Troubleshooting Featureless Sims???!!

Featureless Sims???!!

Went to play sims 2 last night and when I loaded my game all of the characteristics (included most of the clothes) had been replaced by writing (possible the code, as I saw "brown khaki" etc. writen there) on a white background, this was for every character not just my active ones and carried over to the twins that were newborns last time I played.

Anyone else experienced this before? Is there anyway to fix this problem, it kinda takes a big element of the game!

Is it just a missing/corrupted file or is it more serious?

Ta for the help!

 

Ooh that sounds really horrid. Hope it is not incurable! First question to ask is what have you done between your last play session (when it all worked) and the present time (when it stopped working )? Examples might include: installing University, downloading stuff (including stuff from the official EA Games Sims 2 Exchange!).

Secondly have you attempted to fix things yourself?
Ideas you might have tried (or should now try if you haven't so far) include ... (See if the game works properly after performing each test/operation in the list below.)

1. Run a full virus scan
2. Checked your hard drive for errors (Right Click on it in My Computer and choose Tools - Check for Errors )
3. Move the My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads folder to your desktop (drag and drop it) ... if that doesn't work ...
4. Move the My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2 folder to your desktop ... (NOTE your game will start without any of your saved sims or houses - it will be as though you had never played the game.) ... if that doesn't work ...
5. Uninstall the game starting with University (if present) and then The Sims 2. The reinstall starting with The Sims 2 ... (Make sure not to lose the My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2 folders that you have put on your desktop ... they are your saved games!)

If you are still having trouble then we need to know your pc specs before more advice can be given.

1. processor (name & speed)
2. system memory (RAM)
3. Display device and memory allocated to it

The information can be gotten from dxdiag. To get that click Start then Run and type dxdiag. The display device detail will be on the Display tab, the rest of the info is on the front tab.



Remember! We ain't psychic. We don't know you. We have never seen your computer. We have no idea if you know the difference between PCIe or IL&M. The people who take the most time to describe their trouble get the quickest and best advice. OK?

 

IL&M is Industrial Light and Magic by the way ... (they do the special FX for Star Wars )

 

Did anyone figure out how to solve this? I'm having the same problem... :/

 

I might know how to solve your "same problem" but you obviously haven't bothered to read my reply or else you cannot understand the part that talks about the need for more information before an answer can be given. More information isn't optional it is essential.

"Essential" isn't the same as "compulsory" ... this isn't a dictatorship. You are free to ignore the essential requirements but you may not (probably won't) get the sort of help you need. :(

 

Yes. I know we sound like a bunch of grouches, but read the thread before you post, people. At least skim it to see if someone has answered, as Mirelly did, in detail, before you post.

We aren't typing for our health.

 

I read it, I promise. =) I just was wondering if anyone had figured out the answer to this problem - someone who has had the problem, for example, may have figured out how to fix it and could simply tell me. But since that probably isn't going to happen, here's the story.

First off, I've always been able to install and play The Sims 2 without any problems. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the game a few times because of a loss of interest, then a resurge of interest, etc.

So I reinstalled it recently, went to play the game and create a new family, only to find that the Change Head option had no heads, and I couldn't alter anything about the face - the nose, mouth, chin, etc, etc, etc. There was just nothing there.

I went in to play an already-made family and there were a few people who had normal skin, but there were others who had white white white skin, with blue and red writing on their faces. One of the words I made out was "foamface" (on their face). I'm assuming this is some sort of coding.

So, I think all of my System specs and everything are just fine, since I've always been able to play the game on this computer until I just reinstalled it. My guess is that it has to do a program I have installed in between the uninstall and re-install. I just have no idea which program that would be, if that even is the problem.

Also, I don't have this option that you suggested:
(Right Click on it in My Computer and choose Tools - Check for Errors)
I can't find anything that says "Check for Errors"

I already did steps 1,3,4,5 as well.

.. Anyone know what could be going wrong here?

Thank you =)

 

The problem may be a corrupted game file due to a bad install or it may be a more serious graphics problem.

Let's eliminate the first.

See the manual uninstall instructions http://forums.worldsims.org/showpost.php?p=96563&postcount=6
then print them out so you can refer to them while following them ... yeah they're that complicated :(

The reinstall the game, get the latest patch (link in FAQs) and see how it goes.

If you still have problems run dxdiag (link in FAQs) and report back with as much information from the dxdiag report's Display tab as possible ... plus the important system stuff as outlined in the dxdiag instructions.

Also the part:

refers to your hard drive with Windows installed on it. This is usually C: (it's where Windows, Program Files and My Documents are)

Please do that check (right click on C: in My Computer etc. etc.)

Also report the amounts of used and free space on C: (also from right click >> Properties)

 

Okay, I will do the first thing you said. I finally figured out how to check for errors as well - on my computer I have to right click the C drive and then choose "Sharing and Security..." - then the Check for errors thing is found under Tools. So I did that, and... it didn't fix it.

And while I was at it, I took some screenshots so you can see what I'm talking about:



Now I'm off to try the first step, I'll update you. Thanks for the help thus far.

 

Alright, I uninstalled it like the instructions told me to - then reinstalled the game - then tried to install the patch, but it didn't work - it said there was an error installing it. :/ The white skin is still showing up.

I'll share the information from that, but like I said earlier, I really don't think my system specs are the issue here - it has worked just fine time and time again (and on THIS computer), until this recent reinstall. My thoughts are that it may have something to do with a program I have installed (which program, I don't know) since my last uninstall (of the Sims 2) which automatically "set" itself to be the default program to open a certain type of file... which is a file that The Sims uses. If that makes any sense. Sort of like how, when you download Winamp or something... suddenly all of your music files are linked to Winamp. I'm thinking that may have happened with some sort of Sims file-type... I just don't know which, or what program, or if that is even the case.

Here's the screenshot of it:

 

Urk!! Screech of tyres!!!

This is your problem!! If the patch is not installing it is usually due to it finding a corrupted (altered) gamefile. The two most common ways a file can get corrupted or altered are:
1) Applying a 3rd party hack (ie a non-Maxis (unofficial) patch, hack or modification) ...
2) Disc faults (I think we ruled that out)

Assuming you have used no hacks I am stuck ...

 

Hmmm... I don't think I have used a hack but perhaps it would be considered one - I bought the game on eBay, but it isn't the correct language, so the instructions are to copy/paste all the files to a new folder and then change the language in the Autorun.cfg (something like that) file, and then Setup. But it has always worked before?

Bah, I'll see if I can figure something out. Thanks though, for the help. =)

 

I can't tell for sure but It sounds like you might acctually be missing a file in yur game files - If u get the chance visit - support.ea.com and fill in all of the stuff to find out whats wrong. I don't really have the time right now to find it myself but if I did I would

 

This would be difficult for a person who plays the game a lot but thr best thing I can think of is try to reinstall

 

I sort of wish I was a mod. so I could Edit stuff a long time after I write them...but it would be too much responsibility.

It was supposed to say:

This might be hard for a person who plays the game a lot, but the only thing I can think of is to re-install the game

 

i'm having the same trouble, i just reinstalled the DirectX with the one that came with the sims2. And now i can play sims2 normally.

 

reinstalling directX fixed the problem you mean?