I'm sure this question gets asked quite often and for that i'm sorry but I'm just trying to play this darned game. First off, here are my specs:

==System==

* Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002)
* System Manufacturer: Dell Inc.
* System Model: XPS M 1530
* Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T5900 @ 2.20 GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.2 GHz
* Memory: 4094MB RAM
* Page File: 2108MB used, 6270MB available
* DirectX Version: DirectX 11

==Display==

* Name: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
* Manufacturer: NVIDIA
* Chip Type: GeForce 8600M GT
* Approx. Total Memory: 2030 MB

* Main Driver: nvd3dumx.dll,nvwgf2umx.dll,nvwgt2
* Version: 8.17.0011.9562 (English)

==Sound==

* Name: HDMI (SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC)


Ok I've installed TS 3 as well as the High End Stuff. The current version I am running is 3.1.7.004017.

What happens is I launch the game, it loads to the neighborhood. When I select "create your sim" its loads and that is when it crashes. I tried to delete the cache files and that didn't help, I tried to delete the mods but there were no mods to delete. I have not yet once been able to play the game. From what I can tell, I should have the required specifications to run this game. Please, any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hmm. Can you describe the crash some more? You say the whole computer crashes - does it freeze up? Does it switch itself off? Do you get a BSOD (blue screen with a load of technical white text on it)?

When did this start? After you'd installed HELS, or as soon as you installed the basegame? Or perhaps after patching?

my computer just simply shuts off. It has the loading icon going and then next thing you know the computer is completely shut off. This occurred both with HELS installed and without it. Also before and after patching.

Did you change anything under the graphics options? If not, try reducing the sims quality one and see if that helps. My third pc has pretty much the same system specs as your pc and reducing the graphics options fix it.

where do I do that?

When you say (post #1) "I tried to delete the mods but there were no mods to delete", do you mean that you never downloaded any CC, or that you didn't find it when you tried to remove it?

I never downloaded any cc, i just figured out what mods means a couple hours ago after that post.

when you load your game and the main screen comes up, theres a round button with three dots click it.

i tried to do that but this time it crashed before I even got out of the green screen

did you move the bar left or right?

it crashed before the main screen came up, it had the intros, got to the loading green screen and then it was over

so you didn't change anything before this happened? dont worry if you did we can still change the setting without being in the game

i was unable to change anything

Ok, go to your documents folder > Electronics Arts > The Sims 3. Open the options file with notepad and change the simquality = # to simquality = 2 or 1 then close and save the file. Try running the game now and tell me what happens.

I changed it from 3 to 2 and nothing changed, it still crashed like it has been

And i just tried it at 1 and that didn't help either.

Change all these to 0 and see if the game works then

simquality = #
treequality = #
visualeffects = #
terrainquality = #
edgesmoothing = #
lightingquality = #
texturequality = #
maxactivelots = #

that did not work either

Moving this to Computer/Hardware help, because when your entire machine shuts down, that's usually a sign for bigger trouble than just with the game.

Sorry I can't help myself, I'm not a Windows user.

anywhere that i can get the help i need i appreciate it.

well the only other thing i would suggest is updating your video card drivers and then reinstalling the game but this time try running it without patches first, but if your whole computer is crashing then that is a completely different story and i would need much more details to help you.

what details do you need?

195.62 is the latest drivers for that card series for laptops.

1. Does it crash while doing other stuff, as long as you don't launch TS3?
2. Especially graphics-intensive ones like watch movies or render videos, surf, listen to music, etc?
3. Do you play other games? Do they crash as well?
4. What Firewall and Antivirus software are you running?
5. Do you have a DVD writing program like Roxio, Alcohol, etc?

The crash

• it shuts off? Didn't restart? or give a BSOD (no hex codes error message)?
• have you run Windows Updates on this laptop, recently?

The Sims

• disc or digital download versions? for both games...
• no mods: just confirming you do not have the CC(Custom Content) framework installed? If you don't know what that is, never mind, we can forget about Custom Content for now.
• Have you downloaded and installed custom content via Launcher (files are in *.Sims3Pack format)?
  • do you have Custom Sims in SavedSims folder in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\ (files are in *.sim format)?
  • Have you move them out to Desktop and try (remember to delete *cache files and test with new game)?
  • if they (downloaded Sims) are installed via Launcher, disable them from the Installed Content tab
  • If you do not have a SavedSims folder or never downloaded any Sims3Packs yet, that is fine too, but let me know either way.
• does it crash if you're not entering CAS? or since the initial CAS crash, it now crash at loading screen?
• did you try the game on 1.9 version (without HEL) or with HEL on 3.0 patch version? or you went direct to patch 1.10/3.1? Confirming: you don't have WA?
• "I have not yet once been able to play the game." : this is your first time installing the game? Did you try to run it on the base game unpatched (ie on 1.0 version) when you first install it?
• the option.ini file can be deleted if you suspect it is corrupted. The game will generate a fresh copy and reset all settings to default at the next launch.

