Cant start the game

[blasphemy]

I install the game, I apply the latest patch but I always receive the same error message. Game exception

Can anyone help me please?

[Judhudson]

I searched, and when you get this message: Crash with Game Exception: Unable to find a valid device error, it is due to an unsupported video card.

[blasphemy]

so 45euros in the trash? :S

[blasphemy]

Well I changed my video card with my old an Asus N6600 GT 128mb and supposed this card to be supported, but the same message. Game exception.

The difference was that in the previous video card this error showed up when trying to load the game. Now, the game cant even load.

[Judhudson]

I didn't even mention this, my fault. Did you happen to update your drivers for your graphics card?

One thing bad about SimCity Societies is a lot of people have issues getting it to run. It's not a bad game, it's just a pain with all of the errors. However, Tilted Mills is currently working on patching it, so I wouldn't call it a waste just yet.

[ManagerJosh]

Is there any specific details to "game exception"? That's pretty vague and unfortunately I can't point you in the right direction without more information.

[Karybdis]

Game Exception is basically just saying there was an error with the file itself or the memory it relies on... could be just about anything.

I hope it gives more specific info than that, or it's a totally useless error message.

[Judhudson]

Oops, didn't know that :( So you may be able to fix it after all.

[blasphemy]

The thing is I cant see the error. It freezes the desktop and only by alt + tab can see the Game exception error. And the only way to close it is by task manager.

I saw in the ea community have many problems with that error and they cant start the game. All with different game exception errors. What can I do to see the all error? And if I see the error can I fix it?

[Satzusai]

So botom line is just to keepfollowing what you all find out about the patches, i bought a new dvd-rom and installed it , upgraded it and now i get : game exception: c:\sc5prexmasupdate\source\engine\dxdevice.cpp\get bestdeviceid 609, where do i find out if my video card is big enough and where do i go to upgrade it?, i have a windows XP pro, the computer is big enough i just don't know about the video card/drive or whatever, i am new at all this :o,

[dlking58]

Well, the good news is you'll probably know a lot more about your computer after all this! Go to this thread http://uoem.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14618

where I documented everything I did. You might not have to do all this if your computer is newer than mine. Anyway, in the next post or two after it, a forum contributor suggested that it might be my CD-Rom drive. As you'll see in my subsequent post, to rule out the CD-Rom as an issue, I copied the entire game disk to a folder on my computer and ran the installation from there. IT WORKED!

Having said all this, I must confess that the game still crashes after 15-20 minutes of play. I've about decided it's just not worth it. I got the new Sims Castaway, and I'm playing that all the time now. FUN, and it doesn't crash.

Good luck!!!