Insimenator.org

EPS: PETS, UNI, NL (And all Stuff Packs)
Problem: I always get that Blue Screen (the 'Problem Screen') wheneverI enter a lot

Story: As you know, I am in the Superhero contest, and I tried to enter the lot to TAKE the pictures for my Round 1. I enter, and it looks okay, then after 2 seconds (or if I MOVE the mouse) that 'Problem Screen' appears (the blue one) and it takes like 10 minutes to get back to the regular screen, and then it happens again. And so on. And so on. And so on. And so on, and so on, AND SO ON!! *pulls hair out* AAAAAAAARGH!

What I want: A solution!!!

I tried: System Restore, and I will re-install tomorrow if I can't get a cure, and if I can't still, I will keep trying.

It might be: A virus (*gasp*), the lot, something I downloaded

Sounds to me like you overloaded the lot. Do you have a lot of mirrors, reflective surfaces and landscaping?

I just deleted the lot, and the game works now. Thanks!

I went back into the game, and it happens, just LATER into the game. And does the blue screen, and goes back for about a minute, the blue screen, and goes back for 30 seconds, does the blue screen, and goes back for 15 seconds, and so on and so on.

Then repeats with smaller and smaller amounts of time, and after about 20 times, it's reached 1 second, and then just doesn't go back at all.

HELP!

After I did the system restore, my game didn't even load, and now I un-installed, and tried to re-install, it won't even install, so be careful Frog Man.

eep, I will!

Do I know you? lol

You are overheating. Pull the side cover off the case, make sure the CPU fan is running and if you have to, run with an open case.

Edit: and if the CPU fan isn't turning get a new one ;)

Okay I will try!

EDIT: I just put my hand near it, and I can feel the cool air coming out of it.

Frog_Man - also there should be a smaller fan on the video card - this may have stopped working (they last about a year or less) - or even a build of dust on the RAM. A good blowing out with a can of comprssed air is advisable.  If you have forced air heating and cooling in your home, dust is a constant menace inside the case.

Okay, I will try

Also, I just upgraded my RAM a few days ago, so it's brand new.

ok - then the way they make the stuff so cheaply these days it could very likely be a bad RAM stick

Hopefully not!

hi guys, i bought a new dell and it is doing the bluescreen thing also, i just installed all sims n eps , i hope its not the computer.... fan is running ok but ot sure if dust or dog hair, will have to open it up i guess.  its great to come here and find out its not just me with these problems, i love the game, as a designer i love to build and decorate the homes, and i love boesboxboys skins too,......

how do u know if ram stick is bad?  and if so i have had the computer about one month, it should be covered no?

I wonder this too!

NEW PROBLEM:

My game won't even show up anymore. And I et this (image below) and a message saying, Virtual Memory Too Low


(http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7175/errorvt8.png)

I need help.

Go into your control panel, open up systems settings and click on advanced. Click on performance settings, then the advanced tab. From there you can find out how much virtual memory you have - let me know what you get, cause it sounds like that's the problem.

(http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/7003/untitledbu5.png)

Is that what you mean?

I also see 2.20 GHz, 960 MB of RAM

Does this help?

Yeah, that's what I mean - damn, no wonder you've got problems!

Ideally your virtual memory should be twice to three times the size of your RAM. Since you have 960MB of RAM, try changing your virtual memory to 1920MB, but you'll have the option to set a custom size. Do that and make both min and max sizes the same, your performance will be better.

Once you have selected custom size, set both boxes to 4096 (max size) provided you have 4 GB of available free space on your hard drive.

i have 120443mb free space,  for paging file size it says ,,initial size is 1440, max size 2880, which one should i change ?  or should it be both?    under that says  minimum allowed 2mb,  recommended 1437,, currently allocated 1440,,,  hopefully this will do it ,,, thanks in advance to all u out there......

