I've used Double Deluxe in the past and had no issues with my other EPs and SPs. The Holiday Edition that I'm using now seems to be fine too. But then again, that was only one collection used at a time. I'm wondering if using more than one collection starts to get dodgy and cause conflicts - it theoretically shouldn't though, despite that it's only theory.

@pinkpunk: You say you did a manual uninstall before, right? I'm assuming if you did this, you managed to get a little familiar with the registry.

Try uninstalling the game again (everything), as well as the EADM if it's present and you aren't using it for anything else. I'm assuming it may have been installed if you have Store files present.

Then take a look around in the registry at the HKLM\Software for anything to do with the EA store (again, if you're not using it for anything else) and/or the EADM and delete those keys as well as any game-related keys that you come across. Also, take a look through the HKCU\Software for the same thing.

It doesn't hurt to poke around in the registry as long as you make a backup and don't alter or delete anything you don't understand. Basic rule of thumb is: if you don't know what it is, don't touch it.

You can also right-click and export a single key to save it before you delete it, so that you may restore it should deleting it turn out to be a mistake.

After that, take a look through your ‘C:\Program Files' (there'll be an additional x86 in the title if your on a 64-bit OS) and delete any folders related to the game and the Store that may have stayed behind - this also includes anything EADM-related. It doesn't hurt to double-check your ‘My Documents' (just ‘Documents' for Vista/7) and make sure that everything game-related is removed from there as well.

Once you've taken a look through everything in your Program Files and documents, do the following:

Vista/Windows 7:
Take a look through your ‘C:\Program Data' files for anything game or EADM-related and remove it - once again, if you're not using it for anything else. Another area you may want to check is ‘C:\Users\username\Application Data\Roaming' - this is from memory and I won't be able to double-check this location until later today, but I'm fairly sure it's close to accurate.

Windows XP:
Take a look through your ‘C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data' and do the same as directed above. Another place you may want to check is ‘C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data'

This should, hopefully, clean everything up, give you a good idea of how your computer and programs work (and the mess they can create), and give you a clean slate.

After all that, I'd go ahead and try to install everything again, and cross my fingers while cursing under my breath.

Best of luck to you.

I'm not sure what's associated with what, but Ikea is SP8.

Should the stuff packs make that big of an impact though?

Are you installing Seasons before Uni and Business? This may be why you're having problems installing them, considering that Seasons came out after those two.

You could try re-installing them in the date-of-release order, EP-wise and see if it helps.

The date-of-release order for these games (the ones you have) would be:

Double Deluxe
University Life
Best of Business
Seasons

As to why you had problems in the first place, I'm unsure, unless it has something to do with your computer not being able to handle Seasons.

Make a copy (copy-paste) of the folder, or sub-folders, in your (My) Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 in another location deemed to be safe, like an external hard drive, etc...

The hobby ones regenerate. So, I would assume the magic ones would too. But since I don't know for sure, I'd back up the neighbourhood just to be safe, and then delete the subhoods out pure curiosity.

I didn't know that. I use Macrostatics mainly for homework and other related household chores. Would I be correct in assuming that there must be prepared foods in the inventory as opposed to harvested fruits and vegetables?

I will have to try this next time I send my Sims out. But first, I must finish watching the fourth season of Criminal Minds.

Sounds like a glitch to me.

Typically, the only option you should have with the charlatan is to beat him up (get your wallet back).

Have you tested another hood to see if the glitch is only related to your neighbourhood?

You can send your sim to a community lot that already has a guitar on it.

As for the food: there's really nothing that calls for it. In TS3, your sim can wander quite far from any/all lots - it makes sense to have edible fruits and vegetables.

In the Sims 2, you're locked into a lot that you can't wander from. A BBQ or small restaurant or buffet table is enough to suffice.

I can see the appeal, but it's not really necessary.

I generally do it whenever I think of it, which isn't as often as I probably should. But once a week should be fine, or whenever anything major happens in your neighbourhood that you really don't want to redo.

A couple of other things to try as well are to check and make sure that you've removed SecuROM, and to make sure that all your EPs are patched.

