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Instructor
#26 Old 2nd Nov 2016 at 8:57 AM Last edited by PapaEmy : 2nd Nov 2016 at 12:49 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Sonshine
Well PapaEmy, I'm not sure why you had me do this. I followed your instructions, but basically, it took me back to where I began. I had the Nvidia Inspector running in the background. It doesn't matter if I close the window out or if I leave it in the background after applying the changes, the game still crashes. It seems also, that no matter how much editing I do, it's still going to crash. I'm thinking of just putting my old video card back in. It could very well be that this video card can't do sims anymore. Like you, I learned a hard lesson.


Well first off all I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you..

But let's do some re-checks to analyze what could have caused your problem.., 1st.. you said your TS3 didn't recognized your card, this could black screen your TS3 (but not necessarily crashing) like in this case which also happened to you in your case, the 2nd thing is you're experiencing black screen and at the same time crashing immediately which is unlikely (to crash) because of making your card recognized by TS3 and by running FPS Limiter for TS3.., which brought me to asked your TS3 version.. which happened to be 1.69, and the last thing that concerns me the most.. since you also answered that you never use FPS Limiter nor Nvidia Inspector before to cap your fps in TS3.., because that what happened to me with my GTX280 in the past.. I didn't know I suppose to run FPS limiter to cap the fps when playing TS3..

I'm not concluding that your GTX970 is damaged like my GTX280, because what happened to my card, it took about 2 yrs to be completely destroyed (but not dead), 1st it was lagging lightly, then it's getting worst, then my overall computing performance it's getting laggy (not only TS3), and at the time I don't have any other games installed because me and my daughter were so excited with TS3, so I removed the others to make some space in the hard drive for the EPs/SPs CCs and Mods, and then it's getting worst.. it's even start to lag when watching videos and the last one.. it's nightmare.. it's lagging even just browsing the internet..

Therefore it still possible that your card is still in good shape and something wrong with your TS3 1.69 installation files or something missing so may be your Win 7 may not run its drivers properly, but you need to test your GTX970 with other games to know and compares the performance, if everything are fine with others than TS3, it's more likely that something wrong with your TS3 1.69 installation files, or your Win7 is missing something or because of the DX7 you installed that probably removed something from Win7's default DX 11 that made your TS3 crashed, after all you did tried to run the game with both of the edited and the unedited GraphicCards.sgr + GraphicRules.sgr files and with or without Nvidia Inspector and your game still crashed, and so I think it has nothing to do with your card and I think your GTX970 is safe..

You can try it with your original card that you have as you've said it before, but I'd be curious to know the GTX970's condition if I were you.., the thing that I can not help you with, is I don't have 1.69 so I don't know how or what exactly is going on in your case, but I heard from others that the only difference about 1.69.. it's only altered how it launch the game, but is it? Because how 1.69 installs its installation files are different from 1.67 (from what i saw from the other user back then when the user was looking for the skuversion of the game), so I can't tell about 1.69.. except from what I heard people complaining about its specific problems compares to 1.67..

So in my opinion, I think the crash that you're experiencing, has got nothing to do with your GTX970's condition or because of it, because when my GTX280 were damaged, I still can run TS3 and the game didn't crash, it just so lagging and so slow, so what needs to be found is where is this crash coming from and why it's only happening with your TS3 1.69?

So the only solution to fix your problem that I can think of at the moment, if you have the time and spare hard drive, I'd suggest to have a fresh clean installation of your Win 7 and just install your TS3 for testing purpose, so you don't need to reactivate your Win 7 or move your personal files or etc, just Win 7, all of your hardware drivers and your TS3, test them with both of your GTX970 and your other video card, and make sure you test them with Nvidia Inspector capping the fps..
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Original Poster
#27 Old 3rd Nov 2016 at 4:53 PM
Hi again PapaEmy! I read your last post and have been thinking about it. From what you describe, it does sound like my card is shot as far as the sims go. I do have lag in my other games. Chrome sometimes will take a full 30 seconds or more to load and even then most of the time, it doesn't completely load. I'll have a blank white screen w/my thumbnails. Even my facebook games lag a bit.I was playing one of the facebook games last night and the graphics just were not cooperating. So thank you for your input. My old card is a GTX 680 so it's still a very decent card.
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Original Poster
#29 Old 3rd Nov 2016 at 5:33 PM
Thanks for your input Nitromon, but this has been tested over and over and over although I do not know how to use the HD GPU. I do not use a laptop, but an older tower comp if that makes any difference.
Instructor
#30 Old 3rd Nov 2016 at 5:55 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Sonshine
Hi again PapaEmy! I read your last post and have been thinking about it. From what you describe, it does sound like my card is shot as far as the sims go. I do have lag in my other games. Chrome sometimes will take a full 30 seconds or more to load and even then most of the time, it doesn't completely load. I'll have a blank white screen w/my thumbnails. Even my facebook games lag a bit.I was playing one of the facebook games last night and the graphics just were not cooperating. So thank you for your input. My old card is a GTX 680 so it's still a very decent card.


