Re: Sims 3 Grey Map

I just repaired my game in origin. Here is my dxdiag. 

@linastyyy  The dxdiag says there's a problem with the Intel graphics driver.  So even though yours is fairly new, it's a good idea to install the newest (stable) one, which you can find here:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29808/Intel-Graphics-Windows-10-DCH-Drivers?product=126686

You should have the option to do a clean install, and please do so.

Please also run a couple of basic checks on your Windows system files.  Here's how:

• Hit Windows key-X
• Choose either “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Command prompt (Administrator),” whichever option is offered
• Inside the window that appears, copy and paste “DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth” without quotes into the window, and enter
• The system will start validating soon. If it throws an error, please list it here
• After it reaches 100%, hit Windows key-X again
• Again, choose “PowerShell (Administrator)” or “Command prompt (Administrator)”
• Inside the window, copy and paste “sfc /scannow” without quotes into the window, and enter
• Post the message you receive here

Restart your computer, don't edit the .sgr files, and see what the game looks like.

I updated the driver. There were no errors in the first scan. When I did the sfc scan, it said there was some corrupted files but they were successfully repaired. I went in my game and the map is still grey. 

@linastyyy  Please move your entire Sims 3 user data folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop.  When you launch the game, a clean folder will spawn with no content.  Don't add anything to it, just see whether the game map loads properly.  Let me know either way.  And please do this still with the unaltered .sgr files in place.

And yes, as igazor said, it would be good to clear at least another 10 GB off your C drive.  I meant to mention that before and just forgot to put it at the end.  Sorry.

@igazor  You're never butting in, and thank you for pointing that out.

Moved TS4 over to my other drive. I have 50 GB of space on the other drive now. I moved the Documents/The sims 3 folder to the desktop and it's still grey. The windows where they could not recognize my hardware or my graphics card popped up again.

I can play the game, though idk for how long until it crashes. However, my deviceconfig log is empty and I cant change any of the game settings. If I move a family into a house, I can see the world and click around and play. But if I zoom out too much, the map is grey. 

@linastyyy  Do you have GeForce Experience set to optimize your in-game settings?  If so, that could be the issue.  Please disable that option in GFE, delete options.ini from the Sims 4 folder in Documents\Electronic Arts, and see whether it helps.

By the way, have you done anything to the .sgr files, or run another GPU fix tool, since you repaired?  If so, please let me know.  Please also confirm that they're both (graphicscards.sgr and graphicsrules.sgr) still listed as .sgr files and not .txt files.  Unless you changed the default install location in Origin, the full path should be:

Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

No the game is not optimized in GeForce experience. And yes, I've already tried to optimize it in GeForce experience as well and that doesnt work either. The graphicsrules and graphicscards files are all in their original state. I deleted and reinstalled the game yesterday when you first told me to revert the sgr files to their original state. I did not touch them.

@linastyyy  Try playing in a clean boot.  It's still a good idea to manually go through the Task Manager's background apps section to make sure nothing suspicious is running, since some applications are apparently not disabled in a clean boot anymore.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-clean-boot-windows-10

I would wonder in particular about anything with the name Alienware in it, since Dell provides some gaming optimization software that might not be playing nicely with Sims 3.

I did a clean boot and it's still grey. I don't have any Alienware anything on my computer. I guess the game just won't work on this computer. Thanks for trying to help. This sucks though cus there are people with newer graphics cards that can play and for some reason I can't. I had a GTX 1050 when I first got the computer and the game still did that. Then, I got a GeForce 1660. Still didn't work. I have a 1660 SUPER now and it still doesn't work. 3 graphics cards are not getting read from the game on this computer. Really sucks but what can you do... 

@linastyyy  If you're still interested in troubleshooting, I'd like to see the status of your card in the Device Manager.  Hit Windows key-X and select Device Manager, expand the Display Adapters section, and take a screenshot.  You can attach it to a post or embed it.  Please also run a new dxdiag, so I can see any new errors.

It may also be informative to run the Dell diagnostics tool:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/inspiron-3670-desktop/diagnose