Insimenator.org

I'm going to need some help now.  Right now, my game keeps crashing as the it loads (I've got the base game with Uni, NL and OFP EPs).  When at the load screen it gets to "Frying Bacon for (can't remember the rest of it)" and then a window pops up saying, "This program has crashed.  Windows will now close program." (or something along those lines).  I've used the programs suggested by in the WCIF section when I asked, but nothing turned up to determine what it was causing the crashing.  I don't know what else to do except uninstall everything and then reinstall everything again (and then copy all the files under the EA file in My Documents, which includes the downloads, projects, neighborhoods, etc).  Has anyone else had this problem?  What should I do?

Try deleting groups.cache from My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2.
If that doesn't work you may have a mesh that requires an EP you don't have.  Focus on meshes you've put in since the last time you ran the game if you can remember them.

update graphic projector

I forgot to mention this, but I did uninstall OfB before and reinstalled it (without transfering over anything from the backup of my files) when the problem first popped up.  The game ran normally after that (but my neighboorhoods were gone).  I transfered my neighboorhoods, my downloads, my projects and my Saved Sims folders over into the EA folder (and after that, the problem repeated itself again).  Not sure if that helps much.  But I'll definately will check to see if there is any meshes that apply (just have to ask: Is there any programs that can help out?)

BTW, what's a graphic projector?

probably means the video driver or video card...

I would say that the problem comes from a corrupted file of some sort or an incompatible file or conflict.

Try running Sims2pack clean installer on the Downloads folder and see if anything shows up as an empty package.  Then try disabling your hacks and mods.

In truth, you may have a corrupted file the neighbourhood sections.  That is a bit more difficult to resolve.  Generally it means deleting the neighbourhoods and starting over, but maybe you are willing to spend untold hours in SimPE crawling through all the files, I am not cut from that fabric myself :lol:

Basic trouble-shooting will not get you very far if it is a corrupted game save file.  The quickest way to determine if it is a bad neighbourhood file, move the downloads to a new location outside of My Documents, like maybe the desktop, run the game with no downloads, if it plays, then it is a bad download, if it continues to bork-up, then you know it is a game save file that has done septic.

If the Downloads have a buggy downloaded file, usually it is the hateful process of moving a few back in at a time and trying the game until you find the one that crashes the game.

Okay, here's the update:

I used Delphy's program to delete any orphan files which may have conflicted with the game, I have also moved the groups.cache from the Sims 2 folder to a hold file on another one of my drives.  I haven't tried the updating graphics projector or the neighorhood bit yet (and I haven't done the "one at a time" thing, but I will try that as a last resort).

I was thinking that maybe it was because you have to much CC? I have the same problem, but I have my downloads folder zipped, everythings fine when I use whats in the zipped folder, but when I download more, it seems to crash? Could that be a problem, just having to much. xx

I don't know if that's the problem.  I mean, before the hiccup that lead to me having to reinstall all the games and my custom content, I had more than I have now (in fact after reinstalling everything, I had to use an old backup, which is barely even half of what I lost.  And no, the original reinstall was due to OfB having a brainfart when I first installed it).  So, I don't know if too much CC is the problem.

Update on things: It is apparent that the problem is with the downloads file.  However, after going over and re-downloading all the files (and yes, I checked to see if they were compatable with the game and EPs that I had), the game still locked up and/or crashing.  After deleting all the files in the folder again did the game run normally (without crashing or locking up).  But then I copied over the backup copy of the files I made before doing the re-download of all my files.  So now, the game run, but when it gets to the usual spot where it used to crash, it'd sit there (not locking up, not crashing, but the drive runs for a few minutes and then just sits there.  I know the game did not lock up or crash, because the music that plays when the game loads didn't repeat the one seconds's worth of music like it typically does when it locks up or crashes.  The music plays through as it normally does when the game is loading).  So, I don't know what it is that's going on and I have been considering on uninstalling and reinstalling all of the EPs and the Game and then do a fresh reinstall and copy all the files over from my backup of the download folder again to see if the game will work now.

Any suggestions or recommendations are welcome here.

One (or more) of the downloads you have in your folder may be just outright corrupt/incompatible, despite listed EP compatibilities.  Try testing out a small group of downloads at a time by moving your downloaded CC to a spare folder on the Desktop, and gradually add them back into the Downloads folder, running the game after each group added.  That way, when you've reached the point where the game gets hung or crashes, you can narrow down the search for the problem file(s).  Tedious, but it's helpful.  :angel:

I can try that, but I tried something similar to that before by removing them by date installed.  It was only after all the files (including ones I know worked before) were removed from the download folder did the game work as normal.  But I'll try placing them one by one into the download folder to see if it works.

Although I do not have any ep's, when my game crashes-and it does say "the application has terminated", I immediately go back through my downloads and find the offending file. Usually I find it quickly enough because I've gotten into the habit of only installing one or two items per download session at a time-that way I can control the problem. Otherwise I have to look at the date installed, which is sometimes misleading-as the file can be dated by the date it was changed at the creation level.

in Windows XP - you should use Windows Explorer and add the "Date Created" column (a right click on the column bar will display the optional columns) - this displays the date the file was created on the hard drive and can be of much more ease of use than the last modification date and perhaps also faster than resorting to a 3rd party utility like Delphy's Download Organiser that is good, but not always right.

