Additional help:

Click here if you have an Nvidia graphics card and download the appropriate driver based on OS and series.
Click here if you have an ATI graphics card and download the appropriate driver based on OS and series.

If you don't know what your card is, hit WinKey + "R", type "dxdiag" (no quotes), and hit "Enter".  The "Display" tab will tell you the manufacturer.  You should be up to date with DirectX, but if it turns out that this is not the case, visit this page to download the update app.   

Have you tried running the game in compatibility mode?

I am still investigating the current protection scheme.  A few people (such as myself) encountered the usual crap, but most folks seem to be getting something else entirely.  Any updates on this will be posted in the other thread.

The SecuROM on BV is quite confusing.  Some people get the crap, but most don't.  OS seems to have no bearing on whether or not the service gets added, nor does region.  I've put together an image that definitely will not install SecuROM crap anywhere, and the Fairlight release also seems to accomplish this.  If my research uncovers anything else, I'll be sure to post an update.  Stupid copy protection.

Best thing to do is boot into Safe Mode (per above) using the Administrator account, uninstall the driver, run Driver Cleaner, and reboot.  Then go ahead with installing the current build.

I am not familiar with that issue.  Does the freeze occur immediately after trying to run the game, or does it happen when you try to enter a lot?

gali, right click the shortcut, select properties, and check the target field.  It sounds like you're pointing to the wrong executable.  Adjust this to target the proper file, and you should stop the crashes.

If so many people don't have the service I did, it's possible the SecuROM crap I removed was put there by another program.  I am going to do my research on this.

If you are using a no-cd crack, disable the SecuROM service.  Doing so ensures it can't eat up processor availability. 

Try the latest BETA drivers.

To stop SecuROM from running:

• Winkey + R, type "services.msc" (no quotes) in the dialog and hit enter.
• Stop the "SecuROM User Access Service" and then disable it.
• In your \Windows\System32 directory, find and delete the file called "UAService7.exe".
• Winkey + R again, and execute "sc delete useraccess7" (again, no quotes).

Keep in mind, some copy protections can install under different names (for example, you might have UAService8.exe instead of 7).  I can only tell you where I found the protection.  The service should always have the same name, and so long as you disable this, it doesn't actually matter whether or not you find the exe.  If you are really concerned, I can work with you via the PM module to locate and destroy the actual file.

Also, this does not delete the registry entries, it merely makes it impossible for the SecuROM service to hog system resources.  Unlike Starforce, SecuROM registry entries are not dangerous.  In fact, removing them can lead to system instability.  However, if you really want to kill them, they are generally located at:


Hope this helps you.

Well, to be fair your specs are not that great.  The P4 is decent, but getting old fast, and the video card is merely average.  You might want to turn some settings down and see if performance improves.  Also, try defragging your hard drive and running a spyware scan. 

Be careful with low wattage cards that claim dual GPU capabilities.  I'm guessing your supply could power two midrange cards in SLI or Crossfire, but it would definitely not be able to run two high end cards.  I'll talk more about a dual GPU setup below.


To get the full benefit of a two card configuration, you need to have a mobo capable of piping each card at x16.  Most boards that come with two PCIE16 slots do not have this ability, managing at most x24 between the two cards.  As a result, you end up getting into situations where one card runs at x16, and the other gets throttled to x8, or (even worse) both cards are throttled to x8.  If you are willing to get a top shelf board, you will have the ability to run both cards at x16, which can be rather spectacular (I've got two 8800GTX in SLI, and I have yet to encounter a game that won't run at 50fps or greater with everything maxed).  Just keep an eye on this when buying your upgrades.


Yes, the AGP will be gone.  Fortunately, you can pick up a 7600GT or x1650 for under $100 which will both give you reasonable performance while you save up for a future generation card (the G92 is due out this winter, and should be an excellent choice if Nvidia hasn't screwed things up royally).  Everything I list below is at least DDR2 800.  Your RAM should still be compatible, although you might want to check with the manufacturer to confirm. 

With that out of the way, here are my mobo suggestions (in order of attractiveness to me).  Please keep in mind that I generally prefer Intel boards, since I run with a 6800 processor.  I've also included one AMD option that I've heard good things about.

