Guide to Installing Patches (NBA Live 2003 & NBA Live 2004)
This guide is intended to help install a variety of patches for NBA Live 2003 and NBA Live 2004. Please read it carefully; questions may be added on the Discussion page. Please feel free to add any further information/instructions to this guide as necessary.
IMPORTANT: Although this guide is intended to explain the procedures for installing patches in a straightforward and comprehensive manner, some basic computer skills are required. If performing tasks such as opening files and locating folders on your hard drive is too confusing for you, you'll need to brush up on your basic computer knowledge first.
Contents
Getting Started
Most patches are distributed as compressed archive files (eg .zip, .rar, or .7z files). This allows patchers to distribute several files as one download, as well as reduce the size of the files that they are distributing.
Windows operating systems from Windows XP onwards have in-built functionality to open .zip files. However, the use of third party software is recommended, as these programs will also allow you to open .rar and .7z archives, which have become more popular formats over the years as they offer better compression and thus allow for smaller downloads.
Recommended Software:
- WinZip (.zip files)
- WinRAR (primarily .rar files, can open other formats)
- 7-Zip (primarily .7z files, can open other formats)
Downloading & Extracting Files
If you're downloading a file from our Downloads section, it's simply a matter of clicking the Download button underneath the table that contains the file description, information, and preview (if applicable). Files that are hosted on our server will begin downloading shortly after clicking the Download button; if the file is hosted elsewhere, such as Mediafire, you'll be taken to another page where you may have to click another button to begin the actual download.
Generally speaking, patches can be downloaded to any folder to begin with. It's where you extract the files to after downloading the archive that's important.
Once you have downloaded a patch, all of the above programs offer two main simple ways of extracting files from the archive. After opening the archive file (done by using the Open command in the program, double clicking it on the desktop or a folder in Windows, or launching it from the Downloads list in your browser), you can either use the Extract button and specify a location, or you can simply click on files to drag and drop them into the folder of your choice.
It's essential that patches are extracted to the correct location, based on the type of patch and in some cases, the format in which it is distributed. Roster files are fairly straightforward, whereas art files can sometimes be a little more tricky. See below for more information.
Enabling Custom Art
If you intend to use any art patches (jerseys, courts, faces, etc) in NBA Live 2003 or NBA Live 2004, then CustomArt must be enabled. CustomArt is a value in the startup configuration file for both NBA Live 2003 and NBA Live 2004, and is enabled through the following steps:
- Locate xstartup.cfg in the main\cscripts folder within the main game folder folder. By default, the path will be C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2003\main\cscripts or C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2004\main\cscripts. In 64 Bit Windows, both games will be installed under the Program Files (x86) folder by default.
- Open xstartup.cfg using Notepad (if necessary, right-click the file and select Open with, then choose Notepad
- Locate the line customart 0
- Change this to read customart 1
- Save the changes and close the file.
Installing Roster Patches
Roster files are saved files, which means they are located in the saves folder. You'll find this folder in your Documents, under the folder for the game you're playing.
In Windows XP, by this will be:
- C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 2003\saves
- C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 2004\saves
In Windows Vista, 7, and 8, this will be:
- C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 2003\saves
- C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 2004\saves
Saved games and rosters are stored within their own subfolders within the saves folder, with each subfolder's name corresponding to its save slot (eg 000, 001, etc). Roster patches should therefore be distributed as a folder containing saved files, and must placed in the saves folder.
For example, if a custom roster for NBA Live 2003 is being distributed in an archived folder called 002, then the 002 folder must be placed directly in the saves folder, like so:
- C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 08\saves\002 (Windows XP)
- C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 08\saves\002 (Windows Vista, 7, 8)
NOTE: This would override any roster or game that you already have saved in slot 002. Take care before overwriting any save folders and be sure to save your game/roster in a new slot first if you want to keep it.
Inside the 002 folder will be a bunch of DBF files, along with a .dat file which contains information about the save.
Now that the roster save has been placed correctly, you will need to load it from the Load/Save menu within the game.
Additional Information
- All paths specified in this guide assume that you have installed NBA Live to the default folder, and that Windows is installed on your C drive. If this is different for your PC, alter the path accordingly (eg C:\Games\NBA Live 2003\render).
- If you're having trouble with a particular patch, be sure to contact the person who made it.
- Always look for an included readme file for detailed instructions on installing a patch. Patchers are definitely encouraged to include readme files for detailed updates.
- Adding face patches will not automatically add players to a roster. You will need to create them yourself, and then assign the face to the player you've created.
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