DVD version: What, where, how?
The DVD version is released only in a few countries (in North America). It is said to be released in Europe at a later date, though the first 100.000 copies in Germany will ship with a free (English) bonus DVD containing all the extras. The DVD contains the game, as well as some extras like interviews, outtakes and a filmmaking 101. It's available for the same price as the CD version, which contains 4 CDs instead of 1 DVD.

As you can see, the DVD version has many advantages over the CD version, as besides the extras it will also install faster. However, you need to have a DVD drive in your computer to be able to use the DVD version. DVD drives can be recognised by having a "DVD" logo on the front of the tray. Normal CD-Rom drives and CD-RW drives will not be able to read DVDs, but DVD-Rom drives, DVD/CD-RW combo drives and DVD+/-RW drives should be able to use the DVD. It has not been confirmed if the DVD extras play in a standalone DVD player as well, but of course you will not be able to play the game on that.

So, before buying the DVD edition of the game, make sure you have a DVD drive, otherwise the game will be useless for you. If you bought the DVD edition but can't use it after all, and you can't return it or definitely want to use it, buying a DVD compatible drive is the only solution. They cost approximately $30-%50 nowadays, inform at your local computer store for more information. In case of doubt, just buy the CD version. CD-Roms work on both CD-Rom drives and DVD drives, so that will definitely work.

Where can I get a serial number?
The serial number can be found on the back of the installation guide or the CD case. You cannot get one from the internet to use pirated copies. If you bought the game like you should, and you didn't get a serial number, you're advised to return the game to the shop, or to call EA Customer support. You can find their telephone number in the installation guide (also of other EA games). No matter how much you ask us, you will not get a serial number here. They're also NOT to be placed in our Knowledge base.

I get a "Component Transfer" error during installation! What do I do?
This occurs if the disc is dirty or scratched, so the drive can't read it properly. Check the shiny side of the disc, and make sure it's clean and there aren't any scratches. Sometimes it works to use a different cd-rom drive (e.g. a writer) to install from. If the CD or DVD is damaged and doesn't work on several drives or computers, contact EA to get a replacement copy of the CD or DVD. A fee may be involved. If you can still return the game to the shop where you bought it, you might also be able to exchange it for a working copy.

Installation is very slow, and I'm already bored of the mini-games. Can I speed it up?
A virusscanner may slow down the copying of files. Although not recommended, you can turn off your virusscanner temporarily. Make sure you turn it back on after the installation has finished, to keep your computer protected.

I get an error saying I need to disable CD emulation software. How do I do that?
This problem is triggered because of the CD protection. It's usually CloneCD that's installed on your computer, which will avoid the Sims 2 to run. You must uninstall CloneCD to be able to play the game. Some other tools which may cause the problem are Daemon Tools or Alcohol 52%/Alcohol 120%. Uninstalling or disbaling these tools might solve your problem.

The game doesn't start or it crashes right after it started! Why?!
This can have many reasons. Out-of-date drivers are a common cause for this. Go through the following checklist, which may help you solve the problem:

• Make sure your computer matches the system requirements. Anything better (or newer) than what's listed should do. Note that for processor speed, 1 Ghz is about 1000 Mhz. Similarly (but slightly different), 1 Gigabyte is 1024 Megabyte for both RAM and hard disk space. AMD processors may have a so-called "PR rating". If you have an "AMD Athlon 2400+", the "2400+" indicates it performs about the same as an Intel Pentium 2400 Mhz. However, the actual clock speed of such an AMD is a bit slower (approximately 2.0 Ghz in the case of 2400+). Make sure you check the real processor speed when checking if your system meets the requirements! There are some tools to check if your computer is good enough to run the game. Several fansites, including SimPrograms and ServoPro have made such tools, and there's also the GameAdvisor from Microsoft.
• Download all critical updates from Windows Update (Internet Explorer only).
• Make sure you have installed the latest drivers of your graphics card. To check what card you have, click Start, then Run and enter "dxdiag" (without quotes). On the Display tab, you'll see the Manufacturer and the Graphics card name. Note these down, or remember them.
  
