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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 30th Sep 2019 at 11:10 PM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Seasons, University Life
Installing retail expansions for the Steam version?
I bought The Sims 3 during the last Steam Summer Sale, and recently I got Into the Future and Outdoor Living Stuff from Goodwill. I can't use Origin because I know at least Into the Future has already been registered (since it's secondhand and all), and the only other workaround that I found is an extremely complicated and confusing registry editing thing. (Also, the Into the Future copy is European, but that's apparently not a problem for most EPs.) Is there any way to install the expansion?
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 1st Oct 2019 at 2:39 AM
The short version is no, not really. Origin/disc obtained packs cannot be added to Steam installs any way other than through the complicated Registry edit procedure you already found, and in many cases that doesn't work anyway. The point behind all this is that the game is DRM protected, whether we like that "feature" or not. The licenses for us to run the game and its packs are not transferable from one owner to another. Thus from a "can I register this and become the proper owner" perspective, the only thing you have purchased is potential replacement media for a disc installed game, not the DRM rights to run the second hand packs.

Having said all of that, the packs do go on sale for at least 75% off on Steam during sales periodically throughout the year. If you put them on your wishlist through Steam, you should be notified whenever this happens. Perhaps a repurchase of the packs needed the next time a sale rolls around might be considered the best way to proceed?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 2nd Oct 2019 at 1:05 AM
Yeah... thinking that might be better. Rip to that last $5 I guess. Unless Goodwill takes refunds.
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