Crashing while loading - still on black screen. Tried all of the crash checklist options. {EDITED 29/03/2012}

[tellemonstar]

EDIT: 29 March 2012, 3:31pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time:
reinstalled base game, but didn't patch it. Loaded it without using the launcher. Base game is working without any error modes, but got the message 'your video card is not recognised' but it is a YES in the guide provided at MTS (at least for the base game.) Going to try it through the launcher now and see what happens.


I had to reinstall my base game due to extreme lag (up to an hour to load a new town, 20 minutes to load CAS and so on) after the debarcle with the super patch for Patch 1.32/1.33. I finally got everything to patch (after several errors with the incremental 1.29-1.31 patch) yesterday, and was too fed up to bother playing last night. Edited to add: Prior to the 1.32 superpatch I had no problems playing Showtime or any of the previous expansions/stuff packs.
I go to play today and I get the 'service initialisation failed' error, before even the EA symbol shows up. So, I did the following things (as found in the various Help articles here at MTS). I got the same 'service initialisation' error after each thing.

1. Deleted cache files. Same error.
2. Pulled out my restored user files - game saves from pre 1.32 patch, and re-deleted the cache files. Still no good.
3. Removed all my custom content - Mods folder and Downloads folder, as well as checking if there were files in the DCCache/DCBackup folders. Only files in those two folders were 'missingdeps.idx' (DCCache) and ccmerged.package (DCBackup). Deleted those files, as as repeating step 1. Didn't work then either - still got the same error.
4. Tweaked the DEP file, repeated steps 1 & 3 then restarted computer. Ran game and still nothing.
5. Ran CCleaner, deleted the cache files etc. No good agin.
6. Deleted the cache files, bypassed the launcher and still got the same error.
7. Tweaked the Options.ini file as per the instructions in the Crashing Checklist article. Deleted the cache files. Check the DEP. Bypassed the launcher and still nothing.
8. Ran out of things to do in the crashing checklist.

How I patched:
1.29 superpatcher for region 7, and incremental 1.29-1.31 & 1.31-1.33 patches.
Downloaded the patch files from MTS. Had some issues with the 1.29-1.31 incremental patch (file not found errors even though the files was there, but I had my original games files from the download).

All my games are downloaded from Origin. I have all expansions and stuff packs except Fast-Lane Stuff.

Specs:

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/28/2012, 14:46:59
Machine name: CHANTELLE-HP
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: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: 100-5120a
BIOS: BIOS Date: 08/20/10 16:33:53 Ver: 6.04
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 260u Processor (2 CPUs), ~1.8GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4096MB RAM
Page File: 1818MB used, 6370MB available
Windows Dir: C:\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
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: ATI Radeon HD 5450
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Chip type: ATI display adapter (0x68F9)
DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_68F9&SUBSYS_2AAE103C&REV_00
Display Memory: 2295 MB
Dedicated Memory: 503 MB
Shared Memory: 1791 MB
Current Mode: 1600 x 900 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor
Monitor Model: HP Omni/Pro
Monitor Id: HWP410B
Native Mode: 1600 x 900(p) (60.000Hz)
Output Type: Internal
Driver Name: aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx64.dll,aticfx32,aticfx32,aticfx32,atiumd64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atidxx64.dll,atiumdag,atidxx32,atidxx32,atiumdva,atiumd6a.cap,atitmm64.dll
Driver File Version: 8.17.0010.0024 (English)
Driver Version: 8.733.0.0
DDI Version: 11
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 5/12/2010 17:19:40, 584704 bytes

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
Description: Speakers (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Default Sound Playback: Yes
Default Voice Playback: Yes
Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0269&SUBSYS_103C2AAE&REV_1001
Manufacturer ID: 1
Product ID: 100
Type: WDM
Driver Name: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.6156 (English)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
Date and Size: 7/13/2010 21:27:06, 2424040 bytes

------------------------
Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives
------------------------
Drive: C:
Free Space: 310.9 GB
Total Space: 462.8 GB
File System: NTFS
Model: WDC WD50 00AAKS-60Z1A0 SATA Disk Device

ADDTIONAL INFO:
Uninstall of the base game was a complete manual uninstall as per the instructions on MTS. Deleted from the registry etc.


Thanks!

[ellacharmed]

Firstly, thank you for a report with all the information as asked. Much appreciated! :up:

So, I'm sorry to say the issues may stem from a weak machine. The processor does not meet requirements.
I had the same 1hr load time on an old single-core with just base game alone.

With a weak CPU, it does not matter that the RAM meets minimum specs. And with the GPU having a few Yellow Maybes, the whole system is not looking too good for Sims 3. Sorry.

[tellemonstar]

Firstly, thank you for a report with all the information as asked. Much appreciated! :up:

So, I'm sorry to say the issues may stem from a weak machine. The processor does not meet requirements.
I had the same 1hr load time on an old single-core with just base game alone.

With a weak CPU, it does not matter that the RAM meets minimum specs. And with the GPU having a few Yellow Maybes, the whole system is not looking too good for Sims 3. Sorry.

Well, that's annoying as I hadn't had any problems with the game - lag times or anything else, until after the whole 1.32-1.33 superpatch came out.

[ellacharmed]

Which is not surprising, as patch 1.3x brings the game to Showtime's level - with all the requirements and features for an addon - versus just for the base game.

And the base game's sgr file won't have info on cards not yet released at that time, would it? First reviews of HD 5450 appeared on Feb 2010 and the base game was released Jun 2009.

[tellemonstar]

Reinstalling at least some of the games (and manually patching inbetween each install). Just installed Ambitions and patched BG to 1.15.34, WA to 2.10.5 & AM to 4.3.4. So far, so good.
Hopefully I will be able to get up to Pets within the next day or two (due to dling the games again) until my computer techie friend can find a way to and find the time to upgrade my PC for me as I only brought it 10 months ago and am not buying a new one yet. Thanks for the info though. :) Hopefully the incremental patches will help stop the excessive flailing on my PC's part for now.