Update: I figured out at least one of the files (at most, two files) that are a part of the reason why the game crashes.  They are both from the same user, though completely different.  I pretty much figured out which user it was because I repeated what I did before (I deleted all the files from my download folder and began to redownload them.  After I downloaded 10/12 files, I would run the game to see if it would crash in the same spot that it normally did or continue on.  And each time, the game would load up without any problems such as locking up).  Now, I've still got a ways to go before I can get all that I originally had installed, and to also find other downloads that may have aided in causing the game to crash (I was going in alphabetical order due to the fact that my computer saved the user names I typed in when I originally did the first attempt at redownloading everything), so I may be back up and running soon (and hopefully proceeding with my machinima comic book fan fiction series project in the process).  :D  I'll keep you in the loop until I can get all the objects back in there.

There's a new change of events.  The game now runs and whatnot.  But the thing that is different is this: When I got into the CAS section to create Sims, the Sims don't appear on screen (even the prefabs or pre-made Sims after selected from the menu).  But after I get through with making the Sims (if I make a group), the screen doesn't switch over to the Photographer Room set up, but it still acts as it has when I click the check to complete the CAS section and the Sims show up as normal in the Neighborhood screen.  I don't know if that means anything, but it's truly weird to me.

CB2001 - I think something has gone wrong with your installation outside the normal range of bugs and hiccups of the game.  I can't think of anything that might cause this issue, maybe 2 or more custom CAS!.packages might, but that should crash the game outright.

It is possibly a hardware failure of some esoteric sort, but if the game operates normally without the Downloads folder, then it hardly likely to be a hardware issue.

check in Sims2Pack Clean installer for files identified as CAS! or possibly as jkgbkyuy; you may need to resort to using SimPE's scan folder opton to identify the lot file since S2PCI doesn't identify lot file types.

Okay, I'll have to try that.  But I don't think it's a CAS problem, seeing that none of the files I've downloaded thus far involves the CAS (my downloads are strictly Sims, genetics, lots, storyteller hacks that I know work and objects).  I have been using Q-Installer for the downloads and installs.

with all due repsect to any man or woman that makes any software for this game.... I won't use Q-express since it is indiscriminant in the way it installs everything to the Downloads folder, even those things that should never be in the downloads folder.

Sorry to hear about that.  

I know all the files I've downloaded belong in the downloads folder, even the hacks I installed.  But I'll try to remove the download folder to see if the invisible Sims in CAS is the cause later on.

New update: After moving all the files from the Download section to another drive, the CAS screen acted like it normally would (which includes actually showing the Sim and the Photograph Parlor section of the CAS).  So, it's definately another downloaded file that is causing the problem, so that means I'll have to restart my downloads... Again.  And check to see what file is conflicting with CAS.  This whole thing is driving me insane.  :P

CB2001 - check for the presence of windkeeper's custom CAS objects - you may have accidentally installed two versions of the same object and this would cause CAS crashes :(

Windkeeper made several versions of the same things, so you should only install one of version of hers. the original files are here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=162363 (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=162363)

Additionally, if you have previously downloaded and installed Marvine's Custom CAS, she has a different custom CAS object package, and the presence of these along side windkeeper's will cause crashes too. the original file for Marvine's CAS can be downloaded for comparison here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=91870 (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=91870)

Several people used the objects of both Windkeeper and Marvine in their custom CAS screens, and this complicates the matter. :(

Sorry I can't be more specific, but at least it is a fresh idea.

I've checked the downloads from before, and the only objects I downloaded of Marvines were the spiral stairs and the ladder stairs.  And windkeeper's name didn't turn up in the pull down menu (basically, I have the AutoComplete on and it shows all the user names I typed in from downloads).

Anyways, I cleared the download folder again and used my previous backup again (made back in August of 2006) and transfered the files again.  And, no surprise, the same problem with the CAS occured (and I know all the objects on the disc worked with the game and EPs before, and perfectly with no problem).

The only latest file I've had in the download folder with all the times (and the only common factor I can see) is the latest version of the Color Enable Package (aka CEP).

Could it be possible that it's the CEP that's causing the problem?

hrm... if you have a mis-matched pair of CEP files, sure, it might cause issues - but usually in the display of recolours.  but, if you have 2 or more copies of the downloads folder part, it would certainly make for some spectacular crashes.

Okay.  Maybe I should delete the CEP files, see if that does anything. Worse case scenario, I end up reinstalling CEP again.

Well, I tired the deleting the CEP files, but still the same problem occured.

I don't think I clairfied the thing with the download folders.  I don't have two or more copies of the Downloads folder in the EA Games/Sims 2 directory under My Documents.  The backup copies I made of the folders were placed in two out of the four drives I have (and neither one of them are in the same drive that holds my Sims 2 and EPs games or the EA Games/Sims 2 directory).

I've come to realize another problem.  Not only does the Sims in the CAS not show up, but the lots that I constructed in one of the neighboorhoods also do not showup.  I mean, they look blank, like they haven't been used.  Yet, when I use the lot size selection and click on one spot where I did construct a house, it then allows me access to the lot with the Sims that I had placed there before.  Maybe I should have just copied the downloads folder and not the lots directory.  And just when I've managed to redownload everything and not have my game crash on me when it runs.