Oh -- got it!     Thanks everyone for all the help. 

I must admit my ignorance now -- I have no clue what "playing it with a tablet" is; or "because of RSI" means either, lol!  If you want, you can explain it to me but it you don't feel like bothering or don't want to make this thread any longer, that's okay too -- I'll just remain in the dark. 

Thanks Bruce -- I've bookmarked the site in case I ever need it.  Kremensch if you read this, I deleted my desktop shortcut and grabbed a new one, made the change to the target line and it's now working.  Still mystifies me as to why it wouldn't before, but anyway I can now play my game in windowed mode.  Although it's going to take some getting used to using the right mouse button to scroll though, lol!

Thanks, I'll try just deleting my shortcut and creating a new one again.  My splash screen says Seasons.  Oh, and because I've been making so many changes to my game, I've deleted my sims 2 folder that's inside of My Documents/EA Games TONS of times lately, lol!  Just trying to get my game to be the way I want it to be.  I use the HCDU and it reports no problems.  Plus, it isn't my hacks that aren't working correctly, it's the built-in cheats.  Well, the forcetwins cheat, specifically.  That's okay though.  Your suggestion to delete my shortcut and create a new one is a good one.  I really should have thought to do that myself, but you know how it is, sometimes the obvious gets overlooked.   

I've been playing using my Seasons disk and that works fine.  After reading your post, I double-checked and GL came out in 2006 and Seasons came out on May 1, 2007, so that should be the right one anyway.  Also, I do use the icon with the modified shortcut, but that's the one that's not working.   Since I modified it, I haven't actually thought to try going into my Start menu and into the game that way -- it's just habit to click on the icon that's already on my desktop, which is the one I copied and pasted the target line above in an earlier post.  I know, it's really weird that it's not working properly, isn't it?  I do know that one of the cheats I'm supposed to have doesn't work either -- the forcetwins cheat, but I really don't care about that one as I rarely ever want them to have twins anyway.  But yes, I did try the cheat after she was very definitely preggers.  Ended up rather glad that it didn't work afterall, so the fact that cheat doesn't work for me isn't an issue for me.  I just thought I'd mention it because it's strange that it doesn't work either.

To let anyone who reads this know, my computer was having issues and was completely reformatted not too terribly long ago.  After it was reformatted, another gig of ram was added to give me two gigs instead of just one.  Then I installed my games again and decided that I wanted to use the Clean Templates this time instead of the game sims.  All of that went well and after double-checking with SimPE to make sure I only had the bare minimum of characters, then I proceeded to clean out my Downloads folder by going in and deleting crap I really didn't like or want.  Did this in both Bodyshop and in the Buy and Build catalogs.  Once that was all taken care of and all the default replacement stuff was in place, that's when I finally started creating townies, downtownies, dormies, etc.  Everything has been working well in every way except for the forcetwins cheat and trying to get my game to open in a window.  But I rarely use the cheats, so it could be possible that there are other cheats which don't work, I wouldn't really know.  I have most of Pescado's Seasons hacks in my game to help and just rarely feel the need to actually use the game cheats.

I haven't actually gotten really "connected" to any of my sims yet -- maybe I should just copy my Downloads, Camera, Config and Saved Sims folders and then try uninstalling and reinstalling Seasons to see if that would help?  Course, then I'd also have to reinstall the clean templates too, which would be a real pia, but I could do it just to see if that would fix my problem.

Does anyone else think I should try that?

hmmm, I'm stumped then because I actually copied and pasted from the Target line within Properties and I'm running in XP Pro 32 bit, so from what everyone is telling me, that should be correct and my game should open in a window -- but it's not.   Oh, and there is actually a space between the second set of quotes and the -w, so I really just don't understand why it's not working correctly.

Oh well, thank you to everyone who tried to help.  I have already tested Numenor's AGS and it does open in a window, so I'll just take my screen shots from within that program instead.

Again, thank you Rhayden, I actually did understand you.  My games don't have a "launcher" though.  As far as I know, EA didn't start using a "launcher" until Bon Voyage was released.  I don't know if The Sims 2 Deluxe or The Sims 2 Double Deluxe also came with "launchers" but I have a friend who has the same games as I do but then she bought and added Bon Voyage and she told me that it had some new type of "start-up" thingy that the old games didn't have, which I'm assuming is what you mean when you say the "launcher."

All of my game icons for my sims 2 games have a similar address as the one below:

"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Seasons\TSBin\Sims2EP5.exe" -w

Of course, I don't have the icons for my Sims 2, Uni, N/L or OFB even on my desktop anymore as I use my Seasons disk to run the game, but when I did, they had similar addresses.  Oh, and the -w wasn't there before, that's what I put to try to get it to run in windowed mode.

