Hey all. First, I apologize if this has been addressed elsewhere and I just didn't find the thread.

Computer specs:
OS- Microsoft Windows 10
Processor- Intel Core i7-7700
RAM- 16GB installed, 11.8GB available
Graphics- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

I haven't played my game since July 2017. Before I left it in hibernation, everything was fine. I was able to load the game, no problem.

I really wanted to play again today, and I've experienced crash after crash - right after loading my neighborhood and also when trying to load households.

Here is what I've tried to fix the issue:

-gone back to a backup of my game to see if it was just corruption in the current game. Nope. (Please note that I'm vigilant to keep corruption out of my game).

-Taken out all CC to see if that was the issue. Nope.

-Downloaded and used Graphics Rules Maker. Nope. I didn't have an issue with the resolution before, but now I do after downloading that. Yay.

It is important to note that I do not play the Ultimate Collection. I still use my original game disks, so I don't go through Origin at all to play my sims 2 game. It is also important to note that I play on Windows 10, however, I fixed my resolution problem and graphics card problem last year. My game recognized my preferred resolution. Now that I did the Graphics Rules Maker that's messed up again and I have to fix it but it IS NOT the cause of the crashing.

I'm at a loss. I don't know what the issue is.

Thoughts?

Update: I just started up a BRAND NEW game, as in completely fresh never been played.

Loaded into Pleasantview and immediately tried to enter the Goth family lot. Crashed right after it loaded - never reached the home lot screen.

So this is definitely not an issue with my specific CC or neighborhoods. There's an issue with the game itself and my system.

If I have to, I can reinstall all of my disks. But I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I'm about to have my first baby, and I was REALLY hoping to take the time and chill and play my build a city challenge before my baby girl arrived and I wouldn't be able to play for another year or whatnot, lol.

Help a lady out!!!!!!

Have you tried deleting the group.cache file? It gets corrupted sometimes and can cause crashing. (And it's usually the first thing we suggest trying. )

Have you made sure to download and install ALL available Windows updates ? Please do so if you still haven't done that on your own computer. Also try running the "autorun.exe" "exe" for the EP that starts up the game as Administrator (right-click -> Run as Administrator).
Other than that, the error sounds familiar and reminds me of something I saw in another game. Can you try this here too ?
Control Panel -> Programs -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off.
Unfold the folder named "Legacy Components" and see if the box named DirectPlay is ticked. If not, please tick that box manually and click on "OK". I don't remember anymore, but you may need to re-start the computer for the changes to take effect.
After that, try running the setup/game again. Good luck for now !

Yep, I forgot to mention that every time I went to start up any backup or game that I was deleting those cache files, sorry about that.

Yes, all Windows updates are installed.

I ended up running my latest EP as admin, and that allowed me to open up the Goth family, but only about 2 out of 10 times would it play and not crash. So, it doesn't seem like a viable solution.

I tried the last of your suggestions, the DirectPlay, and it was already ticked.

Also, now I can't get my screen resolution back even with all the old instructions to do so.

I'm pulling out my hair.

Do you happen to have an old backup of your graphics rules and video card sgr files? The graphics rules maker does not always work and may require manual editing. If you still have the old sgr files, you can use a free app named WinMerge to highlight the differences in two text files, like your old and new sgr. I found it very helpful when editing mine by hand.

Did you or Windows or your card's updater happen to update the graphics card drivers since you last played? New NVidia drivers broke things although UC works with them with workarounds in the sgr files. (I know you don't use UC but maybe similar issue with your card and games from disks?) Kiri over at leefish may be able to help with graphics card issues in the leefish graphics card forum. Kiri said something about Windows 10 updates and texture memory getting stuffed by Windows. Not sure what that's about and if it only affects NVidia and not your card, but maybe worth asking there?

Thanks! I'll give it a try and let you know. And yes, I do have backups of my original Graphics Rules.sgr files. I decided to go to bed and then try that this morning.

I'm pretty sure there's a larger problem happening with a combination of the latest major Windows update (1709) and using the fully-patched version of TS2 installed via Origin.

I've made a lengthy post about this over at leefish (since the bigger tech problems often get tackled there):

http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=8257

Several people there post similar issues (linked at the top of my post there).

