Help with gadwin + sims?

[Katie]

I'm new to using gadwin, and I've discovered that I can't take pictures in game? I tried and it takes a picture of the desktop rather than the game? Anyone know how to fix this?

I hope this is in the right place...

[Theraven]

Sims and Gadwin aren't the best of friends. I tend to get entirely blacked-out pics at first. Only corrects if I go back to the desktop, open the printscreen folder, delete the black pics, and go back ingame.
On my laptop Gadwin tended to shut down so that all the pics I thought I had done weren't saved. 

Does it happen with other programmes than sims? I know I often got a black image if trying to capture something from the media player on my laptop, and it won't work for Sims 3 at all...

What are your settings?
Is it set on "full screen" (under source)?
And make sure the "initial delay before capture" (under preferences) isn't ticked off.

[Carlwashere]

I've had this, helped Jamie with it not too long ago.
Ok, right click the shortcut you use to start the game (aka, the icon) and go to properties. Look for the compatibility tab, and make sure you check "disable desktop composition",
This also works for most other full screen games that end up taking screen shots of the desktop. It's not Gadwin, its just a compatibility thing.

[Tenshii~Akari]

I know this method varies from computer to computer, but I've discovered it's easier to use Gadwin and Sims 2 if you're running Sims 2 in windowed mode.  (Mostly because my own laptop literally blows up in a fit of glitched pixels when constant switching of screen resolutions occur, and I always ended up taking shots of the actual glitchiness instead of what I was aiming for. Not only that, my computer no longer lets me play the old way anyhow.)  Depending on your system specs and how your computer runs, it may give your video card a slight relief when taking screenshots like that, and saves you from having to deal with the blue hourglass screen.  

[Theraven]

Using the save mode (Destination --> copy captured area to file, and "automatic naming"), you don't have to go in and out of the game all the time.

Also, you can uncheck "capture mouse cursor" (under source).

In case anyone wonders, I save as Tiff files. Better quality than JPG, and I can save in layers plus show on the desktop without using PS files (which I can only view in PS).

[Katie]

Thanks for all the help! I'll have to check ingame (you know, after it loads for two hours... ) I hope I can get it working!

Carl's way sounds like what's wrong actually, but I'll try all of them THANKS!