OS: Windows 7

I have M&G installed as part of the Fun with Pets Collection, but I recently noticed that it seems like the game isn't seeing it? I get the Apartment Life splash screen at startup and the new build mode features (roof angle chooser, architecture section) are greyed out. (Quartertileplacement cheat does work, though.)


These are my installed EPs/SPs:


I've been running the game successfully using C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Store Edition\TSBin\Sims2SC. Everything is fine except for the above missing M&G features/splash screen.

When I try running C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff\TSBin\Sims2EP9, I get the "You are running the wrong version, run Fun with Pets instead" message.

In the Prog Files Fun with Pets folder, there is only one folder that has a TSBin: EP99 aka Store Edition. When I try running from C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Fun with Pets Collection\EP99\TSBin\Sims2SC, I can run the game same as above, with the Apartment Life splash and missing M&G features

Running the exe from the EP99 folders in Double Deluxe and University Life also gets this result. Running the exe from any other EPs gets me an error message about using the wrong version of the Sims.

The game files in My Documents are curious as well... I have two Sims folders in My Documents: The Sims 2 Double Deluxe and The Sims 2 Store Edition. Weirdly, even though I'm running the exe from the Store Edition location, all of my game files are in the Double Deluxe folder. The Store Edition folder is empty except for an xml file call uContent

I previously had M&G and Store Edition several years ago with no issue: started with Double Deluxe, ran the game through Store Edition exe, eventually added M&G successfully, and (I think) continued to use the Store Edition exe. Got the M&G splash at startup and everything worked fine. The difference now seems to be Fun with Pets. If I were to uninstall Fun with Pets and then reinstall Pets/FFS/M&G separately without using the Collection disc (I have individual discs also), then the game wouldn't be reading something "newer" than M&G. And maybe that would work? Would a full uninstall/reinstall be in order? Or??

Fun with Pets includes M&G so you can't really run that and the stand alone M&G as well. You may need to uninstall M&G and Fun with Pets then reinstall FWP. Store Addition can give problems as well, it's a shame you have that. You can't get rid of it though and keep your current hoods.

Ugh, Store Edition! I was already too invested in my hood, which was unwittingly created with Store Edition, when I learned what a pain that stupid thing was. I was thinking of ditching Fun with Pets altogether--uninstalling Family Fun/M&G/Pets and then reinstall NOT using the Fun with Pets Collection at all. I would still have Store Edition through Double Deluxe, so I think that could still work?

Trying to decide how much I want to test this out, or if I just want to forget about M&G and pretend it doesn't exist...

I've heard of people being able to put on DD and not add the store addition, I don't know how though all my disks are stand alone singles. You would lose all current hoods though.

When you install any of the tri-packs you get to chose to install the store edition or not.

I also see you have University Life Collection and University installed at the same time and you should have uninstalled University before installing University Life Collection.

Its to late now to fix it or for me it is, you need to uninstall every thing and start over with your install and this time make sure not to install any of the stand alone EP/SP's that the tri-packs have.

Having both in at the same time will screw up your hoods 1 way or another and will cause corruption over time for when your game goes to look for something that is in both it will try to load both at the same time and will cause trouble as you can see M&G is no longer working.

I have all stand alone CD/DVD and I also have all 4 tri-packs and have tested every thing out and it will cause problems when 2 of the same item is installed like you have it.

I didn't notice the University Life Collection and University, but do now it's been pointed out. I'm amazed your game is running at all. You can't have single versions and tri pack versions of the same EP's or SP's all on at the same time.

That's apparently just how they installed: there's a main "Collection" folder, and then it made separate folders for each EP/SP. So it made separate folders for Family Fun, M&G, and Pets AND Fun with Pets Collection; then Uni, IKEA, AND University Life Collection (but strangely not Teen Style Stuff? which is the third pack in that collection). I had no Sims at all on this computer and went with the collection packs instead of the individual EPs when I installed a few months ago; I didn't try to overwrite an old installation or "double install" anything... :/

Fun with Pets (only TSBin folder here is Store Edition)


Pets


Family Fun


M&G


Definitely not something I would've tried to do on purpose...

That's very confusing. How did you end up with University Life Collection and University then? I would be inclined to take it to a tech and get things cleaned out and start of fresh.

Presumably the same way Fun with Pets Collection made a Fun with Pets folder AND a folder for each of the EPs it contained.

I think I only got the Fun with Pets pack from reading Mootilda's advice that it would have the latest Store Edition, which I needed to keep my hood. And then I guess I thought using the collection packs might streamline the install but arghggh I wish I'd never bought them since they seem to have added an extra layer of complication. And I *more* wish I'd known to take out Store Edition before I first started my hood five years ago.

sigh