So I installed base game which was region 1. My friend visiting from the UK brought over her expansion packs so I could install the ones I didn't already have. Thing is, when I went to install her expansion packs, which were region 2, there was obviously some issues. I read elsewhere that this could be solved with a simple registry edit to change the region code of base game from 1 to 2. I had no trouble installing her UK expansion packs or my US expansion packs. (I assume because 2 is worldwide.)

The only thing I'm worried about is will there be issues the next time a patch is released? I'm already on 1.33, so I don't have to worry about patching for a while. I just want to know if I should use the region 1 patch or region 2 patch.

Starting from patch 1.22, the Patch(er) would only update the base game, so what region the other packs are in, is irrelevant at this point.

And since the patch executable is for 1.xx.xx.000?, right? You'd need to ensure that last digit match the region value to the 1.xx.xx.000? of your own game. I have FAQs explaining all this.

• Game Help:TS3_Patching Find Gameversion^wiki
• Game_Help:TS3_Patching_Versions^wiki
• Game Help:Patch_Table^wiki

The Patch_Table page is worth to bookmark, as that would be maintained as long as Sims 3 is getting updates, my time permitting. The other pages are mostly, read about it once and forget about it once you understand the nitty-gritties of the versioning conventions.

So your friend has given you the EPs, to keep? Because if not, that is technically piracy under the EULA, so we won't be able to help you until you own your own copies of the games, I'm afraid.

Version.tag, skuversion.txt, and the launcher all say 1.33.2.015001. But the registry says 2 because I told it to in order to make the other games work. Do the manual update files look at the registry entry or any of the three aforementioned places?

As for borrowing games being piracy, I thought it was only piracy if you don't use an actual disc or you get it from someone you don't know. I thought if you got it from a friend with an actual disc, it was okay. Not sure why it matters. If I had visited England myself and bought it and brought it back home and installed it, or if I had ordered it off the internet from a third party seller, not knowing they were sending me the wrong version, I would have the same exact issue, but you wouldn't be throwing a hissy fit over the semantics of it.

Well, the disk isn't the central thing - it's the license, as embodied by the serial key. If you had your own serial key but, for example, had lost or broken your disk, and you borrowed your friend's disk to install using your serial key, that'd be entirely kosher. On the other hand, when you have two people both using one serial key - well, they can't both have the legal right to use that serial key at the same time.
Of course, your problem isn't unique to your situation - and equally, we get many people who've deliberately pirated games who have totally mundane problems like not knowing how to install CC; completely unrelated to how or where they got the software, but the same rule applies (not that it stops us being of help, since such questions have been answered in the past and those answers are visible to everyone).

As frustrating as I know it is for you, we're a big site, and IP rights holders are rabid. Our cease and desist gallery is already bigger than we'd like, and we're not going to take the chance of it being bolstered by someone at EA legal getting the impression that we condone software piracy - I'm sure you can understand that.


And yes - it is a patent abuse of contractual law. But unfortunately, it's within the letter.