IF you have 4 GB of space on your drive that you can spare, set both to 4096.

micco, I am compleatly clueless about the numbers, so if I have 120443mb can I go up to that 4096....my kids got me started on this game and im hooked, im a kitchen and bath designer and love building and decorating the interiors...I only play a few families and usually move them into the new house so I can see how well the house can be lived in.... so I am hoping this will help   thank you, this forum really is wonderful.....

Thank Sadie! I'll try that!

Micco- I WISH I had the much

You sure can, if you have a second drive you can do it to that one as well and you will probably never see a virtual ram error.

I don't get the virtual Ram error anymore, but it still does the blue screen.

I have:

1) Fixed amount of virtual memory

2) Cleaned out computer, and got like three mounds of dust

3) Taken side off computer and is now using it OPEN

Need to try now:

1) Removing my downloads folder and doing that 'Slowly Replace' method

Other possible problems:

1) POSSIBLE bad ram stick thingy

EDIT: I just removed my downloads (ALL) and I could play the game. So it must be a download!

It is possible that it is not a bad download but rather one that stresses your system too much.

What do you mean?

I was in-game deleting things and my mailbox starting changing colors (not the flashyt blue or red) but as if it was a recolor, so I kept weeding through my catalog, I saw this mailbox. So I clicked on it, and it had like 20 recolors and it said 'Mailbox' as the description and item name. So I deleted it.

Also, my game didn't do this when I had LESS Ram but MORE downloads. So I don't think it can be that.

I had less than 600 mb and around 8000 downloads (wow) and it worked fine, it was just slower. But now I have around 4000 downloads and more RAM and virtual memory. So maybe it cannot be that?

(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3788/hugeeeeeeeuw2.png)

What the??

it should look like this:

(http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3925/boosi8.png)

(blurred for privacy)

The phrase "flaming pile of poo" comes to mind. DirectX FUBAR'ed; if a reboot won't take care of it you may need to uninstall and reinstall DirectX 9.0.c

Okay. ("flaming pile of poo"?)

It's a nice way of saying fubared. Something in the game is crashing directx and/or your video card is on its last legs. You should be able to reset things in the display properties but you may have to reboot.

I downloaded a newer version and looked at some things.

Is this it?

(http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/8268/untitled8ac3.png)

I sure hope it isn't my video card.

A newer version? I thought you were up to date. That may solve your problem - hopefully.

Oh, I thought it WAS a newer version....

It won't even open now, it just shows that white screen with the Sims 2 Pets logo, and it closes. Then nothing happens.

What version SHOULD I download from here (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx)?

If you have the version they offer there, you have the latest version. You may need to uninstall and reinstall your video drivers.

How? I am SUCH a computer whiz. XP

I need to start learning this stuff. *I am thinking of taking notes on notepad*

I officially suck at computers.

I have been looking around researching and do I follow this (http://www.playtool.com/pages/uninstallgraphics/uninstall.html)?

And how do I REinstall it after?

Frog Man,  you should list off your computer specs.  From what I've read in some of your other posts, it's sounding like your entire system is getting bogged down.  I think the Pets EP is pushing your computer to it's limits.   In the pictures above of your desktop, I see a few things going on.  The desktop background hogs your system resources.  It looks like you've got alot of icons in your quick start tray on the bottom too.  The less you have there the better.  To get the best possible performance while playing TS2, you need to shut down everything else that you don't absolutely need, especially if your system is just meeting the req's.
     The article you linked to seems to be a pretty decent guide.  The newest version of Direct X is  version DX, released on 2/27/2007.  Newest doesn't always mean best though.  If you're having problems with version DX, then roll back to version 9.0c.  Don't get DirectX confused with a vidcard driver.  They're two separate animals.  Go to Nvidia's site to make sure you have your vidcard drivers updated.  Same deal here, sometimes the newest one doesn't work as well as an older one.

I'm just quitting with this game. This game i stressing me out too much. I'll try on my other computer tomorrow. This game is way too bad for me.