OK, now I'm completely boggled. I gave BGS ONE MORE SHOT.

It worked.

At the moment, I'm minded about what they say about dental inspections of equines.

ETA: Thanks for your help, though!

ROFL!!!
I'm glad it works now. Probably you just needed to reboot Windows 5 or 6 times, as usual

I'm not quite sure how to upload my app files from here.

But I figured that the fact that I'm running on Vista might help your answer.

I've turned on the compatability mode and I run it as an admin, but it still won't come up. It asks me if I want to open it, I hit open, then it tells me an unidentified program is trying to run, and I hit allow. But then... Nothing happens. Can you help?

No, wait, let me understand... Exactly, what are you running in compatibility mode, and gives that message? Does this happen when double-cliccking on the installer or when you try to start the installed mini-game?

As for attaching a zipped AppFiles folder, click on the "Go Advanced" button, below, and then "Manage Attachments".

It installed, but now when I'm trying to run it it won't work. Uhm... *scratches head* It's in compatability mode with "Windows XP Serivice Pack 2." I'm trying to get it to run with that because that's what's helped with everything else I've had trouble with on Vista. I clicked on it, went down to properties, hit compatability, and checked the corresponding box. I did this for the installer before I installed it and then for all of the shortcuts afterwards.

It's not a problem of compatibility; in your AppFiles, all the batch files required for the mini-games to work are missing. This is very strange, though you are not the first one to report this: Freetrav, above, had the same problem and solved it restarting Windows before running the installer.
Please, try doing the same; and if it still fails, try the AnyGameStarter, and tell me if it works for you.

One more thing: you say that you set the "run as administrator" property on the icons; but you are using a Windows account with administrative priviledges, aren't you?

Alright. Thanks, it worked. *blush* Heh... Yeah, I am. That's the only reason I'm able to run something as an administrator. I think it's something in my safety settings. I'm not sure, though.

If your safety settings can be overridden just rebooting Windows, Microsoft has a serious problem
I never liked the UAC system introduced with Vista, and I've deactivated it immediately.

Hi Numenor
I have this problem:
BGS duplicates user, itself and EAGames so that I have a USER/BGS together with USER/EA Games and a USER/USER/BGS together with USER/USER/EA Games. These EA Games are full EA Games (out of the normal Documents folder!) but only in the 2nd folder you find also the link to BGS. If I enter my USER/Documents I find my real EA Games folder untouched but unusable as when I run my EA normal game from desktop actually I run one of the two installed in USER or USER/USER.
If I try to run the BGS full game I have an error message because it does not find AGS (? I uninstalled the FT Version a couple of months ago because I had the same problem I am reporting now - sorry, I had no time to report )
I attach mi app.file for your amusement please let me know If I have any hope to use again your bgs/ags (I think the problem is similar) as I have loved them at first glance, as you know
thank you
Alisar
ps if anybody already reported this, pls link me (too many posts to read )

Note: for privacy's sake, in the following message I will replace your login name with "XYZ".

First off, let's clean up the mess and then will run some tests.

1) uninstall the BGS from the Add/Remove panel
2) download the attached file, extract it to your desktop
3) double-click on the new file (Sims2_Full.reg) and confirm the operation
4) logoff/logon to windows (so to make Windows read the correct documents path)
5) double-check that your full game is located in C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti\EA Games\The Sims 2
6) manually remove all the other installations of the game (take a look in the folders, just to be sure you are not removing anything important: in doubt, MOVE the folder elsewhere, instead of deleting it, or compress it in a zip before deleting it).

Now, you should have a clean, working full-game installation: run the full game and check if everything is in good order.

If everything is fine, reinstall the BGS and double check that it creates the folders:
C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti\BaseGameStarter\AppFiles
C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti\BaseGameStarter\BaseGame
C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti\BaseGameStarter\UNI
etc...

Please report here the results of your tests.

Hi Numenor and thank you a lot
I am downloading now and reporting as soon as possible
I *love* you

Hi Numenor
as you see from the attached pics I still have problems and I may have create them as I ran your reg file before uninstalling BGS, then I realized it and uninstalled BGS, hopelessly ran your file again, logged off, logged in, installed BGS but received the error messages you see in the first shot, and it is strange to me as EAG came out untouched from all the actions above... I also made another mistake as you told me to check and run my EAG before re-installing BGS - but I did not, I installed BGS without checking and it was a waterloo to get my mood worse I tried to run my EAG and from my second pic you can see that I cannot use it anymore and this was confirmed also after having uninstall and install free time....
what can I do now, Numenor? Have I to attach any other file? excuse me for the delay and the mess, but I am working on stuff for the High Roller Project and didn't want to stop as I have so many things still to do, you know what I mean
Anyway, I also think the problem comes with Free Time: before uninstalling it I backed EAG folder up and then I deleted it from my documents: when I installed it again the EAG folder was place in C:\Users\XYZ\ instead of C:\Users\XYZ\Documents may be you can explain this, also. maybe is Vista?
I attach last error message received when uploading pics here
well, I have the great temptation to uninstall anything and re-install but I am afraid that it will be unusefull or get things worser, so I will try to be patient and wait for your reply... may be I can use SimPE to recolour some of the objects I have to, in the meantime, but I hope you can help me soon.. I swear I will be good and tell you max in a couple of days but pls help me saving myself from me and my getting into trouble

