Sims 2 can't restore old neighborhoods (Store Edition error?)

I installed Sims 2 on here last night wanting to get back into the game after a laptop switch two years ago. While installation went off well, I can't get any of my old neighborhoods (some of them I've put about 5 years into) to load. I have a feeling it's because I used the discs which included the Store Edition of the game (Fun with Pets Collection, University Life Collection, and Best of Business Collection, I own all three of them) which for some reason doesn't make the neighborhoods work on non-store edition games. I have tried to look at tutorials but they assume that I had gotten the Ultimate Collection legitimately from Origin which apparently bundles everything together in the collections and the only bundle offered here is the Double Deluxe edition, the only one that doesn't have the Store Edition included. I have also seen tutorials using the SimPE program which I have very little experience in and the tutorials are not detailed enough for me to comfortably try to do. I still have my discs but I would rather not play with them especially since it seems to be more and more common for newer laptops to lack the disc drive. 

Does anyone know of an easy way to get my old neighborhoods to work or should I just reinstall with my discs (save for Glamour Life and Happy Holiday which are the only ones I'm missing) and try to find a crack to allow me to play without them?

V-Starr wrote:I installed Sims 2 on here last night wanting to get back into the game after a laptop switch two years ago. While installation went off well, I can't get any of my old neighborhoods (some of them I've put about 5 years into) to load. I have a feeling it's because I used the discs which included the Store Edition of the game (Fun with Pets Collection, University Life Collection, and Best of Business Collection, I own all three of them) which for some reason doesn't make the neighborhoods work on non-store edition games. I have tried to look at tutorials but they assume that I had gotten the Ultimate Collection legitimately from Origin which apparently bundles everything together in the collections and the only bundle offered here is the Double Deluxe edition, the only one that doesn't have the Store Edition included. I have also seen tutorials using the SimPE program which I have very little experience in and the tutorials are not detailed enough for me to comfortably try to do. I still have my discs but I would rather not play with them especially since it seems to be more and more common for newer laptops to lack the disc drive. 

Does anyone know of an easy way to get my old neighborhoods to work or should I just reinstall with my discs (save for Glamour Life and Happy Holiday which are the only ones I'm missing) and try to find a crack to allow me to play without them?

Welcome to the Forum @V-Starr,

At this point I'm afraid I can't suggest more than indeed trying to use another version of The Sims 2. We used the "Double Deluxe Edition" for a reason: because on newer Windows systems (after Windows XP) you end up with an error "insert Disc 1" when trying to install an expansion on top of a 'normal' basegame. My personal opinion is, that it still was a good compromise to release this particular version of the game.

You can, at this point, try using your disc versions and then one of the NoCD-files here:
https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t22413-how-to-use-nocd-files-in-the-sims-2

Or, maybe a simpler solution that you go straight ahead to ZLOrigin, which offers the Ultimate Collection as well.
https://games4theworld.forumotion.com/t30092-zlorigin-made-simple

We are currently working on releasing a torrent for that "Ultimate Collection" as well: one that can be used independently of Origin/ZLOrigin. The files have been compiled, but we are thinking about certain tweaks, so I really can't give you an ETA about that release. I guess if you badly wanted to play these old neighborhoods, for the moment your best bet would be to use ZLOrigin.