eta: (more for my own notes, really so I can recall what I have checked)

1. Dell's drivers page for this GPU is dated 2008 for version 176.44
2. Nvidia has a 195.81_beta that recommends a BIOS update as a prerequisite to this driver updates
3. this beta driver addresses Adobe Flash 10.1 Beta 2 stuff and for SLI support for other games, so might not be relevant
4. but I would still like to know the BIOS version you have; Dell has an update to ver A12 (for WiFi enhancement functions, looks like not necessary?)

1. It only crashes when I play games, not when surfing the web or anything else
2. Does not crash when watching movies, etc.
3. The other games crash as well
4. McAfee
5. no

The Crash
1. It shuts off completely, there is nothing running and if I want it to be turned back on I have to press the power button.
2. Yes

The Sims
1. Digital Download versions of both
2. No mods
3. No
4. At first it would crash when entering CAS. I never tried anything else since I wanted to CAS. After searching for help via the web it has started to crash at the green load screen.
5. I have tried the game on the original installed version w/o HEL, but I have only tried w/ HEL on its most updated patch. I don't have WA
6. Yes
7. I'll give that a try

eta:
- I have that most recent BIOS update


Another tidbit - I, last night spent quite a bit of time on the phone and online with Dell support. They downloaded and installed that most updated BIOS and installed a few other updates. They also found that I had some spyware on my comp. They got that all removed and taken care of and the game still did not work. They found a site that showed the minimum requirements of TS 3 for vista are a 2.4gh processor whereas I have a 2.2gh processor, however, seeing as I have included that in my original post and I've had no one said that I have to believe I should still be able to play the game?

Also, I won't be able to respond again until about 830pm EST, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks for answering all my questions completely.

I'm more inclined to believe it is the 1.10 patch causing the issue with TS3 crashing, as stronger machines are also having crashing issues. The digital download versions are also getting the 'shorter end of the stick' this patch cycle. The 1.10 version is now suspected of causing games on digital download versions to freeze when players switch Windows or had another window pop-up during gameplay.
I'd suggest for you to load the unpatched game first after the uninstall, and then patch to 1.9 before proceeding to install HEL. And don't patch to 1.10/3.1 as yet.

We still need to know what is causing the crash, since it is not limited to Sims 3.

1. Has the computer always been crashing when you play other games?
2. And what games, does the machine meet the requirements for these games?
3. Have you been monitoring temperatures? Try HWMonitor. Load it up and play a game that does not crash as fast and can let you play the longest without crashing, at least 20-30 minutes if it can last that long. Screencap the screen as in the linked page, in an attachment in your next post or when you're next able to play and post here.
4. So, Dell support has no ideas on why it is happening?

It is hard to troubleshoot if we don't know where to look without any BSOD codes and we need an error code to at least point us in the general direction.

Let's start with looking at the Event logs.

• Open Event Viewer.
• Look for any red circles with an 'x' in Event viewer -> Global Logs -> System, around the time of the crash.
• Right click on the last Error log (if you arrange in descending order by date & time, that would be the first red Error icon entry on the list).
• Copy+paste the contents of the Description box in between quote tags like so, without the spaces before the " ]".

[quote ] paste text here[/quote ]

Let's hope that'll be able to tell us something.

As for meeting min requirements: with the combo of your RAM and GPU, it should play fine, if slightly choppy on a low-to-med graphics settings on speeds 2 or 3. It just means your Trees and Lots won't render as fast or as sharp as other players' on a higher CPU clock or with more CPU cores. And switching from F1(Live) <--> F2(Buy) <--> F3(Build) and zooming around in Map View or loading CAS screen is going to be slower than a Quad core machine, but you can switch between windows and read the forums or get a cup of coffee to stretch your legs, etc...in the meantime.

I myself play on an XP single core with cpu clock of 1.73GHz, so who am I to judge? But I mostly built and mess around with meshes and stuff, as the gameplay is too buggy to start a proper legacy game. Plus I've had to uninstall and reinstall countless times, I don't bother to stay attached to any of my saved games and storylines for the moment.