Alisar, first off, BRAVA for having made a backup of the full game; keep it at hand in case it's needed -

Let's clean up again (now things are a little worse because you reinstalled Freetime while the game was still messed up, but we'll hopefully fix it, too ).
The instructions are similar but not identical, so be careful.

1) uninstall the BGS from the Add/Remove panel
2) download the file attached to my previous post, extract it to your desktop
3) double-click on the new file (Sims2_Full.reg) and confirm the operation
4) RESTART windows (not just logoff), just to be 100% sure
5) delete all the unneeded/misplaced folders: look in Users\XYZ and delete (if you find them) the folders BaseGameStarter and EA Games; then look into Users\XYZ\Documenti and delete (if you find them) the folders BaseGameStarter and EA Games. By now, you should have deleted all the existin games (including the full game).
6) Restore your full game to the correct position, i.e. Users\XYZ\Documents\EA Games\...
7) take a deep breath and launch the full game; hopefully, you should be able to play your normal game, with all your neighborhoods etc.

8) If everything is fine, STOP! Don't do anything else Before trying again the BGS, tell me if the mess is sorted out.

the BGS error message pops up when I try both installation and uninstallation - I forgot to tell you above...
anyway, it is a consolation to know I was able to make 1 thing good (back up)
I'd never be impatient, I make stupid things
I will be a good child and report tomorrow
thank you :D

If so, then skip step #1, it's not that important. We'll hopefully fix it later on.

1) no trace of BGS as already uninstalled (checked again the control panel too)
2-4) ok, sneaked into all the folders from C to Windows
5) deleting my full game the message said: deleting C:\XYZ\Anygame1\EA Games... as told you in my first SOS, I read 'Documenti' but the system says 'Anygame1'... as the game ran also in this situation (system already said this) I go on (one day I will delete and format my HD, not now possibly)
6) done
7) no way: I have to confirm my 2nd pic of yesterday; it is strange as it displays in full window (like an EAG) but has only the empty neighb. as if it took as good the beginning of BGS installation (no maxis default) but during uninstallation deleted minigame and kept the empy neighb. Is it possible we have forgotten to do something before restoring the full game in the correct position, for example what would happen if I'd run my full game before restoring it? shouldn'it create the missing folders?
8) I wait for your reply. maybe all this problem is a consequence of that Anygame1 instead of Documents, what do you think about this?

OK, if the door is closed, let's try entering from the window

You should have an icon with your username on your desktop, right? When you open it, you see several icons, including the "Documenti" one.
Question 1: If you double click on it, what folder opens up?

Now right-click it on the 'Documenti' icon and choose "Proprietà", then "Percorso".
Question 2: What path is displayed there?

Delete the path displayed in the "Percorso" tab and write a completely different one, such as "C:\windows\Temp". Click "OK", and you will be asked if you want to move all your documents to the new location. Click "NO".

Again, right-click on the Documents icon (it is possible that the icon name changed to "Temp" ) and go again to Proprietà->Percorso; you should see the new path (C:\Windows\Temp). Click on the button "Ripristina" and...
Question 3: What path is automatically displayed?

If the path is correct, i.e. C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti, then you can click OK; when asked if you want to move all the documents to the new location click "NO". RESTART WINDOWS.

If, on the contrary, the button "Ripristina" displays a wrong path, then delete the path and write manually the right path, i.e. C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti; then click OK; when asked if you want to move all the documents to the new location click "NO". RESTART WINDOWS.

Don't forget to keep your fingers crossed throughout the entire procedure -

Machiavelli was nothing compared to you!!
I am responding step by step - follow your instruction and report
1. I attach the shots of Desktop\XYZ\Documents and its details... lupus in fabula... here it is our anygame1
2. Impossible to change the name in any of the parts diplayed in the pic what do you suggest?
3. look at this! where was it before? I assure you I looked into any folder and no bgs folder I found - it comes out now that I'm uploading pics here. look at the shots: the path is XYZ\BGS how is this possible?
4. I delete the BGS folder - this should allow me to run full game as usual (fingers crossed). pls let me know what to do to change anygame1 into documenti, will you. In the meantime I run my full game and let you know :P
-----
5. experiment failed. my fullgame is like before, that is only an empty neighborhood after having deleted bgs folder and restarted windows
and now? have I to try back your second instructions? uninstall anything and renounce, at least temporarily, to bgs and ags? kick Vista off my pc (with xp I had not all these problems). pls tell me what you do suggest me at this point... format and re-install anything?

