#won't open

I had an experience today where an Origin client update completely wrecked my Sims 2 game (or so I thought), and I don’t want this happening to anyone else. And before you ask, an EA rep walked me through clearing the cache on my computer. That didn’t work.

The Issue I Had

I updated Origin because it was touted as “mandatory” (cue eyeroll that gives me a migraine). When I went to open TS2UC after the update...The game wouldn’t open! Running the program as an administrator didn’t work, compatibility mode did nothing. I would click on TS2UC and instead of launching it would open the Sims 2 copy in my Game Library. Clicking ‘Play Game’ would make the Origin window disappear for a second or two (as if the game was about to load) only for nothing to happen. The game was not launching in the computer Task Manager either.

After much of the day trying to figure things out (with the “help” of EA/Origin Games support representatives), warning fellow Simmers on Reddit, and thinking my game was wrecked, I have a solution.

Backup Your Game Files Before All Origin Updates*

Backup your Sims 2 Ultimate Collection Folder (or specific folders like Downloads, Lot Catalog, Neighborhoods, and SC4Terrains). 

Place the copy somewhere else in your computer that is not the Documents > EA Games folder. 

For more information on backing up files, read about it via ModtheSims.

*The Sims 2 is a “legacy game” (read: old, geriatric, and unsupported), so support is not really available outside of the Simmer community, and Origin is not accounting for the game whatsoever when new client updates are published. Because of this, you need to back up all your game before allowing updates. Even if you have no had this happen to you and you believe it never will, backup your files anyway. If you have your Origin client set to auto-update, I recommend turning that feature off so you have time to backup TS2. In fact, putting Origin in Offline Mode may be in your best interest (read more under the Misc. section).

Please only follow this solution if clearing your Origin cache didn’t work, or you are not comfortable messing with program data and such.

The Solution

After backing up the files you want saved, uninstall the Origin client from your computer. It is not necessary to uninstall Sims 2. You can leave that alone. (In fact, don’t touch TS2 in your Uninstall Program manager unless this tutorial doesn’t work!)

Reinstall Origin. 

After logging back in, go to your Game Library, and right-click on the TS2UC thumbnail. 

Click ‘Repair Game’. Let it repair. 

Launch TS2 and let it load.

Check if your game was switched back to the default settings (no custom content, no saved games, no custom neighborhoods, etc.). 

If you find anything like this changed, that is where the backed up files come in handy! Close your game.

Go to the Documents > EA Games folder. Delete any and all files within. Place your backed up game files in that same folder. Launch. Voila!

Or are you like me and you already updated the game before you found this tutorial and backed up your files, so you “lost” everything?

Fear not!

Check your Documents > EA Games folder. Are there two files (one saying ‘The Sims 2′, the other saying ‘The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection’)? 

Delete the folder that doesn’t have your Downloads folder (or it is not filled with your finds), has no custom neighborhood(s) in the Neighborhood folder, and/or no custom neighborhood(s) in the SC4Terrains folder. This will most likely be the most recently created folder, usually with only a few folders/files inside (instead of 16-20 total items), and/or it may be entitled simply ‘The Sims 2′.

After deleting the appropriate folder, please make sure it is named  The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection exactly, or TS2 will create another file (more than likely named The Sims 2 only).

Misc.

You may notice that the resolution has switched to the default. You will have to re-edit the Graphics Rule information, including using the Graphics Rule Maker program from Sims Network.

For those of you who only use Origin to play Sims 2, it would be better to avoid all Origin updates by using Offline Mode. Read this thread on ModtheSims for more info.