Re: sims are pitch black, repairing doesn't help

@oompypoo  Just to clarify, are all sims affected, or only the ones you make in CAS?  If you start a new save in a clean folder, are the sims you make in that save, or other sims that already exist, affected too?

Please also run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

https://help.ea.com/en/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

@puzzlezaddict every sim is affected by it, including in a clean folder. dxdiag has been attached! 

@oompypoo  A couple of Sims 3 errors in your dxdiag are likely related to the graphics driver.  Since you already have the newest one available from Nvidia, you'll need to do a clean uninstall and reinstall.  Here's how:

https://crinrict.com/blog/2019/02/clean-re-install-of-graphics-drivers-with-display-driver-uninstaller-ddu.html

This time, instead of using the newest driver, try the next-newest one, from December 1.  It's possible that the current driver has some kind of bug affecting Sims 3, but I haven't seen any reports of problems with the older one.  And of course you can always update to the newer one if necessary.

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/results/184003/

When installing the driver, run the installer as an admin: right-click on the download and select "Run as administrator."  If you install GeForce Experience, do not allow it to optimize your game settings, at least not initially, and don't change any settings in the Nvidia Control Panel either.  Restart your computer after installing and before trying to play, and test another new save in another clean folder.

If this doesn't help, please let me know what kind of install this is, as in, disc, Steam, or something else.  It doesn't look like an Origin install from the .exe being used.

@oompypoo  Just in case it's really that simple, please make sure that you're working with the Sims 3 folder the game is using.  Inside the new folder, you should see a deviceconfig.log file with a timestamp that matches the last time you opened the game.  If it doesn't match or isn't there, you have a second folder somewhere on your computer.  In fact, just to be thorough, open a File Explorer window, click This PC in the left panel, and enter "deviceconfig" without quotes in the search box.  Let me know how many files it finds and where they are.  Check OneDrive too, if it's present at all.

Please also post another dxdiag so I can compare it to the first one.  And it would be helpful to see a screenshot of the affected sims.

@puzzlezaddict before i expand i really wanna thank you for taking time out of your day and holidays to help me out 🙂 means so much to me. looks like there are 3 deviceconfig files, one of which is in an old folder. couldn't find a timestamp though. i don't have onedrive. screenshots + dxdiag added! (also, im not sure if its of much help, but the sims are only void ingame, not in cas)

thanks again!

@oompypoo  There are no new errors in your new dxdiag, which is good, and the graphics driver shows the correct (older) version too.  The three deviceconfigs do suggest that you might still have bad cc though.  You're right that you can ignore the one in "The Sims 3 old," but please make sure there are no mods or custom content in the other two folders.  If either one has any, you'd still need to remove it and then change an affected sim's skin afterwards, and changing their hair, clothes, and accessories is a good idea too, since bad cc can come in any form.

If that doesn't make a difference, I want to try something different.  I'll load up a user folder and send you a link; it'll be a copy of Sunset Valley, base game only, with an obvious name and one obvious change to the town layout, so you know you're looking at the save I sent in its intended form.  Drop the Sims 3 folder into Documents\Electronic Arts and see how things look.  Your graphics options will be reset, but leave them as-is other than changing the resolution if you want.

Thanks for your kind words.  I like helping people with their games, and I know people like playing during their vacations, so if I can pop in and try to fix something, it's definitely worth doing.

@puzzlezaddict i've checked all the folders that come up when you search deviceconfig for any cc but there aren't even any mods folders that i've created to put the cc into, no cc in the "downloads" folder either. all these folders are fresh folders. are there any other folders that i'm missing?

bump! still need help

Just as an FYI, I've run into this issue when I've created a sim with custom skin and then removed that skin, usually because my harddrive crashed and I had to start over with downloading! What I have to do then is go into CAS for each sim and choose a skin that is in the game. If you've taken out your custom skins, just choose one of the skins that comes with the game. It should put it back to "right". 

Do you have NRAAS Master Controller installed? I'm not sure but it might be necessary in order to edit an in-game Sim. 

@columbia93  happens with every sim, even premade sims in the world unfortunately, which makes me believe i cant switch to a different skin considering its default.