I have no idea what I did and how to repair it.

Everything was fine just like 5 hour ago. I decided to delete some items (just mostly base game, almost no CC) in the house I am playing and buy other to put in the same place (after I realised that after moving the house sims aren't able to use magic from the magic mod on old items but it works on new bought items). When I went back to life mode and unpaused game I realised all glass items are flashing different colors. There is a small posibility the game was broken before I entered buy mode but I doubt - I would see it.

I recorded a short video of the problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY6-Onmoz7c (recorded on a new save)

My computer specification:

Windows XP Home, SP3
Intel(R) Core (TM)2 DUO CPU
E4600 @ 2.40 GHz
1,99GB RAM
Graphic card: Intel(R) 82945G Express Chipset Family (integrated)

I know my graphic card is weak (I have had an ATI but it is broken since a year or so and I am using the weak, integrated one instead) but suprisingly each game is working fine even with high graphic settings (games are slightly slower but still playable). Also for last half of year I havent experience any graphic issues in The sims 3. There were some CC generated bugs and crashes but no graphic problems.

There were some problems like half of year ago (game freeze after like 30 minutes of playing and ... same problem as today: flashing glass items) but I repaired it by instaling new graphic card driver and DirectX.

I have tried to do it today but both are up to date. I even uninstalled and installed again graphic card driver but it didin't help. I would do the same to DirectX but I don't know how to uninstall it. I have also checked differnet game graphic settings (turning the game off and on each change) but still no progress. I tried to start the game with another save (as you can see in the video) but this also didn't help.


What I did to the game and to my computer recently is:

Like 4 days ago: reinstalling the game and installing again to patch it from 1.4.6 to 1.11.7. Installing Riverview. Instaling my favorite CCs and mods. Checking if the game is working.

Like 3 days ago: Realising that my sims cannot learn any skills, making game mods up to date, instaling some new mods (Magic, Dexter). Playing for like 2 hours, no problems.

Like 2 days ago: Instaling some more cc/mods (including mini EP "It is magic"). Playing some more.

Yesterday: Instaling some new cc/mods (including newer version of NRaas Computer with the assasin skill). Doind something to Rivenview working (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/s...c,17610.0.html). Checking the game with assasin skill. Realising the game is working a little too slow. Killing 2 sims one after another. Grim reaper freezed-> "ResetSim Mroczny Kosiarz" (Mroczny Kosiarz = Grim Reaper).

Today: Realising the game is way too slow. Deleting "It's magic" "mini EP". Defragmentating hard disk, using Ccleaner, deleting some items from "Temp" folder. Playing like 1 hour (the game working like a charm, no lags even with medium-high grapgic settings), killing another sim, realising there is no Grim Reaper -> "OMG, I killed Grim Reaper yesterday by using the resetsim command!". Deciding to move my family from the 1st city to new save on Riverview with their house. Realising they cannot use magic on items in their house... Rest of history you know.

Any ideas?

There have to be a way because I experienced the same problem once (on the same computer just with other game version: 1.4.6 not 1.11.7) and I was able to get rid of it for half of year somehow. The question is: HOW?

Last edited by mertana : 19th May 2010 at 10:59 PM.

This may well be the weak integrated graphics protesting the burden of The Sims 3.
Whether by itself, caused by cc, or other reasons. Not sure, at this point. It may
work some or even most of the time without issue, other times..... well you know.

As for the other issues, you mentioned, they seem likely to be caused by Custom
Content. Have you tried your game after removing custom content, deleting the
cache files, perhaps even with a new game with no carryovers from previous ones?

Yes, yes. I got rid of them right after they apeared.
The problem with unability to learn any skills was because of a not-compatibile "fast skill learning" mod which I deleted and replaced with a similliar mod up to date.
Slow game working was because too many cc (packages) instaled in a short time without hard disk defragmentation.
Grim reaper freezed because the game was working too slow at the moment and something went wrong (It happend before with my other sims, even with pure base game once). The Grim Reaper disapearing was because it seems like we cannot use ResetSim on him.
The unability to use magic in a new save after moving sims there with their house seems to be caused by adding the interaction to all items bought on the save but not to items already bought and placed with house (magic was working on items I sold and bought again).

I don't think any of the mods was a cause for graphic issues, all other issues are a piece of cake for me.

I will reinstall the game eventually but after I am done with all other repair possibilities.


Edited 10.06.2010:
It repaired itself . I didn't do anything, I didn't even enter the game since the glitch appeared. Not installing any drivers/updates on my computer, not removing or adding any files, just nothing. I have no idea why it looks just fine now - there is no more glitch. My computer is really wierd. But I quess every computer is wierd somehow. My last computer could reset itself everyday a few times without a reason for a month and then repair itself and work fine for a year. Then again get the "turning off sickness" a month long. The same issue every year. A computer season flu maybe? Yeah, computers are wierd. Definitelly

Last edited by mertana : 10th Jun 2010 at 05:27 PM.