore date & time correctly, around 2 am Nov 1 :sad4: but that's when I got no neighborhoods.
If I go back before 10/31, I can't open the game, but I can see the necessary folders in programs and my documents. All my files were there, in My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 . so I re-copied that folder to the desktop, Uninstalled seasons again, re-installed, replaced the My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 folder with the desktop 'The Sims 2' folder.... and no neighborhoods. :cry:
the current My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 folder is showing 2.19 GB (2,361,006,831 bytes), 6700 folders and 409 files. It's neighborhood folder is showing 318 MB (333,774,603 bytes) and 910 files, 21 folders. When I open the neighborhood folder, I see files for G001, N001, N002, N003, tutorial, and the NeighborhoodManager.package
It
Appears to all BE there - it's just NOT coming up in the game! Why?

? :violent3:
Why do they make a game that causes non computer geek people to become addicted to it? :punch: I'm SO frustrated! :angryfir: I want my SIMS back!!! :bawl:
HELP!
laura