Anyone ever had to install by copying folders to the desktop?

[sara_dippity]

I'm going to copy and paste something I put on the Sims II site tech forums. For some reason I'm not expecting a solution there...

I've tried everything to get my sims to install, Holiday edition, full one not the pack. It has worked on this computer before a reformat. First the current problem, then I will tell you what I have tried.
I have copied all of my cds into folders, with the main one named "Disk Images" and four folders named "Disk 1", "Disk 2" etc. (Without the quotes) My instructions say to click on Setup.exe icon, but I don't have one, I only have AutoRun.exe in my Disk 1 folder. When I click on that, the first disk installs, but then I get "Insert disk 2", and clicking on "Okay" does nothing.

The problem I've been hitting is on disk 2, not reading at all. But I know it can, because if I roll back my drivers, or update them, it reads that disk but not disk 3. I have an Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 card, and the reason I even thought about changing the drivers is because I've had issues with their driver versions not working with certian games. Sim City 4 had to have a really old driver to play. I downloaded the two latest drivers and two older ones that I know have worked with The Sims on this computer with no hardware changes since.
I have all my windows updates, including SP2. I have Direct X 9.0c, my motherboard is updated as well and current sound drivers. I have a 2g AMD processor, 1g ram, and the video card above. Not totally top of the line, but fully compatible and my game (when installed) runs smoothly with all video options at their highest. I've never had a problem installing before.
I defragment, clean temp files, and run scan disk between each attempt. There is plenty of room on my 120g hard drive.
I have renamed my install shield to InstallShieldOld.
I am logged in as Admin.
I have installed the SafeDisk update.
I have changed DMA transfer mode to PIO mode (because I am on Win XP).
No spyware, I checked.
And that would be the full list of issue resolutions that I've found, the last reccomendation being the copying of disks to folders.
I'm seriously stressed and in bad need of a Sims fix, please help.

[dewshine]

Okay, when I got University this was what I was told to do if the disks did not run on my CD-drive (the disk image thing).

Have you tried burning your disk one, 2, 3, etc onto new disks and seeing of they install that way?  If not there might be a file on disk 2 that is messed up.  EA never solved the problem for me, I had to take my disks back to the store and get new copies...

[Gwill]

I had to install like that on my mother's computer.
It was hell!

Apparently the disks need to be in the exact path they describe, on the C-drive.  If you don't have room on your C-drive I guess you're fucked.

[sara_dippity]

Meh, they are on the exact path. The directions I read had the folder on the desktop. Though I suppose I could try moving them and see what happens. I can't burn onto a disk, I only have one burnable left and no cash 'till payday. I really don't think it's the disks though, since when I try to install off of my original non holiday game, I get the same freeze in the same place (just tried that) and if I update my drivers, it reads that disk but not disk three. Oddness everywhere. I'm about half an inch from reformatting again, in case it was a bad reformat.

Edit to add ~
Tralala. The reformat helped. I thought of it because some other files were acting oddly, seems the first reformat had a bug or something... Man I hope my hard drive isn't about to crash....