I'm also using a GTX1070, but I don't think it's 100% the problem (although we mostly all seem to have GTX1070s or GTX1080s ... edit: CatOfEvilGenius has a GTX1060).

Right now I'm just twiddling my thumbs hoping someone figures it out.

(Readers: MY PCS THAT DO NOT HAVE ORIGIN'S NOVEMBER (?) UPDATE TO UC ARE FINE. So maybe don't let Origin update if you haven't already.)

Uh oh. I installed a few days ago and updated. :/ How do I check whether I have Win 1070+ or not? Where is that shown? I probably have it since my PC is set to update when possible.

Hit your Windows key/start button and type "About", select "About your PC"

Under Windows Specifications, see what your version is. For example, mine is 1709.

Edit: the '1070' I mentioned referred to GPU. Mine's crashing on (multiple machines) GTX 1070s, I've seen other people post the problem with 1080s, and it looks like you have a 1060.

I have 1709 and updated UC. Been crashing on community lots. Sims get there, crash soon after or sometime after. Occasionally but much more rarely, crashes on sim's home lot. Once crashed in neighborhood view just trying to get to the main menu. Nuked neighborhood folder, got regenerated, no cc at all, just sgr files. Using -w and -CPUCount:1 on my shortcut. Running in XP sp2 compatibility mode and running as admin. Does this sound similar to the 1700 issues you were talking about? I noticed on your thread at leefish it seems yours is crashing earlier, can't even enter lots, right? Hope it's not hijacky to discuss my crashes here, but it seemed germane.

[edit] I have an NVidia GeForce GTX 1060 6gb card. I don't know if I'm glad others have similar issues or sad we don't know a fix yet but I want to hug the Sims community.

[edit2] Intel i7-7700 3.6GHz dual core system

Yeah, I can't currently get to households on the PC I'm using for testing. But I've been beating my head against this problem for days, so it's a little blurry (that's why I only posted a totally clean Windows and TS2 UC install result over there).

Went like this for me:

1) PC 1 (very good specs), which has had UC basically since it came out and has been ticking along for years no matter how much I abuse it, suddenly started having texture errors last week (pink/purple flashing in hood view, on lots, etc). It was after I'd installed a downloaded lot with a disgusting amount of CC, but I'd kept it all quarantined and removing it all/clearing all cache files didn't help. A million other fixes online didn't help. This install DID NOT HAVE Origin's update from a few months ago. But it did have the new Windows version (1709). At this point in the story I'm still just trying to fix 'flashing pink'.

2) After fighting with it and fighting with it (and verifying that the hoods and lots worked fine on my installs at home (sorry, to make this simple I work in IT in the video game industry so I have the game installed in like four places)), I decided to reinstall TS2/UC from scratch via Origin, knowing it would update Origin's version of the game.

3) Crash crash crash. Tried repairing from Origin, crash. Tried a thousand different Video Cards and Graphics Rules files. Crash. Tried three different no-cd .exes, crash. Sometimes I COULD get into a household, very briefly, before it would crash, but usually I got no further than a neighborhood screen (so crash would occur when loading sim lot instead). Clean install of NVIDIA drivers. Crash.

4) EFF THIS! PC1 is using a non-fresh Windows install and I've done terrible things to it over the years. So I grabbed a new PC (PC2) at work with a clean (updated!) install of Windows. Clean install of Origin, clean install of (updated!) TS2 UC. Crash crash crash. Clean install of NVIDIA drivers. Crash. All the leefish fixes. Crash. All the no-cd exes. Crash.

5) Doublecheck my installs at home (one desktop PC (ehm, I think it has a GTX970), one gaming laptop (GTX860m). Both are up to date as far as Windows goes (1709), but they do not have the Origin update to UC. They're both fine, including loading hoods and families from the original 'pink soup' install way back on PC1. (Copied the hood files over.)

So yeah. Now that I've typed this all out, I wonder if this is going to have to be something Origin fixes (oh god).

Tomorrow I may grab a PC at work that doesn't have Windows 1709 and see if an updated Origin install works there.

That actually makes me feel much better. Thank you for all the thorough testing. I'm very worried about waiting for Origin to ever fix it but slightly hopeful about your old Windows + updated UC test. Let us know how it goes! Is this issue Windows 1700 + updated Origin or is it Windows 1700 + updated Origin + NVidia GTX? I'm reading lots of NVidia problem threads too, different unrelated issues or not?

