Hiya!
Figured I'd put this under the help section because if the answer to my title question is "yes", then I'll likely need some help doing so.

My parents gifted me a new laptop a week ago, and all I have left to install is ts2. Where I'm stuck though is I've gotten in my head that I'd really like to install it from disc. I own all the discs as I've been playing since the sims 1 days, and I still install ts3 from disc as I've done already. So I'd like to install ts2 from disc too this time around. On my old laptop I had ts2 on Origin from when they were giving the UC to people so I do have it that way, but my obsessive brain is just on a continuous loop of disc-disc-disc-disc-disc like I don't know why I really want to install my ts2 discs. I've got them out, all put in the right order...the only one I'm missing is Holiday Stuff which is currently en route to my house as I type.

But I've seen a few things floating around saying that the discs can't be installed on Windows 11 for various reasons, one being SecuRom, and that installing the discs can get blocked and say you're not the administrator, stuff like that. Also a lot of people saying that it's just all around better nowadays to do the UC instead of the discs. I haven't been able to find a tutorial or a video or anything of anybody who has successfully installed all of the discs on Windows 11 and with all the voices saying against it as much as I want to I'm quite nervous to do so without some guidance. I saw one person say that on Windows 10 even, that it didn't work but that they were then also unable to uninstall the partially installed stuff. I know that it can be tricky to uninstall stuff sometimes because it may not uninstall fully and then that causes problems for a reinstall.

I am not at all worried about getting the game to properly work once installed, so I don't need any help there.

So basically, I am not outright against doing my copy of the UC digitally I just really want to do my discs. It's likely nostalgia clouding my better judgement, but for some reason I've just got in my head that it is more meaningful if I do my discs, like then it's really my game. I don't know it's kind of dumb I'll admit.

What I am mostly asking for, if there is anybody who has successfully installed the discs on Windows 11 and/or could point me in the direction of a step-by-step guide so I don't mess anything up?

Or, should I let go of this idea, just keep all my discs for collection purposes, and go back to the UC?

I think the answer is yes and no. People have successfully installed discs, but not just by putting the discs into the computer and clicking "install" like on older systems. You can try, but it is likely that you'll run into some issues with Windows protection, so you'll just have to be prepared to deal with that.

Look up Grumpy Loader, and make sure you are logged on to the admin account, because you'll have trouble otherwise. There's a lot of people lately who've had these issues, so you can find older help topics on game installing with Windows 10/11 scattered throughout the help section.

Personally I've used my discs all up until Win 7, but caved and installed the UC mostly due to the lack of a disc drive (but also Win10). I use a no-CD patch (so it doesn't have to run through Origin or the EA app), which I recommend if you go that route. I truly loved my CD games and probably would've continued using them if it was more convenient, but the UC was quite pain-free to install compared to the CDs (the game setup less so, but I suspect that's the same for the UC and CDs).

I don't have Win 11, but it should be much the same as Win 10. I have a full disc install, this is what I did:
1) Install to a location other than the Program Files (x86) folder. Make a custom folder in the root of your hard drive- I have C:/Games- and put all your games in there. This is because the Program Files (x86) folder is protectedby UAC and so modding it will be problematic, and cause file virtualization, which can be a nuisance for when you're doing stuff like adding lighting mods or editing your graphics rules.
2) Install the basegame, then patch it. You need these patches:
https://modthesims.info/wiki.php?ti...elp:TS2_Patches
And grumpy loader:
https://modthesims.info/showthread....458#post4051458
Then install all EPs, patching each one as you go.
3) Get a no-CD patch to run the game, all the cool kids seem to be using this exe for M&G, assuming you have that SP:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/aus7m...George.rar/file

You'll need to set up your graphics to be recognised by the game too, and if you want to play long term you might want the 'essential mods' and LazyDuchess' randomizer fixes. Otherwise you should be good to go!

I think that you two mean the same thing here? I saw some things saying that you should copy everything off of the discs rather than let it do auto-run. Would that be the same as what you mean @simsample ? And then would I put the Games folder into Program Files (x86) after everything was installed or just keep it separate? I've never put anything directly in the main C:/ "folder" before.


I've seen things about this too, but a lot of confusion. If I am the only person using this laptop, am I the admin? Or does that refer to the "Administrators" when you look under the Security tab in Properties and if so, how do I get to that one?

You don't necessarily need to copy the files off the disc, but you'll want to do a custom install when the autorun asks you where you want to install the game, instead of clicking "yes" to the first option (which usually is the C:/ProgramFiles location). If there isn't already a "Games" folder, you should be able to make one in there.

If you're the owner of the computer and there's just one account on it, this is technically the admin account, but it doesn't have all the admin functions running at all times. Usually you'll have to manually run programs "as admin", or go through an extra layer of yes/no prompts when copying files, or similar, to use the full privilegies. The ProgramFiles folder has an extra layer of protection against suspicious activity, which prompts the use of the admin privilegies to access editing on certain files in there (without proper admin privilegies, files might not get properly saved/edited if the game is in ProgramFiles, as is often the case with the 4GB patch and GRM files).

If you're not on the main/admin account on the computer (guest account, other account on shared computer), you usually don't have access to the admin privilegies.

Just make a folder in the root of your hard drive called 'Games'. Then put the disc in the drive, let it auto run, and select custom installation. If it doesn't auto run then open the disc drive in file explorer and right click> run the install exe (might be called setup.exe or something like that). Change the install path to C:\Games\EA GAMES\The Sims 2... etc, (all you need to do is to replace the 'Program Files (x86)' bit of the path with 'Games') and install there. Don't move any files or folders after you've installed- the game registry points to where you installed those files and if you move them the game won't work.



If you create a Games folder in your C drive then you should be fine, as your main account on the PC will have privileges to install there. See Simmer22's reply for if you are not the main account!