hi, okay--someone asked this question previously but no one answered--so hopefully I will have better luck..
.
I needed to uninstall then re-install my games recently. Uninstall when fine--no bits and pieces leftover.

Upon trying to install about 1/2 of my expansions and stuff packs--when it got to the end after it says " need to check if your version is up to date.......please wait" it just hangs there. auto launch doesn't close out and the little shortcut never gets created, "please wait" stays on screen. I needed to close out after each and reboot just to re-access system.
I went ahead and tried to see if installation was complete and no---OFB, Pets, and Seasons--the 3 expansions that had the problem was not recognized in game--as if not installed. I looked in program files--and they are there--but not sure if only a partial install due to what happened at end?

How do I complete installation?---please help--I miss my Sims. thank you
computer specs:
running on Windows XP Pro--have double deluxe and all expansions and stuff packs and patches them.
2.0 processor, 4gb ram--80gb hard drive---pc used for only Sims--so more than half free even after installing all games.
all drivers up to date.

Patch each expansion as you go - then it is up to date when you install the next one.

I did that---I loaded OFB then patched then loaded Pets then patched and so on---
can I install games if I disable my internet--no that it won't look for updates then just finish install? or is this going to cause it to quite and uninstall since it could not complete its check?
thank you in advance for any advise

If disabling the internet doesn't work I would uninstall it all and try something like cc cleaner. http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner That has a good name as a Registry Cleaner just in case it had left some trace behind. If you are not moving to a new computer why were you uninstalling and reinstalling? It's very rare that needs to be done.

hi, I will try that tonight---I unistalled using IObit and double checked all the registry keys---but maybe there was something left that is causing this new install problems.

I decided to do a complete uninstall and re-install because my game just wouldn't start up. worked fine one night then next night --no, did not install anything new game or otherwise. I put in MG disc and double clicked on my desktop icon (yes it was targeting correct exe file to start up) just did nothing . no error msg---just nothing. cleaned disk and drive--still nothing. pulled out download folder--nothing. tested drive--its fine sees other dvds and was able to use to attempt to re-install game.
I gave up on drive and am using an external dvd drive to start up game--that is when I saw the missing expansions from the re-install.

thank you for your help and any further thoughts are more than welcomed on this matter regarding the "please wait" msg

You didn't delete the cache files?

When you have a problem with the game, even if it won't start up, uninstalling and reinstalling is not normally needed.It's the last thing you should ever do. You only ever reinstall if there is something badly wrong in the instillation files and sometimes even problems there can be fixed without reinstalling, by getting files off the disk and replacing them. If you can't figure it out what is wrong with your game ask first as it could save you a whole lot of work.

Since you have Double Deluxe, you should not need to patch anything.
I got Double Deluxe two years ago, and although I didn't pay particularly close attention at the time, I'm 99% sure I've never patched anything.
Double Deluxe was released completely patched, after all previous EPs and SPs had been released. Edit: Actually, IKEA and M&G SPs were released after TS2DD, but I nevertheless did not patch either of these when I installed everything two years ago and everything has been working fine for me.
And the order in which you install makes no difference. I installed DD first (obviously, since it contains the base game), followed by all the other EPs and SPs.
So, my suggestion is, do not patch. Patching is probably the cause of your problems.

I would uninstall everything, then install DD, followed by all the other EP's and SP's, in any order, and you should be good to go.

Do not try and patch Double deluxe as it comes patched, but the single EP's you do need to patch.

I don't think so.
As I remember from my own install two years ago, after installing an EP there is a screen that comes up that says something to the effect of "Checking for latest updates", or some such. That screen eventually goes way, or acknowledges that the game is updated to the latest version.
I most certainly remember that I did not upgrade all EP's and pretty certain I did not have to upgrade any of them.

As I wrote in my previous post, I simply installed DD, followed by the EPs and SPs in any order and that was it. No patching anything.

The OP can try both ways, which will settle the issue. I suggest the easy way first, without the patching.


Edit: Looking at the help page for patching (here) it plainly says that the DD version does not have to be patched, quote:

I have The Sims 2 Holiday Edition, The Sims 2 Deluxe or The Sims 2 Double Deluxe. do I need a patch?

