I would highly recommend NOT updating to 1.69, as it appears to FORCE Origin on The Sims 3!

My friend did so, as has been having an absolute ShitFit ever since doing so...
Not only was she forced to log into Origin (which she now detests)
because they also have rudely forgotten than she did indeed buy the game and all EPs and SPs.

I am making a "Recovery Package" for her now.
RUSH NOW to download the multi-mega-patch BEFORE that reflects the new update.

When was the last time that the computer has been cleaned out of dust and hair? You might just be getting fooled by the coincidence of the crashes from overheating. And that a cleaning is overdue.

While also loosing the ability to upgrade or repair it yourself.
For a tinkerer like me, *that* is what make them evil.

I was just getting a chuckle out of the possibility that you simply refused to host an Evil Mac in your home.

Even if it were a gift.

Donated $50 for the Municipality  

Edit: Done and redun.

From the sun shadow angle, I would guess that your solar panels are facing East.
For Australia, they should be facing North. Though I doubt this little detail will help you with MTS. 

Translated?

I'd be willing to work on a Mac remotely, but I refuse to own or otherwise give desk space in my home to a Mac.

According to Google, that is an original quote. Congratz, but it is a shame in a way.
I was hoping for a video spoof on the character "V" from "V is for Vendetta" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/
ala this quote/scene:                                (...wonder what lunacy would come from the character "P"?)

"Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the "vox populi" now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.

Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V."

Oh, well...  I can dream. <sigh>

I really wish that my quest for knowledge (or is it OCD?) would stop forcing me to read entire threads, when I already instinctualy understand that there is no new info in said thread.  <sigh>

FLOG THE BLASPHEMER!!! 

I was about to recommend purchasing a copy of "Spinrite", but with today's HD prices, buying a new one may be more cost effective for you. The only(?) seemingly viable alternative ("HDD Regenerator") is not incredibly cheap either.

BUT, the two of them will literally beat the crap out of a HD and determine if it is reliably worth continuing to take a chance on.

The question you have to ask is:  How many HDs do/will I have? If many, then test the shit out of them... if few, just replace the sucker. (probably)

BUT... yet again... remember that an isolated "incident" is not reason to "panic". (buy software or hardware?) There are many reasons for data corruption and surprisingly few actually can be blamed on an ailing Hard Drive. (CTDs, power fluctuations, cosmic rays, sunspots, gravity waves, Murphy's Wrath) Back up your data often and look for a pattern. *Chances* are your HD is just fine.

Pay attention, play "scientist".

My first guess would be that your graphics card is hurting in some way. Test it with a different 3D (heavy/intense) graphics program, such as a first person shooter or driving game. If that shows continued problems, don't condemn your graphics card immediately... it may simply be that the driver for it needs to be re-installed. Other possibilities are that it is over-heating or needs to be re-seated.

I prefer my FrankenBox.

I have often thought of making a Gnome launcher, perhaps it should include infants as well. They are close to the same physical size after all.     (now all I need is a clue as to where to begin)

More crotch-fruit fodder for the BBQ!

Since Windows 3.11 and all the way to 7  

(well, ok, I did skip Vista)   


What's the trick?  dunno...  <shrug>
I can only guess that it's because I have always used an over-sized swap file, instead of a system managed swap file.

Clean the registry.

So *that* is what is wrong with my life?  Oh well, so much for efficiency!  

I have often wondered how the game play would go if the motives were inter-connected.

If full bladder then comfort decreases rapidly.
If starving then bladder decays more slowly.
If having mega-fun then fatigue/low comfort/ hunger is more easily ignored.
And others that I am too tired to remember at the moment.

I am guessing that the moodlets in TS3 may have already done this, (I have not studied them)
but in TS2.. might be interesting to experiment with.

Fine tunable in the sense of choosing which Sims fidelity would be forced upon.
Not only individual control, but groups as well:

Sacreds vs. non-sacreds vs. townies (vs. NPCs?)  (not sure I see a use for hi-fi NPCs)

Additional candidate groups:
Love Interests?
Co-Workers?
Friends?
Acquaintances?
Family that does not live on the same lots?

I am not trying to make busy work for you.
But I am skeptical that my computer would handle having Hi-Fi turned on for *everyone*.

With lots of options for fine tuning I hope. Sounds like an interesting experiment. Have you any intention of releasing it? (when working of course)

A polished potato?   I doubt even the MythBusters could pull that off.

Sounds like video card overheating.
Does it have a fan, is it running and clean?
Do you use a frame limiter?

Hmmm...  A Klingon and a Vulcan