Is the above address incorrect?  If so, could you possibly tell me what it should say so I can correct it?  Maybe that's what's wrong -- that I have it pointing to the wrong thing.

Good advice, so thank you.  If I ever install BV or higher I'll keep that in mind. 

Thanks, I'll try it.  I put the space there because of the instructions I found here:

http://www.sims2wiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Windowed_Mode

But as I said, I will try it without the space to see if that works. 

**nvm -- I will just use Numenor's AGS in windowed mode.  I just checked to make sure that works and it does, so that will do for my purposes.

I would like to learn to use Fraps for taking screen shots while in the game.  I know that I must put the game into windowed mode in order to do so.  These are the steps I used to put it into windowed mode:

Closed the game.
Right-clicked on the icon on my desktop and chose Properties.
The target line was already highlighted so I just hit End on my keyboard to move my cursor to the end of the line.
Hit the spacebar once.
Typed -w
Clicked on Apply
Clicked on Ok to close the Properties box.
Double-clicked on the icon to start the game, but it was still in full screen mode.

Exited the game and restarted my computer -- thinking that maybe it required a restart to take effect.  Tried again after it finished starting up and it was still in fullscreen mode.

I have:

The Sims 2
University
Nightlife
OFB
Seasons

and

Family Fun
GL
Celebrations

If you need my computer specs to help, I will list them also.  I never minded playing in full screen mode but need it to be in windowed mode to be able to use Fraps.  Any help you can give will be very much appreciated.

Oh, I almost forgot to add that I am using clean templates along with the necessary hacks and that's all working correctly.  When I start a "fresh" game with the hacks installed and then check in SimPE to see how many character files are in each neighborhood, only the necessary NPC characters show up as long as I haven't made any townies yet.  If I attach a Downtown to a neighborhood, then SimPE reports the above mentioned NPC's along with some character files which are ghosts because I used the Downtown template that already had some ghosts in it.

I don't know if using the clean templates instead of just the normal game that loads when you install the game would make any difference in whether or not it will play in windowed mode.  I can't see why it would, but I thought I would add that information just in case.

Thank you for responding so quickly, I'll let him know.

I know a person who is a member at this site, but is having difficulty logging in to the site.  Here is what he says:

"Sims 2 players: Are you a member of MATY (more awesome than you)?
I'm looking for anyone who has an account on MATY. I have an account, but for some reason can't login. It says my email is not in the database. I've been a member there for 7 or 8 months and this is the first time I've had a problem.

If you are a member, I have a favor to ask.

Could you go to the site and post in "The Podium" a question regarding logins? Something like: Has there been a recent purge in the database? You can say you know of a member who cannot login. And has no way to contact anyone there. I've tried to contact Pescado at a number of other sites, but he does not allow email.

I posted at MTS2, but my post was immediately deleted. HP said "we do not support other websites" or something to that effect. I wasn't asking for support, just if anyone else had the same problem."

I told him that I would post this for him and that hopefully someone will know how to help.  Thanks everyone!

Actually, Lord Darcy, I'm sure you are correct.  But if that's the case, then in a way it's also good news.  She has not had any problems with her pc despite the fact that she has been using the H&M disc to play.  Perhaps that implies that she will be one of the lucky one's who doesn't get any damage from it.

She does not keep any personal files, nor does she do any internet banking or bill paying on her computer (yes, she is a little bit old-fashioned in that sense -- but that may be a good thing since she has SecuRom!) so as long as it has not caused any damage, can I assume that installing BV probably won't either? 

Thanks, everybody.  No, she does not intend to install BV for a while -- I plan on doing some more research on this website before she does, if you know what I mean.  I don't even own BV, so I haven't read some of the posts that will help her to prevent SecuRom.  Although I do understand that she already has SecuRom due to having H&M installed, from what little I have read, the problem mainly starts when you install and load BV.

But it does sound the like collegeclock file that JM has used in his Directors' Cut since OFB and is still using while having Free Time, is the correct one.  That is probably why the two phone hacks I had her install made the game crash -- they were supposed to work with the Nightlife game.  Either that, or it's because I  had her pull her downloads folder out and make a new one with only the two phone hacks in it.  I don't know for sure because she was so upset about the fact that it crashed that she pulled them out, put her old downloads folder back and didn't want to try them again.    I'll grab both, but I'll have her try the newer file first.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention -- yes, Lord Darcy, she has to put her H&M disk in to play.

She lives in another state, so that would be difficult.  I did one better though, I just ordered OFB and Seasons (she doesn't want Pets, just like I never wanted it) for her from Amazon.  She should get them in a couple of weeks.

