I cannot get the game to run above a 800x600 resolution.

[Liveangel]

The options will not let me run the game above a 800x600 resolution, regardless if I'm playing in . I put up with 800x600 when I had a smaller monitor, but now that I have a 1440x900 monitor I'm fed up with it. I've tried searching for a solution to this, but to no avail.

This is what everything looks like in windowed mode*:


This is a screenshot taken in fullscreen mode (my widescreen LCD monitor stretched everything):


These are my display settings


This is my shortcut destination:
"C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Apartment Life\TSBin\Sims2EP8.exe" -w -r1440x900

*ETA: Botophucket shrunk the windowed mode screenshot.

[Annan]

I've had this issue.

1. Re-install drivers for your graphics card and your monitor.

2. If that does not work (it will work, but then you'll restart your computer, and it will revert) check if you have a second monitor (say, a TV) connected. Sometimes the second monitor is recognized as the main by the game, which will affect your available res settings. If this is the case, make sure you either perma-turn off the second monitor, or, never EVER start the computer with the TV connected.

If this does not work, I don't know.

[J. M. Pescado]

Your problem is that your computer lacks an actual graphics card, so you can't actually play games worth crap with it. Rendering at a higher resolution would probably make your computer explode, as without a graphics card, you're stuck with software rendering.

[Tigerlilley]

Dude.  Getting a nicer monitor doesn't mean jackshit if you don't have a graphics card to actually, you know, output graphics.  In theory, your computer shouldn't even be running Sims2, you don't meet the minimal requirements.

[Annan]

Wtf? I didn't even notice there was no actual graphics card because I didn't realize anyone was stupid enough to get a good monitor without having one. And also: what sort of desktop only has a graph chip? Or is this an external monitor on a laptop? Because, you know, you shouldn't be running a game on a laptop at all.

In conclusion: you fail hardwarily.

[edespino]

well in teory you can, i have a old video card ( Nvidia Geforce 6200 )  and when i think seasons was realese that happen to me i read somewhere and change something in the game video  settings ( sorry i dont remember is soo long ) may be you must search in internet. I can play in 1024x768 but may be you can get some lag but is better play in 800x600 well for me.

[J. M. Pescado]

A Geforce 6200 is an actual 3D graphics card, even in integrated-chip form. An Intel Whatzit is not and has no 3D capability. Any 3D graphics must therefore be computed in software using your CPU, which is SLOOOOOOW.

[Annan]

well in teory you can, i have a old video card ( Nvidia Geforce 6200 )  and when i think seasons was realese that happen to me i read somewhere and change something in the game video  settings ( sorry i dont remember is soo long ) may be you must search in internet. I can play in 1024x768 but may be you can get some lag but is better play in 800x600 well for me.

In theory, you could use your shift key consistently.

[HomeschooledByTards]

You have to edit one of the config files, it's been a while and I'm not at home right now so I can't remember *which* file. I think it's the same file that allows you to reset how many sims you can invite to a party. Look through the config files for higher resolutions and uncomment out the section for the resolution you want to use.

I would not recommend turning up the resolution much higher than 800x600 though, it's going to get massively slow.

[edespino]

A Geforce 6200 is an actual 3D graphics card, even in integrated-chip form. An Intel Whatzit is not and has no 3D capability. Any 3D graphics must therefore be computed in software using your CPU, which is SLOOOOOOW.

i did not know that then he must buy a new video card, pay in 800x600 or get used to lag   

[VacantBlue]

Not sure that your system can handle it, but that's already been mentioned.  You'll need to alter the Graphics Rule file.

As posted by Jordi:

Ohm that's easy. Find your native resolution (1680 x 1050 for a 20" 16:10 monitor, 1920 x 1080 for a larger 16:9 monitor, or whatever).

Go to the last XP you have (Celebrations trumps Seasons).
Open \TSData\Res\Config\Graphics Rules.sgr in a text editor

Look for the string "option ScreenModeResolution" and change the Setting $High as follows:
   setting $High
      uintProp maxResWidth      1680
      uintProp maxResHeight     1050
      uintProp defaultResWidth  1680
      uintProp defaultResHeight 1050

Use your native monitor values of course.

