Sims 3 and Windows 8 - An Analysis

- Windows 8 64-bit (6.2, Build 9200) (9200.win8_gdr.130108-1504)
- New PC.
Platform: PC
Primary Color: Black
Processor Brand: Intel
Processor Type: Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor
Processor Speed: 2.30 GHz
System Ram: 6 GB
Hard Drive Size: 750 GB
Laptop Screen Size: 15.6 inch
Screen Type: LED Backlight, HD Display
Resolution: 1366 x 768
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M with 2GB
Multi Media Drive: DVD Drive

- All except KPST, Deisel, and Decades
- The Uni Patch
- No mods, maybe half of the store.
- No trials occurred.
- Name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M
9.18.13.1407 2/9/2013
- When I first installed the game, I decided to go with all digital downloads this time because they were there and I was curious if I stuck to one install to see if the launcher would not break. (I'll let you know if it does.)

I allowed the game to update to uni after installing the base game. I then went into the graphics card program to add the game to it. Then tested to make sure the game ran. But I only played for about 15 minutes.

I installed one ep and sp at a time in the order in which they were released, stopping to play test after each install.

All seemed fine. Until I finally finished and started playing for real. I played about an hour and it crashed. The kind of crash where the screen freezes and either sims would disappear or the ui would disappear and the screen would freeze while the sound was still going. Ugh. so I started searching these problems and realized I forgot a major step.

I added the game to DEP.

It still crashed.

I reduced the graphics in the graphics card settings allowing the card to decide how to run with which programs, while making sure the sims still used the NVidia card. It crashed...

ETA: (forgot this step) I ran troubleshoot on the game and it said it wanted to run in windows xp and I allowed it to roll back to xp for the game. It prompted me to test the game before continuing, and I did and then saved the settings. Then I tried playing... it still crashed.

I played again... Still crashing. I fumbled around in control panel to see if I could find something to explain the issues. I found somewhere in there crash reports that stated that is was windows that was crashing, which in turn crashed the game. Memory kernel issue. FRackity fflipping farm animals!!!

I didn't know what the flarp to do, so I fumbled around in the control panel some more until I found the windows settings. I set my windows to run high performance without all the fluff (invisible windows when you move them etc etc etc)

I loaded the game.... It worked. It doesn't crash now, or at least it hasn't for a minute. I haven't installed anything on this laptop but sims and gimp. So it can't really be a memory issue, seeing as how I am not using much memory at all. Unless it's mcafee? :shock:

I played for about 2 hours earlier without crashing. I'm hoping it stays this way.... :roll:

I'm far from tech savvy. Just being able to play was a relief. :lol:


ETA: It really reminded me of the problems I had when I first bought ts2 and our pc at the time had Norton. XD I had no idea what to do then either. Twas my first experience with the game other than ts1 in hs (which my father put on my pc, he got it from work where he used to test games to make sure the systems would run them. He was a programmer.)When I saw memory kernel I was quickly searching to make sure I didn't have Norton installed. :lol: Old habits die hard! :lol: :P