Patches. > <

[ashmonster]

I've decided to come out of lurking, mostly due to angst. Since this latest bout of patches (1.10 and whatnot) my Sims 3 has been royally screwed. I can't install any of my downloads to my game, and the game won't even start. I get the EA logo spinning and then the game shuts down and goes back to my desktop. TS3 worked fine before the patches, everything installed fine, the game ran perfectly. I have legit copies of TS3, WA and Loft Stuff. What happened to my TS3?

EA, you suck. Your patches are like viruses.

[Slymenstra]

Well first, can you start the game with no Mods or CC?  If yes, then it is a You fail not a Sims Patch fail.

Make sure your framework is in the right place.  Don't forget the d3dx9_31.dll needs to be moved.

I installed HEL, patched, moved my framework, updated Awesome Mod, and I can play just fine.  All of my DLs are there and if I really wanted to, I could install with the launcher.  So you must be doing something wrong somewhere.  Start by looking at your framework and mods.  And get the latest Awesome Mod.

Lots of people already talked about this in previous posts as well.  Scroll down and READ!

[Ellatrue]

Is it necessary to move the framework if you are just patching, and not installing High End Loft Stuff?

[Easier]

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem:    If I am in full screen mode and I try to alt-tab out or push the windows key the game freezes and I have to reboot the computer because I cannot access task manager.  If I'm in windowed mode and I attempt to open another application or merely click on a blank spot on the task bar the game becomes unresponsive and has to be ended via task manager.  This is happening on both my desktop and laptop, which both run windows 7 and have nvidia graphics cards.

I foolishly updated to the latest EA patches 1.10/2.5/3.1.  Prior to updating with the launcher I removed all framework, mods, 3booter and fpslimiter.  I also deleted my *cache.package files and removed my saved games.  The update went okay, with no errors.  The game loads fine and appears okay with or without cc and mods if I do not try to leave the screen or click on anything other than the sims window.

There's one more odd thing occuring since this update.  I normally direct the nvidia control panel to force alternate frame rendering so both my graphics cards are used.  When I update TS3 I change it back to the default TS3 setting of single gpu, mostly so I can make sure CAS is working (CAS doesn't work well when I use both my graphics cards).  Anyway, Nvidia control panel is telling me that the default is still a single gpu for ts3sp01.exe, however both cards are being used, even if I manually set it to use only one.  My graphic card drivers are up to date.  Nvidia control panel is up to date as well.

If I run with the base game and WA patched up to 1.10/2.5 the game runs fine and the screen does not freeze.  I only began to have problems  when I installed HELS updated to 3.1.  Previously HELS ran with no problems.

Update:  Installing HELS and the HELS patch without using EADM or the launcher corrected the problem with the screen freezing.

[Slymenstra]

Is it necessary to move the framework if you are just patching, and not installing High End Loft Stuff?

You only need to move anything if the patch created a new directory and exe like HELS does.  This HELS stuff pack acts like an expansion pack.  I have no idea about just patching because I installed HELS before patching.  So if you are just patching and no new directory is created, then it stays put, I would assume.

[ashmonster]

I need to move all of that even if I have no mods? The CC worked fine before the patch. Everything worked fine before the patch, WA included. Loft Stuff I don't know about since it doesn't work.

And I've looked, in several places. This is more of a last resort than anything.

I've probably uninstalled and reinstalled the game 5 times since the patch. And it just doesn't work. I'm about to give up. I had the same problem I'm having now with the last bout of patches but after uninstalling and reinstalling it worked fine. > >

[Slymenstra]

You first need to make sure that your CC and the files that make the CC work is causing your problem.  So you need to move out your Mods folder, and the d3dx9_31.dll file that should be in your WA game/bin folder (at least that was where mine was).  I cut and pasted mine on my desktop.  Delete your cache files (mine are located Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3) there are 4 of them.

Have you replaced any main files like video.ini?  Make sure you place the originals back.  Basically try to get as vanilla as you can and don't even think about CC or mods right now.  You need to get the game to work in its basic form.  If after you removed all CC and mods, and framework and it is still not working, then I don't know how I can help you.  I am not awesome enough for that kind of thing.  I would back up my saves, library, savedsim, mods folder, framework files and dbc files and uninstall EVERYTHING, and delete any leftover folders and try again.

If your game loads and works, then you need to re-add the .dll to your HELS/game/bin folder. Stick your mods folder in your HELS directory (It can be in your WA too, at least mine is and it is all working).  Have your resource.cfg file in the HELS directory.  Make sure your resource.cfg is updated to allow the game to read *.dbc files if you are using them. (That is for store CC)  If you have no idea what I am talking about go back to the main forum and do a search.  Lots of discussion on all of this by smarter people than me.

I use the word Mods but I mean CC/Mods/Hacks/XML tuning etc.

Uninstalling and reinstalling but sticking the framework in the wrong place won't work.

I am not as awesome as a lot of people here, but I have spent a lot of time getting my CC to work.  I hope this is what is the cause and that you can get it fixed.

[ashmonster]

Okay. Good news, bad news.

Good news, I did what you said. The game runs perfect. Thank you so much!

Bad news. My stuff will not install. Still. All of my stuff from TS3 site will not load at all. The little load thing pops up, goes black, freezes and shuts. UGH.

[Slymenstra]

I don't know what CC you are adding or if you are using the Launcher to install sims3packs.  So I found a great Tutorial that explains how to install and get CC to work.

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files Scroll down and have a look. 

Since you are running the HELS Stuff Pack, follow the World Adventures instructions in the "Summary" section but use the HELS installation directory rather than World Adventures.

I would add my CC back slowly.  Start with just Awesome Mod and see if it runs.  Make sure you are using the LATEST Awesome Mod because if not that can crash the game too. http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,15185.0.html  Sometimes it is updated but no new date is shown.  But it gets updated almost everyday.

And since I have no idea if you install using the Sims Launcher and are finding the sims3packs are no longer showing up you need to read this http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,17743.0.html

It's complicated and confusing and information is scattered all over a million forums.  Good luck!

[Skadi]

Or you could just try Decrapify-ing your .sims3packs to see if that fixes the issues.