Hey everyone!

I got the urge to return to the Sims 2 (yet again) about a week or so ago and I've installed it on my Windows 11 laptop. Gameplay-wise Sims 4 does not compare. After a lot of hard work I've managed to get it all up and running hunkydory from the discs (albeit in windowed mode only) with the base game, University, Nightlife, Open For Business, Family Fun Stuff and Glamour Life Stuff installed.

The only other expansion pack disc I own is Seasons, which is less co-operative. I was looking through the physical pack and I found a generic CD-ROM containing some backups of houses dating aaaalllll the way back to 2012. Most of the houses are still available here on ModtheSims, but several I must have downloaded from the old TS2 Exchange! I thought they were lost forever, and I'd be surprised if these aren't the only versions of these houses that still exist. I wish I could credit their original creators!

There is one problem - I must have had Seasons installed on my old computer back in 2012 when I did the back-ups. I've tried cheating my way into installing the package files without the furniture using Mootilda's Clean Installer but the game isn't having it and crashes when I load them from neighbourhood view.

Sadly, I think Seasons is a lost cause. I was able to install the pack yesterday but my disc drive kept ejecting the disc and I couldn't play it all. Instead, I'm wondering if someone might be able to download the attached files, install them in their Seasons-compatible game and then take a few screenshots of their outsides and floor plans so I can have a go at recreating them. I am a terrible builder and the Piccolo Palazzo (a beautiful little starter) is probably beyond my capabilities. I don't recall the Maybourne/Pilgreen Residences being very complex though. I appreciate this is an odd request and I won't complain if the mods think it's inappropriate but it would mean a lot to see these houses again in-game. I had some really good times with them. <3

You should look for the Ultimate Collection from a place like GOG. Or if you really wish to stick with disks Ebay tends to have them. People don't really play with missing EP's these days unless they are perhaps on a notebook and worried it will burn out.

You can only install lots that have your game engine for or below.

The Sims 2™ (or Sims 2 Deluxe, Sims 2 Double Deluxe or Sims 2 Holiday Edition, whichever you have)
University (or University Life Collection)
Nightlife (disregard if you have Sims 2 Deluxe or Double Deluxe)
Open for Business or Best of Business Collection
Pets (disregard if you have Fun with Pets Collection)
Seasons
Bon Voyage
FreeTime
Apartment Life
Mansion & Garden Stuff (disregard if you have Fun with Pets Collection)

Each one updated the game engine. Seasons is a later game engine than OFB meaning any lot made on the Seasons engine won't be installable.

Try using Grumpy Loader to install seasons.

Thank you both for your replies!



I think you're right that anyone still playing the Sims 2 these days will probably have the Ultimate Collection. I do have a set-up that runs the game perfectly though so I'd be cautious about messing with that just for the sake of a few houses. I've not really got any interest in trying out the other EPs like Pets.

On the matter of installing the lots, I can actually install them with the Clean Installer and get them to show up in the neighbourhood view - the problem is that the game crashes when I load them. I was hoping this was only because they had Seasons furnishings included but the unfurnished versions crash too.



Yes, I've used GrumpyLoader to install all the patches for the games I own. Does GrumpyLoader work for the games themselves - like I could try to use it to run Seasons and get around it complaining I don't have the disc when the disc is in the drive?

The Clean Installer does give me a preview of the insides of the lots which I could try to use as a reference. Having screenshots of the the lots opened would be a big help though. I've recreated incompatible lots posted on here using just screenshots as a guide before - it can be quite fun!

I've been looking for a certain older house so I understand how frustrating it is. Out of curiosity, I installed the Maybourne Residence in my game (UC so all the expansions) and the lot crashed for me also so I don't think the problem is the missing expansion.

Sorry! I was hoping to get you a repackaged lot or at least screenshots

Thank you so much for trying - it was really kind of you to give it a go. Perhaps the problem is not the expansion pack compatibility itself then, and the package files themselves somehow became corrupted. They have been sitting on a blank disc for more than 10 years after all!

I'll try to wrangle with the neighbourhood view alone later as I do have a reasonable recollection of how the floorplans of the Maybourne and Pilgreen residences went. As far as nostalgia goes, I have records of the actual Sims themselves who lived in those houses, and that's the most important thing.

Thanks again! If you ever have some kind of Sims-related favour I could do for you, please do let me know!

It's not the furnishings its the game engine. Each EP as well as M&G updated the game engine, this is what causes it to crash. The lot could be a blank lot and it would still crash.