Patching game with multiple accounts

[TreyNutz]

I have a somewhat technical question about the patch. Here's the situation:

I have recently rebuilt my computer which included completely reinstalling WinXP and all software (including TS2 and Uni). I don't have Nightlife yet.

On my old computer, I had 2 accounts, one main account, and one called 'Challenges' which I set up just to play hack free TS2 challenges.

I backed up the My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 folders for both accounts before rebuilding the computer.

I haven't recreated the 'Challenges' account on my new computer yet.

I intsalled the Uni patch just now, and the patch seemed to alter all the character files in all of my neigborhoods in my existing The Sims 2 folder.  (I don't know what it was doing to all of those files, but it did seem to do something.)

Here's my question:

When I finally decide to recreate the 'Challenges' account on my computer and replace my backed up TS2 folder, should I rerun the patch while I'm in that account?

Thanks for any help, thoughts, or advice.

[Renatus]

I'm pretty sure different user accounts work thusly: The game is installed to one place and one place only. The patch applies to the files that are installed to this place. The accounts create different user folders with their own individual content, but each account calls back to that One True Install Folder for the core game files, and those core files do the updating on the user files. So running the patch more than once would be trying to update already updated core game files again.

Bottom line is, don't run the patch more than once.

[KellyQ]

I also use 2 accounts to play the game, the first one is the one my (pre-teen) daughter and I share, the second is one that I play a more "adult" version of (censor patch removed, anatomical skins, etc.,) the game on. Anyhow, I downloaded the patch last night for the first account, installed it, ran it. I switched to the second account, downloaded the patch again but when I went to install it, it popped up a box saying that the patch had already been installed and was up to date.
So as Renatus said, the main file is the one that is updated and the other account takes it cue from that one. Which of course makes sense, after all I didn't reinstall everything when I created the second account, it just uses the main files from the first one. I had a very "d'oh" moment.

[TreyNutz]

It occured to me on the way into work this morning that I probably wouldn't be able to install the patch twice.  Thank you for the confirmation. 

I was concerned because the patch seemed to alter/fix files in the My Documents folder, in addition to the C:\Program Files folders.  I could be wrong.  I may back up everything, reinstall the game, recreate the 'challenges' account, restore the 'challenges' TS2 folder, reapply the patch, then restore my main account's TS2 folder.

Thanks for your help.

[dmchess]

I switched to the second account, downloaded the patch again but when I went to install it, it popped up a box saying that the patch had already been installed and was up to date.

And did everything actually work from the second account?  We have three different accounts that we play TS2 on on the same machine, and I've been vaguely worrying about how best to handle the patch.  (Upgrading from base to Uni went without a hitch, so presumably they've thought about it and done it right for the patches as well, but it'd be nice to know for sure...)

DC

[TreyNutz]

Well, I reinstalled everything and applied the patch again with my 2nd Windows user account all set up.  And it wasn't necessary.   

The N00X_UserXXXXX.package files that were updated are in the TSData\Res\UserData\Neighborhoods folder, not the My Documents folder.  I was wrong about that.

My TS2 game freezes up on me quite a bit lately.  I'm not sure why, but a reinstall couldn't hurt.  (I think it's an SLI issue, but I'm not sure yet.)

Since the My Documents files aren't affected by the patch, I don't think having multiple user accounts is an issue.

[dmchess]

Since the My Documents files aren't affected by the patch, I don't think having multiple user accounts is an issue.

Good to know, thanks!  (On the same general subject, does anyone know the right procedure for installing CEP when there are multiple user accounts?  It does use one file in the My Documents subfolder and one in a Program Files subfolder, I think.  Seems plausible to run the install program and then copy the My Documents one to the corresponding place on all other user accounts by hand, but I'm not certain...)

DC