Sims 2 and Pets running trouble Hi, I have been trying for days to get my Sims 2 and sims 2 pets to work. The Sims 2 works fine on it's own. When I install Sims 2 Pets it goes to the splash screen and then back to my desktop with nothing happening. I do not get any error messages or anything, it just does not work. The game is a DVD-rom version. All drivers for the video and sound card have been updated. The firmware for the cd/dvd rom has been updated. I have sent and recieved numerous emails to EA support trying everything they suggest, but to no avail. My computer is as follows:- Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.061219-0316) Language: English (Regional Setting: English) System Manufacturer: KT400_ System Model: AWRDACPI BIOS: Award Modular BIOS v6.00PG Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2000+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.7GHz Memory: 768MB RAM Page File: 258MB used, 1619MB available Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904) DX Setup Parameters: Not found DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode Card name: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500 Manufacturer: NVIDIA Chip type: GeForce FX 5500 DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0326&SUBSYS_00000000&REV_A1 Display Memory: 256.0 MB Current Mode: 800 x 600 (32 bit) (60Hz) Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200 Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll Driver Version: 6.14.0010.9371 (English) DDI Version: 9 (or higher) Driver Attributes: Final Retail Driver Date/Size: 10/22/2006 12:22:00, 4527488 bytes WHQL Logo'd: Yes ------------ Description: Realtek AC97 Audio Default Sound Playback: Yes Default Voice Playback: Yes Hardware ID: PCI\VEN_1106&DEV_3059&SUBSYS_A0021458&REV_50 Manufacturer ID: 1 Product ID: 100 Type: WDM Driver Name: ALCXWDM.SYS Driver Version: 5.10.0000.6230 (English) I really hope someone can help, as this is driving me mad Thanks.
Hi again, I have checked the similar threads, but none seem to have the same problem that I am having. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
OK. Do you mean that the Pets EP will not install or that it does install but will not load. Your computer looks adequate enough to me. The 256MB 5500 is a reasonable mid-range sort of display card. You might want to get the latest drivers from that Realtek sound card http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads...=23&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false because I have seen sound card conflicts causing start up problems before now ... although those have been with Creative Audigy cards ... worth a try anyway.) Let us know how it it goes. We might get more ideas ....
I suppose he can't even install and in that case it might be a faulty CD (but why doesn't he get any errors??) You could try to copy the CD to some Harddrive on your computer and start the installation from there while the CD is still in its drive (during a copy installation, disc access is handled differently by Windows, so at least you would get information aboud unreadable sectors. On another note: AFAIK Pets was never released on DVD if its some kind of a "homebrew"(which would explain the weird behaviour)...that simply doesn't work like that -le [PS By Mirelly. It might be a regional thing. I have the Pets EP on DVD]
Thanks for your replies. Pets 2 appears to load and install without any problems. It is only when I try to play it that it goes to the Pets 2 splash screen, then back to my desktop. The computer does not crash, it still works and there are no error messages coming up. I installed Sims 2 and Pets 2 on a friends computer and it worked fine, so the disks must be ok. I have samsung combo-304B cd/dvd reader, could this be the problem? I will try updating the driver for the sound card - thought I already had though - but will check it out. As mentioned before Sims 2 works fine, it is onloy when Pets is installed that it all goes wrong! I am actually trying to sort this out for my daughter, not me, she had the games for her birthday back at the end of Feb, and I have been trying ever since to sort it out!! A fathers love eh?
Hi Leticron, I copied the disk to a folder in My Docs, and when I autoran it from there, it did exactly the same thing. My sound driver is dated March 2007, can't get much more upto date than that. The Sims 2 and Pets 2 were sold in the Uk as a 2 disk package, bought from Woolworths. On the front top left corner both cases have "PC - DVD Rom - only DVD compatible". Any other ideas?
tell me about it..60% of my time on computers at home I spent to find stuff for my kids...or should I say fix stuff they messed up *LOL* If your game crashes, does it still run in the background or does it just close completely?? (check the taskmanager, if Sims2EP4.exe is still in the tasklist) It could always be some interference with other running programs. Firewalls beeing the most prominent in my experience...Example:my FW used to tell me about Sims "trying to intercept the keyboard interrupt, which is perfectly normal for a game (they usually have their own keyboard routines, only if the little window doesn't come up for some reason, you can't click "OK" and your game appears frozen. as a test: try to kill everything you don't need running before you start Sims (you'd be amazed ho little is really necessary...even explorer isn't needed have you ever tried to start the base game (sims2.exe?) instead?
