I want a silent loading screen

[Indiasong]

Anyone knows how to get it?
Since it takes 2 hours to load, I'd like to load it in windowed mode and start deleting in game.
But I can't watch a dvd or listen to music, since I get both sounds at the same time.

[Eggs]

If it takes 2 hours to load, I suggest cleaning out your download folder.

[Gwill]

Just turn off the music in the control panel.

[Venusy]

Open up (LATEST EP INSTALL DIR)\TSData\Res\Sound\Splash.package in SimPE, then right click on the file listed in the main window, and select delete.

Alternatively, rename the file below to Splash.package, and overwrite the one currently in (LATEST EP INSTALL DIR)\TSData\Res\Sound\Splash.package

[jrd]

Keep a backup of the original, you may need it for a future patch (or remember to get it from the CD by then).

[kutto]

So, is it also plausible to use another EP's splash music instead of the nwest?

[miros]

Looks like it; just get the file from the EP of your choice.

BTW, I think the OP wants to clean out her downloads folder; she just doesn't want to listen to the stupid music while she does it!

[Venusy]

So, is it also plausible to use another EP's splash music instead of the nwest?

Yes.

[Indiasong]

Thanks for your answers, but it doesn't work, neither deleting nor replacing with the renamed silent splash. What to do?
Does it load straight from the cd?

[Venusy]

Wait, are you trying to remove the music on the splash screen, or on the neighbourhood and/or house loading screen?

In either case, this will disable all sound (from TS2) until you restart the game without the option enabled. Right-click on the shortcut to The Sims 2 (EP), select properties, cliick on the "Shortcut" tab , and add " -nosound" (without quotes) to the very end of the "Target" line.

[Indiasong]

I don't want the loading music.
I know I could disable the music in game, but that means I have 2 hours with no sound on the PC except the music, then I delete ok, and I have to think to disable the sound before logging out, hoping I don't crash before doing it, and I have to put the sound back up, and think to disable it again next time I fire the game, and so forth.
Much better to just stop sound while it loads.
I deleted temp files, prefetchs, and there's still the damn music.
If I make a nosound/ window shortcut, it means no sound in game, doesn't it?

[Venusy]

Yes, a nosound/windowed shortcut will result in a windowed game with no sound. It will only affect the game and nothing else.

[Indiasong]

Yes, but i want the sound in game, just not while loading since I do something else.
Might as well go vacuuming.

[Hegelian]

I assume what the original poster wants is to eliminate the Maxis music that plays while the game loads, and not just the intro music that plays behind the intro video (which you can skip by hitting the space key). Carragon created a replacement splash.package (or perhaps more than one, as it seems each EP needs its own) file that appears to contain only a "blank" MP3 file. I've extracted the file but it won't play in Windows Media Player due to the extension (.mp3) not matching the file format. Therefore, I don't know whether you could extract the mp3 file(s) from the original splash.packages and replace them with silent mp3s.

I can attest that the OFB version of Carragon's replacement works fine. The Glamour Life version can be found here, toward the bottom. Perhaps you could request other versions using the Contact button on that page.

[V]

Why not just mute your computer while your game is loading and play your CDs on a stand-alone CD player? You get what you want and your computer's resources aren't being tied up by your music/movie program.

[KatEnigma]

Or take out your downloads, load the game to the neighborhood screen, turn off music there, and then exit and put the downloads back in and load to play.

But I agree, if it takes 2 hours to load, you need to clean out some downloads. Even once it loads, it must be lag city. 

[Annette]

I can't imagine waiting two hours for the game to load, I'd assume it was broken long before that. Being a low tech person V.s solution would work for me 

[V]

Hey! Watch who you call low-tech!

I may not be as high tech as some people around here, but being able to come up with a solution that does not require opening three programs and rewriting code does not necessarily make me a cave-woman.

*V glares around the room, grunts, and returns to the task of drawing stories on her walls

 

[Magicmoon]

I have not had any sound during the load screen and my splash screen only lasts a few moments. It has been this way since before any EPs were introduced.

Now, if I can remember what I did. It couldn't have been too hard. I didn't know much about Sims at the time. I think I deleted or altered the splash screen file. But that was just to jump past that screen.

From the main neighborhood screen you can choose which, if any, sound files play at certain times. I also wanted in-game sound but hated the loading music, neighborhood screen music, and buy and build modes. I especially disliked buy and build modes because the sound was so much louder than the music in-game. So I went to the sound options and unchecked all of the music choices for all of those screens where I didn't want music. You can even listen to each music selection there to see if you like it and keep all the ones you like and uncheck the ones you don't. This is even available for the in-game stereo.

Now I have no music during game load, none at the neighborhood screen, none on pause, and none in buy or build mode, but yet I have all the game sounds and all of the music on the stereo.

[RainbowTigress]

I have used Carrigon's silent startup files for OFB and also for Pets, and they both work great.  I was also able to install Pets without having to replace the original files for OFB.  I don't think it even looks there, because it installs new ones for Pets and thus needed new silent replacements.  This is one of Carrigon's pet peeves, so she said of course it was her first mod for the game. 

[Indiasong]

I knew there was a way, but I had lost track of it.
It seems sims2workshop is anavailable, there is only the Glamour file on a special page.
Can you point me to the Pets version?
Thank you all.

[Ness]

Try carrigon's new home: http://simlogical.com/dinnerbell/index.php

[RainbowTigress]

Thanks Ness, I didn't know Carrigon had moved.  I located the silent Pets loading file she has here:

http://simlogical.com/dinnerbell/index.php?topic=222.0

That's the one I use.

[Indiasong]

Thank you, I looked before but did not find it.