Re: Sims 3 Disc Work On Mac
Harriet Wehrenberg
I recently downloaded The Sims 3 from Steam and I have expansion packs such as "The Sims 3 Pets", even though I downloaded the base game from Steam can I still download The Sims 3 Pets expansion pack disc and it will work for the base game? Sorry if this question is confusing, all help appreciated!
Unfortunately not. To install the expansions on the Steam version, you will have to buy the DLC directly from Steam. Any disk expansion packs will not work unless you have a non-Steam, RETAIL edition of the game that came on a disk.
The thing is that my new laptop doesn't have disc reader... so I need it to be digital. I browsed on Google but it didn't gave me a clear answer. I've found it on piracy sites, but I don't want to do something illegal. So I ask if the box/disc comes with an activation key that I can use or if there's a site who sell it legally in digital format.
Older Maxis games like SC4 and The Sims series use a copy protection method named "SafeDisc" on the CDs, which prevent playing via disc on Windows 10 or above. The reason for this is Microsoft deliberately removed a system file which is needed for SafeDisc to run. I was just in the middle of writing up a reply explaining about a possible method, involving virtually mounting the CD (without needing an actual disc drive). I'd done this before with SC4, but that was back on my Windows 7 laptop. Therefore nowadays, I suspect this won't be viable, unless by chance you have Windows 7.
Previously years ago on my laptop, I wanted to play SC4 and I only had the original disc-based version. This requires the CDs for installation, and also to play the game. I think with The Sims 1 likewise developed by Maxis around the same timeframe (early 2000s), it should work with the same method.
The method involves using a program to create a carbon copy of each CD as an ISO file. Then to mount this as a virtual drive. By "mount" this means the CD is temporarily loaded into memory, and makes it appear in the list (and functional just like an actual physical disc). The same applies to DVDs as well, although they'll just be larger in size due to their capacity. The first prerequisite however is you'll need access to a computer with an optical (disc) drive. Then the ISO file can be made, and transferred over to your laptop (where it can be mounted). Of course, this all assumes you'll get an original physical copy of the game. It is very wise to avoid those iffy pirated versions online.
The alternative would be to buy an external optical drive (which usually cost $30 or less), and connect that to your laptop via a USB cable. This would allow playing discs when needed, but the downside is it'd depend on having that connected each time you'd like to play the game. Like SC4, The Sims also has the requirement of starting with the game's play disc detected. External disc drives are quite portable however, and most of them feed from USB power and don't need a separate power supply.
Yes, my new laptop runs Windows 11. There's one thing that I don't know if I'm understanding well. A friend of mine has got a PC with Windows 7 and disk drive. So if I borrow his computer, make the ISO and then put it on a pendrive in my computer, that would work or it's going to have that protection too?
It's on Windows 7 (or lower) where we can still convince SafeDisc to run and allow the game to play. Making the ISO itself can be done on any system with a disc drive, and indeed transferred over via pendrive would be fine, but still using the ISO is the problem. This is because the ISO would be a carbon copy of the disc itself, so yes, it would still have the protection within it. This is the part Microsoft prevented, since they removed the security mechanism the game uses to start.
Unfortunately with using Windows 11 (or 10) there's no easy way to make these older Maxis games run natively. The only theoretical (and legal) method is to manually sign the secdrv.sys driver, but I've heard this gets very technical and I wouldn't personally recommend it, not least without backing up one's entire computer from a system image. The trouble is because Windows doesn't recognise the driver anymore (as they removed it), it'd need manually setting up to be authorised to run, which gets complicated. There's a post @rsc204 made here which mentions this. I'd only explore this route if you're feeling particularly adventurous, but I've no personal experience of attempting it myself.
Now, if there is an option for you to run XP or even Windows 7 in a virtual machine setup, that would open up other possibilities. A virtual machine is effectively a computer running inside a computer, and so that would make it more convenient and self-contained. However, it'd depend on having a legit license for the system. A possible option might be to use your old Windows XP license, but I'm not sure if that would work for the activation nowadays.
I don't know what to do, sincerely. I can't access my XP key. The computer went total black screen (it still has power and the vents spin so I don't know what happens) and the key in the sticker outside isn't working, I tried (the computer had installed a different one, because it was upgraded from xp home to xp professional using a new key). So, what are the biggest consequences if I try the secrdrv.sys thing and it goes bad? Irreversible damage or only medium to small fixable issues? I'm afraid of this kind of things, sorry. And sorry too for asking a lot. I'm not used to do these things. I'm mostly a console player. But when I played in my old computer it was only to buy a disc, insert it and play. In the new laptop I only bought some Steam games (including sc4) which is also easy, but I've never made something like the things that we are talking about now.
The computer went total black screen (it still has power and the vents spin so I don't know what happens) and the key in the sticker outside isn't working, I tried (the computer had installed a different one, because it was upgraded from xp home to xp professional using a new key).
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