Checked on the task manager, and it is not running in the background after the game crashes, in fact when I leave the task manager window up and click on the Sims pets 2 icon to auto run the game, nothing comes up in task manager at all. The sims 2 base game comes up with 'insert correct dvd-rom etc'. I have disabled the firewall, still nothing. I am gong to try a full uninstall and then re-install with no anti-virus, no firewalls and the minimum background programs running to see if this helps. I will let you know what happens. Thanks.
Strange..I'm slowly running out of options as well... Try to start the game directly (go the folder, where you installes Pets an there in the TSBIN folder you'll find Sims2EP4.exe...which should then show up in the Tasklist (just to rule out Window problems with shortcuts) I guess the goal now is, to find the differences between your computer and your friend's (where the discs worked just fine) Since a clean Install didn't help I think we should start to look into Windows itself as a culprit....You see I start fishing in muggy waters already
Hiya, Here is a comparison between the two computers:- Friends PC My PC 1) Intel pentium 4 3.0GHz (2CPUs) AMD Athlon XP2000 1.7GHz 2) 1022MB RAM 768MB RAM 3) Windows XP home Windows XP professional 4) 126 GB 25.9 GB 5) 145 GB 38.2 GB (seems a strange amount) 6) Direct X 9.0c Direct X 9.0c 7) Radeon X600 NVIDIA GeFORCE FX5500 8) 6.14.0010.6601 - 09/02/2006 6.14.0010.9371 - 22/10/2006 9) 256 MB 256 MB Tried running Pets2 from the saved location and nothing happens, and also nothing in task manager. Uninstalled Pets2 and then ran Sims2 and it works and shows up in the task manager. Borrowing daughter's friends Pets2 disc tomorrow to see if that makes any difference. Talk to you soon, and thanks for your help todate.
A lot of people were having problems with their cd or dvd drives, try updating your drivers for those. also it wouldn't hurt to give your registry a clean, if you don't have a registry cleaner theres a lot of free ones around, try doing a search for Just Registry.
as already stated by mirelly, your computer should be able to run Sims2 without any problems...I myself run it on even lower specs: Athlon XP1700 (~1400MHz) with 768MB RAM on WinXP Prof. Graphics:Geforce MX 440 (which is definitely low end,but for my ATI 1600X (512MB) the computer is just not powerful enough. What seems very odd to me is the fact, that Sims2EP4.exe doesn't even show up in your tasklist....as it should...perhaps really a copyprotection/drive-read error. let's hope the borrowed CD works..
hallejua!!! I have just bought a new external dvd drive and now at long last the game works!! Thank you for all your help, and a big thanks from my daughter as well. Stay well all of you. By the way, I hope you can read this as it is all back to front on my comoputer, I thought it was a foreign language to start with!
I'm glad it finally works for you...It had to be some sort of faulty Hardware or Driver, since we eliminated most of the other probabilities Like Sherlock Holmes used to say if you eliminate all other possibilities, the one left must be what happened, no matter how strange it looks (or something like that...it's been a while since I visited Baker Street 74a as for the reversed screen....it's April 1st...I expected some stuff like that. Now Iat least know my nick backwards *LOL* norciteL
Hey flowerpower1 I know what you mean my computer did the same thing i thought that ifi got a different game other than Sims 2 Pets it would work like Sims 2 Open for business i spent most of my money on that game and it did the same thing this just blows.
Hi, I just bought University today and am having the same exact problem! There were no glitches during the installation, everything went smoothly, but when I tried to play it it would never run. I've tried searching everywhere online today and haven't found any help. I read this thread, but didn't really understand what the person who had the same problem did to fix it. If anyone has a solution, please let me know, it's driving me crazy!! Here's my computer information...hope I included everything important: Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (6.0, Build 6000) Language: English System Manufacturer: Sony Corporation System Model: VGN-N250E BIOS: Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0 Release 6.1 Processor: Genuine Intel(R) CPU T2250 @ 1.73GHz (2 CPUs), ~ 1.7GHz Memory: 1014MB RAM Page File: 1106MB used, 1175MB available DirectX Version: DirectX 10 Card name: Mobile Intel(R) 945GM Express Chipset Family Manufacturer: Intel Corporation Chip type: Intel(R) GMA 950 DAC type: Internal Display Memory: 224 MB Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz) Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor Driver Name: igdumd32.dll Driver Version: 7.14.0010.1114 Driver Date/Size: 11/14/2006...didn't see size displayed anywhere. OH, and I have the Sims 2 DVD version and Open for Business already installed on my computer. Thanks for any help!
She bought herself a new DVD drive and installed it on her pc. You should try updating your driver for your dvd drive first though as it may be a cheaper fix. If you have a different drive try using your game disk in there and see if it still does the same thing.
