Getting the Sims 1 January 6 prototype to work

[k98philgamer]

Hi its me again! I am trying to run this game and it won't work because of the 16bit installer!
strangely unlike the steering committee, I am unable to run this on my windows 11 64 bit.

I read about the solution and I don't like it. I rather have the installer converted for 64bit
so I can install the game like I normally would with any modern software!

I don't want to risk my storage space just to switch between 32bit and 64bit its ridiculous.

https://archive.org/download/the-sims-alpha-version/The Sims (Alpha Version).zip

I tried to put it on attachments but it won't fit so I provide a link to the download for you to get it!

I am doing whatever I can to get the help I need.

 

[Kippykip]

Looks like it's actually a pre 5.5 InstallShield installer, which actually are 16bit stubs that extract a 32bit/MIPS/PPC one or whatever version is needed.
Since X64 Windows cannot run 16bit executable at all, and using OTVDM crashes on InstallShield. The only workaround I see is to make a Windows XP VM to install it first.

I faced the exact same issue with Ready to Ready with Pooh, as it also uses the same installer.

PortableApp - Disney's Ready to Read with Pooh Portable

Here's Disney's Ready to Read with Pooh from 1999! Stitched up as best as I could to be playable on modern operating systems such as Windows 10. Although there's still some graphical issues on the initial title screen. Credits: JauntePE: (For running the game without the need of the registry...

kippykip.com

EDIT:
Made a fix, I used an XP VM to run the 16-bit installer, which extracted the true 32-bit files in a temp folder. Which does run on X64 bit windows.
It's the same method I had to do for Winnie the Pooh 1999

All you gotta do is extract this .ZIP into the original installer files, and run setup32.exe
InstallShield 5.10.151.0 - 32 Bit Binaries.zip
CDN Download

 

[Kippykip]

Just made a more detailed thread about this whole issue:

InstallShield - 32 Bit Binaries (x64 Windows Fix)

You've probably noticed while a lot of old late 90s/early 2000s games are in fact 32-bit... ...when you try to run the installer, you'll find it is a 16-bit application and refuse to start on modern 64-bit versions of Windows. "This app can't run on your PC" etc So the overwhelming majority of...

kippykip.com

 

[k98philgamer]

whoa you're so amazing! I am not sure if I'll have internet tomorrow so I am very glad I check my message here one last time just to be sure! I will go ahead and download it.

Thats the reason why I was told to change my pc to 32 bit because of this complicated nonsense. this game was found at a thrift store in Washington! I was born in Seattle but I am not sure if the store was found there as he might be referring to DC but he didn't mentioned exactly.

I like to send you something if you have time to figure out what to do with the 3d models? they are in cmx and msh format. There was no skn at the time of the prototypes. the skn they used for the 3d models of the people was made somewhere late between the E3 1999 build and the 1999 December build which we don't have yet. however is this only my guess since I am not a expert about this. I found these files inside the folder of the 1999 demo when I was missing it around to find stuff from the game like textures and sprites. theres a bunch of it but I forgot how to convert the SPR from them. a friend from bluesky helped me with this last time but I did not get a reply yet with this one I found. I always appreciate your help! I grow up with this game since 2001. Sims the best pc game around lmao.

This demo is still a blessing find!