The "BGS folder coming from outer space" is interesting indeed, and it's not the only "sudden appearance": in your second screenshot there is an additional "Documents" yellow icon that is missing from the first screenshot.

Morever, in both screenshots I can see two "documenti" shortcuts (one green, one yellow). There is something wrong, here! Not to mention that the Properties of your green icon are NOT as they are supposed to be: look at MY folder and properties



See the "Percorso" tab?

I really don't know how this could happen; however, I googled a little and found an interesting forum thread about Vista and the Documents icons:
http://www.vistax64.com/vista-file-...ome-folder.html

What I'd like you to do is to take a look at the Registry, if you can.
In particular, you should check these two keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

In both keys there is a string named "Personal" that should point to C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti. If they are different, change them manually, but please tell me the wrong values: is there an "AnyGame1" somewhere?

When done, RESTART Windows, as usual.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders ---> C:\Users\XYZ\AnyGame1 ---> changed into C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders ---> C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti - i.e. it's ok
nb I looked at this after changing the other value

as per EAG I will try to run my full game now that registry is ok, after restarting windows, of course then report again

thank you for the link - the reason why you can display all those tabs in any folder is that you are a true administrator, I am not - i.e. I'am only an administrator user. may you suggest me what I have to do to have the same privileges (not here, if off topic) and/or deactivate this awful thing?

"All those tabs" are displayed only in the green icons located in my "Numenor" folder (Documents, Video, etc.); I think that even "ordinary" administrator should be able to chang the documents path using the icon tab; however, I deactivated the UAC the day I installed Vista -

As for your report, I find extremely odd that your "Shell Folders" is set to "AnyGame1"... Both the AGS and the BGS only modify (for 30 seconds) the "User Shell Folder"; is it possible that your PC got reset while starting an AGS mini-game?

While starting? I don't remember, I avoid resetting while running software but may be. I pm you about what happened with AGS
the last attempt to run my full game normally has just failed. what have I to do? run again your reg file? uninstall and install anything? format and reinstall windows and solve in a moment all the problems? I have no ideas as I do not know these things like you what would you do if you were me?

What happens to the BGS hoods if you move them to the full game and uninstall BGS?

Last winter I installed BGS and used it quite happily for months. I had base game only, up to Pets and up to SSN on one account and the full EA game on another with Bon Voyage installed. I had no problems playing any of them.

Then in June I installed Freetime, played only a very short time in the full game when my system failed. I wound up with a new motherboard, new CPU and new memory along with a reformatted harddrive.

Since then I have been reinstalling and playing each EP for a couple of weeks in a new custom hood. After installing and playing SSNS for a time I decided to add the old up to SSNs game which I had several backups of on an external drive. I have been having multiple problems with it. Many lots crash when trying to enter, many others hang, with testing cheats showing a problem with emitter-pet-cars. Also on the neighborhood screen I am getting flashing white areas.

What I am wondering is: even though I never played this hood past Seasons could it somehow have been affected by the installation of BonVoyage and Freetime? If so, would reinstalling those EPS correct it. I considered the possiblity that the backup might have been corrupted so tried one of the older ones. It also crashed on one of the same lots. Oh, yes, that lot was one that I had entered successfully two or three times before the crashing started. I thought first it might be a download problem but the crashing continued to occur with Download folder removed.

I have Windows XP Pro w Service Pack 2, all EPS up to Freetime, (though last two are not currently installed) and no SPs.

I'm sorry, I'd like to have the great knowledge that you think I have, but I really don't know why still your game doesn't work.
Just one last question. You have fixed the Registry, and restarted Window, and restored the save-game folder to C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti\EA Games, right?
But then, when you run the full game and there are no neighborhoods, this can only mean that the game looks for the neighborhoods in a different folder, not C:\Users\XYZ\Documenti\EA Games, But WHERE? When the full game runs, it must create at least a Config folder somewhere: I'd like to know where...

Another thing you should check for me: go to C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 2\TSData\Res; can you see a folder named "UserData"? Or is it named "NO_UserData"?

I think it's egoistic to keep you stuck to my problem with BGS when it's clear I have a bigger one with Vista which may cause all the odd things happening in my system, BGS included. I have decided to uninstall/install back all sims 2 eps and sps in order to finish what I have to; afterwards I will format and restore my system, install all the programs I want to and, if my problems with AGS/BGS persist, come back here and refer.
The folder you ask me about is correctly named, anyway see attached what I found in my system32/shell and some shots of my reg: user shell folder and shell folder shouldn't have the same values?