Warnings
- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see Availability for affected versions).
- The Mac OS X version of this game does not work on Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7) or later due to the removal of support for PowerPC apps.
Key points
- Limited video settings.
- DirectDraw emulation used on Windows 8 and later, causing low performance. See "Low frame-rate and graphical glitches"
General information
- Official Website (archived)
- The Sims Official Forums
- EA Answer HQ
- EA Answer HQ (OS X)
Availability
| Source |
DRM |
Notes |
Keys |
OS |
| Retail |
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SafeDisc v1 and v2 DRM[Note 1]. Disc check requires latest expansion installed. |
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- SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
- The Sims: Complete Collection includes the base game and all 7 expansions.
- An earlier release of The Sims on Linux was included in the MandrakeLinux Gaming Edition package, released in 2001 exclusively for that distribution. This page covers the 2003 TransGaming release, released for all Linux distributions.
- A faithful, higher quality icon can be found on Archive.org.
Version differences
- List of all different versions and regions can be found on Wikipedia.
DLC and expansion packs
- This is also the preferred installation order, installing expansions in other order may introduce problems or simply can't be installed. If installed in wrong order it's recommended to backup save data, completely uninstall the game and install again in correct order.
| Name |
Notes |
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| Livin' Large |
Released as "Livin' It Up" in Europe. |
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| House Party |
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| Hot Date |
Requires Livin' Large to install. |
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| Vacation |
Released as "On Holiday" in the Republic of Ireland and the UK,
although installer still refers to it as Vacation. |
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| Unleashed |
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| Superstar |
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| Makin' Magic |
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Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
Add the -skip_intro parameter to the exe shortcut.
Patches
Mousewheel Support Script
- By default the game does not allow for zooming in and out using the mousewheel. Use the following to add in mousewheel support.
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Add mousewheel support using AHK[citation needed]
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- 1. Download and install AutoHotkey.
- 2. Rightclick an empty space in any folder and go to New > AutoHotkey script.
- 3. Rightclick it and choose Edit.
- 4. Delete all code and replace with the following:
wheelup::
sendinput,{+}
return
wheeldown::
sendinput,-
return
F10::
Exitapp
return
- 5. Save and run the file then start the game. When you are done, push F10 to exit the script and restore default mousewheel functionality to windows.
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Low frame-rate, graphical glitches and crashes at high resolution
- DirectDraw software emulation is used on Windows 8/10, causing performance and display issues in fullscreen.
Install a DirectX or DirectDraw wrapper
- Stabilizes gameplay, increases frame rate to 60 FPS, allows for resolutions higher than 1920x1440 and fixes severe graphical glitches when using Alt+Tab ↹.
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Use a DirectX wrapper[3]
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- Download the latest version of dgVoodoo 2 and extract the archive.
- Open the
MS\x86 folder and copy the D3DImm.dll and DDraw.dll files.
- Paste the files into the game installation folder <path-to-game> where the game executable is.
- Run
dgVoodooCpl.exe. Click the [.\] button below the banner.
- Under the DirectX tab, choose a Video card. Change the resolution to anything desired.
- Tick "Fast Video Memory Access".
- Untick "dgVoodoo Watermark"
- Click Apply.
- Run the game.
Notes
- Causes high input-latency
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Use a DirectDraw wrapper[4]
|
- Download the DirectDrawCompat wrapper.
- Extract the contents from the
.zip file into the game's installation folder.
- Run the game.
Notes
- If the game only shows a black screen, G-SYNC must be disabled (either globally or manually)
- When overriding the games DPI, the cursor can disappear in the phone call UI.
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Run the game in a window
|
- Create or use an existing desktop shortcut for the game.
- Right-click the shortcut and go to Properties.
- Add the
-w flag to the end of the Target field, with a space before the flag.
- Run the game.
Notes
- Doesn't fill the entire screen, can be difficult to see
|
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
- Configuration files are encrypted.
- It's unknown whether this game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux. Please fill in this information.
Save game data location
- Game saves are in form of neighborhoods instead of a single household. Save folders are numbered (the first neighborhood is numberless).
- Initial setting up of new neighborhood and household may take several minutes even with higher end machines, and it takes longer as more expansion packs are installed.
Video
- Unable to zoom in as close as the default resolution.
- Can see more at once.
|
Patch widescreen support[5]
|
- The following fix requires a No-CD patch.
- Download The Sims: Complete Collection Widescreen Patcher
- Extract and run the patcher.
- Browse to the
Sims.exe at <path-to-game>
- Select the desired resolution and wrapper: dgVoodoo2 (compatibility) or DDrawCompat (performance).
- Click "Patch" and close the patcher.
- Run the game normally.
Notes
- To change the resolution or wrapper after patching, select "Uninstall" in the patcher, select a new resolution and patch again.
- If DDrawCompat is installed, the game must be excluded from using G-Sync if using a G-Sync monitor. Also in the phone/clothes UI, the cursor can disappear if overriding the games DPI.
- If the game is still running at a low resolution, ensure the launch flag
-1024x768 isn't present in the desktop shortcut.
- For manual patching, follow the WSGF guide, however some HUD elements may become difficult to read due to rendering errors, such as the employment screen.
Game played in 1024x768. Designed for 800x600 resolution, so sometimes borders are added to fill the space.
Game played in 1920x1080 resolution after patching.
Game played in 3840x2160 resolution after patching and installing DDrawCompat.
|
Input
Audio
| Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
| Separate volume controls |
|
Effects, music and speech. |
| Surround sound |
|
Up to 7.0 Surround. No positional audio. Center speaker is used for in-game sounds (such as voices and sfx). Front speakers are used to reproduce songs, while side and rear channels are used to reproduce background noises. |
| Subtitles |
|
Speech is fictional language called Simlish.
Speech is subtitled with generic icons, important speech e.g. phone calls are given as popup window. |
| Closed captions |
|
|
| Mute on focus lost |
|
Pauses the game on Alt+Tab ↹, option to disable. However audio still stops. |
Localizations
- Game has to be installed with desired language option.
| Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
| English |
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| Simplified Chinese |
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| Traditional Chinese |
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| Danish |
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| Dutch |
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| Finnish |
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Starting from Vacation expansion pack.
Installing that or later expansions changes language. |
| French |
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| German |
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| Hebrew |
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| Italian |
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| Japanese |
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| Korean |
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| Norwegian |
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| Brazilian Portuguese |
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| Portuguese |
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| Polish |
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| Spanish |
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| Swedish |
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| Thai |
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Issues fixed
- At the time The Sims was released, it had the potential for crashes and issues. With each expansion, the game became less stable, and even on properly configured systems would crash periodically. This has not improved over time.
- Problems may vary from not being able to install the game, from not being able to launch the game, instability along with performance issues and lastly not being able to save the game. This is especially prevalent on Windows 10, when disc-based DRM was completely dropped along with broken DirectDraw emulation. See "Low frame-rate and graphical glitches".
Installer program not starting
|
Start installation manually without launcher[citation needed]
|
- Go to main discs root and open folder
Setup.
- With most cases simply open
Setup.exe, however to make sure correct language is used run preferred Setup_Language.BAT that resides in the Setup folder.
- Continue installation normally.
Notes
- Content of the
Setup folder varies from game and expansion.
|
Installer becomes stuck (hangs)
- Certain processes can cause the installer to freeze or hang at certain stages
Installer gives "unknown error encountered - aborting setup" error
|
Remove InstallShield information[6]
|
- Caused by an improper uninstall of the game, which prevents re-installation due to setup remnants.
- Enable Hidden files in File Explorer (under the "View" tab).
- Navigate to
C:\Program Files (x86)\InstallShield Installation Information
- Look for a folder named
{F2527115-B8BF-4FDB-B5DA-5AADFB7C13E1}.
- If the folder doesn't exist, look through all folders for
Setup.ini files, and check for a mention of The Sims.
- Ensure that the correct folder is selected, then delete it.
- Re-start the installer and install the game.
Notes
- Different versions of the game may have a different folder ID name.
- Be careful to not delete the wrong folder!
|
Installer gives "An error occurred while launching the setup. The remote procedure call failed." error
|
Disable beta UTF-8 language support[citation needed]
|
- Open
Control Panel > Clock and Region > Change date, time or number formats.
- Open the Administrative menu and click the
Change system locale... button.
- Uncheck
Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for worldwide language support.
- Select OK and restart the system.
|
Stuck on first-time neighborhood loading screens
|
Set compatibility mode
|
- After installation navigate to <path-to-game>.
- Open properties of
Sims.exe and open compatibility tab.
- Select
Windows XP (Service Pack 2) compatibility mode and check Run as an administrator.
- Select OK and open the game via shortcut.
|
Issues saving when installed to the default location
|
Install game to a different location[citation needed]
|
- Start setup normally
- When asked installation location select different location. For some users simply removing
(x86) from path, but it may be safer to install either root or another drive.
- Continue installation normally.
|
|
Set compatibility mode[citation needed]
|
- After installation navigate to <path-to-game>.
- Open properties of
Sims.exe and open compatibility tab.
- Select
Windows XP (Service Pack 2) compatibility mode and check Run as an administrator.
- Select OK and open the game via shortcut.
|
Windows Update KB3086255 blocks SafeDisc
|
Uninstall KB3086255 update[citation needed]
|
- If using Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, uninstall Windows Update KB3086255 before the game installation.
- Open
Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Installed Updates
- Select the update with the code
KB3086255, and uninstall it.
- Install the game.
|
Corrupted Game Files
- It is possible for the game files to become corrupt, requiring a complete reinstallation. The Sims CD contains a tool called SimsEraser that will clean all traces of the game left over after an uninstall. Uninstalling the game, running SimsEraser, and reinstalling will restore the game to its original state.
Mod-Related Issues
- The Sims attracted a large modding community, allowing further customization features. Unfortunately, even properly designed mods could increase the chances of crashes and errors in the game. Mods have a major impact on loading time and stability, and should be used with discretion if you are having issues with the game.
Other information
API
| Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
| Direct3D |
7 |
DirectDraw software emulation is used on Windows 8 and later |
| OpenGL |
1 |
Mac OS only. |
| Executable | PPC | 16-bit |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
| Windows | | |
|
|
|
| macOS (OS X) | | | |
|
[7] |
| Linux | | | |
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| Mac OS (Classic) | | | |
|
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- Inactive since May 15, 2020.
- An open source re-implementation of the game based on the FreeSO project. Currently available as a pre-alpha release; see the GitHub repository for details
Mods
- Mods may require dependencies.
Official mods
- These mods were created by Maxis and formerly hosted on the games official website.
System requirements
| Windows | Mac OS (Classic) | macOS (OS X) | Linux |
| Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
| Operating system (OS) |
95 |
98 |
| Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 233 MHz
| Intel Pentium II 450 MHz |
| System memory (RAM) |
32 MB |
128 MB |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) |
300 MB | |
| Video card (GPU) |
2 MB of VRAM
DirectX 7 compatible
| 4 MB of VRAM
DirectX 7 compatible |
- Windows NT is not supported.
| Mac OS |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
| Operating system (OS) |
8.1 | |
| Processor (CPU) |
PowerPC G3/G4 233 MHz
| PowerPC G3 333 MHz |
| System memory (RAM) |
64 MB |
128 MB |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) |
3.5 GB | |
| Video card (GPU) |
2 MB of VRAM | |
Notes
- ↑ SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[1] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[2]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below
%PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).
References