I was expecting that answer.    I was just hoping someone would know for sure.  But I do appreciate that you went to all the trouble to look up her game and try to decide which one is best.  I already knew not to put both in the game at the same time, but again, thanks for the warning.

It has been so hard trying to decide which hacks to tell her to use.  She wants a good anti-social worker hack, but with her game being so, shall we say 'unique' that I just shy away from most global hacks.  If I could get her to add newer games, it would make it a lot easier, lol!

All right though, I will have her download both of them and then try them out one at a time.  I think I'll have her try the one that JM has in his Directors' Cut for Nightlife.  I have a feeling that is the one that may work the best.  Although, I did have her put JM's two phone packages from his Nightlife Directors' Cut into her game and when she tried to open it after she installed the phone hacks, her game crashed.  As soon as she pulled them out, it worked again.  So, this weird game coding (or whatever you would call it) where she has a feature from OFB does seem to make some difference.  Especially since when I had her try it, I had her first make a completely empty downloads folder so that the only cc she would have would be JM's two phone hacks.  Unfortunately for her, unless she installs a newer expansion pack than OFB, I don't know if she can have any global hacks.

Snapdragon, I had a child spontaneously combust just from walking from the front of the house (after getting off the school bus) to the back of the house to play on the swingset -- it was a playable child, but from a different family.  That was before I added the Seasons patch and then added JM's warmthfix mod.  I was surprised as well because I had always thought that only teens on up could even die in the game.  But yes, children can die by fire.  Oh, and I don't have any games newer than Seasons, so mine was not a Free Time glitch.

I have a friend that bought an unusual base game in December 2006.  It came with an Xmas bonus pack, but that's not why I say it's an unusual base game.  Before she ever added any other eps or sps, she had lockable doors and gates; could move a sim that was in the sim bin into an occupied lot; had an inventory; had lifetime wants; and had attractions.  Maybe I'm not remembering correctly, but I don't remember having any of those things when I only had the base game -- but I bought mine in September 2004.

Anyway, she then added Glamour Life and H&M stuff packs; a few months later she added Nightlife.

Yesterday she bought University and Bon Voyage, although only intends on installing University for a while.  I had told her about the hacked Grandfather Clock from this site.  She would like to put it into her game, but I have explained that with hacks, you need to make sure you get the one that is made to work with the expansion packs that you have.

My question is this, normally I would get one that says it is for Nightlife as that is her newest expansion pack.  But, I wanted to make sure that H&M does not make a difference.  Also since she has lockable doors and I thought that was from OFB, I just don't know for sure which hacked Grandfather Clock I should tell her to get.

I do not want to tell her to put something into her game that will just mess things up.  I have taught her to make subfolders inside her downloads folder -- so she would be able to easily remove it, but I would like advice as to which one I should have her try.

Or, is this clock much like Merola's Multi Painting and Merola's Mirror -- those items have worked with all of my games.  I know they are hacked, but they don't actually do anything unless you click on them.  So they are not like the Phone Line controller for example.  Is the hacked Grandfather Clock like that?  Where that one hacked item can remain and work with any/all games?

Any help would be appreciated.

Edited to add -- after I made this post, I went and looked at each of JM's directors cut files.  Starting with FT DC, and working my way backwards.  Each one had the collegeclock with the same date UNTIL I went from OFB to Nightlife.  In other words, JM uses the same collegeclock file from OFB through to Free Time, but used a different one in the Nightlife game.

Since her game definitely does have one OFB feature (the lockable doors and gates) and since she also has H&M installed, should I assume that I should grab the one that is used currently?

Nil and everyone else who has read this post and responded with such helpful, thorough answers -- Thank You! You are all such great people!  I don't know why I even bothered to post at the other sites, when I knew from (mostly) lurking for several years that the people who come to this site are the most intelligent people in the simming community. 

I did have Numenor's Any Game Starter and I used that to make a lot with a side garage already.  But after I did, for some reason my shadows ended up being grayed out.  In the lot, not just from the neighborhood view.  I had been able to turn shadows off and on before I made the lot, but not afterwards.  I always turn them off for pictures but on for building -- so I know they were working.

I upgraded my video drivers, ran degfrag, took Norton off and put McAfee on and ran a scan; upgraded Spybot and ran it; cleaned up old files by deleting them; ran defrag again.  Etc., etc.  lol!

Finally, I uninstalled everything I had that was Sims related and then reinstalled.    Needless to say it was a very long, tedious process.  I do have Numenor's Any Game Starter back on now.  I have an Any Game with just the base game and Nightlife, and that is what I am using currently to build another house with a side garage.  But I had wondered if the reason my shadows had become unavailable was due to lot corruption, as that was the only thing I had done.  Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, I always remove my downloads folder completely before I build, that way I can upload to MTS2 without the hassle of having to "clean" it all up.  So, it wasn't any custom content or hacks causing the problem either.