Other than that, the other option would be to return the laptop for a replacement if you're still within that window.

Yup. If it's empty (free of sims), there would be no point in having a story.

The Intel video cards are notorious for crashing. Have you attempted to see if there are any updates for your card? Also, check what's running in the background and try setting the CPU affinity to one core (this helps some people).

To set the affinity to one core, you'll have to start the game; then hit Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Click on the Task Manager (the last item in the list), and when the new widow pops up, click on the Processes tab.

Look for Sims2(EP9 or whatever number of EP you're running).

Right-click on it and select Set Affinity...

Then uncheck CPU 0 or CPU 1, and leave only one of them checked, and then click on OK.

The downside to this method is that you'll have to do it each time you play the game.

Also, it might help to change the graphics settings for the game within the game. Make sure that reflections and graphic effects are off, and play with the other settings until you meet a happy balance.

I could be something specific to your laptop. What are the specs?

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly. But if you're asking if you can copy your existing Pleasantview into your new MegaHood, I believe the short and simple answer is, "No, you can't."

You can, however, extract your existing Sims through SimSurgery and place tailored duplicates into your new hood.

If I recall correctly, a bad CC item is more likely to crash your game than the number of CC items. But like the other poster mentioned, RAM limitations may also play a part.

Did you try emptying your SavedSims folder as well as your Downloads?

Another option would be to copy the entire Sims 2 folder from your Documents to your Desktop (to back it up), and then delete the Sims 2 folder in your Documents to reset the game and see if that fixes it. If it does, try moving the files back in small batches to see if you can find the culprit.

I had that problem once, and it was because I forgot to patch the game, I think (the neighbourhoods that weren't showing were previously created and/or saved in a patched game). I don't know if that applies to you, but it's worth a shot if you haven't already considered it.

It also wouldn't hurt to remove SecuROM. In fact, you'd be doing yourself a favour, regardless of whether it's contributing to your problem or not.

Those are the phonehack options you are seeing (5, 10, 15, 20...).

Screen Calls is an option that came with AL. If you're not seeing that option, and you have AL, you may be running the wrong version of the phonehack. Make sure that you are using the one from Pescado's AL director's cut directory, and when you have the option to turn Screen Calls on or off, make sure that they are turned off - this fixed it for me; hope it works for you.

This is a known issue with apartment life. Turn off Screen Calls, and if you haven't patched your game, do it (but still - don't use Screen Calls).

If that doesn't help; then I don't know what else could be causing your problem.

The names of the terrains are listed in the SC4Terrains folder, and considering that the ones used for the default towns have the same name as the towns they were used for, they shouldn't be too hard to find. Also, you can make a new neighbourhood in the game and take a look at the terrains to figure out which ones belong to them, jot down their names, and then remove them.

My guess is that it's a neighbourhood decoration, considering that they can place them on lots with the hack they're discussing, and because there is a bus stop in the decorations section.

Mapping the UV wouldn't be tedious. But making the textures from scratch might be, even though it would probably be easier and far better in quality to do it that way than to hunt down usable bits from TS3.

I'd back up those stairs and other modified files, as well as the userstartup.cheat if you're using one.

Then I'd just delete the Sims 2 folder and test it. If all goes well from there, I'd start adding things in small batches to see if I can hunt down what's actually causing the problem.

I'd start by adding whatever neighbourhoods I backed up after the initial test first (provided the stage works after that); then test again, and go from there - testing after each small restore of backed up files.

Also, make sure your game is patched.

Do you have any config or script modifications? What happens if you back up your active neighbourhoods, downloads, and SavedSims and whipe your Sims 2 folder in your documents clean (delete it to refresh your game)?

Have you done this to test it out without adding your backed up files?

No idea why it's doing that. I've been building throughout all the expansions and never ran into that. Does it allow you to remove it with moveObjects on? I'm also wondering if it allow you to remove it if you flatten the lot? Have you removed all your downloads as well (to make sure something you've downloaded isn't interferring with that function)?