• Bearlake X- Of course, I'm going to start with a board that does not actually exist yet.  Bearlake X is due out in the next month or so, and is going to be the first board on the market that supports PCIE 2.0.  It will take DDR3 1066 or DDR 2 800.  The board will allow full bandwidth for both GPUs.  Unfortunately, I can't give you an idea on price at the moment, since no partners have given a pre-release notice (as far as I know).  It will probably be somewhere in the 200-300 dollar range on release.  If you want to be prepared for the future, this would be an ideal motherboard for you.
• ASUS Striker- This is the best Intel mobo on the market right now, and it's the one I use for my gaming system.  The cost is high ($300) and so it might be pushing your budget a little (refer to the processors I suggest lower down the page).  Read the spec page at NewEgg to get an idea of the features, and you'll see that this has everything you could want.  A big advantage with this board is that it comes with an IDE connector.  Nowadays, many boards only support SATA.  If you want the best enthusiast board currently on the market, get a Striker.
• EVGA nforce 680i- Since entering the motherboard market, Nvidia has impressed quite a few people.  Their boards are well made, and do extremely well with two GPUs in SLI (although you would not have good Crossfire capabilities).  Like the Striker, this board also comes with an IDE connector.  For reference, it uses an Intel socket.
• ASUS 580X Crossfire- This is the only AMD socketed board I feel comfortable recommending.  Although I do not have any first hand experience with it, one of my buddies is an AMD fanboy, and this is the mobo he uses.  It is also the cheapest board on my list ($120) and will be outdated sooner than any of the others.  However, if you want to stick with an AMD processor, this is probably your best bet.  It also will support your IDE HD.

 

Now that we've done mobos, let's look at processors.  Keep in mind that the first three boards above use the Intel LGA 775 socket, and so you'd need a Core 2 chip for them.  The AMD board has an X2 socket.  In general, I suggest you figure out how much can be spent on the actual computer after deciding on a motherboard.  Get the best you can afford.  A couple of quick things to consider (all good buys for the money):

• Intel C2D 6600- An excellent buy for $230 bucks.
• Intel C2D 6400- Best Intel card you can get at the $200 mark.  Overclocks well.
• AMD X2 6000- Again, I don't have much experience with AMD processors, but I've heard good things about this one.  It can be procured for $165.

Keep in mind, these are not necessarily the best processors on the market, but they do give the best performance for the amount you pay.  In your situation, I'd seriously consider the EVGA board with the Intel 6600 (cost to you: $400 after rebate).  Both components are relatively high end, and you should get excellent performance for at least three years (provided the other pieces of your system get updated in good time).  Of course, if you stick with AMD, you can get decent performance for quite a bit less (the mobo and X2 come to just under $300).  Like I said, I prefer Intel, but your mileage may vary.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.


Edit to correct some confusing statements.

Look in Task Manager under the Processes tab.  You will see a column for "Mem Usage".  The amounts given (in kilobytes) refer to how much of your RAM a given application is accessing.  If it keeps climbing after your game is fully loaded, a memory leak might be the culprit.

If you already created the skin tone you want to use as a default replacement, this tutorial should be all you need. 

It's absolutely possible to get a good mobo and current generation midrange processor for $500.  Since these are apparently the only components getting replaced at the time, I need your other system specs before making any suggestions (in order to ensure the components I advise you to get are compatible). 

Also, since you're doing mobo and CPU at the same time, it would be possible to switch from AMD to Intel if you want.  Please let us know if this is an option you'd entertain.

I keep going back and forth from Vista to XP Pro on my gaming computer (pictured).  Currently, I'm tri booting Ubuntu, Vista HP 64, and XP Pro 64.  I had killed the new MS OS completely, but now I'm in a test group using SP1 Beta, which is actually quite stable.  Plus, transparent borders are so sexy.

Silly Zazazu!

You are both correct for removing items from the Start menu, but the original poster is asking how to remove outdated context menu items.  This is a more difficult process. 

The only good way I have found to get rid of CCC is to completely remove all ATI related software (including the actual video drivers) and then use DriverCleaner (I think they make a free version) in Safe Mode to kill everything with the ATI prefix.  This should get rid of all traces, although you'll need to reinstall the GPU drivers after the scrubbing.

Alternately, you can try reinstalling CCC, and then use Add/Remove programs to uninstall.  This might get rid of the embedded menu options.

As a final option, you can edit the registry to change the specific context menus affected.  If you are interested in doing this, let me know and I will walk you through the process via PM.

What piece of software put the option there in the first place?  There is probably a stray registry key causing the choice to remain in your menu, but without more information I can't really tell you how to go about deleting it.


Computer specifications?  Also, what custom content are you using?

No.  Compatability mode just changes a few strings of OS code for the purpose of loading an application.  It will have zero effect on actual gameplay.  I still have no idea why the newest expansion would need to be scaled back on your system, but since it's working for the moment it's probably best to just leave well enough alone. 

Well, your card's not great, but it doesn't explain why the game loads with no CC.  Have you tried task switching to the game when it is hung up?  Simply press Alt+Tab until you land on the Sims icon, and then release. 

If the above does nothing, try running the game in a lower compatibility mode.  This can be done by right clicking the shortcut, and selecting an older revision of Windows from the drop down box under Compatibility.

I don't need super specific information.  Rather, I just wanted to get a general idea of your system.  Just post the amount of RAM, processor, and video card.  All this information can be found by hitting winkey+"R", typing "DXDiag" (no quotes) in the box, and hitting enter. 

It sounds like your machine is not letting the game read from the My Documents folder.  Are you an administrator on the computer? 

Have you tried duplicating the issue while playing a CC-free game?  If not, it would be helpful if you did so, since that would tell us whether the problem is hack related or something else entirely.