The Sims Computer Won't Shut Off +++

[Simmerqueen]

I have only been playing Sims 2 since Dec. 26 (have NL, UNI, OFB and H&M Fashion installed - only hacks I have are collegeclock, stay shrub, teleporter shrub, phonehack & autoyak - last two I can't get to work, no CC).  Until recently, have been pretty bug-free, but yesterday on one lot I had the following happen:  Computer won't shut off even when they repeatedly shut it off (SX3 "noise" and picture keeps playing), teen was invited to community lot by another teen then called the taxi to get home and when taxi arrived she did not have it in her queue and didn't recognize it was there or get in so I had to quit and go back to neighborhood to get her back home (she had a dream date and got to go steady while she was there and I lost all that ), used maxmotives cheat then shortly afterwards had a toddler selected and his energy bar shot right down to desperation red (everyone else in household was still on max green for everything). 

Anyone hazard a guess as to what is going on?  Thanks in advance for any input you can give me - I'm obviously a noob and not that computer savvy to boot, but hoping to improve.

[Gwill]

Maxmotives is buggy, from what I've heard.
Sound effects can get stuck.  Deleting the computer might help, but I've had sounds get stuck long after the item was gone.  The only solution then was to buldoze the lot.
If you can't get mods to work, rtfm.  You might need some other macrotastic elements for them to work right.

[Simmerqueen]

If you can't get mods to work, rtfm.  You might need some other macrotastic elements for them to work right.
[/quote]

Sorry to be dense, but what is "rtfm"?     And, um, what are macrotastic elements?     Maybe if I have to ask, I shouldn't be using them, hmmm?!   

[mitchellcjs]

RTFM = Read The Fucking Manual

[Emma]

To fix stuck sound effects go into your audio options and change from 'stereo' to '4.0' go back in game, let it run for a couple of seconds, then go back into audio options and change it back. Looping sounds should be gone.

[Simmerqueen]

RTFM = Read The Fucking Manual
[/quote]

When I read this, I laughed out loud and I'm at WORK!! 

Okay, I'm OLD  (or probably older than you as well as less awesome) but I get the idea - BTW I did read about how to install the phonehack and even researched this site about problems.  I read where J. M. Pescado said there can be problems if anyone on any saved lots is using the phone when you install the hacks, and I made sure they weren't and then reinstalled.  So, if anyone has any suggestions on the phonehack problems, I'd appreciate it but I will keep researching.  The only thing I could do is set the ringer, not "Call friends" or "Call family", but the Sims could not make any phone calls - for delivery or anything.  I had to order their groceries on the computer.  They could get incoming calls, though.  (I have NL, UNI, OFB and H&M Fashion and I'm running the game from the H&M disk, I assume because it's the most recently installed - I installed the OFB version of the hack, is this right?)

[Simmerqueen]

To fix stuck sound effects go into your audio options and change from 'stereo' to '4.0' go back in game, let it run for a couple of seconds, then go back into audio options and change it back. Looping sounds should be gone.
[/quote]

Thanks so much Emma!  I can't wait to get home and try this.  If it works, I promise not to participate in the "Torture Emma" thread

[Zazazu]

I had a cc laptop that would get stuck on every damn time. All other computers didn't. I figured the creator must have done some rather poor fanangling. So if it's a cc laptop, most likely from TSR, toss it.

[Count Four]

You might try having a sim turn their stereo on and then off.  That's the first thing I try for stuck sounds and sometimes it works. If not, then I go for audio options.

[Simmerqueen]

Thanks for the suggestions - so far nothing has worked but I will keep researching.  When I went into audio as Emma suggested the noise was gone for a short time but then returned and the same with having the Sims turn the stereo on and off.  Other sounds got "stuck" too on the same lot, like the remote-control car.  I ended up using boolprop to force an error on the car and computer and then reset - but again, it came back later.  It's certainly frustrating!!

[Emma]

The remote control car is evil-I never use it I don't know what is causing all your audio problems.

[BastDawn]

Way back in the base game, I had a house get the computer game sound stuck.  It never went away.  I eventually bulldozed the house, and stopped using computers on non-University lots until a no-autonomous computer hack came out.

[jolrei]

I never had the problem until I loaded BV.  Now it happens every now and then.  I assumed it was because I needed moar rams or resources of some sort after loading one too many EPs.  It seems that exiting and re-entering the lot fixes it for me.

[bekka]

I think the "Call Friends" and "Call Family" options are only available if you click on the Sim, not on the phone.  As to why the phone won't allow outgoing phone calls, I have no clue.  Sorry.

[kuronue]

for stuck sounds, have you tried nuking the spot where the item in question was? Sometimes there can be a "sound emitter" or something that gets stuck on lot invisibly.

[witch]

I think the "Call Friends" and "Call Family" options are only available if you click on the Sim, not on the phone.  As to why the phone won't allow outgoing phone calls, I have no clue.  Sorry.

My child sim couldn't ring out on the house phone last night - after his dad answered a call on his cellphone. When I got dad to terminate the call, the child was able to ring out. What's the bet they've borked something to do with the new three -way ring thing.

[Simmerqueen]

for stuck sounds, have you tried nuking the spot where the item in question was? Sometimes there can be a "sound emitter" or something that gets stuck on lot invisibly.

What do you mean by "nuking the spot" where the item was?    Let me know and I'll be glad to try it because I haven't managed to solve the problem yet.

[mitchellcjs]

It means to use Pescado's "stuckobjremover" by placing it on the same location you had the other object.  It should disappear, and take any stuck objects with it.  It can be found in the /samples directory related to your most recent EP.

[cwykes]

I think the "Call Friends" and "Call Family" options are only available if you click on the Sim, not on the phone.  As to why the phone won't allow outgoing phone calls, I have no clue.  Sorry.

Yup - they moved.  In base game, the options were on the phone.  Now they are on the sim mixed up with the cellphone menu options. 

[Simmerqueen]

I think the "Call Friends" and "Call Family" options are only available if you click on the Sim, not on the phone. 

Yup - they moved.  In base game, the options were on the phone.  Now they are on the sim mixed up with the cellphone menu options. 

So does this mean if the Sim doesn't have a cellphone the options aren't available for that Sim?

[gynarchy]

They will still be available. Sims without cell phones will just use a landline to make their calls.

[danicast]

Ble, that´s why I shudoff my game sound completely. I play with my winamp just playing some rocking sound, so much better - with a plus that I don´t listen the annoying sims mumbling.