Operating System: Windows Vista Home Basic
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc
System Model: Inspiron 1525
Processor: Intel Celeron CPU
Memory: 2038MB
Page File: 2240MB used, 2077MB avaliable
DirectX Version: DirectX 11

Name: Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Family
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip Type: Intel 965 Express Chipset Family
Approx. Total Memory: 358MB
Main Driver: igdumd32.dll
Version: 7.14.00.10.1409(English)
Date: 3/6/2008

I have: Base, Nightlife, OFB, FreeTime, Apartment Life, IKEA, H&M, Mansion and Garden, Family Fun and Glamor Life

Summary of the problem: Bodyshop loads just fine and I can go through the initial menus (Create a Project -> Create Clothes or Create a Sim -> New Sim etc) without a problem. Things get weird the moment I click on the clothes tab. Bodyshop freezes.

What I've done so far: The first thing I did was to remove all custom content and delete caches. I also double checked to make sure that I was using the Mansion and Garden version of Bodyshop.

Bodyshop loaded up without a problem and I was able to access the clothes. In other words, it worked perfectly.

Suspecting that it was a CC problem I went through the 50-50 method (I should mention that I ran bodyshop with just my mods in, and it worked perfectly) Finally I thought I had it narrowed down to a default replacement mesh. I removed that mesh and put in a few of the CC files that I had "cleared."

The game froze once again on the clothes tab.

Confused, I removed them and ran bodyshop (caches cleared) without any custom content. Not a problem in sight.

I then took one file of makeup (a Bruno eyeshadow) and dropped it into my downloads folder. I didn't nest it in an other folders. The game loaded--and froze on the clothes tab.

What really baffles me about this situation is that CAS runs perfectly fine in-game. In fact, if I hadn't wanted to try my hand at making some clothes today, I never would have known that anything was wrong with bodyshop.

On MTS2 I was c&ped an explanation about my graphics card being the culprit (and yes, I am well aware of the fact that my graphics card is a really bad one for playing the sims) but that doesn't make sense to me. If it was the graphics card, then CAS in-game would have problems as its much more graphics heavy than Bodyshop. And I'm puzzled as to why the addition of even just one piece of custom content causes Bodyshop to freeze like it does.

I use firefox and adblocker plus and I still got the porn ads.

I'm not 100% sure that this is a SecuROM issue, but I'm fairly certain it is.

As you can see by my above post, I managed to get rid of it and use a no-cd crack for BV to work. And BV worked perfectly until today. I purchased and installed Castaway on Tuesday, and today for the first time since installing Castaway, I went to play the Sims--and the game won't load. I'm starting it from the no-cd short cut, and it simply won't start. The really odd thing about it though, is that if I look at my task manager, it shows the game as running.

What can I do to fix what I've broken?

That did it! Thanks very much for your help!

I am not awesome.

I followed the directions and removed SecuRom from my computer (Vista), however, I have no idea what to do with a no cd crack. I went to the link in the first post, downloaded it and unpacked the rar file to my desktop, followed the directions in the first post to place it in C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Bon Voyage\TSBin after renaming the original file to have .bak extension. I double clicked on the new .exe for BV (I had previously moved the original .exe to my 'Unused Desktop Icons' folder so I wouldn't use it accidentally) and nothing happened. I tried double clicking it again and nothing happened. I brought up the task manager to see if it showed up, and when I double click, it shows up for 3-4 seconds and then vanishes and the game won't load.

What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?

I'm thinking about buying Bon Voyage and playing the sims on my laptop again. I know I can handle the base game on my laptop (not the best graphics in the world and load times are sometimes long), but my question is, will I be able to handle Bon Voyage, and if yes, could I get away with Seasons too? If it would make the game too laggy, then I'd skip out on one or the other ep. Sadly I'm a poor college student, so I'm saving for a new computer instead of upgrades for my laptop (which I got in 2003)

My Specs: (Dell Inspiron 1100)

XP Home Edition
Intel Celeron CPU 2.00GHz
638 RAM
Page File: 550 used of 1008 MB avaliable
dx version: Direct X 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

Intel 82845G/GL/GE/PE/GV Graphics Controller
Chip type: Intel 82845G grapnis controller
Aprox. total memory: 64 MB

Main driver: ialmrnt5.dll
Version: 6.14.0010.4342

I had, but even then the game had slowed down too much. And since I was going to school abroad, I just left the game for my sisters to try and fiddle with because I knew SLS was going to be 'laptop friendly'. And it has been. It works really great. My only complaint is that I hate the ugly maxis clothes. But I can live with those because the game runs so smoothly.

I actually rather like it. My Sims games stopped being playable on my laptop after I installed Pets, and when I left for school I couldn't pack the desktop, so I left the full sims games with my sisters and bought this one. It's really great to still be able to play the sims even when my laptop couldn't handle the sims before.

Nope. I can't get rid of them at all. And I'd rather like to. I guess if I can't system restore it's not big deal (though I really want to find a way to re-install my drivers, is there anyway to do this without a system restore? I think the problem with my laptop's inability to play vidoes stems from a faulty driver/codex?)

I have deleted a lot of the games (I've got 45% free space according to the defragmentor analysis), but I can't get rid of all of the files from the old Sims 1 game. I unistalled them with the clean uninstaller that maxis gave, but it left folders in the program files, and I can't get rid of them...

The only thing I could of happening around May is my computer downloaded one of the Windows updates...could that make a difference? If so, is there anyway I could work around that?

