Graphics Error and Game Freezing when entering Pre-made Downtown

[Srforests]

I can’t remember exactly when this anomaly started, sometime within the last year, I think. When I try to enter the premade Downtown neighborhood, either to place lots or to visit a lot with a sim, the screen starts to tremble or shake. I can’t really describe the visual error any better than that. The controls are still visible, but clicking on them does nothing. I can’t get back to the home neighborhood (either Strangetown of Pleasantview, since those are the neighborhoods I’ve been playing). The only way to exit the game is to bring up the task manager and ‘end task.’ Going to the lots directly, through dates or outings, brings about the same effects, just on the lot and not on the neighborhood screen.

At the moment it is only downtown that is affected. The other add-on neighborhoods, universities and Bluewater Village and the vacation neighborhoods, do just fine. The glitch happens occasionally in custom downtown lots, too, but very infrequently. It has affected one of my custom made downtown lots that was packaged and imported into a “clean” game.

Other than this, my game runs quite well.

I’ve tried removing all custom content and hacks, removed all my user files, uninstalled the entire game and expansion packs and only reinstalled The Sims 2, Nightlife, and University, along with the respective patches. The glitch is persisting. I’m wondering if perhaps it is a problem with my graphics card.

I’m running on an almost 3-year-old Dell Inspiron laptop with:
* Vista Home Premium 32-bit operating system
* AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology Tl-64 2.20 GHz processor
* 2 GB dual-core RAM – upgraded from 1GB about four months ago
* ATI Radeon X1270 graphics card

If anyone knows anything else I can try, I’d really appreciate it.

[callistra]

I agree that the problem is likely your graphics card.

Your computer does not meet minimum requirements to play the game and that IGP is not strong enough to handle those later expansions. What usually happens with under powered computers is that they will work at least to some degree for a time, but they will begin to work less and less well. Eventually, you can damage your computer. It sounds like you may be at this point. The age of the computer + specs + problem describe certainly points to this.

You can try reinstalling by the following method. However, I really recommend not trying to play the Sims 2 on this laptop anymore, especially if you would like it to last you a while yet.

1) Backup your saved games by cutting/pasting the entire My Docs\EA Games to your desktop
2) Uninstall all expansions and the base game through add/remove programs
3) Restart your computer
4) Manually DELETE the EA Games\Sims 2 + All expansion folders
5) Install just the base game, patch, test play. If this works you can continue installing, patching and testing one expansion at a time in the same way.
6) If you get through NL and it still works you can try adding back in your user files that you backed up in step 1.

[Srforests]

Thanks so much for your help.

I'd already followed the steps you provided before I posted.

I was afraid it was the graphics card, and on this laptop I can't upgrade because the card is integrated into the motherboard. I'd been planning to buy a new computer in a few months, I think I'll just go ahead and get one. Christmas present for me.

Thanks again for your reply.

[callistra]

Ok. If you would like help choosing your new computer, feel free to post a new thread in the Computer Support forum. I will need the following info:

1)Budget
2) Country of purchase
3) Other than playing Sims 2, what else will you use the computer for
4) Are you willing to try building yourself or at least doing some minor upgrades yourself (RAM, GPU mostly) or does it need to be fully built.

[Srforests]

Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate it.