Okay. The time has finally come to send out a major S.O.S.
TS2 is randomly crashing. When I say random, I mean that it just locks up between 10 and 30 minutes approximately of playing the game. When the game freezes, I must hit the reset button on my computer.
I have already checked the forums for a similar problem. In all cases listed, the crash happens at a specific event.
As for me...
It does not happen when loading any lots, entering a neighborhood or other specific action. I am playing along fine and then the screen locks up. The apparently random nature of this problem is making the troubleshooting process long and frustrating.
I have tried removing all hacks and it still happens. I have cleanly reinstalled the game. I have used SimPE to scan the downloads folder and I have disabled all suspect files. Still happening I believe the trouble is in my Downloads folder. However, I re-emphasize this issue appears to happen at a random interval.
I have even used SimPE to check for bad memories and damaged sims/lots.

I am running TS2 on a computer with the following specs:
2.53 GHz P4
2 GB DDR RAM
160 GB HD
256 MB NVidia GeForce 6600 (with the latest drivers)
DirectX is up to date
Soundblaster Audigy Sound Card (w/latest drivers)

PLEASE NOTE: I have been using the suggested troubleshooting methods on this site. And they have never failed to fix a problem before now.
I post this out of sheer frustration over not being able to enjoy one of my all time favorite games.

I am asking for ideas and suggestions for the specific type of files I should be looking for.

Have you tried moving the whole Downloads folder out of MyDocs and testing the game? Disabling hacks and such won't always help. There can always be weirdness with an object as well. Try that and let us know if you're still having problems. Also, is the computer having any issues when running anything else or just Sims2?

Thanks for responding.
Okay...
Nothing else on my computer is having this issue. Everything runs fine with the Downloads folder removed.
I am in the process of trying the whole remove the download folder thing again. (I did it before and could not locate the mystery "bad" file.)
Since the problem happens randomly during gameplay, it has been difficult to make sure I'm playing long enough to know if I've removed the broken file.
The first thing I checked (on my latest attempt) was pulling the hacks. The random system freeze persisted.
My next move is to start gradually moving files back to the Downloads folder in categories to see what happens. I will be paying close attention to object files. As you pointed out, the issue could be with such a file.

On the bright side, all of this has encouraged a little "spring cleaning" of my custom content. :D

ARRGGGHHH!!!
Alright. It appears I was wrong about everything working fine without the Downloads folder. 'Cause it does not work fine. Maybe I missed some driver updates. I could have sworn I rechecked that after I installed my new hard drive.
I know that TS2 is patched for OFB, DirectX, NVidia drivers are up to date.
Could it be a back to basics issue? Perhaps I need to use the EA.com advise on running the game without sound to see if my drivers are the issue?

This does not eliminate an issue with the Downloads folder.
But, is worth checking out. I will investigate and let you know.

Don't forget to go through the other suggestions in this thread. Keep us updated on your progress please.

Bad downloads don't usually cause complete computer lock-ups.
It could be an overheating issue, but that should turn the whole computer completely off, and your computer specs should handle a game like Sims 2 perfectly.

I had an overheating problem once too. After playing (a random time) my computer suddenly didn't react anymore no matter what I did, but my screen just looked like my computer was frozen. So I checked out my computer and guess what? My cpu was 51°C! (instead of the normal 30°C or 35°C). I have 'the overheating' fixed now and the probelem is completely gone.

It's absolutely worth getting a diagnostic tool and checking the temperature of your components.
You might need to clean dust out of your cabinet and make sure all your fans are working as they should.

This could also be caused by memory faults; you could check this by removing one RAM stick at a time (assuming you have more than one).

Thanks everyone for responding!!!
Here's an update.
I have updated my sound drivers. The game ran beautifully for about 20 minutes and tanked. I pulled absolutely everything out of my Download folder beforehand. I even used a freshly created Pleasantville!!!
So the signs point to a potential hardware issue. Ack! This is very disappointing a majority of my components are new. (ie all new RAM, hard drive, motherboard, video card.) My RAM has been tested by my computer's manufacturer. Perhaps overheating? Perhaps TS2 is running my processor so hard that heat really is the issue.
Anything else runs wonderfully, escept The Sims 2!
I've got three fans dedicated to blowing heat out of my desktop. One is even what they call a "blowhole," it is basically a fan blowing air out of the top of the case. You know, warm air rises.
I am running Norton Internet Security for firewall and anti-virus. Maybe an issue in itself? And, yes, I have even tried to disabling it prior to running TS2. And I defragged my hard drive prior to running TS2 as well.
Installed SensorView. Here are specs.
CPU Temp 42 degrees
System Temp 35 degrees
Hard Drive 38 degrees
Everything checks out as normal.

I wonder what to do now?

Last edited by tarquin74 : 22nd Aug 2006 at 02:24 AM.

voltage on psu??. temps are in celsius right? if your cpu is 42 degrees in Fahrenheit what kind of cpu/ coolor do you have?lol also whats the temp of your video card? check harddrive for error,find out what your psu voltage is running at.


