Sims 2

Jamez · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 16.36

Hullo boys and girls

I have just dug out my CD for The Sims 2. Unfortunately, due to me having since 2004 and having moved house with it no less than 5 times, it has become a bit scratched.

I've tried polishing it with some Pledge (apparently that can work). I've been trying to install it on my laptop, but it only ever gets to 62% and then keeps stalling and asking if I want to retry or cancel the installation.

Is there a way I can install it manually without having to pop down to WHSmith, buying the game, and taking it back tomorrow for a full refund (once I've installed it and the expansion pack on top of it so I wouldn't actually need the original CD)?

Sput · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 17.13

Can't you download an image of the cd on p2p? Or try copying it all to the hard drive. If it makes it then you might be able to install it from the hard drive.

Jamez · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 17.26

Somehow I've got as far as 93% complete. I'm crossing my fingers.

Why can't music and games companies provide their product on a scratchproof CD? We already pay ridiculous prices in Britain for DVD's, CD's and Games - it's the least they can do.

Sput · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 17.31

Some other options:
- A better dvd drive might be able to deal with it more effectively
- If you wanted to pay again it might be legally downloadable from the US, obviously with the exchange rate it'd be very cheap. Steam is good insofar as you can download and re-download the games you've bought (often at US prices with the current exchange rate) whenever you want

Jamez · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 17.39

That sounds good, but as I'm not really a gamer person. Sims, Total Annihilation & GTA: San Andreas are the only games I play.

97% complete as I write this. £10 says it will fuck up on 99%.

Pete · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 17.58

as (in theory) you've bought a licence rather than a physical product you'd think they'd offer an exchange system where if you sent in the old CD they'd send you out a new one, sans scratch.

cdd · Mon 27 Aug, 2007 18.04

Hymagumba wrote:as (in theory) you've bought a licence rather than a physical product you'd think they'd offer an exchange system where if you sent in the old CD they'd send you out a new one, sans scratch.

They quite often do, but demand boring things like P&P costs by cheque, the original sales receipt, a covering letter, the DVD itself, sending it by registered mail, a return envelope etc etc etc...

Stuart* · Tue 28 Aug, 2007 15.57

Jamez wrote:....having moved house with it no less than 5 times, it has become a bit scratched.

Have you considered moving home less often?

Gavin Scott · Tue 28 Aug, 2007 19.45

cdd wrote:
Hymagumba wrote:as (in theory) you've bought a licence rather than a physical product you'd think they'd offer an exchange system where if you sent in the old CD they'd send you out a new one, sans scratch.
They quite often do, but demand boring things like P&P costs by cheque, the original sales receipt, a covering letter, the DVD itself, sending it by registered mail, a return envelope etc etc etc...

You reckon they would expect postage and an SAE? Sounds like two bites of the same cherry.

Boring perhaps but a relatively easy legitimate solution.

Jamez · Tue 28 Aug, 2007 20.49

If anyone has a Sims 2 CD they could lend me, I'd be happy to cover the cost of P&P. I was going to buy a copy from WHSmith, but apparently they get quite fussy about returning items such as games or music.

Lorns · Tue 28 Aug, 2007 21.39

I never got into the Sims. It all seemed a bit weird to me. I have enough trouble with real life without creating another. Like all these other virtual life games out there, its just not for me. My life is complicated enough.

Anyhoo we have a contraption somewhere that is meant to fix broken cds. I'll dig it out and give you the make and model. Not sure if it works cos i aint used it yet