Game won't read Pets

[Arcadia]

I'm on a different computer this time.

Specs (copied from EAsy Info):

Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
System Memory 2048.5
Processor Speed 2009.8
DirectX Version 9.0c
Display Device NVIDIA GeForce 6500
Display Memory 256.0
Display Driver 6.14.11.7516 
Sound Device SB Audigy Audio [9000] 
Sound Driver 2.09.00.0016

Anyway, I installed Pets, but the game says, 'You have uninstalled The Sims 2 Pets. If you continue, all pets will be removed from the neighborhood.' I also have uni, nl, ofb, seasons, ft, glamour stuff, h&m stuff, k&b stuff, and ikea stuff. 

[Liz]

Have you tried installing it again? Maybe you didn't get a clean install.

[Arcadia]

Liz: Another reinstall? Should I do everything or just Pets? I'm having a similar problem on another computer with University. Except it doesn't say that message. It's just that the option to add a University is faded like I don't have it. 

[Liz]

Well if it's only barking about not having Pets in, that'd be the one I'd try installing. This is not expert advice; just taking a guess.
On your other computer, maybe it's that your game "knows about" Uni because of some of the elements being carried forward but can't actually "see" the Uni install? Sorry, this is an uneducated guess. Could be that a Uni reinstall on that one is in order.

Anyone else have a suggestion?

[Simsample]

I would be more concerned about finding out why you are having this issue on two computers. The fact that the game thinks the EPs are uninstalled means registry corruption, which is not usual or normal. Are you running some sort of system 'cleanup' program, or perhaps a registry cleaner, or something else that could cause removal/ corruption of files or registry?

[Arcadia]

Liz: Hm, I guess I could try. But I want to see any other options first. c:
Simsample: Nope. I don't have any programs like that.

Edt: Whoops! Looks like I do have a program like that.

Edit2: DARN IT! Whenever I click the file to uninstall Pets, nothing happens. 

[Liz]

Clicking 'uninstall' isn't going to do anything. The game itself doesn't think you have Pets installed, so it's not going to have a lot of luck finding the program to uninstall it. Just install Pets as if it's not there at all.

[Arcadia]

Liz: I just tried that with the game that won't recognize University. It went to patch Pets even though I had already done it. Then it tried to patch Seasons, but it told me to uninstall Seasons. Then the installer quit. :c

[Arina]

This isn't quite what happened to me, my game just lost some expansion packs and so wouldn't load. I found out that, before going on holiday, I'd moved and renamed the EP folders and not changed the registry entries to match (why, I don't really know). So when I got back, TS2 "randomly" wasn't working. I found out what it was pretty soon, but it was still really annoying. Have you looked in the registry and checked that everything is pointing to where things actually are for Pets?

[Arcadia]

Arina: How do I do that? 

[Arina]

Arina: How do I do that? 

Ok, first off: I am no expert and if you destroy your PC by following my advice it's on your head and not mine.

To edit the registry you need to go Start - Run - type 'regedit'. Look through the trees and find the (quite high up) folder which is called SOFTWARE and has entries for all your programs (as opposed to the one with hardly anything in). Now find EA Games in that section. Under that you ought to have entries for all your EPs. Click on them, and in the right some info should come up. Basically, look at what it says for the "Install Dir" line and check that that game is actually where it thinks it is for each EP. If it's wrong, well, I recommend, if possible, you change the physical folder to be in the place the registry is and just edit nothing there. (If you just LOOK, you can't harm anything XD) But if you're more brave (I was... if you're careful and make notes on what you've changed you will be completely fine, so don't be too worried, but if you're unsure at all err on the side of caution), you can edit that line to reflect where the folder is. But seriously, you can completely break Windows with this tool if you don't know what you're doing. Don't mess with ANYTHING that doesn't say The Sims 2, and mess with that as little as possible if you're worried.

I'm not even sure if this is the problem, but I guess if it "can't find" something you're sure is there, this is probably where to investigate Good luck!

[Arcadia]

Arina: I'm using the one with the broken uni. Anyway, Registry Editor is open, and uni isn't there. 

[Arina]

Completely not there? I don't know what happened, then Sorry. You're sure you installed it? :S

[Arcadia]

Arina: Yes I did. I installed it one night, and installed Nightlife, Pets, and Seasons the next. And with Pets, I installed Uni and NL first, then Pets and Seasons, after that I installed FT, and finally OFB (I hate BV).