Installing on an external harddrive

[JerseyGirlOOOO]

I have some questions:

1.  Can you install The Sims 2 games on an external hard drive?
2.  If I install H&M Fashion Stuff, will I get SecuROM?  Is there a possibility it will leak to my standard hard drive?
3.  If I will get SecuROM, can I just run it using the crack and Y.A.S.U instead?

Thank you!

Laura

[KinwatsaZ]

Hi,   I ran several versions of the Sims2 on external drives.    By moving the My Documents folder there.  Unfortunately,  I seem to have burned out my USB ports in so doing, when I made a backup of my neighborhoods and download folders.  But the game does run fine with the EAGames on an external drive.
It won't prevent Securom from getting onto your main hard drive though, since Securom installs into the registry.  And that means whatever it does it is in position to do it.
Sorry!   For me too.   I am sure that SecuRom (from SONY no less...and since the CD rootkit case---what was EAGames thinking?)  had something to do with several security issues on my system, like permitting popups I had said no popups...and I have read that it will turn off virus protection and firewall protection.   So once I get (A) A new mobo,   or (B) a new computer whichever system has the Sims will be a standalone system,  not on the internet, and definitely not used for banking or my checkbook.   I had eight weird things go on on my computer,   from a possible "rootkit"... and once I completely reformatted and reinstalled my operating system,   as soon as the Sims was on there (and yes H&W stuff has it too) the weirdness started up all over again.  So that answers some of your questions and I have a lot of questions of my own about this copy protection from SONY...whatever its name!  K

[Venusy]

With question 1, are you talking about having your profile folder (in My Docs) on an external drive, or the actual games? Because they'll work fine on an external drive (although they may be a bit slower due to USB limitations), but moving the profile folder requires moving My Docs itself.

By the way, if someone at EA is reading this: switch to the My Saved Games directory. That's what it's there for. Or even make it so the user can pick a directory to save to! That would be the day...

[JerseyGirlOOOO]

I'm talking about installing the whole game onto the external harddrive.  I am completely bypassing drive C.

Laura

[kutto]

Where is your OS installed? If it's on your C:, then Securom will end up there as well.

[JerseyGirlOOOO]

I am definitely skipping H&M Fashion Stuff.  I just can't take that risk.

[morriganrant]

 I have TSS and H&M stuff, they're stuff packs, so if you have Seasons or BV it will play using those disks. If your latest is OFB I believe it will play using the stuff pack disk. It's running from the original exe that is the problem, the exe installs securom when you run it. Securom will only install on game install if you are installing the game on an account that does not have admin access. Install TSS or H&M on an admin privileged account and don't try to run it from it's exe. No big deal. Unless it does something different with it's methods of install when installed on an external.

[angelyne]

Considering how hard drive intensive TS2 is, I wouldn't recommend installing it on a external drive.  You want the fastest possible disk access.

Why do you want to do this?

[JerseyGirlOOOO]

I'm doing this just to save space on my regular computer.  But I won't be installing H&M.  I just can't take that risk.

[angelyne]

I suppose technically it might be possible.  I think you can change the default installation path when installing the game.  You can definitively move your 'my document' to an external drive and point windows to it, although I am not sure how windows would react  if/when the drive is not available.

Although this setup might be slower than installing the game on your drive.  Hard to tell not knowing your specs

[morriganrant]

I still don't see how installing h&m or any stuff pack is a risk. At least not so long as you install it on an admin account. Even if the latest expansion you had was OFB there are stuff pack no-cds out there, just don't run from the stuff packs exe. Pirate the thing. Ea being asses right now anyway.