More Awesome Than You!

Hi everyone !
I've made a script to allows anybody to play to The Sims 3 game with expansions/kits and saves EVERYWHERE (a computer with Windows OS is required), from an internal/external hard drive, USB key, etc.
In other words, this tool make your game "portable". Installing the game again and again just becomes a bad memory !

Content of the archive :
"App/" -> Where the game, kits and expansions have to be placed (with english name).
"Data/" -> Where personal files like save files are REALLY stored.
"Script/" -> Where script files are stored. You don't have to modify anything in this folder and sub-folders.
"Read me - Lisez-moi.txt" -> A file that explains how to use the script.
"The Sims 3 Portable - Menu.exe" -> This app is used to launch the menu (hidden script). Automatically run as administrator.
"The Sims 3 Portable - Menu (Run as admin).cmd" -> This file is used to launch the menu (visible script). Works on 32 and 64 Bits Windows but needs to be run as administrator explicitly (right-click on the file).


How it works?
1. It loads your save directory ("Data/[Your_Username]/The Sims 3 Portable/*" into "[Current User]/Documents/Electronic Arts/*". Existing saves are backed up and restored when game (or any game app) is closed.
2. It loads registry keys and values are suitables to the current script path. So, you can move your game and the game still works ! Registry keys are backed up and restored.
3. It temporary associates Sims3Pack file type to the portable game. When the portable game, the portable launcher or the "pause" is launched and active, you can install your Sims3Pack files like if the game were installed.
4. A menu of options is available. You can launch the game, the Sims 3 Launcher, a "pause" instead of the game, open save folder, etc.
Here the options :
5. You can easily modify the language and disable any kit or expansion !
6. No need to install DirectX. Required DLL is copied into the bin folder of The Sims 3.
7. No key required with a proper fix !
 
How can we use it?
Before all, your session must have ADMINISTRATOR RIGHTS to allows registry modifications. The script programs ask you to have access to these rights, but if you directly run a BAT or CMD file, you need to do it with administrator rights (right-click on the file).
If you don't understand what I wrote, it's not important.
1. In "App" folder, you have to paste (or move) your game and kits+expansions with ENGLISH names even if you want to play with another language. Exemple : "App/The Sims 3" ; "App/The Sims 3 Ambitions" ; "App/The Sims 3 Katy Perry Sweet Treats" ; "App/The Sims 3 70s, 80s, and 90s Stuff"...
Names of game, kits and expansions have to correspond to the names of the REG files in the "Script/Profile/The Sims 3". Any folder that doesn't correspond to these REG file names won't be loaded, so you can disable an expansion or kit just be renaming it.
Or the list of names is available here :
2. You have to launch the script. Application "The Sims 3 Portable - Menu.exe" can load the script menu and then ask you to enter a letter of your choice (each letter corresponds to an option) and validate it by pressing the "Enter" button of your keyboard. For the first time, you have to leave the field blank and press the "Enter" button without any letter (this normally launch the game).
3. After the first launch of the script, the game is not launched as expected but a file "The Sims 3.ini" is created and opened to be edited.
Add the new line applang=en-US into this file and save it. You can enter the language code you want (en-us,fr-fr,es-es,es-mx,de-de,it-it,nl-nl,sv-se,da-dk,no-no,fi-fi,pl-pl,pt-pt,hu-hu,cs-cz,pt-br,el-gr,ru-ru,ko-kr,zh-hk,ja-jp). Note that if applang variable is not defined in this file, the game will be launch with the default language : french.
4. Now, you know how to open the menu to have access to options or to launch the game ! Re-open the menu and press "Enter" without any letter specified.
If you're not on a weird computer, the game starts and you can play !


Note : You can install your PACKAGE files into "Data/Common Mods (The Sims 3)" directory ! This directory will be loaded into each save of the game, excepted if the "Mods" directory already exists.
Patching the game will be very difficult. The simpliest way to patch the game is to install base game anywhere, patch it and copy the content of the game into the "App/The Sims 3" directory.
You can add you own REG file into the "Script/Profile/The Sims 3" folder to load a new kit or expansion ! Be careful, name of this REG file has to be the same than the name of the kit/expansion folder (in "App").
You can also add the cd key corresponding to the game into these REG files : modify
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Electronic Arts\Sims\The Sims 3 [Title]\ergc]
@="ENTER YOU CD KEY HERE, WITHOUT MINUS SYMBOL (-)"
Exemple :
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Electronic Arts\Sims\The Sims 3 Seasons\ergc]
@="12345ABCD6789EFGH0123"
(It's not a real key !)
/!\ You have to insert a cd key (even a fake like ABCDEF...) for "The Sims 3.reg" if you want to install Sims3Pack ! If there is no cd key, an error will occurs.

DOWNLOAD :
http://jheberg.net/captcha/the-sims-3-portable-kit-v27/
http://ezcw3m.1fichier.com/
http://uploaded.net/file/z3ripmz0

That is pretty fuckin' brilliant.

Very impressive.

Thank you very much ! Were you able to test the tool? I try to have most possible feedback to make a most compatible possible tool.  :D

Would you give an example of folder structure after the Kits filled with the basegame+EP+SP?

Any torrent of the finalized contents?

Thanks  ;D

(http://i46.tinypic.com/sfjosm.jpg)
Is it what you want?

Maybe a torrent in preparation but not sure... it would be a big torrent !

Just to make sure:

Just copy all of these folders into App folder right ?

(http://puu.sh/2xaNh)

100% right ;)

First of all, thank you!

I transferred my game to my new PC using an external harddrive, then copied it all to my new internal HD so it's faster. Works like a charm.
Now I'm trying to add Seasons to it. Could you explain how that works in more detail? I Installed it with my local Sims 3 game on my old PC, then moved the directory to the App folder on my new PC, properly named. I also tried to change the REG files, but I'm not sure I did it right. There is one for Seasons already, and the latest EP I have installed is Supernatural. So I changed the Supernatural REG file the way you described. Or am I supposed to do something with the Seasons REG file?
Whatever I did wrong, it doesn't work.
Weirdly, I also installed Pets yesterday just by copying the directory into the /App folder, no REG file changing, and it works.

What did I do wrong?

You need to modify REG files ONLY if you want to replace the (fake) CD key by your real CD key. It's optionnal because all game+expansions work without any modification.
I'm sure that your problem is related to the version of your base game : for every newer expansion "installed", you need to patch the base game to detect and load the new expansion. But there is a problem. My script cannot allow users to manually patch the base game even if portable game is loaded.

The only way I know to patch your portable base game is to install the base game (The Sims 3), patch it to the latest version and copy (or move) the updated base game into the App folder.
Or, more easily, you can install the base game (and only the base game : The Sims 3) into the App folder (you can use options when you install the game to specify where the game will be installed. Please use US name -> The Sims 3). You will be able to patch the game manually ;)

Don't forget to re-install the latest NO CD patch !

^
I want to ask about installing the patch...

I have a complete version of The Sims 3, including all the EPs and SPs.

I want to ask, do I need to reinstall The Sims 3 base game only? Or with all the expansion packs and stuffs packs?

Tool updated to 2.6 :
 * Added REG file for Island Paradise EP
 * Minor fix : no unnecessary script launch when it's the first launch (config file edition)

To install the patch, there one solution :
Install base game, patch it and copy content ("The Sims 3" folder) into "App" folder of my script (replace old files).
EA doesn't share unpacked content of its update, so we MUST install the base game to patch it.
But good news, there is nothing to do for EP/SP :)
So yes, just install base game, patch it and copy content.

^
Thanks!  ;)

I tried several days ago, and the trick worked. Just installing the basegame only.