Family Loading Too Slow Ok, the problem I have with my game is that certain families, not all of them, are taking too long to load or aren't loading at all. The other families are loading normally and don't take too long at all, but the others go to the loading screen and just stay there...I've even waited an hour (I minimized the game) for it to load and it still didn't go through. Has anyone ever had this problem and know why this is hapenning? Please please reply! :(
If you have recently installed Open For Business you need a patch to cure a problem that prevents some houses loading. If that does not apply try deleting the folder called Downloads in: My Documents >> EA Games >> The Sims 2 Make a copy of it first and keep it safe somewhere because it is all your custom content! (So you won't have one if you have never downloaded or made any anything) If that doesn't work, or apply ... go to My Documents >> EA Games >> The Sims 2 and delete the file called: groups.cache You don't need to back it up ... the game will make a new one when you restart the game. If is corrupted somehow it often prevents the game loading. PS Unless you have enabled Sim While Minimised in the game options menu the game will not continue load while minimised ...
me 2 I have that problem but its all of the families, and they aren't just slow, they won't load at all. Unoccupied lots won't load either. I have the original game plus Nightlife, and it has been working fine until my computer had a check-up. The man who did the check up says he hasn't moved or removed any of the game-related files. I have lots of CC downloads and I'm not sure how to delete that folder or back it up or any of that stuff and I'm really not sure I want to risk it. I need help!!
It's generally considered that any forum (not just this one) should be left to simmer on a question for 12-24 hours before jumping to the conclusion that no-one is going to help. You're first first task is to find out if custom content or any of your saved sims files are what is causing the trouble. Do this, exactly as described. Click Start then My Documents Look for the folder name EA Games Right click the EA Games folder and select the option Rename Carefully use the arrow keys to get to the beginning of the folder's name and a letter A at the front of the folder's name thus: AEA Games That folder contains all your custom content and all your saved sims and because you changed its name the game will not now be abale to find them. Now start up the game again. Hey Presto it has magically a made new Pleasantview, Strangetown and Veronaville ... the game is back to what it was when you first installed it. See if you can load and play families like the Broke's and the Curious' or the Pleasants or whatever. If that works OK then we can assume that something is wrong in that AEA Games folder which still sitting in My Documents ... come back to us and tell us as much as you can and I walk you through taking out your custom content and putting it back. (If/when you want your original files back just rename the new EA Games folder to, say: newEA Games, and then change AEA Games back to EA Games). Don't be frightened to mess around ... it is unlikely you'll be able to fix the problem without a bit of tinkering so take the bull by the horn and go for it!
yay yep I did that, and the result was exactly as you described it. Everything was working and everything was quicker not just loading the families. So now how do I get my downloads to work on it again?!
Right ... hmmm First task is to remove the downloads folder from the original EA Games folder (it's inside the sup-folder called The Sims 2) The easiest way to is drag it out and drop it down on the desktop. Then put your original EA Games folder back into action (by renaming it back to EA Games) and see if the game will now load. If you had a lot of custom contents especially of the build and buy variety you sims and house will look rather odd and a lot of stuff will simply be missing. Just make sure NOT to save any houses! Just see if the houses will load properly and play according to expectations. If all is well then you have to sort through your downloads folder to find the file that is causing the problem. One way is to obtain a file cop type program such as The Sims 2 Clean Installer Sometime tho slowly slowly is a surer and actually quicker way to fix things. Divide your downloads into two halves and try the game with each half (ie put half try the game, then try take that half out and put the other half in) If only one file is cause trouble (and it probably is) only one of the halves will be causing the same loading problem. Put the good half to one side and divide the troublesome half into two halves again ... sounds tedious doesn't it? But halving, like doubling, gets to silliness real fast ... with a little luck you could be homing in on the bad file in less than an hour.
ok well I have just extracted the downloads folder, and the game is still working well, only obviously with my own neighbourhoods and the CC I created. But I suddenly realised I don't know how to, like, divide up the downloads folder. Eek! I'm not good at computers... sorry!
LOL ... just take about half the files out and put them into another folder ... use drag and drop. If nothing else you'll learn a lot of basic computer-file management techniques that'll stand you in good stead for the future. Just experiment and don't foreget to use the right mouse button. Right click all over the place ... in Windows .... er ... windows right-clicks usually usually pop out a so-called context menu of options ... so right-ckicking a balnk area gives you, among other choices a New subset of option ... including new folders ... make a new folder and you're expected to give it a name ... be creative ... choose meaningful names to help you remember what you used it for. Right-clicks are also for renaming, copying, pasting, deleting ... just go crazy and knock yaself out. I'm sure you'll do OK
Just wondering, what would happen if I deleted the content in my downloads folder? I'm a bit worried about the Helaene skin... My sims won't walk around invisible will they? And will they be bald if I delete the custom hair? I have the same problem as MoveDanceBeBorn, but before the problem it would take around half an hour to load the game, load a neighbourhood, and load a family, so I don't want to do the halvy halvy thing much. Thankyou
LOL hold down the Ctrl key while clicking to select multiple files ... or highlight one file and then hold the shift key down while you click another and every file between the two will be selected ... told ya to experiment Alison if you dlete your downloads some sims and houses may be affected. eg floors and walls can become undecorated. However if skins or clothing meshes are missing the unerasable ingame defaults take over often with hilariously naff results but nothing a makeover and/or shopping trip can't fix.
Ahaa clever... I think that it must be something I downloaded after the updatey person left, because the computer was being a bit slow and weird after he left and I think I downloaded lots of things like careers, and I didn't try them out in the game afterwards to check everything was OK like I usually do. Last night I moved those downloads though and when I went on Sims 2 to see if it was working it came up with that Custom Content warning thing, but the CC I had moved was still on the list. I clicked "enable custom content" anyway and the game didn't work. However, I shall now try again with the moving files thingy anyway. do you think that even if I didn't move the problem file but clicked "disable custom content" the game would work?
I would just like to say a HUGE thankyou to Mirelly, because my game is now working again and now I know how to fix it. I haven't located the problem file exactly yet but I suspect it's one of my careers. It was also good because my download folder needed a clean out anyway. Thank you SOOOOOO much!
