Tutorials / View Tutorial
By Cerulean Talon on Oct 12, 2007 • Play Your Game in a Desktop Window
Learn, in a very few steps, to play your TheSims™2 game in a window on your desktop. No more wasting time minimizing and maximizing. Chat, download, and play at the same time. Set your desktop icon to window and play full screen through your Start/Programs listing - or the other way around.
Download PDF »Is game minimizing a hassle,but necessary at times? Tired of clicking the Window button or Alt/Tab on yourkeyboard, then waiting – waiting -- waiting for it to minimize to your desktopand even longer to maximize it again? Want to be able to do other things onyour computer while you play your game? Then you have chosen the right tutorialbecause I am going to show you a VERY simple method for turning your fullscreen game into one you will be able to play in a Window. In reality it allboils down to “ –w” being added to the end of one easily found line.
I have tested this on myTheSims™2, TheSims™2 University, TheSims™2 Open for Business, TheSims™2 Pets,TheSims™2 Seasons, and TheSims™2 Bon Voyage packs, as well as with theinclusion of the Stuff and Party packs. I do not have the “Stories” packs, so Idon’t know it this works with them.
Pros:
1) Allows you to do anything youwould with normal windowed software such as IM, chat online, go back and forthin your newest tutorial, do homework, etc.
2) No l-o-n-g waits while yourgame minimizes and maximizes. It works the same as any other windowed softwarewith nearly instant reaction times.
3) Your game can be shrunk byhitting minimize (underscore) button.
4) You can start the game thenminimize and it will continue to load.
5) You can play TS2 ::: lookingover my shoulder ::: when you are supposed to be doing something else -- likeworking or homework.
6) You can reverse the Windoweffect by simply reversing what was done.
7) There are probably a lot morepros, and if you come up with some interesting ones, I’d love to hear aboutthem.
Cons:
1) You will need to hold yourright mouse button or use the arrow buttons to pan through your lot.
2) There may be other cons, but Ihadn’t found them myself, and like the pros, I’d love to hear about them sothat others can benefit.
Step 1.
Scroll through your programfiles to find your most recently installed expansion pack – the one you use tostart your game. Mine is TheSims™2 Bon Voyage. You will scroll through:Start/All Programs/EAGames/[Your Newest Expansion Pac] and click your rightmouse button. (You can also go through: C:\Program Files\EAGAMES\[Your NewestExpansion Pack] to get the same result)
Step 2.
This will bring up a popup that gives you a number ofchoices. Scroll down to Properties and left click.
This will open yet another window that looks like this:
Click your pointer at the end of the “Target” line justafter the quote symbol (“).
1) After thefinal quote (“) click the space bar once and type a dash (-) anda w like this: "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 BonVoyage\TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe" –w
2) Click onthe Apply button.
3) Click theOK button.
Now double click on your screenshot and it opens in awindow.
Note: Should you want to reverse theWindow effect, all you have to do is follow all the steps except thistime you delete the “ –w” you added previously in the Properties Target menu.The result will then look like the original wording here:
"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 BonVoyage\TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe"
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30 Comment(s) posted so far
On Jan 10, 2009 LazySimmer wrote:
Thnx..I had no idea we could do this...gonna try it today.
On Jan 10, 2009 liani wrote:
Don't work for me...
i have Mansion and Graden Stuff pack, don't know if have something to do with that. Maybe its because i have vista.
On Jan 11, 2009 Sihame wrote:
Thanks a lot! it's working just fine and it's very helping
(i have Deluxe, University, Open For Business, Seasons, Bon Voyage and im on vista)
On Aug 5, 2009 tonkaboy wrote:
Doesn't work for me either
I also have Mansion & Garden.
On Aug 7, 2009 Jothana wrote:
Is there another way i could get this to work as i have mansion and garden and it doesn't work?
On Sep 22, 2009 animeluver wrote:
i have done this but my window looks overly huge, how can i fix that?
On Oct 1, 2009 pink77punk wrote:
this is great. now i can follow tutorials with the game running. thanks.
On Oct 10, 2009 beckylynn wrote:
Thanks! I have Mansion & Garden Stuff and it works! I'm also using it on Vista!
This is better than all the mimimizing and maxamizing and I can also follow tutorials easier.
On Nov 7, 2009 simsbaybee wrote:
It works thankyouuu
On Jan 10, 2010 modsimsstuff wrote:
On Jan 10, 2010 modsimsstuff wrote:
This didn’t work for me. I don’t know if it is because I have Mansion and Garden. I am disappointed but it is probably because I am doing something wrong. Thanks for the tip anyway.
On Jan 29, 2010 Peaceful Revenge. wrote:
It didn't work for me, I wonder why. I followed all the steps. I have the sims 2 Double Deluxe and Windows Vista.
On Feb 22, 2010 Katarina222 wrote:
it doesn't work for me
On Mar 7, 2010 nicolenacho wrote:
It says Sharing, not Shortcut for me =[
On Mar 14, 2010 Haziem wrote:
WOW! Thankyou! I needed this soo much!
On Mar 27, 2010 sweetdeath3 wrote:
it worked like a charm! except, i did it in the desktop icon which is the one i use all the time to play! this was a great help, thanks a lot!!!!
On Apr 4, 2010 gothician wrote:
It works for teen style atuff and it works... OMG thanks its so much easier now not having to minamise to change my songs. thanks... XD
On May 6, 2010 Wannabee16 wrote:
On May 6, 2010 Wannabee16 wrote:
and selecting "Create Shortcut." Then, right-click the shortcut and
select Properties. Then do above mentioned in tutorial. I have all expansion packs, windows 7, Hope it helps, think vista works more or less the same? I'm so thrilled this works!!!
On May 21, 2010 sims1latina88 wrote:
That's the I play my game lol!! I like to do a lot of things at the same time in my laptop and is easier to do it if the the game is windowed.I have windows 7
On May 21, 2010 sims1latina88 wrote:
that's the way* I play my game....
On May 29, 2010 RBsims2 wrote:
wow! it worked.... I used the shortcut on my deskytop instead of the all programs way.... wonderful ! thank you
On Aug 15, 2010 Kingo33 wrote:
thnaks, now i can hide it easily from siblings
On Aug 15, 2010 gruver26 wrote:
Wow! Thanks for this. It works amazingly!
On Sep 5, 2010 kutayu wrote:
Dont Work For Me.Because I use windows 7
On Sep 26, 2010 Zuika wrote:
Dont for me either stupid does anyone know how to do with windows 7?
On Oct 3, 2010 haiduong wrote:
Oh haha! It worked for me
, WOW, you're brilliant! I've been searching for a way to do this since ages! Thank you so much 
.
On Oct 12, 2010 mypurplehearts wrote:
doesnt work for windows 7
On Jan 17, 2011 Liv Ac wrote:
Doesnt work...
On May 31, 2011 tigerseye wrote:
Thanks for this fab it works for me, I have windows 7, Open for Business, University, Nightlife and most recently Freetime, I'm becoming a real addict