I had a problem like that, when I tried to use the helicopter the game crashed.
I solved it when I removed all cars from my download folder. Something there wasn´t exp. ready so caused conflict.
Just in case you want to try it before removing all stuffs  .

Game sometimes makes things really weird.
In my case, the maxis changing table and highchair disappear from the buy catalog and next time I play they are there again. And it happens all the time.

I have an idea for you, did you try to delete this two files: accesory.cache, and groups.cache?
They are in the "sims 2" folder in "my documents".
Don´t worry, the game makes a new one next time you load the game.
It helps me to play faster when I have too many downloads.
Maybe you had a corrupted custom content that hasn´t been cleaned from your game, so it´ll help you.

I think it´s a graphic card problem.
Just in case, before doing anything else, remove the download folder, specially if you have hacks, defaults or other things may cause issues.
If the problem continuous, uninstall CEP if you have it, and check the game again.
If nothing of this solve it, maybe you have to update your graphic card drivers.
I had a problem like this in my game, and I had to change my graphic card drivers. It worked for me.

It´s from summer afternoon

http://summerafternoon.biz.st/

kitchen, page 2

Sorry for pumping this thread again, but I have the same problem.
I´ll try to do what you say, but I don´t know if it´s gonna work.
I was searching too, and I did everything I could, update drivers, direct X, but nothing worked.
If I play with all exp. and packs until seasons, the error does not show up, but when I installed bon boyage the game started crashing again, and I think it´s because my graphic card doesn´t work for the last three expantions, based on this chart:

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:System_Requirements/MTS2_Recommendations

I have a Nvidia Geforce 7300

I´m really mad about this!  I´m gonna get a new one as soon as I can!

Some here:
http://www.freewebs.com/sofitch/gymissue_pg1.html

And here:
http://www.simsconnection.com/joomla3/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1427

I don´t know what to say, I didn´t do anything else that I already told you, and my game is fine now.
I guess I´m lucky.
I also had a worm in my pc, and I removed it, but it happened when game was already working fine, so I don´t know.
I hope you can solve it.

Are you sure you removed completely CEP from your computer??
Sunday at night I was really bored about it, and I decided to remove it, just in case, thinking it wouldn´t work, and it did. After removed it I played sims for 3 hours and the game never crashed!! And I also removed some downloads from my download folder, just objects which needed CEP to show up at game, but I had them before and never gave me any problem.
I don´t think pet expantion would be the problem, I have all of them, to Apartment life, and they worked fine until I installed last version of CEP.
As you see, every simple thing makes me think that CEP was 100% guilty of the problem.

I´m so sorry it didn´t work for you. I´d like to help you to solve it, but I don´t know how.
All I can do is telling you some other solutions, that people gave me in other forums.


1-Delete your accessories.cache, group.cache and cigen files. They are right inside your Sims 2 folder. The games makes new ones when you start it up. Also, you might want to try and delete your thumbnail files inside your Thumbnails Folder.


2-Update your graphic card´s drivers.
Well they gave some places to do it, but it was for my type of graphic card. I have NVIDIA Geforce 7300 SE/7200 GS.

And I also have window xp, so if you have window xp here:
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/winxp...8_whql_uk.html

If you have vista, you can do it here:
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/win7_...8_whql_uk.html


3- Trying to update directX, the program used on sims 2.
They explained me it´s not the same that graphic card drivers.
It´s a different program. Direct X is a seperate program that helps your graphics.
You can update it here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/179113


If nothing of these help you with the problem, then remove CEP, if you still have it, and remove sims 2 with all expantions, by the right way to do it.
Install all games again, and try to play without CEP, and without downloads, and see how the game goes on without them.
If problem still continues, I don´t know what else to do.
Don´t worry, I´m sure you´re gonna find a solution.

I had this same error at game:
"Direct3D returned an error: D3DERR_NOTAVAILABLE! The application will now terminate"

And I was searching like you in everywhere, and all people said to me it was my graphic´s drivers. But I knew it was perfectly compatible with sims, and my drivers were updated, so I almost got crazy trying to find the solution. And I did.
I remembered my game started crashing when I installed the last version of CEP 9.2. I used to have the 7.0 version and it worked find to me, but I decided to update it.
When I removed CEP from my computer, the game never crashed again. Really, I don´t know why, but it was the source of the problem.
I asked to NUMENOR, its artist, but he has not answered to me yet about this issue.

Here are some gifts with recolours, most of them for babies or kids:
http://www.simwardrobe.com/
"objects" "openable gifts"
Sorry if it´s not what you´re looking for.

I have some from MTS2:

http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=302471
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=297082
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=284812
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=281749
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=274294
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=269101
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=252774

There are some here:
http://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?f=385&showType=1&tag=grocery&gs=1

I like this one:
http://www.thesimsresource.com/downloads/details/category/sims2-sets-objects/title/Grocery%20Store%20Set/id/638607/

There are lots of this kind of store stuffs at MTS by Crocobaura.
Just two of them here:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=185797
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=181121

There are some kind of stuffs here:
http://www.aroundthesims2.com/objects/index.html
like all kind of accesories you can use for your stores:
http://www.aroundthesims2.com/objects/single_accessories/index.html
or tools, or laundry stuffs: http://www.aroundthesims2.com/objects/sets_other/index.html

There are several pages with comercial lots products at simconnection:
http://www.simsconnection.com/joomla3/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=110&Itemid=142
Including clothes, gardening stuffs, food, and more things.


I like much these:
http://www.sims2.simsdesignavenue.net/EN/avenue.php
the bakery cakes and perfume and beauty stuffs

You can get all kind of items to complete your store here:
http://www.blackypanther.de/include.php?path=start.php

I´m not going to apologize, my english writing is not so bad and I think you understood what I was triying to say...
Maybe it was a little confuse, but I just wanted to tell my game problem to other for helping, just that!!! and I have NO grammar problems!!
So don´t tell that "me and some of the others are giving you a serious headache"
because I´ve talked with some people here who understand me pretty well.
I´m going to write no more "long" post so you don´t have more "headache" with me, and in that time I´m going to improve my english skills and maybe you should
learn how to get nice manners... I´m sure you understand that besides you always try so hard to undestand "what the hell I´m trying to say"
Cancel my acount if you want, but I´m not going to let you or whoever trying me like a piece of s**t because my english is not perfect!

Hi! theraven! Long time without seing you! I remember you helped me to find the jetski that I whised so much!!

I´ve read about your problem, removing hacks or other downloads which don´t let your game being normal should be the solution, I mean if you take them out from your download folder, your game should work fine again, except like other people say here, you install last exp. packs with your download folder on sims 2 folder... That´s a huge mistake, and I learnt it very well when I installed university time ago, and I forgot to move out my download folder... The game worked terrible, I mean I tried to play, but the game was like "jumping" all the time, and the worst part was that something made a conflict with fridges and my sims weren´t able to get some food from fridges, so I had to download a buffet table because they were starving...
When I changed my computer and I have to install the game again, I made something different this time, I moved out my download folder when I installed university, and when I tried to play, it works fine but there was a toy cook which I was downloaded time ago before having an e.p, when I wanted to get my kids play with it, the game just crashed... So I deleted it from my download folder and the game was fine again.
Installing an exp. pack without moving your download folder can cause you hard problems with hacks or mods which weren´t made for new e.p, and you probably have to install again the game in order to make it works fine again.

Ohh sorry! My mistake!
I´ve heard too about that problems with TSR, one time I red a letter from a girl who was really mad because she paid everymonth and had problems to download from there anyway. She sent a letter telling about her problem, and they couldn´t give her a solution... I don´t remember where I read this...
I like MTS2 but I´ve had some problems with some downloads from there... I mean the kind that when the game is loading just crushes or a message appears saing that there´s a problem and the loading must stop.