My computer just needs a good purge. Late Feburary it stopped being able to play videos correctly, I've still got files left over from the Sims 1 that weren't uninstalled and I can't delete, and I've got a mutlitude of extraneous little programs and games. I just to start the school year with a clean slate so to speak.

I have XP and that was my first thought, but it won't let me go back any farther than May 2006 to choose a restore point....so I'm not sure what to do.

I have an Inspiron 1100 laptop from Dell, and I want to do a total system restore back to how it was when I first took it out of the package in fall of 2003. However, I have not a clue how to do this. I've backed up all important files on my portable flashdrive, and gotten out the cds that came with my laptop (as well as the cds that came with my parent's computer--my mom having put them all in the same box). What do I do now? I'm at a total loss... Any help, even whacks on the head for being an idiot are welcome.

Thank you!

I use Louis' default replacements that I got off of MTS2. I really like them, they're not overly realistic but there also not too cartoony.

Could you export it and make it appear as an assecory? I know some site has finger nail polish that appears in the glasses catagory, couldn't tattoos appear there too?

Thank you very much for all of your help! I'm going to try and build a much easier to play house for my sims

I am horrible at laying out houses. My sims usually have to go out the back door walk alllll the way around the garden to greet anyone who has rung the front door bell. And let's not go into my fiasco wherein the social worker took my todder away because it had crawled into the bathroom and no one could get it out again.

What are some things that you keep in mind while building a house? What room layouts work best? How can I make my sims go out the front door and not the back door?

And, additionally, any creators out there that make well layed out furnished or unfurnished houses?

As someone in love with history, this challenge caught my attention. I think that the historical inaccurancies can easily be fixed, and the challenge can be made playable.

Here are some of my ideas:

Starting Out:

- Start with a CAS- sim. Male or female, player's choice. The player could also make a couple, or siblings etc. No toddlers, children or teens however. Dress the couple in appropriate fashion for the time period (All About Style has some great clothes for example)
- Move the sim/couple into a lot.
- If you want to pretend that your male sim has an 'inheritance', use 'kaching' or 'motherlode'
- Find jobs for your sims (Male sims: Business, Politics, Medical, Science, Military), (Female sims: Medica (nurse)l, Business (aka secretary), Slacker (Since I can't think of a job that equates to teaching off of the top of my head)).


The House:

- Keep furnishings as period as possible
- In the kitchen you are allowed a refidgerator, stove and sink. (If you want to find other kitchen items that have been re-meshed to look period, eg: I seem to recall a food processor on MTS2 that looked like a mortar and pestal, feel free to do so)
- An indoor bathroom can contain a bathtub (no shower), and sink. The toilet should be kept in a seperate building outside of the house. (If you are able to find a period toilet, feel free to move it back into the house)
- Bonus points if you download/build a victorian style house

Revised List of 'Forbidden Objects' as well as exceptions:

Forbidden Objects

    * TVs
    * stereos (however, if anyone's made a phonograph mesh stereo, you may use that)
    * cars (if you can find period cars/wagons/carriages, you may use those)
    * video games
    * computers
    * cellphones
    * any hand held game
    * fire alarms (If you can find any that have been recolored to be unobtrusive, you may use those--after all, neighbors etc would            have helped a family get a hold of the fire department and/or helped put the fire out themselves)
    * phones (CAN be used. But only one. Phones at this time were placed out in the hallway and it was often the housekeeper's job to answer them)
    * burglar alarms
    * non-wooden tables
    * non-wooden chairs
    * modern sofas
    * coffee makers (As coffee was drunk at this time, if you can find a coffee maker that has be remeshed to appear period, feel free to use it)
    * blenders
    * microwaves
    * toaster ovens
    * dishwashers
    * trash compacters
    * oddly shaped dressers (As 'oriental' furnishings were rather chic and vogue at the time, you may use these)
    * lockers
    * take out/delivery (A lot of food was delievered to the house at this time--not just milk and ice, but also meat etc, you may use delievery, although take out/pizza may not be used)
    * for toddlers - the rabbit (if you can find a remeshed 'rabbit' object that appears more period, you may use it)

Other amended rules:

Women
Female sims in this challenge can hold a job.  She may have any aspiration the creator feels like giving her.

They are to keep their hair tied up to some degree and wear long dresses, either of the calico variety or every day.  They can also wear the fancier ones.

They are to do most (not all) of the house cleaing and child rearing.  They are to teach all the children to walk, talk, use the potty and help with homework.

Teenage girls are still allowed to go to school, as well as University. However, if you feel more comfortable in your game downloading SimLogical hacks had having your teens at home, feel free.

No babies out of wedlock!

Men
Male sims in this challenge may only hold any aspiration. 

Also have a certain dress code to adhere to.  They are to wear either day suits, farm wear or other clothing appropriate to the time.

They have a reduced (not nonexistant)  role in child rearing and they  have less household duties, as they are the bread winners.

Children

...are to be seen and not heard.

Girls and boys are to help with the housework.

Elderly Sims

Similar roles to the adult sims.


Revised points:

50 pts for each child
100 pts for each boy
25 pts for twins
3000 pts for 10 children
200 pts for every child after 10
150 pts for each grandchild
5000 pts for 20 grandchildren
10 pts for each A+


-100 pts for a girl not married by the time she's an adult
-500 pts for not wearing time-appropriate clothing
-1000 pts for using an object on the forbidden list