This house is almost finished.  When I'm done, I'm going to go into my regular game (I have base game to Season's -- minus Pets) and try to build one in it.  I really would like the feature of being able to have different roof angles.  I'm sure after reading pbox's post that I just didn't try on the correct lots.

So, again, I do appreciate everyone's helpful advice.  And thanks for not taking my lips!   

Thanks for the suggestion.  I thought I had already tried that and it wouldn't work, but I'll try it again to check.

seelindarun,

I know you were asking pbox this question, but I have read absolutely tons of threads on this and I am pretty sure I understand what pbox meant.  If I go into my game and make a lot with a sunroom and I mess up and make the sunroom on the north side of the house so that the sun is actually shining on the OTHER side, then no matter where you put my lot in your game, it's always going to be on the wrong side.  It's like it "locks" the sun into place with the lot.  I have read a few posts here where J.M. was talking about level lots and how once it's made, you cannot change it.  So, that leads me to believe that whatever I do when I make a lot, that's the way it is going to stay no matter where it's put in the neighborhood.  That's also why I always level my lots first.  :-)

pbox, are you plasticbox at MTS2, because yes I did read several of plasticbox's posts at MTS2.  Great help!  It's just that every lot I tried in Seasons just wouldn't work.  So I thought that maybe it could not be done after Nightlife.  Plus, when I went to other sites, that's what everybody was telling me -- that it only worked up to and including Nightlife but not in any newer eps.

Well, I'm already trying to make another one in Nightlife right now.  But I would love to be able to use the individual roof slope angle, so my next house will probably be with Seasons installed.

Again, I want to say thanks to everyone for all the help!

Thanks Abelle!  I really appreciate it.  I'm hoping from what was inferred in the post I read on MTS2 that if I replace the sidewalk tiles with the games actual sidewalk tiles, then this lot will not corrupt due to having the incorrect ones.

Oh, and if anyone knows whether this can still be done (side garage) in Seasons, could you let me know.  I know I tried, but I must have been doing something incorrectly as it wouldn't work.

Anyway, much appreciation!

Oh, sloppyhousewife (that should be my screenname, lol!) I hit post and then saw your post.  I still appreciate that Abelle gave me a copy of her file, but I also appreciate that you told me what to change.  I'll keep a copy of both, just in case.

Thanks again to everyone!

I was reading posts at the build forum at MTS2 regarding building side garages.  Someone posted that there was a tutorial on this site by Jade Elliott called something like Street Parking.  The poster stated that in the tutorial, Jade Elliott explained how to get the sidewalk tiles that the game uses, instead of the cement tiles under "poured" flooring.  Stated that if you use the actual sidewalk tiles, this prevents lot corruption.

I have done as many searches as I can think of trying to find this tutorial.  I also followed links to some other site by Jade Elliott and have read as many posts as I can trying to find this person.  From what I am hearing, she will not respond to pm's or give out an email address.  That's fine, I respect her privacy.  And if she felt it necessary to remove the tutorial, that's her right as well.

But I was hoping perhaps that someone else at this site may know how to find the correct tiles so I can try to build a lot that will not cause corruption.

Of course, the post I read at MTS2 was really old (from sometime in 2006, if I remember correctly) and the poster was only saying that he/she thinks there was a tutorial on this site about Street Parking and using the game's sidewalk tiles.  I have no clue yet as to how accurate that information is, and would appreciate any help at all.  Even if that's to tell me that you don't know what I'm talking about.   

One other question.  I have tried to follow the side garage tutorials with ep's up to and including Seasons installed.  I could not get them to work with any expansions newer than Nightlife.  Does anyone know if you can build a garage with a side entrance in the newer expansion packs?  If so, and you know of a good tutorial, I would appreciate the link.

Thanks in advance for any help I receive.

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you know that I now have all my houses/lots with no sims!  Thank you 

p.s.   I did try using Argon's but just adding the lots folder that wasn't empty.  Didn't work, still no houses.  So I have yours in now.

SaraMK and Jordi,

Thanks to both of you, it's a relief I don't need to uninstall and reinstall (all that work I put into creating the townies in Bodyshop for my blank neighborhood (only to read on another thread that if I had put them into a blank Pleasantview instead...).  SimPE is so complicated to me that I think I'll just leave Riverblossom alone for now and play Pleasantview instead.

Hopefully I won't have to pester you guys again (at least not for awhile, anyway  )