Windowed Mode Not Working?

[Simsane]

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.

[Cupcake]

I believe that taking out the space in between the target and "-w" might help some.

Mine looks like this :

"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Apartment Life\TSBin\Sims2EP8.exe" -w
without a space, so you might want to give that a try?

[Simsane]

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.

[Rhayden]

Make sure your shortcut points to Sims2EP8.exe or whatever and not the launcher.

[Simsane]

Make sure your shortcut points to Sims2EP8.exe or whatever and not the launcher.

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

[Rhayden]

Make sure your shortcut points to Sims2EP8.exe or whatever and not the launcher.

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

The point I'm making is that you use the Sims2xxxx.exe file as your shortcut and not the launcher.

[Simsane]

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.

[GelatinousSubstance]

for 64-bit opperating System (vista) Try:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Seasons\TSBin\Sims2EP5.exe" -w

For 32-bit, try:
"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Seasons\TSBin\Sims2EP5.exe" -w

Make sure this is entered in the Target and not the Start in field of your shortcut.

Hope that helps.

[Solowren]

Mine looks like this :

"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Apartment Life\TSBin\Sims2EP8.exe" -w
without a space, so you might want to give that a try?

Dude... there is a space in there. Just FYI.

[Simsane]

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.

[Cupcake]

Mine looks like this :

"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Apartment Life\TSBin\Sims2EP8.exe" -w
without a space, so you might want to give that a try?

Dude... there is a space in there. Just FYI.

... God, I'm stupid.

[GelatinousSubstance]

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.

I just noticed you have GL. When you start the game, does the Splash Screen actually say The Sims 2 Seasons? Or does it say The Sims 2 Glamour Life? If I recall correctly, I think GL ran like an EP. Though, I don't know if this could be the culprit.

And...

Are you actually trying to open the game from the modified shortcut? - Stupid question, I know. But stupidity isn't that uncommon.

[Simsane]

I just noticed you have GL. When you start the game, does the Splash Screen actually say The Sims 2 Seasons? Or does it say The Sims 2 Glamour Life? If I recall correctly, I think GL ran like an EP. Though, I don't know if this could be the culprit.

And...

Are you actually trying to open the game from the modified shortcut? - Stupid question, I know. But stupidity isn't that uncommon.

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?

[GelatinousSubstance]

I don't know if I would go to the extreme of re-installing just yet. Even then, I'd probably just clear out the Sims 2 folder in My Documents rather than go through the installation again (after backing it up just in case, of course). That will basically reset your game.

I'd probably just try deleting the shortcut and creating a new one first. Then I would add the [space]-w after to see if the same thing happens. But as I mentioned in my previous post, the shortcut you should use really depends on what the splash screen says.

As far as the hacks not working, it could have something to do with the order in which they're loading, a conflict, or they may simply be outdated.

[Simsane]

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.   

[Bruce Banner]

  Try using this little prog ( http://www.borngeek.com/software/sims-launch/ ) . Personally I don't use it for launching Sims 2 but use it as an application launcher instead of using the Start Menu . But as it's name suggests it can be used to launch Sims or Sims 2 and , more importantly for you , can launch them in a window as long as you set the launch target to the latest expansion executable you have installed . It only alters the shortcut so I don't know if it'll work for you or not , but it's worth a try .

[Simsane]

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!

[GelatinousSubstance]

Glad it's working for you. As for an explanation, sometimes gremlins just get in there and the simplest solution works.

You'll get used to it if you give it time. Then you won't be able to play it any other way, and if you really want a challenge, try playing it with a tablet because of RSI, which is something else that takes some getting used to. 

[Simsane]

Glad it's working for you. As for an explanation, sometimes gremlins just get in there and the simplest solution works.

You'll get used to it if you give it time. Then you won't be able to play it any other way, and if you really want a challenge, try playing it with a tablet because of RSI, which is something else that takes some getting used to. 

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. 

[GayJohnScarritt]

Google is your friend.

[morriganrant]

Glad it's working for you. As for an explanation, sometimes gremlins just get in there and the simplest solution works.

You'll get used to it if you give it time. Then you won't be able to play it any other way, and if you really want a challenge, try playing it with a tablet because of RSI, which is something else that takes some getting used to. 

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. 

....Try googleing "Tablet PC".

[Simsane]

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