No. These versions are already patched.


What confuses people is the information given a few lines further down, which says:

Why do I need to patch every single expansion or stuff pack? Is it not enough to just patch the most recent release?

You need to patch all releases because every new expansion is added on top of the older expansions, but it still requires the other releases. For example, Open for Business is a newer release than University, but you do not get access to the University features unless the Uni expansion pack is also installed. The game uses the files for all expansion packs or stuff packs you have installed, and therefore you need to make sure all of them are running on the latest version by installing the patches.

I think this advice is only for players who have the originally released game and does not apply to one of the later combination packs, which are TS2 Holiday Edition, TS2 Deluxe and TS2 Double Deluxe. Those three do not have to be patched and it makes no difference if additional EPs and SPs are installed on top of them. The game engine that runs all of it is still the latest one, which is already patched.

That's what I said. Don't patch DD, but patch all single EP's and Sp's.

Double Deluxe is fine as it comes patched, but if you put on Seasons next as a stand alone EP you need to patch it, the same if you then put on Open For Business or Apartment life-single EP's. Combo packs are different. I'm not sure if the OP is using combo packs or not. I simply looked at their profile which suggest singles, but maybe profiles don't show combo packs?

It matters very much is there are additional EP's ontop of them. If the OP has any single stand alone EP's or SP's they need to be patched. Seasons especially as the bin families (Ottomas and Critter) come corrupted.

hi, I always delete both cache files before starting up game--I made it part of the routine so that I won't forget about doing it.

Yes I did not pach DD---only the expansions (except NL which is patched on DD). . Only DD is the only combo pack I own--all others are free standing.

I did not get a chance to test out the re-install w/o internet active--hopefully will get to it before weekend.

will report back after--but if anyone has any more advise about why my disc just stop working to start game --but was able to use in first re-install attempt ( that is how I know dvd drive not faulty--MG and all others that did not get stuck with the "please wait " msg installed completely--was able to load game using an external dvd drive---that is how I confirmed that OFB, Seasons, and Pets--not installed--all three got hung up on that msg. screen. Tried to use external dvd again to load game--and now it is doing the same thing as the internal dvd drive--nothing---game won't load again and no error msg.
I admit I am not very good at trouble shooting--by game normally doesn't have any problems--this is the first big one--again thank you for all your help---please keep thowing ideas my way on how to fix game and install issue.

Have you tried another game in the drive to make sure it's not the drive that is playing up? Drives can wear out. if it is just the M&G disk you can also take it to your local video shop and ask them to clean it. if you frequent the shop for movies they will often do it for free.

The internet no longer has anything to do with this whatsoever because the Maxis website that used to host the patches is long gone. That is actually the first thing the Help page, which I linked to in my earlier post, says.
The game does not scour the internet for patches either, nor would you want it to because that would be an open invitation for malicious programs to get into your computer.

As an aside, one of the numerous faults of this game, imo, is it's lack of version numbers. The only thing I can find that might be a version number is a "File Number" for the Sims 2 Application. Here's how you can locate it:
1) After you've installed the game, right click on your TS2DD shortcut and select 'Properties'
2) Click on 'Find Target'
3) A window will open, showing six files
4) Hold your mouse over the file named 'Sims2' (don't click on it). Mine says File Version 1.0.0.1068 and yours should too, since we both have TS2DD.

That may be the version number of the latest and last patch for the game. This is what I've been playing for the last two years with no problems. If it is the version number, then I would guess everyone who has all the EP's and SP's would have this number, if they have their game properly patched.
(Other people reading this might confirm that this is the number of their Sims 2 file as well.)

Update----turning off/disabling the internet connection while installing worked--all games loaded up 100% complete---patches inslalled complete.

Oh and a side note--if your game is patched already and you try to patch--it won't let you--msg comes up saying your game is already up to date ( I hit the NL patch file instead of UNI by mistake and msg came up --have DD so NL is pre-patched on disc) I have all patches saved in folder on PC--including the two I don't need--just in case my DD disc ever breaks and I end up with free standing discs instead--better safe then sorry.

