Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 1st Jul 2008 at 8:31 PM Last edited by carenrose : 1st Jul 2008 at 10:00 PM.

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Seasons
Default How/Can You Install TS2 on an External Hard Drive??
My C drive filled up rather quickly when I tried to install another expansion pack. In fact, (I didn't think to check how much space I did have) I ran out of space and couldn't install it.

I tried then uninstalling my game from my C drive, and putting it on my external drive, which is big enough to handle everything. So, on the install screen, I select "advanced user" ... tell it to install onto my "G" drive. I make sure the path is correct, etc, but when I click "Next," it tells me something like "This will install an additional xxxMB of data to your C drive." What????? I didn't want it to put stuff on my C drive. I though, ok, maybe it is just putting PART of it on C, then installing on G? But no, it tried to install on C again. I tried this a few times. Still not working ... so I tried my D drive (partition of the internal hard drive) and still didn't work. It only wanted to install on C!

* The game installed correctly, just not where I wanted it to install!

I looked around here and found http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=291225
where someone successfully plays the game from an external hard drive.

I have Vista, on a laptop, a 100 gig internal HD and 200-something gig external HD. I made sure all folders were gone when I uninstalled the game from C, both in Program Files and Documents ... the only thing I didn't do was edit the registry. Maybe this is the problem ... but I'm not sure I'm comfortable doing that unless I'm sure it's necessary.

Now after what seems like an uber-long post, I hope you have enough information ... :D

*Ok, PS: it only seems uber-long to me in this little box I type in. :D
Advertisement
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#2 Old 1st Jul 2008 at 11:15 PM
It could well be lingering registry entries - but it could also be a Vista issue. Are you using an admin account?

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 1st Jul 2008 at 11:46 PM
Yes ... it is admin, and it is the only account I have.

I forgot to mention ... when it asks me "This will put xxxMB on C ... Do you wish to continue?" if I say "No," then it asks "Do you want to quit installation," I say no and it takes me back to the "Where do you want to install" page. Ok? Well, the radio button for Advanced User is still selected, but in the path it gives the default location on C, not what I had typed in. Now, this may be just because that is what it always says in that box when you reach that screen, or it may be indicating that is where it is installing. Hmm ... I really don't know. :P
Test Subject
#4 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 12:31 AM
Quote: Originally posted by carenrose
I looked around here and found http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=291225
where someone successfully plays the game from an external hard drive.



Hi there! I'm posting because you mentioned my thread in your first post. Unfortunately, I *don't* play successfully from my external drive. I ended up having to install everything on my main drive because the game wouldn't start through the external. Hope someone can help you!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 7:21 AM
Ooooo ... Shoot! Well, I did also find a tutorial here on how to move your Documents folder to another drive, and therefore all your user files for Sims ... but I was still hoping I could install it over there. There may still be hope ...
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#6 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 8:16 AM
It should work fine if you click Ok to "This will install blah on C" - how many Megs is it saying it'll install? Knowing that will make it easier to decide whether it's just adding registry entries, or actually installing the whole thing on the wrong drive.
I wouldn't be surprised if hitting "No" made it revert to he default install path.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#7 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 8:17 AM
It said only about 380-ish MB, one time around 400 ... and it told me the total install size would be on the order of 4000 meg ... but when it finished installing, I checked the location it was *supposed* to install to, and ~nothing~. At *least* one of the times, I checked C and found stuff there that I had deleted before I started this whole thing.

I've only been without the Sims for 2 days and I already miss it. Is that bad?? :D
e3 d3 Ne2 Nd2 Nb3 Ng3
retired moderator
#8 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 5:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by carenrose
"This will install an additional xxxMB of data to your C drive."


I reckon that message may just be a generic message, and that the installer may actually put the files on G.
Make sure the hard drive is read/ write access for your user account and also it would be quicker if it was formatted NTFS.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#9 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 7:10 PM
Ok ... checked read/write access - yes. NTFS formatted, yes. I'm wondering if it will only allow installation on C (or whatever letter is assigned to the primary partition) ...

I tried installing base game (well, TS2Deluxe, actually) on C, and an expansion pack on D. That wouldn't work either. I didn't think it would. I heard one user had all their EP's on one partition and all their SP's on the other ... has anyone listening here heard of this and know why that would work?

Hmmmmmmm ...

