Hello !
I recently re-purschased SimCity 4 on Origin, and I wanted to start with the BAT. But I can't install it...
Indeed, when I click on "SC4BATInstaller.exe", a dialog box opens and shows this :
"SimCity 4 Deluxe does not appear to be installed. You will need to install SimCity 4 Deluxe in order to use the Buildings Architect Tools"
But my game is installed (in C:\Program Files\SimCity 4). Gmax is installed and activated. And I was able to install LotEditor but not the BAT &mmm
Any solution ?
Thank you !
It seems a common problem for some of the digital versions of the game, I know you say your copy is installed in C:\Program Files\Sim City 4, but if you have a 64-bit OS then actually this is not where the SC4 BAT would expect to find it. It needs to be in Program Files (x86), since it's a 32-bit application. In theory it might simply work if you copy SC4.exe to the expected location and try to run the installer again.
Otherwise try uninstalling/re-installing SC4 to the default location and see if that fixes it. Make sure also that gMax is installed and registered before installing SC4 BAT.
I have a 64-bits OS, so I reinstalled the game in C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition, but there is always the same problem. I can install the LotEditor, but not the BAT.
But I reinstalled Gmax, and when I run it, there isn't any window asking a registration code. Is it normal ?
Figured it was worth a try...
When I installed gMax i needed to register at the site, I was then issued the registration code to activate gMax by e-mail, I don't recall exactly when I needed to enter it, but I have a feeling you can't launch an unregistered copy so if it works, perhaps you already registered it?
To my knowledge, the BAT installer looks for SimCity 4 at the location specified in the registry. When installing this should be correct, but you should check the registry (Press Windows key and R together, type REGEDIT in the box, hit enter). Browse to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432node\Maxis\SimCity 4
Here should be a property, "Install Dir", check that it's correctly matching the actual install directory, note that PROGRA~2 is the 8-character filename of Program Files (x86).
If it is correct, then there is no reason for the BAT tool to not find SC4, the only thing I can think of is that the version of SC4 you have might not be correctly recognised by the BAT tool, given you've an Origin download, best guess would be that they messed with the .EXE, without checking it would pass the SC4 BAT install check.
NOTE: So long as you don't edit the registry, only viewing it can not harm your PC, whatever you do, do NOT alter the registry unless you know what you are doing.
A couple of possible solutions, if you bought the digital version recently, ask for a refund, get a proper DRM-free version or find some disks (6€ new on Amazon). If you bought your Origin copy last year, it may be you've an out of date version, they were selling a digital copy without the patches, that could not be patched until Tarkus got the issue noticed, therefore re-download to get the updated one.