WA crashes after selecting neighborhood

[lonelyfae]

After installing WA and updating to version 2.2.8 I get a black loading screen with a grey square where the plumbob should be and the green loading bar, at the bottom the scrolling text keeps getting stuck on so it becomes an unreadable mess... after that I get to the regular select a neighborhood screen, after selecting any of the neighborhoods the game continues to load to about 3/4 and then just crashes to the desktop with no error message at all...

I've been searching google/MATY and have seen users on other sites report this same issue but still no solution was given so any help would be very much appreciated!

[mildlydisguised]

What does it do if awesomemod isn't installed?  Also does it crash if you start a new game?

Have you removed all your other CC?

[lonelyfae]

Clean installation... only installed cc are the store items, no mods not even awesomemod and no saved games either...

Just installed the game, updated up to the latest update, installed WA and updated to 2.2.8 then I tried starting the game and the crash occurred...

[mildlydisguised]

No idea where I got the idea you were running awesomemod, my mistake.

Have you tried either updating or rolling back your graphic card drivers? 

[lonelyfae]

I did try to uninstall WA and installing again to make sure it wasn't a patch issue... unfortunately it wasn't...
So I I'll try to update/rollback my graphics card drivers tonight after work... I did read some reports of issues with Nvidia cards so it might just be that... Thx

[Chain_Reaction]

There does seem to be issues with loading. When I first loaded my saved Sunset Valley, it took for freaking ever and then when it loaded, the loading music wouldn't shut the hell up and I didn't have any in game audio. So I went back to the main menu and the music continued to hum along. So I tried loading again and half way through loading the music stopped and suddenly I was getting in game sounds that I had clicked from the previous load all at once so it was a jumbled mess. Then the loading music started again and I face palmed myself but it stopped when it finished loading and all was fine.

[lonelyfae]

Well I tried upgrading my Nvidia drivers from 6.14.11.3568 to a newer beta version 6.14.11.9562 but still got the same issue...
tried this solution found in mod the sims which the user reported that worked for her:

Try reinstalling like this:

1) Go to My Documents and cut/paste your user files from C:\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\ to your Desktop. (This is where your saved game data is so if you don't want to lose it make a backup first)
Also, back up your cc from 'C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods'

2) Uninstall the expansion and base game from Add/Remove Programs. Then restart your computer.

3) Manually delete the entire 'The Sims 3' folder from 'C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3' (you should have backed up your cc in step 1) and 'The Sims 3 World Adventure' folder from 'C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures'

4) Download and install this program: http://www.ccleaner.com/ Use the registry cleaner. When it prompts you make a backup of the files you are removing

5) Restart your computer, then try to reinstall just the base game try to play the game. Don't patch it the first time. See if it works. If it works then you can experiment with patches and the expansion (newest is 1.7)

6) If it still works, you can try adding back in your user files

Still didn't work... later today I'll try downgrading the drivers and see if that works since I was able to get a couple diferent drivers (some older that the one I originally had and some just older than the latest one I installed)

If anyone has any other suggestions I would be glad to try them...

Here are my system specs in case it might help:

[System info]
EA_PLATFORM: Windows on X86
OS name: Windows XP
OS version number: 5.1.2600
OS service pack: Service Pack 3, v.5857
Debugger present: no
CPU count: 2
Processor type: x86
Processor level: 6
Processor revision: 5894
Memory load: 99%
Total physical memory: 1022 Mb
Available physical memory: 2 Mb
Total page file memory: 3991 Mb
Available page file memory: 3097 Mb
Total virtual memory: 2047 Mb
Free virtual memory: 1514 Mb

[Application info]
Language: C++
Compiler: Microsoft Visual C++ compiler, version 1400
App path: D:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin\TS3EP01.exe
App version: 0.2.0.56

I am using an NVidia Gforce 9500 GT with the above listed driver.

I did notice that it shows only 2mb free memory do you think this might be a memory issue?

[lonelyfae]

still having issues with several versions of the nvidia drivers...
at least I am able to run the game perfectly fine on my eee netbook... no more sims abstinence for me!

does anyone know where I can get Nvidia Gforce driver Version: 6.14.0011.8202 ??
That is the one the person on mod the sims listed as the one she was using...