  Then go to the manufacturer's website. For ATI (Radeon cards), this is ati.com, nVidia (GeForce) drivers can be downloaded from nVidia.com. Make sure you download the drivers for your graphics card and operating system.
• Download and install the latest DirectX version: microsoft.com/directx. Use DXDiag (see above) to check which version you currently have installed. You can also find DirectX on the CD or DVD of the Sims 2, or on many magazine cover CDs.
• Make sure your computer is virus and spyware free. Use an up-to-date virusscanner to check for viruses. Common (commercial) scanners are McAfee or Norton, a popular free scanner is AVG Antivirus. Make sure you update your virusscanner before scanning the entire system.
  
  Ad- or Spyware is malicious software which often tracks which websites you visit, or it keeps showing you ads at random times, interrupting your work. You might not always notice it. Common programs to check for and remove ad- and spyware, are AdAware SE by Lavasoft, or Spybot Search&Destroy. Update the scanner before doing a full scan.
  
  Note that if you do a fresh install of a virusscanner or ad/spyware scanner, they might contain outdated definition files (which are used to identify malicious software). Make sure you update the software before using it to scan your computer.
• Some programs running in the background, like virusscanners or firewalls may prevent the game from running properly. You can turn off such programs temporarily while playing the game, though you must be sure to turn them back on after you finished playing (rebooting your computer will often do the trick, but make sure the programs are enabled again after rebooting, otherwise start them from your start menu!). Programs that run in the background often have an icon near the clock in the system tray. Right click (or for some programs left click) the icon to get a menu to show up, with which you can switch the program on or off. If you use the task manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete) to switch off background programs, you will have to run the programs from the start menu to start them again.

The game runs, but it's choppy and slow. Can I improve its performance?
First of all, make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements (see above). Some things that might help to improve performance, are lowering the graphical details. Also, running the game in a lower (800x600) resolution might work. At the time of writing it's unsure if this can be chosen from a menu or has to be done manually. See the official BodyShop Help page for some tips (scroll to the bottom). You can also use the "vsync off" cheat to improve performance. Press and hold Control and shift, then press C and release the buttons. Type "vsync off" (or "vsync -off", at the time of writing the exact cheats haven't been confirmed yet, type them without quotes) and press return. The game should run somewhat faster, but graphical errors may be a side-effect.

The graphics don't look as good as on all the screenshots Maxis showed! What's wrong?
This may depend on your system. You can try setting higher quality settings in the display options in the game, but this will decrease the performance of the game. Try some different settings to make the game run as smoothly as you want, while maintaining the graphical quality you want. Not all computers can run it smoothly at high quality settings, so you will have to give in if necessary (or buy new hardware). Also, if your graphics card doesn't have some special features, they cannot be used by the game, decreasing the picture quality - there isn't much you can do about that. Maxis made screenshots and videos at high-end systems, with optimal quality settings, your computer may not be able to handle those settings.

When I press and hold the mouse wheel, why can't I rotate the camera?
This can be solved using the control panel in Windows. Click Start, Settings and then Control Panel. Open the Mouse properties. On the buttons tab, set the wheel to function as middle button, rather than an option like universal scroll, which it may be set at. After clicking OK to save the settings, the wheel should work to rotate the camera.

The game tries to connect to the internet while playing, even though I'm not trying to download custom content! Why is this, and what can be done?
The game will look for patches and updates to the game automatically on the internet. If you're on a broadband connection you might not notice this, but it can annoy dialup users as the computer will (try to) connect to the internet continuously. You can prevent the game from checking for updates by using the "autopatch off" cheat. Press and hold Control and shift, then press C and release the buttons. Type "autopatch off" (or "autopatch -off", at the time of writing the exact cheats haven't been confirmed yet, type them without quotes) and press return. If it works, the game will not try to connect to the internet unless you try to download custom content through the game.

I have another question or problem that's not listed here. Where do I go now?
Check out our Knowledge section for a lot more. First search using some keywords to find your answer. If the question hasn't been posted yet, feel free to post a question in the appropriate category. If it has been asked already, but not yet answered, please wait for an answer patiently. You can subscribe to the question using the link at the top to receive an email when an answer is posted. Of course if the question has been asked and answered, use what others have told. If you have additional comments or information that's relevant to the topic, feel free to post it. You will help other players of the game with the same problem. Note that you can only view the knowledge base without being registered, for subscribing or posting questions or answers, you need to register for free.

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Written at 02:00 on Sunday, 12 September 2004 by the Webmaster.