Water blinks red and Black...

[Nevananxa]

HI everyone! ^^

Okay, something weird happened to my game. Instead of the regular blue inside the sinks and stuff, when my sims are washing their hands, the water blinks red and black. The same happens to the water on the decorative fountains or when i have a lot next to the ocean... I have some pictures of it...
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/2246/problem1ui7.png
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/9069/problem2nb4.png

This is the suposed ocean... instead of blue or waterly-like (can't remember how it used to be xD) it's like this! :smt120
I instaled inteenimater some time ago and this happened around that time.

Does anyone has an idea of what's wrong??

Oh, and since i began to use the hum... "BoolProptestingcheatsenabled true" Cheat this thingy got stuck on the upper right corner of the screen... =/

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/6447/problem3hz8.png

Could someone help me out?? ^^"
Sorry for the bad english xD

[MissDoh]

You should try to update your video drivers for a start, most of the time it will solve the problem.  If you install a new ep or pack, it is often needed.  If that does not solve it, you might need a new video card.

Also it is normal that the Boolprop testing cheat version appears all the time while it is on in the top right corner of your screen, do not worry about that.  It is kind of a way for us to remember it is still on.

[Nevananxa]

How do i update the Video Drivers?? =/

[trl]

You go to the sight of the manufacturer of your video card. They will have the drivers available to download there. Get the latest one.

[Nevananxa]

Oh, okay. Thanx ^^

[Nevananxa]

You go to the sight of the manufacturer of your video card. They will have the drivers available to download there. Get the latest one.

Oh sorry now i realized... how do i know who's the manufacturer of my video Card?? ^^"

[caffeinated.joy]

If  you click on start>run and type in "dxdiag" you'll see the info there. If you're still confused, post what you see for your graphics and we'll help you.

[Nevananxa]

Okay, so i typed dxdiag on the run thingy and it opened up a window. Everythings on portuguese, but i think the window said o the top "DirectX diagnosis Tool" and amongst many other things, there was this

Is it the version realy 9.0c like it says or is it something else??

Should i update it to 10 or what?? My dum brain is confused... lmao xD

[Tenshii~Akari]

Have you downloaded the updated DirectX 9.0c files from the official Microsoft downloads site?  (June 2007 is the latest)  I wouldn't recommend upgrading to 10, lest your computer explodes from its sheer power.  :lol:  I think only the brand-spanking new Video Cards can support that version.

Also, to learn the name of your Video Card and manufacturer, click the third tab ("Display," or its equivalent in Portuguese.  :angel:)  on the top of the DirectX Diagnostic Tool and take a look at the first box called "Device."  It should list the type of Video Chip you have.  After you find out your manufacturer's name, you can search for their official site, and they should have updated drivers prepared to download.  

[Nevananxa]

Okay, just one more help xD



I'm kinda confused (Damn my limited cerebral capacity!!!) xD
So... can anyone point me out the name of the manufacturer?? Cuz i just don't want to screw this up ^^"

[Tenshii~Akari]

Ohh..... :shock:  No wonder.  Your graphics card won't be able to handle the water's original graphics... :icon9:  My home PC has the same brand of video card, and even after updating the drivers thousands of times, the water still flashed red... so if you want blue water, the only way to get it is to get a new "higher end" video card (that's compatible with your computer, of course.)  

(This is where the computer gurus logged onto InSim should step in.  I have very little knowledge on which ones work well or not.  I've done all I can do for the moment!   )

[caffeinated.joy]

Everyone has their favored graphics card to use, so it's all a matter of preference. I'm an ATI gal, myself. I've got an nVidia in my laptop and I've had more issues with it than I've ever had with any ATI card I've had in my pc, but that's just my experience. Whatever you decide to get, I would suggest you go to the Sims2 site first and take a gander at the minimum requirements. The eps you have in your game will determine what the minimum is.

If you go here and click on the latest ep you have, you'll find a link on the bottom right of the page that will take you to the minimum system requirements. If you have/plan on getting Seasons, then I would suggest you look at that one.

Whatever you decide on, I would strongly recommend you go with a card that has a minimum of 256mb of memory. Anything less than that won't allow you to get the full visual impact of the game.

[Nevananxa]

Well okay then xD
Thanx for your help, everyone!! =)
Got to get a new video card then... hope it doesn't take long because the flashing red water really bugs me =(
But the thing is... it didn't do it before. I've had the game for about 6 months and it only happened a month ago... but, oh well... it's still playable... can't build anything near the "ocean" or that has fountains... and have to look away from the sinks, LMAO xD