Guide to Installing Patches (NBA Live 2005-08)

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This guide is intended to help install a variety of patches for NBA Live 2005, NBA Live 06, NBA Live 07, and NBA Live 08. 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.

Getting Started[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Installing Roster Patches[edit]

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 08\saves
  • C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 07\saves
  • C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 06\saves
  • C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 2005\saves

In Windows Vista, 7, and 8, this will be:

  • C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 08\saves
  • C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 07\saves
  • C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 06\saves
  • C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 2005\saves

Saved games and rosters are stored within their own subfolders within the saves folder. 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 08 is being distributed in an archived folder called MYROSTER, then the MYROSTER folder must be placed directly in the saves folder, like so:

  • C:\Documents and Settings\YourWindowsUserName\My Documents\NBA Live 08\saves\MYROSTER (Windows XP)
  • C:\Users\YourWindowsUsername\My Documents\NBA Live 08\saves\MYROSTER (Windows Vista, 7, 8)

Inside the MYROSTER 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. Note that you cannot apply roster updates to a Season, Dynasty, or Playoffs game already in progress.

Important Notes[edit]

  • If the roster save folder is placed incorrectly, it will not show up in the Load/Save menu. Make sure that the folder has been extracted to the right place, as indicated above.
  • Some rosters might require art updates to be installed before they'll work properly. Missing art files will lead to crashes, so be sure to completely install all the required files. Please consult any included readme files, if available.
  • Roster patches cannot be applied to a Dynasty, Playoffs, or Season game that is already in progress. You will need to start a new game.
  • NBA Live 07 and NBA Live 08 include an option to redo the 2006 and 2007 Draft respectively when starting a new Dynasty Mode game. Select No if you wish to use a custom roster.
  • NBA Live 2005 has an intermittent bug where loading a Dynasty that uses a custom roster will crash, unless you re-load the roster, then load the Dynasty save. It's an extra step, but an easy fix.

Installing Art Patches[edit]

Unlike NBA Live 2003 and NBA Live 2004, NBA Live 2005, NBA Live 06, NBA Live 07, and NBA Live 08 do not require the user to modify any configuration files to allow the game to utilise custom art files, nor does the user have to create any subfolders for individual teams and players. Files are simply placed in the appropriate pre-existing folder.

The art folder for NBA Live 2005-08 is the sgsm folder. By default, this is located at:

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\sgsm
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\sgsm
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\sgsm
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\sgsm
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\sgsm (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\sgsm (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\sgsm (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\sgsm (64 bit Windows)

VIV files containing texture and shape files can be found in the subfolders within the sgsm folder. In the main sgsm folder, you'll find a few art files, such as the game's lighting files.

As a general rule, any updated VIV file (eg courts and jerseys) must be placed in the appropriate subfolder, overwriting the original file. Any other art files (FSH, EBO, etc) can simply be placed in the main sgsm folder. The game will load these loose files before it loads their equivalents from any of the VIV files in the subfolders. Further information on specific types of patches can be found below.

Jersey Patches[edit]

The default jersey files are stored in the uniforms subfolder.

  • If a jersey patch is distributed as a VIV file, it must be placed in the uniforms subfolder, overwriting the original file.
  • If a jersey patch is distributed as a collection of FSH files, they must be placed in the main sgsm folder. These files will be loaded instead of what's in the VIV file under the uniforms subfolder.

Important Notes[edit]

  • If you've got a updated jersey FSH files in your sgsm folder and you then download a new update that's in VIV format, you must remove the FSH files from your sgsm folder, otherwise they will be loaded instead of their VIV equivalents. If you're seeing mismatching numbers or other textures, or nothing appears to be updated, this is likely the cause.
  • There are half-resolution jerseys that are used for All-Star Weekend mode. In NBA Live 2005 and NBA Live 06, these are found in the uniforms subfolder, with filenames like XXXXhoha (home half) and XXXXawha (away half), where XXXX is the four letter team abbreviation. In NBA Live 07 and NBA Live 08, the half resolution jerseys are stored in a folder named unihalf within the uniforms subfolder, and have the same filename as their full resolution equivalents (eg XXXXhome and XXXXaway, where XXXX is the four letter team abbreviation.

Jersey Portrait Patches[edit]

Jersey portraits are the images that are displayed in the Select Jersey screen. They are actually stored in the jerseys.viv file within the fe folder (located under the main game folder), but they are generally distributed as individual BIG files and must be placed in the main sgsm folder.

  • If a jersey portrait patch is distributed as a BIG file, it must be placed in the main sgsm folder.
  • If the entire jerseys.viv container has been updated, it must be placed in the fe folder, found in the main game folder.