Well I can't say that your card is shot or not because what happened to my GTX280, it took about 2 years for me to realize and it's more worst from what you described about yours, so I can't say the same thing about yours, but I don't think so in your case, because even if it's shot, the crash still shouldn't happen when you launched your TS3, anyway if you want to test if there's any damage or not with your card, you can test it with ATI Tool but I really don't recommend that at all, because that tool can save your day or really kill your card instead.

So I think for now, why not we try to restore your DX11 for your Win7, so you don't have to reinstall your Win 7 in a separate hard drive, and then see if the crash still happening, I got this DirectX SDK (which also covered DX11) that I used to play NFS RUN and still use it now in my Win 10 for my games, you can download them here .

PS: Don't ruin your GTX680, that card though it's older but still powerful for any games, I got that one too for my GTX280 replacement, it was 3 times more than my GTX280 when I bought it in 2013.. (sigh), test TS3 with your Intel HD that came with your i7 chip, remove your GTX970 from your rig and plug your LCD cord in to the vga port at the motherboard to activate it, you don't have dual switchable gpus like in laptop for PC so you have to remove your card to activate your Intel HD
Instructor
Original Poster
#31 Old 3rd Nov 2016 at 6:33 PM
I forgot to add this earlier, but when I ran my dxdiag, it said that I do have DX11. I re-installed that old game and when it came to that point it said that it will "install DX media if needed." Since I already have 11, there was no need for it so it did not install the older version. Also, I do not have a second hard drive.
Instructor
#32 Old 3rd Nov 2016 at 6:50 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Sonshine
I forgot to add this earlier, but when I ran my dxdiag, it said that I do have DX11. I re-installed that old game and when it came to that point it said that it will "install DX media if needed." Since I already have 11, there was no need for it so it did not install the older version. Also, I do not have a second hard drive.


So.. assuming that you didn't changed anything to your DX11 because of the old game, this will be harder to locate what causing your TS3 to crash, it could be anything from your TS3 or even your Win 7 OS, but anyway if want to try it with your Intel HD graphic, it's still better/safer than using your GTX680, if with your Intel HD your TS3 still crash then it's not because of your graphic device, maybe it's on TS3 side, but I suspect it's more to your Win7's side because you did tried it with a clean run, so any CCs or Mods related can be ruled out.., the fastest way to found out and fix it for once and for all.. is with a new fresh clean Win 7 installation, new drivers installation and new TS3 installation..
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Original Poster
#33 Old 3rd Nov 2016 at 9:36 PM
Ok, how do I use Intel's HD instead of my card?

I just clicked on my Nvidia control panel and one of the choices is "Manage 3D Settings." Within that interface are several choices and at the bottom there is a "Restore" tab. When I mouse over that, it says "restores the settings for this global preset back to the default values that were set when the software was first installed." At the top of the window it says "You can change the global 3D settings...." Would it be safe to click on the "Restore" button?
Instructor
#35 Old 4th Nov 2016 at 7:34 AM Last edited by PapaEmy : 4th Nov 2016 at 1:23 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Sonshine
Ok, how do I use Intel's HD instead of my card?


