Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 4th Dec 2015 at 4:13 AM Last edited by Justpetro : 31st Jul 2018 at 4:41 AM. Reason: Update
Default Windows 10 and the Ultimate Collection - Guide
Update: Please see this thread if you are a new UC user on Windows 10:http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=603256


Tutorial: Sims 2 Ultimate Collection on Windows 10.

Since the same questions keep popping up on the Help and General forums, I decided to write down some general guidelines for players. These may vary slightly from system to system.
While Windows 10 seems not to work for everyone, I seem to have a good relationship with it and have played Sims 2 UC on it for a while now. The last five or six lots I have uploaded were also built in Windows 10. I do not have all the answers, but I hope that this may help some of you.

Please note that there are more complete guidelines on Leefish, this is just guidelines that may help some of you.

Thank you to @Leefish and @celebkiriedhel for writing the comprehensive guidelines in the first place - I obtained most of the info I use in this tutorial from your threads, as well as the fix I needed.

1. If you do not have a shortcut to Sims 2 UC on your desktop, make one (instructions to do so can be found in the Ultimate Collection sticky thread).

2. Run the game as an administrator (this should always be done).

3. Update your graphic card driver. There should be an update available to make your graphic card work in Windows 10.

4. Make the game compatible with Windows 8. Do this by right-clicking on the shortcut, and troubleshoot compatibility. Follow the steps. You may have to restart the game more than once until the Windows 8 option appears. Windows will then ask you if you want to save these settings, so you can click “yes”.

5. Your game might still be stuck in the 800X600 resolution, and with no option to change it under your graphic options. You will need a graphic rules fix. The graphic rules fix you need will depend on your graphic screen card. BACK UP YOUR GAME FIRST.

6. You can try the Graphic Rules Maker — it is a program and it may or may not fix your issue. If it does not work, then you need to go the manual way (it did not fix mine). Find it here: http://www.simsnetwork.com/simpedia...patibility-with

7. If you have a NVidia Card, you may need the texture fix found here (there are 2 files in the RAR, and these two files were all I needed to fix my issues).

http://leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=5446 - bottom of post - GraphicRules- NVidia Texture fix

8. You have to install these fixes in your program files. You should find them here:
C/Program files(X86)/Origin Games/The Sims Ultimate Collection/Fun with pets/TS data/res/Config

Rename the Graphic Rules file to Graphic Rules-Old
Rename the Video Cards file to Video Cards-Old

Add the two files from the Leefish fix.

Do the same in the CSConfig folder (found right below the Config folder)

You should now be able to change the resolution of the screen to your liking.

9. If you do not have a NVidia Graphics Card, or if the above fix does not work for you, you will have to read through this thread on Leefish and see if you can find the correct fix for your card. Start here:
http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=6569
Advertisement
Test Subject
#2 Old 4th Dec 2015 at 11:58 AM
Hi there, sorry first off if this questions seems ignorant, but at the top of the lee fish post you linked to it states that the thread should not be used for windows 10. Can I download the attached lee fish files, even though I have windows 10, or is there an alternative? Thank you in advance
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#3 Old 4th Dec 2015 at 12:45 PM
No problem The Nvidia texture fix file is correct - it is the one I have used (If you read the Windows 10 thread, this specific rar file is mentioned there as well somewhere).
Test Subject
#4 Old 14th Dec 2015 at 8:17 AM
Would I need to click 'Windows 7 ' On the troubleshoot since I upgraded from windows 7?
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#5 Old 14th Dec 2015 at 9:02 AM
No - it does not matter what you used before - use Windows 8 now
Test Subject
#6 Old 14th Dec 2015 at 4:22 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Justpetro
No - it does not matter what you used before - use Windows 8 now
Okay Thanks
Top Secret Researcher
#7 Old 14th Dec 2015 at 6:04 PM
Something I'd like to add is if your game looks like this:


You can right-click on the shortcut (you hopefully created or already have) on your Desktop and under the Target field, add -w at the end. Including a space before the dash.

Not-so-daily TS2 downloads @ my simblr.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8 Old 14th Dec 2015 at 9:19 PM
That will put the game in windowed mode - it should actually look fine even before you need to go into windowed mode . That pink bothers me a bit and looks more like graphic card problem to me, to be honest. I have shortcuts for both normal play and windowed mode on my desktop, and the last one is only used for when I am taking screenshots.
Top Secret Researcher
#9 Old 14th Dec 2015 at 10:39 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Justpetro
That will put the game in windowed mode - it should actually look fine even before you need to go into windowed mode . That pink bothers me a bit and looks more like graphic card problem to me, to be honest. I have shortcuts for both normal play and windowed mode on my desktop, and the last one is only used for when I am taking screenshots.


I would agree with you, but I've tried the game on full-screen mode on three different machines with three drastically different graphics cards. Including the machine I'm playing permanently on, which has a card well-within the TS2 recommended specs and is listed here: http://simswiki.info/wiki.php%3Ftit...Recommendations

Not-so-daily TS2 downloads @ my simblr.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#10 Old 15th Dec 2015 at 7:58 AM
The graphic card can be fine, it should still be possible to change the settings for the card in the card's control panel and with the graphic rules fixes (I accept that different computers have different configurations, but playing in windowed mode cannot be the norm).
If you are happy playing in windowed mode, no problem of course!
What are your computer specs (the one you play on permanently - I want to check something)?
Top Secret Researcher
#11 Old 15th Dec 2015 at 4:22 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Justpetro
The graphic card can be fine, it should still be possible to change the settings for the card in the card's control panel and with the graphic rules fixes (I accept that different computers have different configurations, but playing in windowed mode cannot be the norm).
If you are happy playing in windowed mode, no problem of course!
What are your computer specs (the one you play on permanently - I want to check something)?


Playing in windowed mode is easier for screenshots but otherwise, I'm blind as a bat and would appreciate being able to play it in fullscreen if I desired.

It would be nice to find a root cause to help others, too!

Edit: Also want to say this isn't isolated to Windows 10, since this machine is running Windows 7, but I first encountered the problem on Windows 10 machines.


Not-so-daily TS2 downloads @ my simblr.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#12 Old 15th Dec 2015 at 6:11 PM
I do notice a couple of things.
If you go back to the link you have posted earlier (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php%3Ftit...Recommendations)

Firstly, no info for Windows 7 or 10 there.
Also - I cannot find your screencard in that list - but the closest one (Radeon HD 5450) has a lot of maybe's when expansion packs are added. I have used a Radeon once but that was a long time ago.




Personally, when I first went from XP to Windows 7, I had to upgrade my RAM (I remember going to 4GB - but honestly cannot remember if Sims 2 was the reason. However, I now have 8 on Windows 10). I do think the OS available memory seems a bit low (more from experience than that it is outright right or wrong).

I am not sure how fast your processor should be to run the game on 7 or 10, but I think yours should at least run on Windows 7.I am sure I had the same processor before I upgraded (Intel Celeron with same specs) and I could play Sims 2 on Windows 7 on full screen.

So, if you do have the expansion packs installed, my guess still is screencard (sorry ) - look at what is recommended for Mansion and Garden on the same wiki page (ATI Radeon 8500 or greater).
Back to top