Important Notes[edit]

  • It's not common for the jerseys.viv file to be updated and distributed, but in the event that it is and there are conflicts, remove the corresponding BIG files from your sgsm folder. It's highly unlikely that you will run into this issue however, given the general distribution method for jersey portrait patches.

Court/Stadium Patches[edit]

The default court/stadium files are stored in the stadia subfolder.

  • If a court patch is distributed as a VIV file, it must be placed in the stadia subfolder, overwriting the original file.
  • If a court patch is distributed as a collection of texture and shape files (ie FSH, EBO and O files), they must be placed in the main sgsm folder. These files will be loaded instead of what's in the VIV file under the stadia subfolder.

Important Notes[edit]

  • If you've got updated court files in your sgsm folder and you then download a new update that's in VIV format, you must remove the FSH, EBO and O files from your sgsm folder, otherwise they will be loaded instead of their VIV equivalents. If you're getting weird results or nothing appears to be updated, this is likely the cause.

Face, Headshape & Tattoo Patches[edit]

The default player face/headshape/skin files are stored in the players subfolder. The default coach face/headshape files are stored in the coach subfolder.

  • Player faces are almost always distributed as FSH and EBO files, and therefore can be placed directly in the main sgsm folder.
  • If a patch is distributing updated VIV containers for the face textures and headshapes, those files should be placed in the players subfolder. This is, however, extremely rare.
  • If a coach's face is distributed as FSH and EBO files, they can also be placed directly in the main sgsm folder.
  • If a coach's face is distributed as a VIV file, it must be placed in the coach subfolder.

The names of player and coach faces must match their seven letter PLAYERPKG values in players.dbf and coaches.dbf respectively. Most PLAYERPKG values follow the convention of using the first two letters of a player or coach's given name, and the first five letters of their surname (eg LEJAMES for LeBron James, GRPOPOV for Gregg Popovich). If a surname has less than five letters, an underscore will be used (eg GRHILL_ for Grant Hill, GEKARL_ for George Karl).

Players with similar names will use slight changes in this approach to ensure that they have a unique PLAYERPKG value; for example, twin centres Jason and Jarron Collins use the first and third letters for their given names (JSCOLLI and JRCOLLI respectively). The same goes for coaches, though this is usually less common.

Not all roster makers use the same naming convention when creating new players and coaches, so if in doubt, open the appropriate players.dbf or coaches.dbf file with DB Commander, locate the player or coach whose face is being patched, and check the value in the PLAYERPKG field.

Important Notes[edit]

  • If you have face and headshape files loose in your sgsm folder, and you then download a new update that's in VIV format, you must remove the FSH and EBO files from your sgsm folder, otherwise they will be loaded instead of their VIV equivalents. If something looks wrong or isn't being updated, this is likely the cause. Once again, this is very rare as far as player faces are concerned, but does happen from time to time with coach faces.

Portrait Patches[edit]

Player portraits are actually stored outside of the sgsm folder, under fe in the main game folder, in a file called plyrprts.viv. However, custom portrait files are still extracted to the main sgsm folder, where they will be loaded instead of what's in the plyrprts.viv file.

  • Individual portraits are distributed as BIG files, and should be placed directly in the main sgsm folder.
  • If a custom plyrprts.viv file is what's being distributed, it needs to be placed in the fe folder instead.

As with faces and other player art, the names of portrait files must contain the seven letter abbreviation used in a player's PLAYERPKG value (eg plyrprts~LEJAMES.big for LeBron James).

Important Notes[edit]

  • If plyrprts.viv is overwritten with a custom file and you're not seeing the updated portraits, it'll be because an individual portrait file in the sgsm folder is being loaded instead. You'll need to remove that file to see the updated portrait. However, it's rare for portrait patches to be distributed in this manner, so you're very unlikely to run into this issue.

Overlay & Menu Patches[edit]

As with portraits, overlays like the scoreboard and all menu files are stored in VIV files within the fe folder. However, custom menu and overlay files are placed in the main sgsm folder, where they are loaded instead of the files in their respective VIV containers.

  • Overlay and menu files are BIG files, and should be placed directly in the main sgsm folder.
  • If a custom VIV file for the scoreboard or menus is what's being distributed, it needs to be placed in the fe folder instead.

Important Notes[edit]

  • It's extremely rare for overlay and menu patches to be distributed in their original VIV files, but if so, any corresponding VIV files in the main sgsm folder will need to be removed to avoid conflicts. If something looks strange, this is likely the cause.

Logo Patches[edit]

Logos files are stored in various VIV containers within the fe folder, the same as jersey portraits, player portraits, overlays and menus. As with those other files, custom logo patches are placed in the main sgsm folder, where they are loaded instead of the files in their respective VIVs.

