Computer detection screwed-up since second patch

[MissDoh]

Can someone explain to me why since I install the second NL patch, when I start the game it eithers shows my computer to be this (info taken from the config-lot.txt file in The Sims 2 logs folder) :

A)  === Application info ===
Name:            The Sims 2 Nightlife
Version:         1.2.0.355
Build:           ReleaseSRT
=== Machine info ===
OS version:      Windows NT 5.1
CPU:             2798.599853Mhz, Name:GenuineIntel, FPU:1, MMX:1

Or this

B)  === Application info ===
Name:            The Sims 2 Nightlife
Version:         1.2.0.355
Build:           ReleaseSRT
=== Machine info ===
OS version:      Windows NT 5.1
CPU:             2800Mhz, Name:GenuineIntel, FPU:1, MMX:1

When in reality my computer is like this (taken from a back-up before I install the second patch):

C) === Application info ===
Name:            The Sims 2 Nightlife
Version:         1.2.0.337
Build:           ReleaseSRT
=== Machine info ===
OS version:      Windows NT 5.1
CPU:             1999Mhz, Name:GenuineIntel, FPU:1, MMX:1

I am clueless... since this, there are small white sparkles appearing on my screen, I did update my drivers, update direct X, deleted my group.cache and userprops.xml file. These mostly appear in CAS.  Before the second patch I never had that problem.

[BlueSoup]

Are you actually having a problem?

[MissDoh]

yes, my videocard is doing weird things in CAS mostly, sparkles, huge triangles, etc... it is very annoying.

EDIT:  This does happen in regular hood to if I put the game on pause.  Also the problem is that with the setting A) it mentions I can have 4 guests, with setting B) I can have 8 guests.  Before the 2nd patch which is setting C) I could only have 2 and manually needed to type the "intprop cheat".  So what is wrong with the detection in Sims 2?

[MissDoh]

Am I the only one with that weird phenomena?

[Sleepycat]

I did some looking, took me abit to actually find a recent-pre-patch config log. Anyway, I compared them and they show the cpu differently also but I'm not having any problems.

You did say you updated drivers so I assume you updated your graphics drivers ?  Your problem sounds more like a graphics issue to me so I would suggest going back to the previous drivers (if you did update them)

[Scotbo]

You can ignore the config-lot.txt file information.  It doesn't affect anything and shouldn't cause any problems. My system information is detected incorrectly as well.  You can check the directx diagnostic tool and it should show your information correctly (Click START-->RUN and type dxdiag and it will bring up the DirectX tool).

I think Sleepycat is on the right track.  It definitely sounds like a driver issue to me.

[MissDoh]

Well the thing is that I updated the drivers before I install the patch and it seems to work fine. I install the patch and these sparkle and white triangle spark started to appear after...

I will try to roll back to the previous drivers like suggested in case I just did not notice the sparkles at 1st, it did took a few days after I install the new driver that I created Sims in CAS.

thanks for all your help   I am at work right now so I can't do this right away but will let you know if it did fix it or not. 

[MissDoh]

You can ignore the config-lot.txt file information.  It doesn't affect anything and shouldn't cause any problems. My system information is detected incorrectly as well.  You can check the directx diagnostic tool and it should show your information correctly (Click START-->RUN and type dxdiag and it will bring up the DirectX tool).

I think Sleepycat is on the right track.  It definitely sounds like a driver issue to me.

It does affect something since I can have either 4 guests or 8 guests and higher graphic settings in the game (by deleting the userprops.xml file it reset the game like when you install with no graphic settings and sometimes it sets them by default at medium and other times at high) depending if the game sees my computer like A) or B) type.  As if it is damagable to my computer when it does that I don't worry about that, I know it not damage anything but everytime I start my game it is like a box of Cracker Jacks or chocolate, I never know what I will get. 

[Scotbo]

Hmm, sorry, I never thought of that.  You're probably right about it affecting things. I forgot about graphics abilities affecting the number of sims on lots, etc.  I was assuming that the config-log.txt file was just an information file, but yeah, it's quite possible the game uses it to determine things like that.  I don't know anything about coding so I don't know if it's used for that purpose or not. Heh, come to think about it, that might be why my game thinks my computer is crap and only allows me to invite 2 Sims to parties.

Even so, it doesn't sound like it's a problem related to the game itself.  It sounds more like a graphics/driver problem. I'd definitely try rolling the driver back to the previous version and see if that fixes it or not. Good luck.  I hope it works for you.  If not, I'll try to help.

[MissDoh]

Thanks Scotbo, I will definitely give a shot at rolling back to previous driver, it was working fine before I updated it so I am crossing my fingers it will solve this annoying problem.  I am surprise I did not think of it by myself but this is why I love coming here, people don't look at the problems the same way the person having a problem does, they are not stress about it and can concentrate on it and come-up with obvious solution that stressed people just cannot see.   

[MissDoh]

Well thanks to both of you, rolling back to my older driver helped.  There are still little sparkles happening now (but way less thane before) and then but no more ugly flashy triangles of death on my screen   

Still, I wonder how come Sims 2 cannot make up its mind on my computer specs... 

