I've had Sims2 for a while now, but when I tried to reinstall it on a fresh WinXP install, it took FOREVER to load and save! I'm talking upwards of 30 minutes here, people!

Also, the game is all screwy when I do load it, and half of the icons are missing. . . I think I need to send in for a replacement disk (I have the DVD version)

-Clean the disk first.
Get luke warm water and a soft rag you can put on a child. Run the water overtop of it and in STRAIGHT pulls accross the disk whipe the water gently off and dry it. DO NOT clean the CD in a circular motion, that is bad! Does something to the laser vs data stuffs.

Then try it.

Still doesn't work..

-Head out to your local PC shop and pick up one of those CD-driver cleaner CDs. Afterwards, try again. It could be dust on the lense thats interfering with your CD. (and although other games works it may only Be Sims 2 that has a problem with this because of the data type)

-Reinstall Sims 2 sometimes you just get a corrupt install and it causes all heaps of trouble. Make sure to do a fresh install. Which means once you select 'uninstall' and let the autorun do its thing. Go in manually to your C drive (or D if you have one and the game installed on it) and delete the Sims 2 folder from your hard drive and re-install.

-Disk check/Defrag. Although you reinstalled Windows sometimes you get a corrupt file or two on the system disk files and it causes a whole heap of trouble.

-New CD. Could just be corrupt or a scratch that caused a faulty install. However, this is normally not the case as CDs will not install if a file is corrupt.

Odds are the install was bad (but you never know). Try it again. With no luck it could be a data conversation corruption (or DCC!) which can happen with CDs.


Also... you... ARE installing the game on a 8x or better CD drive right?



Hope those help.

Yeah...I would have recommended a total uninstall/reinstall...but it seems Keys has a much better explanation of that and more.

It's defragged once a week (lots of big movie files get moved around).

I have previously (a year or so ago) installed it, and it ran perfectly.

Of course the drive is 8x. Also, it's the DVD version.:blink: I hope the advice isn't CD-specific. . .

I'll try the cleaning thing now.

When installing, the drive spins up, then spins down, then spins up, then spins down. . . repeatedly


Do you work in tech support, Keys?



UPDATE: I tried cleaning the disc, then installed it. Didn't work. I used a disc cleaner that my friend has. Didn't work. I think I have to send it back to EA and get a replacement disc for. . . $13 plus shipping and handling. Thanks a bunch EA. . . SOB's

Curse my bad luck. *Mutters heatedly and incoherently under his breath, some of which sound suspiciously like a variety of vulgar phrases*

Well AT LEAST you can play the game. Mine wouldn't even install! Why? Stupid graphics card is too low...>.> Argh. Sorry.

I hope your problem gets fixed.

Oh my. You can't play The Sims 2 AT ALL? ZOMG! That would be torture!

Yeah, looks like your CD just aged. OCCASIONALLY that will happen and i've had it with a couple games of mine..
When i first installed the game it worked perfectly..

but a couple years later i put in the same game and the game wouldn't run right. Turns out the CD had aged and corrupted to a point where it would install but miss things.


Also make sure your system Specs are up to date... seriously. low memory = LONG saves/Loads :P

It ran perfectly a few months back. Also, I have the DVD version

Sorry. I just got annoyed. Lot of bad stuff happened to me today. First it rained, so we had to call of a beach trip, then my PSP ran outta batteries halfway to my grandma's house (which is two hours away). You don't want to listen to my sob story, anyways. I'm just trying to make myself feel less guilty for making the text all big and red.