Game will not start at all, worked fine about an hour ago.

[eldavis]

About an hour or two ago I was running the game just fine. I saved and exited and then shut my computer down into hibernate, nothing out of the ordinary. I came home and tried to start my game but all I keep getting is this pop-up.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/HelloSeaCow/Error.jpg

Not the most helpful thing in the world. I shut down and restarted my computer but the same thing is still happening. I haven't downloaded anything or changed anything in my game after exiting that first time. I have no idea what the issue is.

System Specs:

System Information

Time of this report: 4/13/2012, 19:37:04
Machine name: EMILY-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.111118-2330)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
System Model: Inspiron 1564
BIOS: Ver 1.00 BIOS A13 PARTTBL
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.1GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 3892MB RAM
Page File: 1909MB used, 5873MB available
Windows Dir: D:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled





Display Devices

Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel(R) HD Graphics (Core i3)
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0046&SUBSYS_04341028&REV_12
Display Memory: 1696 MB
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB
Shared Memory: 1632 MB
Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: unknown
Monitor Id: AUO22EC
Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (60.008Hz)
Output Type: Internal
Driver Name: igdumd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igdumdx32,igd10umd32
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2302 (English)
Driver Version: 8.15.10.2302
DDI Version: 10
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 2/11/2011 19:16:38, 6549504 bytes


Sound Devices

Description: Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0269&SUBSYS_10280004&REV_1000
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 65535
Type: WDM
Driver Name: HdAudio.sys
Driver Version: 6.01.7601.17514 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 11/20/2010 06:44:23, 350208 bytes



Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives

Drive: D:
Free Space: 135.4 GB
Total Space: 235.1 GB
File System: NTFS
Model: WDC WD3200BEVT-75A23T0 ATA Device


Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[julianarosalia]

Try deleting the groups.cache file, if that doesn't work let us know. Instructions are here: Sims2Wiki - Delete Cache files (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Delete_Cache_Files)

[Mootilda]

You should also be aware that you do not have a graphics card in your computer, which means that your computer is underpowered to play the Sims 2. You may be damaging your computer each time that you play; it's possible that you are just starting to see symptoms of the damage that you've already caused to your computer by playing.

I would recommend that you read the following FAQs:
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Onboard_Graphics
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Your_Computer_is_Like_a_Car

[eldavis]

Deleting the group cache worked like a charm. Thank you.

Mootilda, thanks for the heads up. I didn't even realize that I had no graphics card. I'm going to look into buying one. Am I correct in thinking that the Video card is different than the graphics card? I notice that TS3 shows video card info while TS2 says graphics card. I've noticed screen dimming lately, which is probably a result of running TS2 without the card. Should I be looking into replacing anything else, or just getting a graphics card? Should I take it into Best Buy or another computer store and ask them for help? I'm reading and re-reading the links but it's all Greek to me.

[Whiterudder]

Unfortunately, that laptop can't have its graphics upgraded - that's almost always the case for laptops which aren't built for gaming, and yours is no exception.

If you can afford to buy a new computer (preferably not a laptop! :p ), that would be the best solution. If not, then you'll either have to stop playing Sims for now; or you can keep playing Sims, but backup all your important files and so on regularly, because if you do this then there's a good chance that your laptop is going to stop working altogether in the not too distant future (or the very near future, if you're unlucky).
Unfortunately, no graphics card means that your graphics are being controlled by a chip on the motherboard - so whereas if you had a weak/old graphics card, and you overtressed it to the point where it broke, that would just mean you had to buy a new graphics card; overstressing a chip on the motherboard to the point at which it breaks means the whole computer is a goner.