uninstalling help

[itsatrashylife]

I want to uninstall then reinstall a few of my sims games to try and get it working again. My sims cannot drive to community lots, go on vacation or call taxis. what folders do i have to save in order for my existing lots, sims and downloads to remain.

[EKozski]

Save your Sims 2 folder.

My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2.

Just copy it to your desktop, or anywhere you'll remember where it is.

[gali]

You don't have to save all the TS2 folder, it's redundant.

The folder which will be deleted, and appear in it's default condition is Neibourhoods (your saved games).

Downloads, Saved Sims, and Packaged Lots folders won't appear at all.

The remain  folders will appear in their default condition, so if you have any collections, pasted in the Collection folder - you have to save it too.

After the reinstall, these are the folders you have to paste back in c:/my documents/EA games/TS2/[the last EP you play].

Edit: Forgot 2 more folders: Walls and Floors - they have to be saved too, because they will appear in their default condition.

[EKozski]

I didn't know that.

Sorry if I mislead the poor person.

I've always saved my entire Sims 2 folder and just copied it back in.

A few other places I've been say the same thing. That's why I suggested that.

You lean somethng new everyday!

[gali]

No harm done, ekozki.... Your suggestion to save the whole folder is right too. I do it all the time when I want to reinstall the last EP, with intention to continue and play it.

But here is different case: Itsa wants to uninstall BV, and return to the EP without the Securom (i.e. NL). He has to update his hacks folder to "compatible to NL" ones, and houses he built when playing BV, using BV furniture - won't upload. Therefore, better to have all original, and change only the important folders.

[itsatrashylife]

thanks for the help guys. i'll just save the whole sims2 folder as it is hassle free and quick.

[ancienthighway]

You don't have to save all the TS2 folder, it's redundant.

If you download new terrain it's in SC4Terrains.  Config should be saved if you have a userStartup.cheat file and any configuration mods that may change other aspects of the game, i.e. userBkg.bmp to replace the background in Bodyshop.

The LotCatalog contains the lots in the SimBin, to include custom lots.

Users can add files to the Movies, Music and Paintings folders to customize their game to allow movies of their choice to be on the TV, their favorite music play on the radio, and have sims paint pictures of them if they so desire.

Up to a certain EP, and I can't remember which it is, all pictures and storytelling entries were put in the Storytelling folder.  With that unremembered EP they go into Neighborhoods/xxxx/Storytelling

Finally anyone that has done anything with Bodyshop or Homecrafter to customize something for their game will need to save the Projects folder to allow them to reedit what they've completed and not lose work in progress.

It boils down to 2 folders that don't have to be saved, Logs (unless you what to keep any object errors that are there) and Thumbnails.  With everyone customizing the game differently, the only way to backup your game without losing anything, is to back up the entire The Sims 2 folder.

Going a step further, configuration mods exist that MUST be placed in the Program Folders path, lighting mods, modular stairways, fireplaces, and modified walls, fences, arches.  Modified neighborhood templates that correct errors contained in the Maxis templates must be in this path, along with templates that delete all the fugly townies if you would rather create your own townies and NPCs.  

So if any customization in the Program Files path was made, those customized files, and only the customized files, must be backed up before reinstalling the game.  After restoring those files, the game should be back to the customized state.  The alternative is tracking down all those changes on the web and installing them all over again.

[ancienthighway]

I want to uninstall then reinstall a few of my sims games to try and get it working again. My sims cannot drive to community lots, go on vacation or call taxis. what folders do i have to save in order for my existing lots, sims and downloads to remain.

From the description of the problems you're having, you have a mod that is incompatible with your EPs.  In fact it sounds a lot like you may have the wrong version of Inteenimater in your game.

[itsatrashylife]

inteenimater works in my game. i have all eps except free time and all stuff packs except celebration and kitchen and bath and i use the bon voyage inteenimater. i have tried using the Sims 2 Hack Conflict Detection Utility program from paladin's place but it won't work on my computer. is there any other way to detect which mod isn't working than to delete them all?

[gali]

You don't have to delete any mod. If all your mods are in a special folder, Named "hacks", or "mods" - you can do it the usual "old way": Drag this folder to the desktop, create another sub-folder named "mods" in TS2 Downloads folder, and move to it one hack at a time. That's what I did, to detect which mod prevent my sims go to class, and do homework.

Open a new neighbourhood, build a house, create a "test" family, with at least one teen (to be sent to college).

First, play the game without any hacks at all; test all the bugs on this family, and see if the game works proper. Then test on the family all the bugs you found, by adding one hack at a time, enterring the game, and test it. A long and hard labor.

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Ancient, you talk "professionally".... Most of us, the "peasants", don't bother with all the folders you mentioned, unless the creator of the mod/hack declares, that we have to put his hack in another special folder (for instance "collections"), which make us to save this folder too.

You defenitely are right about each folder your mentioned. But I doubt, if many of us perform overrides to other folders.

Personally, I am satisfied, if I don't lose my Neighbourhoods, downloads, walls, floors, packaged lots, terrains, and saved sims folders....

[EKozski]

I just reinstalled, Pe(s)ts. I copied my entire EAGames folder just in case something goes wrong again. I figure, this way, if something does go wrong again, I'll yank it out and put the folder back.

I'd hate to lose my Sims, again. I did once, and I'll never do it again.

After reading that last sentence, I just realized...I need to get a life. :bawl:

[ancienthighway]

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Ancient, you talk "professionally"....

Bad assumption.  I've been known to be quite unprofessional at times :chainsaw:

Most of us ... don't bother with all the folders you mentioned, unless the creator of the mod/hack declares, that we have to put his hack in another special folder (for instance "collections"), which make us to save this folder too.

You defenitely are right about each folder your mentioned. But I doubt, if many of us perform overrides to other folders.

Personally, I am satisfied, if I don't lose my Neighbourhoods, downloads, walls, floors, packaged lots, terrains, and saved sims folders....

I agree that most users can get by with backing up the folders you've suggested to back up.  However, most users never bother to 'look under the hood' to try to figure out what goes where and what folders and files are important to back up and which are unneeded.  For these gamers, a total backup is probably best.  

I definitely don't recommend my backup strategy which is to backup nothing  :rabbit:  But then I rarely play a neighborhood for longer than a month before I delete the entire 'hood and start a new one.