NH1 51C for some cpu is not hot.my p4 runs at 48 C without load and depending on games it pushes 60C i would guess like when im playing fear,hl2 type of games

HI, One thing you can try is this. On your desktop icon for TS2, in the properties window, put in a -w after the executable. This opens your game in 'Windowed' mode.

If your game locks on you, leave it locked while you do other things on your computer. Do your other activities lock also? If so, it's probably a resource issue. If your other programs work fine while TS2 remains locked up, then it's a problem with the game itself.

One thing you can do, since you've removed your download folder content to test it, is to backup your My documents EA games directory to your desktop. Uninstall your game, reboot and reinstall your game. DON"T START your game untill you move your backedup folder contents back into the mydocuments folder.

If there is a corruption in the game code C:\.....\programfiles]\eagames\sims2\etc. , Reinstalling the game should fix that, then you can copy your MyDocuments stuff back where it belongs.

I had a similar problem in my game. After reinstalling my game, I was able to move the backedup game to the My documents folder and restart it and the problems did not reappear.

Instead of doing a complete reinstall, all of those files (with the excepetion of the main exe of course) are located on the cds in compressed.zip. You could just manually extract those files over the ones on your harddrive.

Thanks for all of the helpful advice. (You all rock!)
S'Okay. I am pondering what to do next.
My little brain is swimming from all the good advice. NOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING!!! I appreciate everyone's input!!!

I doubt it is a resource issue. Only TS2 is crashing my system. Anything else works great. Doom 3 for example runs smooth as butter.

Let me run a few ideas past the experts...
1. Some have suggested to turn down the DirectX Sound Hardware Acceleration.
2. EA suggests rolling my NVidia drivers back to 78.01 since I own OFB.
3. Forget OFB and cleanly install everything before it. Perhaps the issue is with OFB itself? I do not recall having major issues before installing OFB. hmm...
4. Install the main game, restart my computer, then patch, restart, install a EP, restart, patch, restart, etc, etc...
5. Screw it and find a new addiction. (That's my wife's suggestion. )

Which one works the best? Or should I which is the most stable for me to attempt?

As time permits, I think I will work from the least labor intensive to the most and back again if necessary.

I know the game ran better with the 78.01 NVidia drivers, but not perfect. Sims would randomly change to shadow puppets of their former selves or look like one of those CGI animation tests from the Shrek DVD.
I've had my computer's tech support people walk me through the hardware side of things. I've eliminated all the possibilities on that side. And, yes, the temperatures I listed are in C not F.


You know I miss the days when a game did not require you to do the hokey-pokey and spin around three times to get it to work.

Last edited by tarquin74 : 24th Aug 2006 at 01:46 AM.

In that case, what I would suggest you could try next is to remove all of your graphics drivers (with a program such as Driver Cleaner) and then install the 78.01 drivers again, or maybe even try the latest drivers once more. I found a marked diference in graphics card performance when I did this- all which could make your system work more efficiently and perhaps alleviate this problem?

Success (of sorts)!
Largely thanks to all of your kind hearted Simmers out there.
I managed to get TS2 to work with a fresh Pleasantview for an hour. I have not been able to get TS2 to run that long since before OFB! I installed the latest Soundblaster drivers and deleted the EA Games folder then allowed the system to create a brand new one before playing.
The weird thing is that this was not the first time I tried this. Perhap the updated sound drivers did the trick?
I played with the sound card acceleration in DirectX last night. It is makes the sound echo at reduced levels. I pushed it back to full acceleration before playing this evening.

Next up to readd my Downloads folder and test for bugs in my custom content. Then readd my custom neighborhood. I'll post the outcome.
Wish me luck!

Note to anyone having issues...
Make use of the EasyInfo.exe on your TS2 discs!!! It can help point out what is causing an issue. I found that my system's sound drivers were old and not liked by TS2. Yet, I thought I updated to the latest before installing the game. So don't assume "you've checked it" until you let EasyInfo.exe check it for you.

Well done, thankyou for letting us know. Sometimes deleting the user files does help as it forces the game to re-recognise your hardware. Please keep us posted!

After countless hours of cursing at my computer, it is done.
I reloaded my custom neighborhood and downloads folders to my EA Games directory. The game now works rather well in 1280 x 1024 with most slider bars maxed out. Could it be that I now can enjoy TS2 as it was meant to be?
I hope so!
I did have to disable some custom content to get the game running properly. Also I discovered that huge lots are cool to look at. But, the are also real resource hogs and could crash or corrupt your game. Nothing is wrong with a nice 4x3 lot or smaller.
Thanks again, everyone!

Glad it is working well; the correct drivers can make all of the difference. Please don't forget to back up your game files whilst it is working well:
http://www.modthesims2.com/article.php?p=1105148
Happy simming!