More Awesome Than You!

I recently had to re-install all the EPs and SPs because of an update that completely broke everything. The thing is, I used a "Complete Collection" batch installation that installed everything up to Showtime for me, because re-installing usually takes a full day. I installed Supernatural over that Complete edition and since Supernatural was the newest EP it overwrote over old files in the base game directory and things worked like a charm and the game launched perfectly with its launcher showing a game version of 1.38. Now I got Seasons DVD but I can't install without updating to 1.42 and the update won't detect an installed version of The Sims 3. It's a registry thing. This is how my registry looks:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/c145fd09b047fb1c9bab82f81e4be613/tumblr_mepof17mMV1rbtfi3o1_1280.jpg)
My question is, can I manually unpack an update file and overwrite the base game files myself so that the installation can go on? Or can I install a temporary sims 3 base game in another directory and paste over it the other base game folder that came with the collection and have that be updated with the 1.42 super patch and then put it back? At this point I'm ready to do anything but reinstall every single EP one by one. Is there a workaround the update?

It's funny now cause I get how no one would have gone to the trouble of doing all that to avoid re-installing everything. But I wanna let you guys know that it actually worked right down to a fully-working launcher.
I actually didn't unpack the 1.42 super-patch, I just did:
-A clean install of the base game in another directory. What that did is create what I needed in the registry to be able to install things.
-I copy pasted the Sims 3 folder that I wanted to actually update over the one that was just created by the installation of the base game.
-I ran the update and it said it was updating from version 1.00 to 1.42.
-I then copied the Sims 3 folder that just got updated to its original place, where I had installed the complete edition.
-I went to the Registry Editor and changed the directory of the base game .exe file to where the complete edition's .exe is.

Basically, I'm just telling you if all else fails, there is this solution. I just installed a base game on my laptop so that the updates and expansion installations detect an installed version and just.. install.
Hopefully, this may be useful to someone searching the forum one day.

I must admit to being quite impressed.

I'm sorry but I think that sounds like way too much work and sounds like it might end up in a BFBVFS. Where did you find this Sims 3 complete thing at? Sounds fishy, just get the real individual torrents like everyone else and do it the right way, not this shit. Just my opinion.

Well obviously it's an Arr'ed compressed version. I thought I would give it a try after the 1.42 update completely fucked up my installation when it failed and I had to reinstall when I got Seasons.
It's a 3 disk installation. Download 17 torrents? I would never give this that much time especially when even stuff packs are over 1GB.

Just be aware that when it does BBFVFS you won't get any support here for being all non-standard.

OP lost me after "an update that completely broke everything".  I also would not trust a 3rd party installer of a complete edition.