Please Read: Technical Support Megathread

Technical Support Megathread (will have links to Reddit)

Before creating your own post, please make sure to read through all of the FAQs here! We've compiled a lot of general information that might solve your issue.

I'd also like to give a massive thank you to u/Mysterious_Potential and u/hobgoblin8000! Both of them provided me so much valuable information, links, and kind words. Without them this subreddit wouldn't be half as helpful, nor would it be as magnificent.

If I do say so myself...

Table of Contents

Can my computer run The Sims 2?

Where can I find a download for The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection?

Why would I break the law when I can buy UC online?

Well, what about the discs then?

Why do I need to apply so many fixes to play the game?

My game looks terrible. What can I do?

Help! My game is pink and purple!

Why is my game crashing?

Looking for a master list of mods? Click here.
Looking for an aesthetic guide? Click here.

FAQs

1) Can my computer or laptop run The Sims 2?

In short, yes. The Sims 2 was released in 2004 which means almost any computer will be able to run it nowadays. However, if you have a cheap laptop or netbook, you're probably out of luck.

To find your system information, press the windows key and type dxdiag. From there, it will tell you about your processor (CPU) and memory (RAM). To check your graphics card, go to the Display tab.

Requirements for the Ultimate Collection:

3GHz CPU

2GB of RAM **OR** 4GB with the patch installed

256MB graphics card

13+GB of free disk space

However, these bullet points come with some notes. Ideally, you will want to install the 4GB patch to avoid crashes when the game eventually runs out of memory, so please bear this in mind when looking at your specs.

13GB of disk space is the absolute minimum needed for the game to install. You have to remember that another folder will be made in your Documents. This is where your neighborhoods, lots, screenshots, settings, and mods will be saved. My personal folder in Documents is almost 4GB. Having 20GB total available is preferable but, if you plan to get a lot of custom content, you'll need a lot more space. Some people have more than 20GB of custom content!

2) Where can I find a download for The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection?

If you are using Windows, we recommend this version. There are three orange orange links on the forum post for you to choose from.

Magnet will take you to a download of a torrent. [Here](https://www.wikihow.com/Download-Torrents) is a guide on how to torrent. We recommend using qBittorrent. It is open source and advert-free.

Direct download will take you to Google Drive. Please be advised that it might ask you to log in with your Google account. If you do not wish to have your name shared with the people who created this copy of the game, make a separate Google account with no personal information.

No-Origin file. This is only there if your download is effected by your anti-virus. Do not download this link, it is just an .exe and does not include the full game.

These downloads will take you through Linktervise. Just click on the orange "continue" button when you see it. You will be taken to another page where you can click on "Direct access to TS2 Origin Ultimate Collection." If you chose magnet, it will give you a link that will open up your torrenting program. If you chose direct download through Google, the link will take you to Google.

Please be mindful about clicking on any adverts you might see. It is highly recommended that you always use an adblocker such as uBlock Origin while browsing the web.

This version of the game includes all expansion packs and stuff packs and comes bundled with some helpful fixes. Please follow the instructions provided with the download. Be advised that, with this version, you cannot choose which packs you install. It's all or nothing.

When you read through the instructions on this download, be aware that it will tell you to use Graphics Rules Maker. Please do not use it, as it can cause nasty errors that are hard to fix! It is much safer to edit the files yourself. You can find out how to do this in Section 6 of this post.

If you have downloaded your copy from OldGamesDownload, you will be missing the Ikea Stuff Pack, which you can find here. Once it is downloaded, you will need to extract it into your install directory which is usually C:/Program Files (x86)/EA Games/The Sims 2. There will either be a SP8 either in The Sims 2 folder, or in the University Life folder. Extract the files to the correct location and you will now have Ikea Stuff installed.

Disclaimer: we take no responsibility for any damage that arises from the use of this program. Use at your own risk.

If you are using Mac, you can find Aspyr's port of The Sims 2 here. Please note that half of the 18 available packs were never ported to Mac. If you would like to play The Sims 2 with all of the packs, you can use Bootcamp to run Windows and then install from the above link. Here is a guide on how to set up Bootcamp. One advantage of Aspyr's version is that the game was updated to 64-bit in January 2020 so there is no need to apply the 4GB patch.

If you have a previous version of The Sims 2 installed on your computer, such as a copy from the disks, but you would like the Ultimate Collection there are a couple of steps to follow.

First, if you want to back-up your saves, custom content, and mods, you'll want to go to Documents/EA Games and right click on The Sims 2 folder. Choose "Copy" and go elsewhere on your computer, somewhere safe to keep the files. When you're in the new location, right click and choose "Paste". Your saves, mods, and custom content will copy over to this new location.

Now that you have a back up, you are free to uninstall using this guide. Please follow all of the steps, otherwise you will be unable to reinstall the game. Once you've completely uninstalled, follow the directions at the top of this section to download our recommended version of the Ultimate Collection.

3) Why would I break the law when I can buy UC online?

If a seller is advertising The Ultimate Collection for sale, please be advised that it is not a legal copy. The Sims 2: The Ultimate Collection was only available on Origin. To receive this version, they would be selling you an Origin account. This is against EA's Terms of Service and these accounts are often stolen. The original owners of the account can reclaim it at any time or if EA realize you bought the account, they could terminate it.

While downloading copyrighted content is never advised, in some cases it is the better option. EA are not supporting the game any longer. It is unavailable to purchase from them directly, leaving people to resort to buying on Amazon, eBay, or other third-party sites. People call this abandonware, which is not a legally accepted term, but is nonetheless true. EA will not come after people for downloading a 15-year-old game that they no longer sell or support.

4) Well, what about the discs then?

Installing The Sims 2 from the discs is a tricky option. Not only do you have to install each Expansion and Stuff Pack in the correct order, but you must patch each one after installing them. It is a tiresome and complex process. There is also a common issue where you cannot install after University as the game continually fails to update on Windows 8 and above. There is a tutorial here to get past this issue.

5) Why do I need to apply so many fixes to play the game?

These problems are due to the fact that the game is 15 years old. It is unable to recognise new hardware and operating systems. These are incredibly common issues that arise on all versions. It doesn't matter if you got your game on disc, Origin, or if it was an illegal copy. Time is always cruel to old, outdated games.

6) My game looks terrible. What can I do?

First off, you'll want to edit your GraphicsRules.sgr by following the instructions provided in the link. Please do not use the Graphics Rules Maker if you are on Windows 10! You can also add your graphics card to the videocard.sgr. Another thing you can do is follow this guide to improve your resolution and/or play in windowed mode.

7) Help! My game is pink and purple!

This is what the community lovingly calls purple soup. CrazySim has helpfully complied a huge Google Doc with fixes. Check it out here. If you've followed this guide and you're still having issues, please go here. STILL not working? Check this out!

8) Why is my game crashing?

The Sims 2 is a 32 bit game which means it can only use a maximum of 2GB of memory. Installing the 4GB patch will allow your game to use a maximum of 4GB of memory, reducing the chances of crashes and allowing you to play for hours upon hours.

If you're having trouble installing the 4GB patch, or you're just not that computer-savvy, then you can download a pre-patched .exe here! The .exe needs to go in Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSBin. Before putting it in there, make sure to rename your original Sims2.exe to something else. For instance, mine is named Sims2EP.exe.Backup. Once you've placed the patched .exe, right click and make a shortcut and send it to the desktop. Use that to launch the game.
If your issue isn't listed here, please check out the General Support megathread.