  • Logo files are BIG files, and should be placed directly in the main sgsm folder.
  • If a custom logo VIV file is what's being distributed, it needs to be placed in the fe folder instead.

Important Notes[edit]

  • It's extremely rare for logo patches to be distributed in their original VIV files, but if so, any corresponding BIG files in the main sgsm folder will need to be removed to avoid conflicts. If something isn't updated, this is likely the cause.

Shoe Patches[edit]

Shoe files are stored in shoes.viv file within the props subfolder within the main sgsm folder.

  • If custom shoes are distributed as FSH files, they can be placed directly in the main sgsm folder.
  • If the entire shoes.viv file has been updated and distributed, it must be placed in the props subfolder, overwriting the original file.

Important Notes[edit]

  • As with other art patches, loose files in the sgsm folder take precedent over their equivalents stored in VIV files. If you download a new shoe patch in VIV format, be sure to remove any loose shoe files in the sgsm folder to avoid conflicts.

Other Patches[edit]

Various patches must be placed elsewhere and often involve overwriting the default files. Whenever overwriting the default files, it's a good idea to keep a backup of the original file handy, just in case something goes wrong.

AIACT Updates[edit]

The aiact.viv file contains animation files. It's located (and must be replaced) in these folders:

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\ai\act
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\ai\act
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\ai\act
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\ai\act
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\ai\act (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\ai\act (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\ai\act (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\ai\act (64 bit Windows)

Sim Engine Updates[edit]

simeng.txt is a file that determines simulated statistics in Dynasty, Season, and Playoffs modes. It's located (and must be replaced) in these folders:

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\simeng
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\simeng
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\simeng
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\simeng
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\simeng (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\simeng (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\simeng (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\simeng (64 bit Windows)

Note that this does not seem to have any effect on NBA Live 08. NBA Live 08 also has a file called simengin, located in the tuning folder:

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\tuning

Cutscene Updates[edit]

The xscripts.viv and scdata.sbk files within the scripter folder are cutscene files. Swapping them between games allows you to change the cutscenes (eg take the starting lineup introductions from one game and utilise it in another). They're located (and must be replaced) in these folders:

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\scripter
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\scripter
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\scripter
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\scripter
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\scripter (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\scripter (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\scripter (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\scripter (64 bit Windows)

Game Text/Language Patches[edit]

The game's language files are stored in these folders. Any custom language files must override the originals.

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\loc
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\loc
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\loc
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\loc
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\loc (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\loc (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\loc (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\loc (64 bit Windows)

Camera Patches[edit]

Camera files (MGD files) are located in these folders. Any custom files must override the originals.

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\merlin
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\merlin
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\merlin
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\merlin
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\merlin (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\merlin (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\merlin (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\merlin (64 bit Windows)

Audio Patches[edit]

Audio files (which include ASF, IDX, FCD, EVT, ABK, AST and CSI files) are located in these folders. Any custom files must override the originals.

  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\audio
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\audio
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\audio
  • C:\Program Files\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\audio
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 08\audio (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 07\audio (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 06\audio (64 bit Windows)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Sports\NBA Live 2005\audio (64 bit Windows)

Some additional information on the subfolders:

  • Arena ditties and sound effects are stored in the aems subfolder.
  • The menu music (ie the game's soundtrack) is stored in the music subfolder.
  • The speech subfolder contains the game's speech files:
    • arena contains the PA announcer audio.
    • asw contains audio for the All-Star Weekend.
    • frontend contains audio for the menus
    • gamespch contains the in-game commentary.
    • oneonone contains additional audio for One-on-One mode (NBA Live 2005 and NBA Live 06 only)
    • plyrcoch contains additional player and coach audio (NBA Live 2005 and NBA Live 06 only)

Automatic Installations[edit]

Some patches (such as the NLSC Current Roster Updates) utilise installation files that automatically place files in the correct place. If that's the case for the patch you're using, then all you need to do is extract the .exe file and run it. Please note that problems can arise with custom installation folders; please see the included documentation where applicable.

Certain patches may require you to run a batch (BAT) file. It's important that you extract the batch file and any other required files to the correct folder. As this is a more complicated step, the patch will usually contain further instructions.

Additional Information[edit]

  • As mentioned several times throughout this document, if you appear to have conflicting art updates, you may need to clean out loose files from your sgsm folder. Again, any loose files that are in the sgsm folder will be loaded instead of their equivalents in the VIV containers, so delete the loose files if you're using an updated VIV.
  • NBA Live 07 and NBA Live 08 will crash if too many 2x Patches are used. If you run into issues, you can try using this fix.
  • 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 08\sgsm).
  • 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 follow this guide to assign them to the player you've created.

Links[edit]