Insimenator.org

I know this is a problem that has probably been covered a zillion times, but I'm still not sure on what to do for my specific problem.

I have two profiles on my computer (one labeled "Bun", one labeled "Margaret"). The Margaret one is my main profile, the Bun one is a backup of sorts.

On the Margaret one, my Sims2 loads just fine (I have Sims2 Holiday, Uni, OfB, and Nightlife). It has all of my CC and my custom communities on it. With this one, the main issue is this: I can CAS just fine, but when I go to build a house from scratch or furnish a house, it crashes (this is using both Maxis and CC objects). Also, I can play a house that's already there (like one I made before all this started), but I can't go into build mode ... or it'll crash.

On the Bun one, I have the same EPs and again, it loads just fine. It has very little CC, but no custom communities. On this one, I can play a house and buy anything I choose (I haven't tried making a house from scratch yet), but here's the kicker - I can't go into CAS. I can edit through a mirror, I can edit using the InSim.. but can't make a person in CAS. Oh, and recently found out I can't go buy anything in a shop (like clothing)... it crashes then, too.

I know all of this is very confusing... if anyone needs clarification, I'll be more than glad to tell you what I know. I don't have the net at home, so I'll be replying to any responses weekly through the library's computer (:lol:). Thanks SO much to anyone who can help. :)

On your "Bun" account, delete My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\cigen.package.  That should clear up your CAS block.  If it doesn't perhaps one of the CC items you have are for an EP you don't have.

On the "Margaret" account, at what point does the custom house crash?  When you are building it?  When you are furnishing it?  When you are playing it?

First of all, thank you for replying. :) Second, I will definitely try deleting the cigen.package on that account... I thought it was something important, so I left it in. :lol: I'm the type to go by the "if you don't know what it does, leave it alone" saying. :lol:

Third, on the Margaret account - if I remember right, it doesn't crash when I go to build one.. only when I go to furnish it.. but recently, I went to play a house previously built and furnished (by me), and it crashed when I went to put the parents to bed. I was working on putting a pair of twins through college, and the girl was sleepy, so I told her to go to bed - and it crashed. It seems to be different triggers for different things, I think. For instance, I tried playing another house, and it did just fine until I went to move a ceiling light that I had just put in. Whatever my issue is, it's getting annoying. :lol:

Thank you for whatever help you can give me, though. It's much appreciated. :)

With the housing problem occurring during Buy and some gameplay, I'm beginning to suspect you may have some custom furniture with mesh that requires an EP you don't have.

If you are using custom furniture, in particular beds since your crash has occurred when trying to use them, pull the meshes or base object out to the desktop.  It will be okay to leave recolors in.  Then put them in one or two at a time (if you don't have too many) and test your game.  If you have too many pieces of custom furniture, you'll be better off using the Binary search to locate problems.

While I love the looks of some of the custom furniture, I've found that there are too many creators that use oversized, half-baked meshes that end up causing more problems than they're worth.  I ended up deleting all my custom furniture just to avoid having to sift through them all to find out what works and what doesn't.

On Margaret:
I try not to get CC that doesn't go with an EP I don't have, but I suppose I could've overlooked something in the process.

I may sound really stupid asking this, but... what's a binary search, and how do I do that? Would going through my files in Clean Installer do any good?

I'd hate to have to do that, but if it comes to that... so be it. :lol:

On Bun:
By the way, removing the cigen.package didn't work. (Darnit.) I also tried removing cigen and everything that has to do with CAS out of my downloads (save for a few skins made by Louis and a set of teeth made by the Merco site), but that didn't help either. If this makes any sense, it stops loading at the fifth line of icons (from the left of the screen), stops for awhile, then crashes.

Hmm. I found that I couldn't even get into the game if I had objects that were for the wrong EP, especially with the buggy Pets issue. My game would either freeze up or crash while doing something to my "homeward bacon." That's how I weeded out the files that claimed to be okay pre-Pets, but really weren't. Once I got into the game with the cleaned up files, everything was fine. I suppose it could still be CC, but I thought that causes an error sooner than Snape is experiencing?

Okay, I took all CAS stuff out of my downloads (on Bun) and it's still crashing. Here's the odd thing, though... I can go to any mirror and change thier looks, I can go through InSim and change thier facial structure, and I can go buy things at the stores... but I just can't make anyone in CAS. I have no earthly idea what's going on with that one.

On the Margaret one, I found that it is most likely what ancient said.. CC.. and this is due to something I found through playing yesterday. I simply wanted to give my sim a different job and right after I did, I sent him to bed. I immediately thought, 'Oh damn, it's gonna crash', and I waited for the sound of crashing game... but it never came. Turns out, the bed is a Maxis bed with a Maxis bed set on it. The other bed in the other house that crashed.. is a custom bed.

Thing is, (also on the Margaret one) in another community, it took me about five tries to fully furnish a Maxis made house because it kept crashing. -sighs- This is really confusing and really frustrating, but I'm willing to try any suggestions that are handed to me. :) Thanks for the help so far, guys.

Nope, I haven't... and I didn't know that. (Ya learn somethin new every day. :lol: ) I'd hate to have to reinstall, but if ya gotta, ya gotta (and if it doesn't work, I gotta). Now here's a good question: is this advice for the Bun profile, the Margaret profile, or both? :lol:

And good luck in trying to figure yours out. (I'd offer to help, but if I can't figure out my own issues, there's no way I'm gonna figure out anyone else's.)

Small update... the Bun profile is working fine now. I have no idea what I did, but when I installed my Seasons EP (my Christmas present), I found I could make sims again. My guess is that whatever file I did or didn't have was fixed by the install... is this even possible?

I'm not sure if it fixed my problem on the Margaret account, though. I haven't tried that account out recently. I'll probably try that out when I get some extra time. :)

Thank god I'm not alone.  I have the same problem as you (on Bun) and as of recent, I can't load CAS without the game crashing.  I'm not sure if it's doing the same thing to me when I play a house, but it crashes.  What I have done is I have reinstalled it, and I have moved my downloads folder out of the EA Games file and into My Documents (shortly after).  No progress. :( I'm not sure if this matters but it's at the 5th column when it crashes.  Every single time.

For the record, I have Uni, NL, Happy Holiday, Glamour Life, and Pets.

Yet another update.. I think I've fixed the Margaret profile's problems. My best friend (almost sister) came over for the weekend recently and told me to take all the stuff out of my downloads folder and move it somewhere else. So I did and guess what? It worked!! No more crashes! I'm guessing it was either a conflict or a bad download.. either way, it's fixed and I'm back to filling up my downloads folder. :lol: Thank you to those who've tried to help me. I appreciate it. :)

Edit: Tallsims, do you have a custom CAS screen? It may be that. If not, I honestly can't think of anything else (other than what you've done - uninstall then reinstall) that would get rid of any corrupt files. :shrug: