Please help me - FIXED

[AxelVal]

I have every expansion pack + Teen Style Stuff and I just installed Ikea Stuff a few days ago and since then I have been unable to play.
My game freezes at one of two points:
1. On the neighborhood screen when I click on a house.  The Family Information box doesn't come up and my game freezes.
2. After I click "Enter House"  If the Family Info box does pop up, I can't enter a house because I can't get past clicking the enter household button without the game freezing.

The first seems to happen most often.
Could it be a CC glitch?  Maybe a hack?
Please help, I've tried many times to play with the same results and I'm at my wits' ends with it.

[rwills]

Absolutely sounds like a cc incompatibility or conflict.

First thing to do is to make sure all your EPs and SPs are patched.

Second thing to try is to temporarily move (don't delete it, just move it) the Downloads folder in My Documents--EA Games--The Sims2 to someplace else on your computer. If after that the problem goes away when you run the game (and don't Save those test runs, just Quit the game without saving instead), then you definitely have either incompatible or conflicting files in the Downloads folder.

[AxelVal]

My games are fully patched, darnit...
My game always does this when I get new anything 

Thanks.  I'll try the whole "half downloads in" attempt.

[caffeinated.joy]

If you have your hacks in a subfolder, or know what they all are, try with the hacks first.

it would also be worth it to try deleting your cigen.package and group.cache

[AxelVal]

Thanks, CJ.
I tried everything I could think of but no luck except this:
I have a test family in another neighborhood - no CC of any kind.  They'll load up no matter what, but I've only tried two families (them and the family I'm playing next)
I can't find my cigen.package but I'll delete the group.cache.

[Chaavik]

The cigen file is located here if you have XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2

Let us know if you can find and delete the cigen file.

[amc462000]

I thought cigen was created when bodyshop was run. I think the other one is accessory.cache;  you pulled out all your CC and still can't load the lot?

[AxelVal]

OK, BodyShop doesn't work on this computer at all, so that might explain why I can't find it.

I just loaded my game with no hacks in at all (the rest of my CC was there) and the game froze when trying to pull up the lot info again.
I'm almost ready to delete all my CC in case it's become corrupt or something, then find all the things I need and re-download them.  The only thing I've done that I can think of to do this is installing Ikea, it worked fine before then.

But I did get it to load the house once when I had no hacks in my game, so I can't imagine why it's not loading this time when I have no hacks.

Is it possible to uninstall just Ikea and Apartment Life and then re-install them?  Because I think Ikea is supposed to be installed before AL but I'm not sure, could that be the problem?

[amc462000]

yes, install Ikea before AL. be sure any running programs are off, like virus programs. put your downloads folder and saved sims folder in a safe place like your desktop. Be sure you have enough storage on your computer available for both game packs. be sure to patch al. make sure your mods/hacks are updated for al.

[AxelVal]

OK
I just got Ikea so that explains me installing it after AL
I have all my hacks updated and my sims should be safe because I have them backed up.  I don't remember the last time I saved my one neighborhood (I'm sure it was before)

Thanks, I'll look at uninstalling those two now.

[caffeinated.joy]

Don't forget to back up your game if you don't want to lose all your characters! I've made that mistake more than once.

[AxelVal]

OK, I have everything backed up and the dates on the "edited" were perfect!  (I hope it worked)
I uninstalled and re-installed in order but now I can't move folders out of the "The Sims 2" folder or re-name them  :/
It's not a big deal but I'd like to start my game without the downloads so it's a nice quick start.

ETA: OK, I moved files out from the "Downloads" folder, it just seems to be the "The Sims 2" one that's upset.
I'm starting the game now.

[AxelVal]

It still doesn't work.
I was able to load a family with no custom content but once I put my CC back in it borked again.
Should I start searching for where all my CC has come from to re-download it?


general timeline:
Didn't work at all
worked with no CC
worked with each separate folder of CC (accessories, make-up, clothes, etc)
didn't work with ALL hacks installed
didn't work with SOME hacks installed
didn't work with NO hacks installed
Uninstalled and reinstalled in correct order
worked with no CC
didn't work with hacks
didn't work without hacks

Something HAS to be messed up here and it can't just be me.  I had the thought of calling EAxis and asking WTF was going on and demanding someone help me straighten this out.
Please help me think of anything I haven't done yet.

[rwills]

From what you describe, you have either incompatible with your particular EPs/SPs or else conflicting custom content (that includes hacks).

The time consuming, but tried and true, 50% method is the surest way to winnow down, find the culprit(s) and remove them from your game:

http://www.sims2wiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Finding_Problem_Custom_Content#The_50.25_Method

Additionally, if you want to find out before doing the above which hack(s) you have which MAY be conflicting, you can use the Hack Conflict Detection Utility. Note that it will list POSSIBLE conflicts, but not necessarily all of them and that it does not differentiate between benign and harmful conflicts:

http://208.109.175.73/Sims_2_HCDU.htm

[AxelVal]

Ooh, I hope that does the trick.  I have a four-day weekend coming up so I'll definitely be doing that.
Thanks, rwills, but I still wonder if it's simpler than that.