Sims2 under VirtualBox?

[makabaer]

Hi there,

I ordered a new PC (old one's broken beyond repair, new one will arrive next week) with cool hardware and Win7 Pro but just now realised that if I install VirtualBox with WinXp and Sims2 in it, Sims2 won't run on my cool hardware directly but on "virtual" hardware!
Oh darn :-(
So now I'm biting my nails and can't get any sleep anymore and hope someone here will be able to help me!
Does anyone here know VirtualBox?? I have no idea what virtual hardware it simulates or how I can get to know that (it doesn't say on their homepage or I'm just blind) but the most important question is: will Sims2 run on it? And with best graphics?? (Cause that's what I'm used to... all settings on maximum, with shadows, mirroring etc. pp....)
Or does someone know if/how it can be improved?
Or should I go for a different (free!) virtualising tool (BootCamp?) which simulates different hardware??

Please help me if you can!!

Thanks in advance!

[HystericalParoxysm]

I'm... confused. If you have ordered a new PC with good hardware and W7 Pro, why do you need to run any tool to use Sims 2? Sims 2 can run fine on W7 - you just need to patch it.

[makabaer]

It's a Win7 64bit! As far as I know Sims2 can't handle that...
But I haven't heard about any patch for Sims2 for Win7 so maybe I'm just not at all up to date.....

Please tell me about that patch!! That would solve all my troubles, too good to bew true....!!

But wait - even if I manage to run Sims2 on Win7 64bit - what about all those little helping/modding tools that need DotNet? I'd still have to install a virtual XP with .net 1 and .net 2 (for DL Organizer, SimPE and many more...) and they wouldn't be able to access my Sims2 files!
DARN!
Or is there a solution as well??

[HystericalParoxysm]

Nope, it can run fine on W7 64 bit. I've run it on it myself. Ya just gotta use the regular TS2 patches, no special patch. And I'm pretty sure all the old .NET stuff comes with W7 - if not, you can install it separately, no need for XP. I think you've been overthinking this. ;)

[makabaer]

That's really good news!! Although I know many people who have lots os problems installing and/or running Sims2 under W7 - but after your advice I will at least try to install it simply under W7 - only if I can't get it to work I'll try VirtualBox and XP....

But about those tools... (like SimPE, wardrobeWrangler, CleanInstaller and many more...)
What do you mean with "the old stuff comes with w7"? Because Win7 has nothing to do with old .net stuff anymore and thus old sim programs just won't run on it! Or maybe they really integrated the old DotNet stuff into W7?
Hm... but I remember under XP, when I had .net 2 installed for SimPE, I needed to install .net 1 too for other programs! .net 1 wasn't even integrated into .net2! It's hard to believe W7 64bit now can handle all those old programs... hm....


(Ps. Everyone please forget about my mentioning of BootCamp, I realise it's only for Macs)

(Pps. With patch you mean sims2ep8_patch, right? (I have all expansions))

[HystericalParoxysm]

You'll need to patch all the expansions and the base game. It's the base game patch that matters for W7 compatability, but you should patch everything anyway.

I'm running SimPE on W7 64 bit and I don't recall having to install anything else additionally to get it to run (I don't currently have TS2 installed but I did on W7 and it worked fine; I have SimPE installed to look at textures and whatnot for moderation purposes). Pretty sure it just comes with the old stuff, or at least compatibility stuff to make it work. Occasionally people do have problems running TS2 on W7, but it's not an OS issue - it's usually hardware or something like that.

[makabaer]

Thank you so much for your support!
I guess you're right, I've been overthinking this... I just wanted to make *absolutely* sure I can go on playing Sim2 - I'm a real addict....
I'll try to relax and wait until the new PC arrives and everything is ready for installation.... (not too late to panic then ;-))

Just one question:
I was always told that older patches are included with the expansion packs and I have never patched anything on XP - so does it really matter if I patch the base game "separately"?
Does this mean I should download ALL available patches and then patch everything right after installation ( before installing the next EP)??

Oh, wait - I don't have the base game anyway, I only have super deluxe! Now what?

[HystericalParoxysm]

No, they're not all included - they may be now if you have the newest of new disks, but you can't assume they're included. Make sure to download the patches for whatever EPs you have as well as the base game (even if they're in a bundle). I don't think it matters whether you fully patch before installing the next thing, though that's generally how I do it when I reinstall.

[whiterider]

Win7 still supports, and in fact requires in many cases, .NET - we're up to .NET 4.5 now I think. :)

[makabaer]

Thanks, whiterider!! So there is .NET 1 for Win7 too?
I can't wait to see for myself next week...!
Edit: On the .net framework 1.1 Downloadpage they list lots of OS but not Win7. Are you sure it will work?

About the patches - honestly speaking I'm quite sure it's not a good idea to patch a newer game with an older patch... did you actually try it without patch and it didn't run, only after patching base game and everything? It just doesn't make sense for me...

(Edit2: yeah, it seems I can't just relax and wait... ;-)) Sorry to bother you...)

[Mootilda]

Windows 7 comes with a version of .NET which is backwards compatible. That means that you don't need to install .NET 1 or .NET 2 or any .NET at all. It's already installed.

The patches only change the game that they are intended for. The base game patch fixes the base game installation files. The Unviersity patch fixes the University installation files. And so on. You need to install all of the patches because you will be using files from all of the different EPs and you want to have the fixed versions of those files.

[makabaer]

Thanks a lot for the clarification, Mootilda!! That was very helpful indeed!
Only thing I'm still uncertain about is the base game - super deluxe question... it's a bundle of base game, NL and celebration pack... but it's really not like the old base game...
I know I'm a pain in the *** but are you sure it's recommended to patch super deluxe with the base game patch??

[Mootilda]

If there is a Double Deluxe patch, then that is the one to use.

Otherwise, the collections can be difficult to patch correctly. Some have the patches built in; some cannot be patched. There's only one way to know for sure: Try patching each EP and SP. If the patch fails, then the EP or SP is either 1) already patched or 2) unpatchable (blame EA).

[makabaer]

I see.
As there is no Supewr Deluxe patch, I have to try base game, NL and celebrations patch (well, I think there is no pach for that either, nevermind) - and either I get an error message and know I don't need (can't use) the patch - or, if I don't get an error, it is indeed necessary to use that patch even if the file is far older than the DVD...

I think I finally know everything needed for the perfect installation ;-) Thank you very much, Mootilda!!