I restored my PC to factory before the re-installation since I couldn't figure out why my internal dvd drives and my USB ports became buggy to start with--so since pc only has sims on it-thought easier to start fresh. So that fixed the pc not recognizing the disc upon trying to start game as well as not seeing 2 out of 3 USB sticks---purchased at retailer not on line.

thank you for all your help......and yay.. fixed just in time for the weekend....happy happy joy joy

Having just reinstalled the game (Double Deluxe edition), I want to confirm that contrarily to what has been said,
-if you are reinstalling everything, you need to do it in a certain order

-as others have said, you need to patch everything that can be (so basically all EPs and SP1). Double Deluxe comes with TS2, EP2 and SP4 prepatched, and only that, only what's on the Double Deluxe disk. You can try running the patches for those and a message will tell you that they are already up to date.
Everything else that has a patch will be updated when you run the patch, even though at the end of the EP/SP install, you were told it was checking for updates.

So, did you actually install any patches at all?

Thanks for the link, but you left out the most important part, in regard to this thread, namely, the sentence at the bottom which says:
"Also, be sure to patch whenever you are prompted by the game to do so."

This doesn't mean you simply patch every EP and SP, but only if and when you are prompted to do so.
I, for one, do not remember ever being prompted for a patch during my installation two years ago.

In any case, as I said previously, I got TS2DD two years ago and bought and installed all the EPs and SPs over about a two-month period thereafter, whenever I found them at a reasonable price - all of which means I most certainly did not install them in the above order. In fact, I didn't get the Happy Holiday Stuff pack until just a few months ago, so it was the last thing installed. And I don't remember having to patch anything.

My game has been running fine since day one.

Granted, your link is to the EA website, and those people should know, but just because their installation order is supposed to work, doesn't mean that other installation orders will not.

Anyway, I'm glad the OP got her game running.

Yes you do patch each and every EP and no you don't need to wait to be told. If you have Seasons with no patch than Ottomas and Critter family are corrupted. Many other issues were also fixed in the AL patch, but every separate EP and SP needs to be patched. If you don't believe me ask someone else. http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php...ching_Your_Game

That's why I wrote "if you are reinstalling everything, you need to do it in a certain order ". No one said you had to uninstall everything and reinstall in order if you are just adding an EP/SP.
You need to do it in order if it's a complete reinstall, on which I will trust EA more than someone on a forum telling me to not listen to EA because.
You choosing to not patch your games and to disregard the official support's recommendations, is one thing, it's your game, urging others to do the same, though.....

As for your game running fine for two years, that doesn't mean everyone should do what you do.
My game has been running fine for six years, as have my neighbourhoods, they still work perfectly fine even though I deleted sims from the bin and whatnot.
That doesn't mean I'm going to urge people to do the same things I did that are known to cause issues, just because I did it and I personally didn't encounter issues.

I installed all patches except Base game and NL---reason being as you mentioned DD includes Sims 2 base game, Cellabration stuff pack, and NL expansion---base and NL pre-patched. All other expansions--yes I patched as I went along with installation.

been playing sims 2 now for 4 years--yes I was stuck on my sims 1 forever---my hoods showed no signs of corruption (knock on wood) I think my PC picked up a bug or something that caused the dvd drive and USB ports to become glitchy...the game ran fine just 24 hrs before my drives decided---hey lets freak Muggles out and cause her more stressssss.

again thank everyone here who gave me help..

so what if you don't have all the expansion packs and stuff packs? do you need to buy them in order for it to work?

No, but then you install in the same order, skipping the packs (and patches for them) you don't have.

And since there's a lot of versions of the game nowadays - I think the install order is slightly different if you have any of the collection discs ("Double Deluxe" and other variants of the basegame, "University Life", "Best of Business" and "Fun with Pets"), since those include packs from the all over the order, plus possibly the Store package (which you should NOT install unless you want a lot of problems connected to it), but fairly sure it would start with whatever contains the basegame and end with "Fun With Pets" since it contains M&G.