The Sims 2 and its expansion packs normally run in full-screen mode. This means that when you play the game, the game fills the entire screen, hiding your desktop and other windows. If you’d rather not play in full-screen mode, there is a way to make the game appear in a window instead of taking up the entire screen. This “windowed mode” option keeps your desktop and other windows visible and easier to access, and it also keeps your Windows taskbar just a click away, allowing you to switch to other programs or games, see the clock, etc. To enable it, you’ll need to modify the game’s shortcut. We’ll show you how.

To run The Sims 2 in windowed mode, follow these steps:

Find the shortcut you use to launch The Sims 2. It’s likely on your desktop, where it appears by default when the game first installs.

Right-click or hold the shortcut and choose Properties from the menu.