Game crashing randomly (?) + graphics problem

[Theraven]

I've never had many problems with my game before - but lately, after installing my prev games (all EP's and SP's) + AL, KB, IKEA, holiday 06 and MG on my new computer, I've had several crashes. A message pops up, saying "the programme has crashed" - and it returns back to windows.

Mostly the crashes appear randomly while in buy mode - once in plants, once when I clicked on electronics, once when I clicked on the small electronics (phones), once or twice while furnishing the same house, and also once while browsing hair in CAS (the next time I browsed around in the same hairs, nothing happened). It also froze up when shifting to the largest neighborhood view, and I had to manually quit the game. Those are the ones I remember. Might have been a few times more.

It has not happened while actually in live mode and playing, and I've not had any hack conflicts showing up (except maybe for the buyable trashcan/mailbox which I had not updated for AL - but I fixed that after the first or second crash).

I've run the hack detection (simwardrobe), but nothing sensible came up. I moved out Phaenoh's (MTS2) Catalog Clean Up Mod (never worked - I think I put them in the wrong folder anyway...), and I'm quite sure I've updated all hacks/mods for AL and MG. I've also put in one of the critical fix hacks for AL, and a few other fixes (not the official patch, since EA tends to ruin even more games with those *shudders*)

I use mostly the same downloads (not the hacks - which are updated, but buy/build/CAS stuff) as I did on my laptop, but had no crashes there.

All the crashes (except for the CAS one) has happened on new lots (either built by me, or recently downloaded lots - all of them installed with Clean Installer). Several happened while in Belladona cove, and the last two or three in Pleasantview on the same lot. Most happens after I've played for a time.

I've got 4GB memory on my computer, so it should not be a memory problem, even though I've got vista now (I had 512 MB and XP on my laptop, and although it ran slow and lagged a lot, it seldom crashed or froze completely)

I usually delete the .cache files before going ingame, so it can't be these (Might be the reason for the last crash though, since I forgot to delete them, and the game crashed on the same spot).

Anyone has a clue what is going on?

[rwills]

First and foremost, install the patches for all EPs/SPs.

Unpatched games and Vista, especially, do not play well together. Some of the patches include things specifically geared to having Sims 2 and Vista get along.

First thought that occurred, based on what you report, is the possibility of a recent Windows update having tweaked something inside Vista just enough to develop an irresolvable conflict under certain circumstances with unpatched games.

[ancienthighway]

Meshes are strange objects.  The game can load meshes, but can't detect any problems with them until it's time to display them.  I've had meshes in my game for months before they were attempted to be used and crashed the game.

Organize your meshes into folders based on the type mesh Delphy's Download Organizer places them, hair meshes, clothing meshes, and object meshes.

Then within CAS or Bodyshop, flip through all the pages of custom hair and clothing.  If the game crashes while browsing hair, you've got a problem with hair meshes.  Do a binary search on them.  Crashes while browsing clothing will be a problem with the clothing meshes.

Problems with object meshes will show up in Buy or Build mode.  You'll probably need to browse through all of the Buy Mode, but you can limit Build Mode to columns, fences, stairs, and garden.  Hopefully the creator used descriptive names so you can rule out object meshes that are in different categories.

By flipping through the catalogs with CC, you are forcing the game to use the meshes to display the thumbnails.  If the bad mesh is on the 12th page, but you only use CC from the first 5, it will never crash the game.

[Theraven]

well... I do know about mesh problems. But I really don't think I could all of a sudden have problems with ten or more different meshes/objects that has worked fine up until now... The hair that crashed (?) the game worked just fine the next time I used it, and the plants worked just fine, too.

Maybe it is a vista problem. That might explain everything. Vista is a borked creature even without any programmes running. Wish I still had XP... at least that did not ask for umpteen permissions to do a simple thing like moving files around

EDIT: it crashed again while clicking on "small electronics".   strangest thing is that this location actually worked just fine some days ago (if my memory is correct) - and as far as I can see, I've not downloaded anything that goes into this location for a while.  

EDIT again: and it froze up in CAS again - in a different location than before... *sigh*

[Theraven]

Sorry for double posting - but a new problem (if I can call it that) has occurred. Well, it has been like that since I installed sims on my new computer, but I was wondering if there's a solution.

You see - I've got a 21" widescreen. The pixel ratio ingame is on 1600x900 (otherwise 1920 x 1080 pxl), I've got a Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 graphics card, I've got every single ingame graphics setting turned on high (except the picture frequency, which is still on 60), plus I changed to square pixles - but still the game graphics looks as though I've got the details on low. All mesh edges looks pixely and edgy (but not as bad as when everything actually is on low, though).

I know it might be because the screen might be "too" big, but I think it's weird anyway.

So I'm thinking there might be something I've forgotten to turn on somewhere, but it's definitely not in the graphics settings ingame. Any suggestions?

[rwills]

Just speculating here --

How much RAM does your computer have?

Vista is a RAM hog and the GTX 285, on its own, uses (if memory serves) somewhere between 1.5 and 2 GB of RAM, so you may just not have sufficient RAM left available to fully accommodate the game's needs (especially with all settings on high).

[Theraven]

4 GB ram. Should be enough, think... 
on a side note - it kind of got better when I turned down to 1360x768. At least the edges are less pixely than they were at 1600x900...

[rwills]

That may have nailed it.

After subtracting what Vista commandeers, and then subtracting what the GTX 285 snatches, what is left is probably skirting the bottom edge of what would be adequate for the game.

Suggest turning off unnecessary processes which may also be running in the background (this would include turning off your anti-virus program, but -- of course -- disconnect from the 'net before doing that) to free up some resources.

[Theraven]

It was the graphics card that was on "performance" instead of "quality"  

*sigh* now I've got a new problem... (seems as though my new computer is messing around with me). Ingame pictures done with Gadwin turns out black. Pictures of the windows screen or any other programme works normal, but ingame pics might or might not turn out black... I've got no idea what is doing it.

[Jasumi]

Try FRAPS, it works well for me. It can record video, too.

Here: http://www.fraps.com/

[Theraven]

well... if it had only worked for me. It won't save any pictures...

[Jasumi]

Are you hitting F10? I found that using F10 toggles off the UI.

Try changing it to G instead.

[Theraven]

I've tried with F10, tried to change it to the printscreen button, G, and a few other keys. Doesn't save any pictures for me...