Does anyone know what could cause object errors with the GoBo and DiscoBall lights?

I can't see them in-game anymore. Lots that had them working OR new lots.

I get an error message each time and canceling or resetting has no effect, they have to be deleted.

Any ideas what could be conflicting with them? It's driving me crazy. :tard:

Also, I was pretty sure I had a build/buy enabler for community lots, but I can't build most things on dorm lots and can't build or buy on other lots. Also: I had a student ask for a bird cage, got one, and then couldn't buy a bird. So students in dorms can't buy pets?

Short and sweet and just for fun.

The Sims must be the world's most aggravating--and most addictive--game. Why else, when it acts up, do we not snap the CDs in two and swear off it forever? :-P

I've been getting application crashes (most annoying ones happen when my Sims are downtown, where I can't save new purchases /relationships) which I suspect are due to memory running out. It can hog up to 3/4 of a gig, but that seems to be the upper limit. Some lots show the used memory dropping back under a half gig, some don't. Ugh. I keep Task Manager open in the corner and have a "save now" autospammer added, but there's really nothing I can do but watch it go up and up until the game balks. Sucky. Any tips?

The biggest gripes lately are the non-working GoBo lights and disco ball (lots that have them spam up an error message, lots that don't have them spam an error once they are purchased). I was able to use these even on residential lots earlier.

I'm also getting an error related to the Athletics career (default), though none of my Sims are on that job track. Maybe some students or (down)townies have it.

Lastly, I get a Sim "user" / character error for #205. Investigation revealed it was a professor. I only played one student lot and only met one prof., and this isn't the guy. What has happened?

Two screenshots of these errors are attached. Family shown is new, entering a new, empty Maxis lot for the first time.

Another minor nuisance is that an "all-in-one" lot alarm that prevents burglaries and fires needs resetting each time I enter a lot it is in. It does apparently work, though, as two of my less intelligent Sims tried to set their eyebrows on fire in the kitchen (again).

I do have hacks, but downloaded all updates and ditched unsupported / outdated ones after going through checklists posted at MATY and here and elsewhere by the mod and hack creators.

As for the usual suspects, I don't have and never had inTEENimater and downloaded only the Pets version of InSIMenator. Got all EPs and SPs at the same time (except Family Fun, which I still don't have). Got all EA patches, and, frankly, most of my issues appeared AFTER installing their patches.

I was originally running the game with all the highest settings (reflections on, lot distance maxxed, etc.), and had a live Internet session going as well, so my graphics card is capable of handling it, it's just reverting to less extreme settings now by default and I'm running nothing extraneous at all.

So what the hey is going on?

I need wisdom.

Another quick question or two: if a Sim is buying clothes and the outfit shows in the catalogue but not on the mannequin, that means that the texture didn't download correctly, right? Or is the mesh damaged? Ditto for hair / accessories...if the Maxis default hair is shown, or the default bald mannequin head (and it's not a below-the-neck accessory), which part failed to be
loaded into Downloads properly? Texture or mesh?

I suspect that the clothing issue is a bad mesh and the hair / accessory issues are bad textures, but I'm not sure.

*attached image removed*

So I finally got a laptop capable of handling the Sims 2. So I try to install Sims 2 Holiday Pack and meet with abject failure.
 
I wrote EA Support on the old laptop that is currently connected to the Internet. My new laptop, which I'd like to install The Sims 2 on, is not (yet) connected. The "brain transplant" is scheduled for Monday.
 
I have tried for five hours to install Sims 2 Holiday Edition (the base game + holiday-themed goodies) onto a brand new laptop that has never had anything else beyond factory standard programs installed, has never been connected online, has never had spyware / viruses, which is completely Disk Cleaned and Defragged, and which surpasses the requirements to run the game.
 
The diagnostic is on the other machine (which means EA Support will likely blow off my question repeatedly) but I copied the pertinent information here:
 
Computer is an XP professional service pack 2, build 2600
Sys Memory is 1023.1
Processor Speed is 1995.0
Dix X version is 9.0c
Display Device NVIDIA GForce Go 7600 GT *** when running diag, it didn't know if this was compatible
Display Mem 256.0
Display Driv 6.14.10.8457 *** ditto above note
Sound SigmaTel Audio
Sound Driver 1.0.5010.0 nd455 cpl *** ditto above note
 
Does anyone know if the *** starred items are known problems?
 
Edited to add: Space is not an issue. There's about 195 G free. It's a top of the line machine. I have to use this thing for grad school and consulting, too, so I went for broke. Literally. I am eatin' ramen and drinkin' tap water for the next few years. But I digress.
 
What happens: I put in Disk 1, enter my code as asked, tell EA I'll wait to see if I can actually play the damn game without issues before I register my serial number (last time I jumped the gun, I couldn't register the game that worked because the non-working game number was already in their files and I couldn't fix that). Disk 1 loads, begs for Disk 2. I insert Disk 2. My install stalls at 23%, shortly after I insert Disk 2. I checked the disk, it is clean and fingerprint- and scratch-free. I checked processes running and eliminated all I was asked to end process on: I left explorer and taskmg alone.
 
Lather, rinse, repeat. For FIVE hours. I run diagnostics. I scrape Sims 2 off the machine and start from scratch. I re-defrag (you can imagine the time that takes with a drive this size, even though it's practically barren so far). I run disk clean-up. All is well as far as I can tell computer-wise.
 
I can't tell if Sims 2 Disk 2 is refusing to be read at all (I can "open" and "explore" via menu and it definitely has stuff on it) or if it starts reading and then just sits there. I tried to move on to Disk 3, wondering if it just didn't tello me it wanted Disk 3. That, of course, didn't work. I didn't think it would.
 
And here we are. I had all EPs of Sims 1, so I am familiar with the tricksy nature of Sims installs and familiar with dealing with EA products. I have the migraines and callouses on my forehead from thumping my head about in frustration against walls and desks. I remember the aggravation involved. HOWEVER, it was never this bad. It would at least GO ON MY MACHINE. Ugh!
 
I don't know what else to do. I had to wait until I had a good excuse to buy a newer machine running XP, and the first "toys" I get myself are Sims 2 games, and I can't even load the base game. I was smart enough not to open all the packs immediately, but dumb enough to get them from Amazon, which means I will have to wait two or three weeks more to play the damn game if I can't figure out what the issue is or if it is a faulty disk. How can you tell?!
 
I am disappointed, and after mucking about with it for hours (I even tried changing the drive name from F: to D:, for Pete's sake!), I'm tired and let down and frustrated and need help. :smt120:
 
Is there some program I should have that wasn't mentioned? I noticed compressed files and I don't know if WINzip or WINrar are on my new computer, but nowhere does it mention that they are required to install the game. What's going on? Please help. :bawl: