Game running problems - black screen I installed The Sims 2 for the first time on my PC. There were no problems during the installation, but when I got the game installed and tried to run it, a black screen appeared and the PC freezed. I had to press the restart button on the computer case to restart it. I tried to run the game again, but the same thing happened. I have no idea why it does not work. Here is my PC configuration: CPU: Intel(R) Celeron(R) D 3.20GHz RAM: 512MB VIDEO: GeForce 7300LE 256MB And I have enough space on my HDD for swap file and etc. Here is the Sims 2 log file, created when trying to run the game: Code: Log generated on 10/10/2007, 15:21 === Application info === Name: The Sims 2 Version: 1.0.0.932 Build: ReleaseSRT-P === Machine info === OS version: Windows NT 5.1 CPU: 3196Mhz, Name:GenuineIntel, FPU:1, MMX:1 Memory: 512MB Free memory: 316MB User: Jestoka Computer: X3M === Sound device info === Name: Unknown Driver: Unknown === Graphics device info === Number: 0 Name (driver): NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE Name (database): NVIDIA GeForce 7300 LE <<NOT FOUND IN DATABASE!>> Vendor: NVIDIA Chipset: Vendor: 10de, Device: 01d1, Board: 00000000, Chipset: 00a1 Driver: nv4_disp.dll, Version: 6.14.11.6371, GUID: D7B71E3E-4291-11CF-537B-0B2000C2CB35 Driver version: 6371 Monitor: [URL="file://./DISPLAY1"]\\.\DISPLAY1[/URL] Monitor aspect: 1.333333, 4:3 Screen mode: 1024x768x32BPP,75Hz Texture memory: 256MB HW T&L: Fixed function:1 Programmable:3.0 Pixel program: 3.0 Texture stages: 8 AppControlledAA: 1 Global properties ----------------- boolProp allowCustomContent true uintProp AmbienceVolume 100 boolProp animationLOD false uintProp antialiasingQuality 0 uintProp AudioPerformance 1 boolProp autoCentering true boolProp autoLogin false boolProp bumpMapping false boolProp CameraDriftCamEnabled true boolProp CameraSpecialEventEnabled true boolProp carsOnRight false boolProp checkForPatch true boolProp constrainFloorElevation true boolProp creatingLotTemplate false uintProp cutawayMemorySize 3 boolProp cutawayOutside true boolProp deviceVsynch true boolProp displayLookAtBoxes false boolProp displayPaths false uintProp dynamicRenderStrategy 0 boolProp edgeScrolling true uintProp edithConfigFlags 0 boolProp effectLODSoftChange true floatProp effectMaxTimeDelta 0 uintProp effectPriorityLevel 3 boolProp enableSnapshot true boolProp freeWill true uintProp FXVolume 100 floatProp geomBoneInfluenceThreshold 0.01 boolProp geomCheckGeomDataIntegrity false floatProp geomGeneratedTangentSpaceNormalLineLength 0.1 uintProp geomGenerateTangentSpaceNormalLines 0 boolProp geomGenerateTangentSpaceSxT false uintProp geomMaxBoneInfluencesPerVertex 4 sintProp geomMaxMorphTargetDeltasPerVertex 4 floatProp geomMorphTargetDeltaThreshold 0.001 floatProp geomPerBoneBoundBlendWeightThreshold 0.9 boolProp guob true floatProp horzedgescrollrate 0.5 boolProp interrupt false stringProp lastLoadedNeighborhood uintProp lightingQuality 3 boolProp lightOpenGLStyle false boolProp liveCameraConstraints true boolProp livePIP true uintProp lodOverride 0 boolProp lotInfoAdvancedMode false stringProp lotWindowFillColor (0,0,0,1) uintProp maxParticlesTarget 10000 uintProp maxTerrainGrade 5 boolProp morph true uintProp MusicVolume 40 stringProp neighborhoodWindowFillColor (0.5,0.5,0.5,1) boolProp nhoodWaterReflection false boolProp NoLegacySounds true boolProp noStupidIFFUnlocking false boolProp optimizeMeshes true floatProp particleDamping 0 floatProp particleDensity 1 uintProp particleLODOffset 0 floatProp particleScale 1 floatProp particleSizeThreshold 1 boolProp perfAddLights true boolProp perfEnableMorphing true boolProp perfEnableSkinning true boolProp perfLightCaching true boolProp perfRenderParts true uintProp propertyRevision 6 boolProp quickTips true boolProp reduceBoneWeights false boolProp reflectionWithExtraViewer false boolProp renderInsideObjectOnlyOnSelectedSimLevel true uintProp renderInsideVisibleObjects 1 boolProp renderOpaqueUI false boolProp renderSelectedSimLevel false boolProp rotateCameraSims1Mode false boolProp ShowLotPackageFilename false boolProp ShowTutorialWelcome true boolProp simInBackground false boolProp simShadows true boolProp sleepInBackground true boolProp snapObjectsToGrid true uintProp snapshotPictureQuality 2 uintProp snapshotPictureSize 2 uintProp soundDetail 2 boolProp SoundMasterGroupAmbienceEnabled true boolProp SoundMasterGroupFXEnabled true boolProp SoundMasterGroupMusicEnabled true boolProp SoundMasterGroupVoxEnabled true boolProp specHighlights true stringProp startingNeighborhood Pleasantview boolProp unevenTilesFloorable true boolProp useEffects true boolProp useLODs false boolProp usePixelAspectRatio true floatProp vertedgescrollrate 0.5 boolProp videoCaptureAudioOn true uintProp videoCaptureMaxRecordingSeconds 60 uintProp videoCaptureQuality 1 uintProp videoCaptureSize 1 uintProp VOXVolume 100 Device 0 -------- Options ------- uintProp MaterialDetail 3 #default: 3 uintProp ObjectDetail 3 #default: 3 uintProp ObjectHiding 0 #default: 0 uintProp Shadows 3 #default: 3 uintProp OpaqueUI 0 #default: 0 uintProp Reflection 1 #default: 1 uintProp EffectsQuality 3 #default: 3 uintProp LightingQuality 3 #default: 3 uintProp SoundQuality 3 #default: 3 uintProp DirtyRect 2 #default: 2 uintProp FullscreenFadeEffect 1 #default: 1 uintProp Turbo 2 #default: 2 uintProp SimulatorControls 3 #default: 3 uintProp LightingOptimizations 3 #default: 3 uintProp AnimationSamplingLevel 2 #default: 2 uintProp LivePIP 1 #default: 1 uintProp SpecialEventCamera 1 #default: 1 uintProp ScreenModeResolution 3 #default: 3 Option properties ----------------- sintProp activeDeviceNum 0 boolProp animationFrameSampling false uintProp AudioPerformance 2 boolProp bumpMapping true boolProp chooseCameraSpecialEventEnabled true uintProp defaultResHeight 768 uintProp defaultResWidth 1024 uintProp dynamicRenderStrategy 2 uintProp effectPriorityLevel 3 boolProp enableSnapshot true boolProp floorAndWallNormalMapping true boolProp guob true boolProp heightMapShadows true uintProp imageDataSizeReductionOnLoad 0 boolProp incrementalLighting true boolProp lerpLights true boolProp lightingEnabled true boolProp livePIPDefault true uintProp lodOverride 0 uintProp maxNumOfVisitingSims 8 uintProp maxParticlesTarget 10000 uintProp maxResHeight 1200 uintProp maxResWidth 1600 boolProp nhoodWaterReflection true boolProp objectShadows true boolProp optimizedDiffusion true uintProp optionAnimationSamplingLevel 2 uintProp optionDirtyRect 2 uintProp optionEffectsQuality 3 uintProp optionFullscreenFadeEffect 1 uintProp optionLightingOptimizations 3 uintProp optionLightingQuality 3 uintProp optionLivePIP 1 uintProp optionMaterialDetail 3 uintProp optionObjectDetail 3 uintProp optionObjectHiding 0 uintProp optionOpaqueUI 0 uintProp optionReflection 1 uintProp optionScreenModeResolution 3 uintProp optionShadows 3 uintProp optionSimulatorControls 3 uintProp optionSoundQuality 3 uintProp optionSpecialEventCamera 1 uintProp optionTurbo 2 floatProp particleDensity 1 uintProp particleLODOffset 0 floatProp particleScale 1 boolProp portalLighting true boolProp reduceBoneWeights false boolProp reflectionWithExtraViewer true uintProp renderInsideVisibleObjects 0 boolProp renderOpaqueUI false boolProp simShadows true boolProp specHighlights true boolProp useDirtyTiles true boolProp useEffects true boolProp useLODs false boolProp useTurboRect true Device properties ----------------- boolProp activeDeviceUseSoftwareRasterizer false uintProp antialiasingSupport 3 uintProp configParserErrorCode 0 boolProp createNVidiaWorkaroundTexture true uintProp deviceLocalVideoMemorySizeDefault 268435456 boolProp enableDriverMemoryManager false boolProp enumerateMultisampleLevels true boolProp presentWorkaround false boolProp useRenderTextures false boolProp vs2LoopsFunctional true
This link might help you out. Also, you could try downloading the latest patch from EA here. I don't know if that will help but it's worth a try.
OK, I'm going out a limb, here. The black screen crash is a definite graphics failure. Patching the game is pointless and will get you nowhere. Thanks for the config log report. Very helpful My eye is drawn to your screen's refresh rate. My ridulous brain told me that 75 Hz refresh rate was bad for Sims 2. I ran a Google and found this advice: http://www.ntcompatible.com/thread28858-1.html
My ridulous brain told me that 75 Hz refresh rate was bad for Sims 2. I ran a Google and found this advice. I run with 75Hz and no probs. Its a real prob if your monitor can't handle it. I'm more concerned with windows NT. I could be wrong . But isn't NT a little old? Also are you running any background tasks. like virus protection or Norton system works. 512mb is not much memory with those in background.
LOL. NT is the generic Windows name for a 32 bit OS so XP Pro comes up at NT 5.1 and Vista shows up as NT 6.0 The refresh rate is a clutching at straws thing. It was a sort of hot issue a couple of years back. Obviously not everyone's experience was the same, but some folks who had serious black screen issues found fixes in resetting their refresh rates to 50 Hz. Sometime puterization makes no sense. I've been tearing out hair trying to make RCT3 run in Vista. Actually running wasn't the problem. Saving was problem. Save folders were set to read only. Nothing I did made them writable on a permanent basis. On a tip from Googling, I created another Windows account and was immediately able to save in the same folders that the prime and previously sole ADMIN account had been refused access to. It goes without saying that this problem has not been universally experienced by RCT players trying out Vista.
LOL. NT is the generic Windows name for a 32 bit OS so XP Pro comes up at NT 5.1 and Vista shows up as NT 6.0 Yes Lol it was the NT thing I was confused on. I knew xp and vista was NT based. I wasn,t sure of the numbers lol. So now I know 5.1 and 6.0 .
