Sims 3 Crashes (unless I downgrade to 9.12 OR play in Windowed Mode)

[Black Panther]

I'm installing TS3 for the first time on desktop rig (see system specs). I already have it running fine on my laptop and on my daughter's pc since date of release..

So I installed the base game, let the launcher do the updates...

Then I get that the launcher has "stopped working" but the game continues to load anyway.
When the green loading bar is like half-way or more, everything freezes. I can't alt-tab or start the task manager, to get out I have to press the reset button on my pc.

I was thinking it's a launcher problem (the last patch apparently broke something there) but if I start the game through the exe file in Program Files I still get the same freeze-up

 

[overclocking101]

try to run it in compatability mode for windows vista. your laptop has vista and the desktop has 7, they are very dfferent and the for tons of games/drivers compatability mode is the only way.

 

[Black Panther]

I had tried that but still a no-go

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 124
BCP1: 0000000000000000
BCP2: FFFFFA8005A0A8F8
BCP3: 0000000000000000
BCP4: 0000000000000000
OS Version: 6_1_7600
Service Pack: 0_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\012211-12355-01.dmp
C:\Windows\Temp\WER-12386-0.sysdata.xml

 

[JrRacinFan]

Does your daughter's PC have a sound card installed? Might be Creative's drivers acting up. See what happens when you disable hardware sound.

 

[Bo$$]

try disabling crossfire

 

[Black Panther]

Does your daughter's PC have a sound card installed? Might be Creative's drivers acting up. See what happens when you disable hardware sound.

Nothing, still the same problem.

try disabling crossfire

Not sure how to do that
Is it from CCC?

 

[TheMailMan78]

I'm installing TS3 for the first time on desktop rig (see system specs). I already have it running fine on my laptop and on my daughter's pc since date of release..

So I installed the base game, let the launcher do the updates...

Then I get that the launcher has "stopped working" but the game continues to load anyway.
When the green loading bar is like half-way or more, everything freezes. I can't alt-tab or start the task manager, to get out I have to press the reset button on my pc.

I was thinking it's a launcher problem (the last patch apparently broke something there) but if I start the game through the exe file in Program Files I still get the same freeze-up

Its just a standard CPU algorithm thats keeping the launcher from completing. Basically the hardware is defending itself from such a foul ass game. Other then that all I can say is did you try running it as an Admin?

 

[Black Panther]

The game used to run fine before I switched from Vista x64 to Win 7 x64
All pc components were the same then (5970, creative card etc) I only replaced my seagate with a SSD but it running from SSD shouldn't pose the problem.

 

[TheMailMan78]

The game used to run fine before I switched from Vista x64 to Win 7 x64
All pc components were the same then (5970, creative card etc) I only replaced my seagate with a SSD but it running from SSD shouldn't pose the problem.

Like I said did you try and run it as an Admin?

 

[kenkickr]

Have you tried uninstalling Sims3 and EA Downloader, removing any trace of the the Sims 3 Program files and EA Downloader, and reinstall?

 

[Black Panther]

Here's what I tried so far:

I uninstalled the base game and EA downloader. Ran CCleaner, cleaned registry.

Installed base game. Didn't update (version now was 1.0.631.00002)

Started playing and still the same problem - the sound starts looping and the pc freezes.

Tried the DEP and CFF fixes.
Tried running the TS3.exe file directly.
Tried running it as administrator.
Tried it in XP compatibility mode, and in Vista compatibility mode.
Even tried disabling my Creative X-Fi sound card...


It's strange because the game used to work on this pc before.

Last November I removed the existing hard disk with Vista 64 bit and put a new empty 160GB solid state drive, and installed Win 7 64 bit.
Otherwise everything's remained the same.

Other games run fine too (Fallout New Vegas, Dirt 2 etc...)

 

[TheMailMan78]

Here's what I tried so far:

I uninstalled the base game and EA downloader. Ran CCleaner, cleaned registry.

Installed base game. Didn't update (version now was 1.0.631.00002)

Started playing and still the same problem - the sound starts looping and the pc freezes.

Tried the DEP and CFF fixes.
Tried running the TS3.exe file directly.
Tried running it as administrator.
Tried it in XP compatibility mode, and in Vista compatibility mode.
Even tried disabling my Creative X-Fi sound card...


It's strange because the game used to work on this pc before.

Last November I removed the existing hard disk with Vista 64 bit and put a new empty 160GB solid state drive, and installed Win 7 64 bit.
Otherwise everything's remained the same.

Other games run fine too (Fallout New Vegas, Dirt 2 etc...)

Ok is there a folder in your documents that has saved games/store settings and such?

 

[Black Panther]

Ok is there a folder in your documents that has saved games/store settings and such?

Yes C:\Users\BlackPanther\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 but I haven't yet been able to play the game so I have no saved games, or any settings different from default settings.

Win 7 x64 is fully compatible with this game, and I don't think running it from a SSD should make any difference. Basically those are the only 2 items of hardware I changed from my pc since the last time the game ran fine.