When looking for how to do this, I found this tutorial: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=53400
Does this really work? And if I were to move my Documents to my external hard drive, then one day use my computer without it connected, would it crash things? They go boom? Or would I end up with a redundant Documents folder re-created on drive C, which would then be recognized by TS2 if I was dumb enough to try to start it (or Bodyshop!) up???????? Hmm.
e3 d3 Ne2 Nd2 Nb3 Ng3
retired moderator
#11 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 9:49 PM
The tutorial for moving your documents definitely works, although the game will throw up an error if you attempt to run it when you don't have the drive plugged in. Most programs default to saving in the My Documents/ Documents location so you'll get errors (or maybe a lag) with a lot of programs when your Documents folder isn't reachable. The game will not create a fresh sims2 folder elsewhere because, as far as it can detect, there is nowhere for it to create the folder as 'My Documents' is gone!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#12 Old 2nd Jul 2008 at 10:27 PM
Good. I may just have to stick with that then ... I'll be back tonight after I get off work ...
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#13 Old 3rd Jul 2008 at 9:47 PM Last edited by carenrose : 4th Jul 2008 at 9:22 AM. Reason: add more info
Ok ... update:
Now installing OFB to "Typical User (Default Directory)" and it tells me me install size will be 709 MB, then when I click next it tells me OFB "will install an *additional* 95 MB of data on drive C:." Okay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you think I should move my Documents to my external HD, which has 195 gig free, but can be removed (and I don't always want to connect it) ... or my secondary partition of the internal drive, which only has 41 gig free but I won't be removing it any time soon ... ? My Sims 2 folder is currently at 17 gig. (!) ... Wait, that doesn't sound quite right, it may only be 9 gig. ?? Either way, it grows.

Opinions?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, I'm impatient when it comes to the Sims. I decided to move it over to D, so I can still play the game when I don't feel like turning my *wireless* computer into a bundle of cords. Thanks for the help guys!
Final verdict: it seems that on my computer, and at least one other user's computer, The Sims 2 cannot be installed on an external hard drive.
Test Subject
#14 Old 9th Jul 2008 at 2:00 AM
I just bought an external hard drive to run the Sims2 (all expansion packs). I re-targeted My Documents to the drive and installed all expansion packs. It works fine, except I'm an idiot and forgot to unplug the drive before uninstalling from the C: drive, so I pretty much lost everything. Some of it was recovered with a recovery program and some from an old backup I had - but the point is - it works. It's a Maxtor 250GB hard drive. Here is my question: this external hard drive thing is for my laptop; can I plug the drive into a different computer and still run the game? or would I have to have my EAGAMES folder from laptop "My Documents" on computer B and then retarget computer B's "My Documents" folder to the drive in the same way as with the laptop? I'm too scared to try...
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#15 Old 9th Jul 2008 at 2:26 AM
Quote: Originally posted by LERSIM
Here is my question: this external hard drive thing is for my laptop; can I plug the drive into a different computer and still run the game? or would I have to have my EAGAMES folder from laptop "My Documents" on computer B and then retarget computer B's "My Documents" folder to the drive in the same way as with the laptop? I'm too scared to try...


No to the first question. If the game itself is installed on one computer, whether it's installed on an internal or external drive, there are registry entries written when you install that tell Windows where to look for all the files - those registry entries would not be present on another computer.

In order to make the install work for both computers, you would have to delete the files on the external and reinstall the games to the same place on the second computer for that to work - then both computers would have registry entries that tell them to look on the external in that location for the game.

The My Documents thing is another matter. If you put your My Documents on an external, and tell Computer A "look for My Documents here on this external" and then plug the same external into Computer B and tell it "look for My Documents here in the same place on this external" then it -will- work. That's set per Windows user account and is not specific to the registry so it works just fine - just be prepared for errors if you don't plug the external in on either of those computers and try to run things that are looking for My Documents.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Test Subject
#16 Old 9th Jul 2008 at 4:05 AM
Thank you! It sounds like as long as I can remember to keep "my documents" targeting to the correct place I should be fine.
Lab Assistant
#17 Old 10th Aug 2014 at 11:17 PM
Ok, I di the tranfer. I tranferred my whole s3 folder and my docs folder. Do i have to uninstall the game and reinstall to the ex drive to get it to start in ther and not be on the c drive? And how would i get the docs folder empty? It still say all my file are in there?

What is a beginner to do? My Website My TOT My Forum My website
Test Subject
#18 Old 13th Aug 2014 at 6:29 PM
If you are installing from Origin then you need to change the install paths in your Origin settings.
Back to top