1. Unplug all the power cords from your desktop PC connected to the power line.
2. Open your desktop PC's case.
3. Unplug all cables connected to your GTX970 card.
4. Remove your GTX970 card from your motherboard.
5. Connect your LCD monitor cable to the vga port on the motherboard.
6. Close back your desktop PC's case or leave it open for temporary to test it running
7. Connect all your power cords back
8. Turn on your PC, install your Intel HD graphic drivers if you haven't done so at the 1st time installing your Win 7
9. Put back your original unedited GraphicCards.sgr and GraphicRules.sgr files to your TS3 BG installation directory
10. Remove your DeviceConfig.log and Option.ini from your TS3 Documents folder.
11. Launch your TS3.

Note: FPS Limiter or Nvidia Inspector won't work with your Intel HD because your TS3 is 1.69 version, Nvidia Inspector can't control your Intel HD therefore you don't have anything that capping your FPS while running TS3, so just test your TS3 to run with your Intel HD to see if the crash still happening or not, and exit TS3 immediately after the game in full running.

Quote: Originally posted by Sonshine
I just clicked on my Nvidia control panel and one of the choices is "Manage 3D Settings." Within that interface are several choices and at the bottom there is a "Restore" tab. When I mouse over that, it says "restores the settings for this global preset back to the default values that were set when the software was first installed." At the top of the window it says "You can change the global 3D settings...." Would it be safe to click on the "Restore" button?


You can try that to see if it will bring you back to the point where your TS3 didn't crash, yes that's safe to restore as it won't harms your GTX970, but I doubt it if it could eliminate the crash happening with your TS3..
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Original Poster
#36 Old 8th Nov 2016 at 7:35 AM
Hi again! I just thought that I'd give you an update. As you know, it seemed like no matter what I did, it was going to crash so I completely and totally uninstalled and re-installed the game. I put the edited version of the deviceconfig and the card rules in their proper places. I am running on patch lev 1.67 now and no longer have to worry about ep's deselecting nor will I have to go through Origin now. The only bad part is that I lost most of my saved games. I'm not sure what happened, but they show up totally blank and are unplayable. My only guess is that they were saved under patch lev 1.69 and I'm running on the other one now. Compared to what was happening though, that is minor. I can always create more families and games. Thanks for all of your help PapaEmy!
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Original Poster
#37 Old 10th Nov 2016 at 5:24 PM
I just found out yesterday that one of my major problems (I think) was the dying power supply to the comp. It totally and completely died yesterday. It still doesn't answer why many of the saved games are gone, but at least it's a start. I'm thinking in hind sight, that the game blacking out must have been related to the weak/wearing out power supply.
Instructor
#38 Old 11th Nov 2016 at 4:30 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Sonshine
I just found out yesterday that one of my major problems (I think) was the dying power supply to the comp. It totally and completely died yesterday. It still doesn't answer why many of the saved games are gone, but at least it's a start. I'm thinking in hind sight, that the game blacking out must have been related to the weak/wearing out power supply.


Well yes.., it could be the cause of the blacking screen experience you're having when you launch the game, but dying power supply and insufficient power supply are different matter, and both of your graphic cards are GTX680 and GTX970, so the reference should be the GTX680 for you to have the proper power supply to support them, therefore your power supply that you should have is at least 650W power supply at the minimum because the range of the GTX680s line up are between 145W - 195W alone just for the video card..

So if your dying power supply is at least 650W PSU, assuming it's a good quality PSU product.. I think we can assume the PSU is really dying because of old age or something else, but if it's less than 650W or some cheap low quality PSU product, then it could also damage your video card and/or any other hardware you have in your system like SSD or HDD..


But even so, I think it was not the cause of your TS3 to crash, and as for your saved games, it probably because of the 1.69 you previously had vs 1.67 that you're running now, but as I mentioned before I don't have 1.69 so I can't tell if that would be the case for your saved games, maybe someone else can help you in that matter, and as for your PSU replacement, I'd suggest you to get good quality 800W (at the least) power supply product for your system to be safe like Corsair or Enlight etc..
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Original Poster
#39 Old 11th Nov 2016 at 3:11 PM
Hi again! You just confirmed my guess for why my saved games are not good. Although some of them are. I have about 4 out of 5 games that I actively played; all the others were just test or just beginning or whatever. No big loss on those. The PSU that I had I believe was a 750 and I'm getting a new 750, but the old one was at least about 2 - 3 years old so it was due to be replaced.
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