@suzannemariema - Oops, I just reread your OP and it says you use game CDs, not UC from Origin, so my link to the leefish thread may not be relevant.

@gwynne - Suzanne has the game on CDs, not UC, if that makes a difference.

Just to clarify, the Windows version that may be the problem is 1709, not 1700, but that's a minor quibble.

My theory right now is it's some combo of updated Origin TS2 UC + the most recent Windows updates (1709, maybe some earlier security fixes from this month). I bet there are a lot of players who are unaffected because:

1) They installed from their original discs

2) They installed from arr sources

3) They installed from Origin but never let Origin run that update from a few months ago

4) They let Origin run that update but they don't let Windows run updates automatically, so their Windows is still out of date. (Or maybe they are on older versions of Windows, even.)

As far as whether it's specific to newer GTX video cards ("10" series), I've really only seen a handful of threads about this so far ... I don't have a good feel for what the typical TS2 player is using anymore. So I don't know if using a series 10 (1060, 1070, 1080, etc) NVIDIA card is common or uncommon.

EDIT: Apologies to the OP whose thread we've hijacked, and noted that she's using CD installs. I sound convincing but my theories could be totally wrong.

Hi there. I'm a fellow crasher and I hijacked your thread to whine about it. Sorry about that. I have two questions for you:

1) When you say "I just started up a brand new game", do you mean that you completely re-installed The Sims 2 from all of your physical CDs?

2) Do you have Origin installed on the PC at all?

Suzanne - Just in case it's relevant, what is your most recent Windows update? See post 11.

This won't help with the game, but congrats and I wish you a calm, happy baby willing to sleep in a sling while mama sims! Mine hated slings but liked prams next to the desk.

Hey there!

When I say "started a brand new game" I took a TheSims2 backup from a fresh install from about 7 months ago that I saved just in case I needed to test. So, the only thing fresh and new was the TheSims2 folder under the EA Games folder. Hope that clarifies.

I *do* have origin installed, but sims 2 does NOT go through it whatsoever. At all.

My most recent update is 1709. That would suck if that were the culprit.

I haven't tried any tests yet today. To be honest, I'm heartbroken that this crap is going on and I'm so tech ignorant that I feel hopeless. I have a really great BACC going on.

Thanks for your congrats We'll see if we can even get the game up and running, lol!!!

So your Sims game is a backup of a game installed from disks earlier, is that correct? Not Ultimate Collection?
Chin up! Lots of techie folks in the community who might think of something. *fingers crossed* I'm techie but not in the area of graphics cards so I feel the same.

@gwynne - Sounds like this thread here is no Origin UC (so no Origin UC update) + Windoze 1709 + NVidia. Yay, more data?

UPDATE: I contacted EA, believe it or not.

The representative there had me go ahead and install UC.

Resolution problem is fixed, and it looks like my crashing issues have been fixed as well. I can get into my neighborhoods and I just tried getting into my current household lot that I couldn't get in to before and I have no problems.

Only issue is that I need to now update all of my CC objects That will take quite awhile, if I can even find it all.

But, it looks like I can play again!!!

UPDATE: CC is showing up just fine in my game!!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!

Any CC for M&G and AL should work fine in UC is my understanding.

I'm so happy for you! Yay! :D

Could you please post your sgr files here? I want to steal them and see how mine are different. You have a similar system to mine, I just have a 1060 Nvidia, not 1070.

It should have attached. Let me know that it worked.

This is with the resolution fix.

Thanks, suzanne. Didn't help, but I appreciate it anyway. After trying many, many things (see ridiculously long threads here and at leefish), I'm thinking it really is something to do with Windows update 1709 that I can't get around myself. gwynne managed to get UC working on one of her machines by rolling back to 1703 but she doesn't recommend that due to it being a risk (update 1709 was meant to protect against Spectre/Meltdown) and it being temporary. Windows 10 will force you to update to 1709 again unless you disconnect it from the network permanently. I'm going to fiddle with NVidia graphics settings in NVidia Panel, try lower ones, and wait for Windows/NVidia and/or Origin to fix it. I may be waiting a long time.