[miramis]

I know they changed something about how Nightlife detected Amd systems, perhaps they changed something with Intel systems too?

[MissDoh]

Since this was mostly happening in CAS, I did a test and opened bodyshop and the sparkle and triangles where back.  Is there a way to reinstall bodyshop only? I have Sims 2, University and Nightlife.

[sanmonroe]

I am getting graphical erros as well since the second patch. I just assume its Maxis coding and Nvidia will have to sort it out for them in a future driver build. Maybe the EP will correct it, but I doubt it.

ex, urine is lime green sometimes, Santa's beard changes colours, the cowplant sometimes becomes day-glo yellow and puts off light, etc...

[MissDoh]

I have an ATI card so they seem to have mess up with a lot of videocards type....

[jrd]

With Nvidia cards, don't use an 80-series driver. They suck.

[Scotbo]

So the problem isn't fixed, Missdoh?

Is it just Bodyshop that gives you problems, or is the game still acting up as well? I know absolutely nothing about bodyshop so I don't know if it has issues or not.  I have never used it. I just opened it up now and it appears to be fine, but I didn't mess around with it much.

Which ATI card do you have? I also have an ATI and I'm using the 5.11 Radeon driver version (file version 6.14.10.0298) without any problems.  I tend not to rush into downloading new drivers because there's often bugs to be worked out.  I believe in that old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", heh.  You can find this version on their site if you want to give it a try.

When you originally installed the new drivers did you completely remove the old ones first? There is a Catalyst uninstaller program to unistall previous versions.  Are you using the Catalyst package or just the basic drivers?

As far as the sytem detection errors go, that's likely just a Maxis programming issue (surprise, surprise). Mine has never been detected properly.  Do your computer specifications show up fine in DirectX info?

[DrBeast]

Is your video card by any chance overclocked?
A long shot, I know, but I had to ask. I've overclocked mine, and while it ran flawlessly on Uni, I got artifacts when playing The Movies, so I had to lower the frequencies a bit. NL seems to be running fine though with maximum overclocking (tech stuff: Gigabyte Radeon 9600 Pro 256MB, normal core freq: 400MHz, normal memory freq: 200MHz, overclocked to 470 core freq, 235MHz memory freq, driver version 5.13). When I installed NL and patch#2 a tenday ago it didn't reset my graphics options, it even pushed the settings a bit higher!

[MissDoh]

It does happen in game too.

I uninstall everything again last night and will reinstall today and check carefully before I install the NL2 patch if those problems are there or not.  If they are it is definitely a videocard new problem and it all happened just by coincidence.  If it runs fine.... well... I'll see lol.

Does anyone know where on the ATI site I can get my hand on older versions of the drivers, I can't seem to find it.  I want to go back to the one I was using of November 2005, that one was working fine for sure.

I have a 9800 pro with 128mb and it is not overclocked.


EDIT:  I found where the old drivers are hidden on the site, so no need to point it to me.

[MissDoh]

Well it seems it is my card... *sigh*

I have an old one, I will check to see if everything is normal with that old one, if so... I will play frisbee with my actual one..... 

NO MORE ATI FOR ME!  EVER!

[MissDoh]

Well for sure I will play frisbee with my ATI 9800 pro card.. I had to send it back under warrantee at the beginning of the year because the fan blew-up and toasted the card.  I received a new one (was fast though) to replace it and I am having problems with it again..... I am not planning on sending it back again, I have many other things to do....

My old Nvidia MX440 does not have weird problems and was always reliable.

Sorry to say ATI you lost a customer forever....

EDIT:  By the way, the fact that my card is screwed up as nothing to do with the fact that the game overate my computer specs.  It still does it after the installation of OFB (yes I did purchase it after all) and I asked others and it shows the same thing in their file... you should take a peek in your logs folder and open your .config.txt files, you will be pleasantly surprise!

[Scotbo]

How do you know it's a physical problem with the card? Did something else happen?

Maybe you could take the computer to a shop with the ATI card in it and have them look it over.  They might be able to find the issue.  It will cost you a bit, but probably less than the price of a new card. Sorry you weren't able to solve the problem yourself. 

[MissDoh]

I put my old NVidia card in and the graphic were ok, this is how I found out it was not the computer but the card that had problems.

The new card I have now is ok, no weird sparkles or flashy triangles in my game.

Not all ATI card sucks but me and my BF so far never had good experience with them.

[Scotbo]

It really sounds like it's a driver issue and not a hardware problem, but I understand that it's just as frustrating. Hopefully you'll find some other use for the card- maybe you can sell it or something if you're not able to get a refund.  Sorry about the bad luck.  I'm glad things are working ok with the old card, at least.

[MissDoh]

Scotbo I tried all the drivers that were available on the ATI site.  Even in Catalyst set-up window the sparkles and triangles were showing.  When I got it at first I did not had any of those problems.  I roll back to drivers I was using prior to those sparkles and triangles thingy and it did not change a thing, they were still there.

I did try everything I could think of so it would work but it just does not want too anymore.  Happened once already why wouldn't it be possible it happened again?