Next time you load the game the resolution is available.

Make sure you either have the original CD, or a backup of the file, should EAMaxis come out with a patch.

(edit to delete double posting of link)

[jolrei]

Is it possible that Liveangels have a graphics card, but have not installed drivers?  If you have a graphics card, find out what it is and get appropriate drivers.  If not, you can try the solution suggested by vacantblue, but you may suffer lots-o-lag since your computer is doing a lot of emulation work and using your processor.  This may also cause your game to crash.  Ultimately, the best solution is to find a 3D graphics card of some sort.  It doesn't even have to be ridiculously expensive - I'm running on an ATI X300 thing built into my main board and have never had a crash.  Anything you get should be better than that.

*jolrei makes note to self to upgrade video card someday.

[Paperbladder]

If you don't have a graphics driver, your system reverts back to a VESA driver which pretty much all graphics accelerators are compatible with.  However, this driver isn't capable of going beyond 800x600 and I don't believe it is capable of 3D rendering.  Since liveangel is getting stuff higher 800x600 in XP, so the Intel driver is installed.

I do have a Intel chip and I could get up to 1280x800 in TS2 without any tweaking.  However, it was much slower than running it on another computer using a Geforce 6100 so there wasn't really a point of "playing" it on the computer with the Intel.  (By the way, the Geforce 6100 was an upgrade from a Geforce 4 chip which wasn't able to get anything higher than 800x600 like that Intel card.)

[J. M. Pescado]

I don't really get the point of those Intel things, really. Their graphical ability is total shit, even worse than ancient, decade-old cards from long-defunct companies.

[Zazazu]

They're a cheap trick so that computer manufacturers can convince the unwitting that they are peddling gaming machines, not extra-shiny word processors.

[FourCats]

They're a cheap trick so that computer manufacturers can convince the unwitting that they are peddling gaming machines, not extra-shiny word processors.

It worked on us the first time we tried buying a "name brand" computer, cheaply.  Then we found that a spouse built computer is much superior.  And we gave our Dell to spouses parents. 

[Knukleur]

Maybe you need to change your system setup to use the graphics card you added instead of the onboard Intel chip.  I had to do this when I added a Voodoo card to a Pentium desktop with integrated graphics some years ago.  Different manufacturers may have a different key needed to be pressed before the computer loads Windows to access the BIOS settings, but it should be displayed when the computer starts with the manufacturer's logo.  It's sometimes one of the Function keys, like F8 or F10.

[Liveangel]

Yes, my shitbox is shit. I had no idea what hardware I needed to play games before I got the shitbox (which was way back in 2005, IIRC). When I discovered graphics cards were fundamental for people who actually want to play games, I asked about getting a graphics card. The solution was to buy or build a computer that doesn't suck.

Baa baa Vacantblue, everything seems to be going ok in 1024x768. Not much more lag than in 800x600.

[Annan]

Yes, my shitbox is shit. I had no idea what hardware I needed to play games before I got the shitbox (which was way back in 2005, IIRC). When I discovered graphics cards were fundamental for people who actually want to play games, I asked about getting a graphics card. The solution was to buy or build a computer that doesn't suck.

Baa baa Vacantblue, everything seems to be going ok in 1024x768. Not much more lag than in 800x600.

I'm mostly amazed that desktops are sold without graphics cards, since, you know, they have room for them. I know the small slimlined desktops don't have them, but they aren't marketed as gaming rigs, anyway.

[Tigerlilley]

Yes, my shitbox is shit. I had no idea what hardware I needed to play games before I got the shitbox (which was way back in 2005, IIRC). When I discovered graphics cards were fundamental for people who actually want to play games, I asked about getting a graphics card. The solution was to buy or build a computer that doesn't suck.

Baa baa Vacantblue, everything seems to be going ok in 1024x768. Not much more lag than in 800x600.

For the love of God, woman.  Get a new PC.