Oh and there's the monitor. But anyway the game's running at 1024x768 - I never get the time to change the res.

Hardware doesn't seem to be the problem I guess.

So perhaps some software is conflicting... let's see... I have VLC player...

 

[mlee49]

It's a subliminal warning for you to not play the game.

 

[Black Panther]

Bluescreen view:

 

[TheMailMan78]

Yes C:\Users\BlackPanther\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 but I haven't yet been able to play the game so I have no saved games, or any settings different from default settings.

Win 7 x64 is fully compatible with this game, and I don't think running it from a SSD should make any difference. Basically those are the only 2 items of hardware I changed from my pc since the last time the game ran fine.

Oh and there's the monitor. But anyway the game's running at 1024x768 - I never get the time to change the res.

Hardware doesn't seem to be the problem I guess.

So perhaps some software is conflicting... let's see... I have VLC player...

Try dumping (make backup) that file and let the game make a new one.

Bluescreen view:

http://img.techpowerup.org/110122/sims prob 3.png

Thats from a corrupt intsall of Windows. This could fix it but I would do a clean install.

 

[Black Panther]

Try dumping (make backup) that file and let the game make a new one.

Tried that, didn't work.

Thats from a corrupt intsall of Windows. This could fix it but I would do a clean install.

I doubt it's a corrupt install of Win 7...
All my other games work perfectly fine.
And I'm not going to do a clean install just for Sims


Edit:

This is even weirder.
I updated the graphics driver to 10.12 and now nothing whatever starts.
As soon as I try to start the game I get:

Service initialization failed (0x065d0274)

 

[TheMailMan78]

Tried that, didn't work.




I doubt it's a corrupt install of Win 7...
All my other games work perfectly fine.
And I'm not going to do a clean install just for Sims


Edit:

This is even weirder.
I updated the graphics driver to 10.12 and now nothing whatever starts.
As soon as I try to start the game I get:

Do a clean install of the drivers using Erockers guide. Then install 10.10e. I had really bad luck with anything above 10.10e.

 

[Black Panther]

I'll try it, but I had been using 10.10e right (when I described all the issues in the OP) before I updated to 10.12

For good measure I have just uninstalled the game and all expansion packs from the laptop. Laptop's got all my installed games + a couple more (desktop's got 160GB SSD whereas lappie's got 320GB raid0). Moreover the laptop's vista x64 install dates back to July 2008 whereas the desktop's Win 7 x64 install dates back to last Oct/Nov.

And guess what, on the laptop everything goes just fine.

I'm bothering because I want to try this out @ 2560x1440 on the 5970. AND there's no plausible reason why this crappy game shouldn't work. Heck I got Crysis, Metro, Fallout NV, Dirt2, FEAR2, Amnesia, L4D2... you mention it.... working on this pc and I have to find myself stalling not being able to run the meagre Sims?!?

I think I'm really starting to hate this game.

 

[sneekypeet]

sorry long thread, so I picked up on the main bits

The base game is installed and wont patch?

this is normal and happens to me every time. I am going to find FordGTs patcher for you, expect an edit.

I think this will easy your suffering The Sims 3 Patch Downloader

 

[Black Panther]

sorry long thread, so I picked up on the main bits

The base game is installed and wont patch?

Not exactly.

Game installs and patches. It's just that while loading before starting the game suddenly the sound starts looping (makes sound like tittittittittittittittitt ad infinitum) and the loading picture on the monitor freezes and I can't either alt-tab nor bring up the task manager. To exit the only solution would be a hard boot or pressing the 'reset' button.

What's confusing is that this game runs quite acceptable on my daughter's pc (which doesn't even meet the minimum specifications - single core amd @ 1.15Ghz, 1GB RAM and FX5500 graphics), it runs fine on my laptop see system specs (but I don't want to game on a 17" monitor since I have a 27" 2560x1440 available) notwithstanding the OS install being more than 2 years old, and it also used to run perfectly fine on this very same desktop rig I'm on just now - when this rig had Vista x64 instead of Win 7 x64, a 250GB seagate instead of a 160GB SSD and a 1680x1050 monitor instead of a 2560x1440 one... and when I ran whatever graphic driver was available way back then Updating to 10.12 makes the game just not run at all now I get

Service initialization failed (0x065d0274)

 

[sneekypeet]

Ahh I see. Only help I have left is that the game just hates 7 64 bit!

 

[Black Panther]

Ahh I see. Only help I have left is that the game just hates 7 64 bit!

Nope...

 

[sneekypeet]

nice that the box says that, but google compatibility issues with it and 7 64. Just so happened a lot of the issues I was having, similar to what you are reporting, were fixed by not updating the game with the EA downloader.

 

[Black Panther]

a lot of the issues I was having, similar to what you are reporting, were fixed by not updating the game with the EA downloader.

Sadly I tried that too, updating the game from here instead of using the Launcher or EA downloader I even tried not updating the game at all but I couldn't play not even the base game (whereas I had bought the base game on release and it had worked out of the box way back then)