Re: The Sims 2 ultimate collection origin keeps crashing (Windows 10) FEB 2018

here you are 🙂 It used to work about half a year 4/5 months ago on the same computer, and only just recently I have been wanting to play again, I have tried reinstalling it and repairing it via Origin but to no avail at best I can mess around in the neighborhood but I cant enter/edit a lot or even create a new sim, I've seen a few forums saying its something to do with Windows 10 update 1709 either not liking the Sims 2 post October update or the sims 2 at all.

Here is my dxdiag file and also my most recent crash log. 

So, I have just recently installed The Sims 2, but the problem that I am noticing so far is with CAS. When I launch the game and try to make a new family (I have tried in two different worlds) it crashes quite quickly. Likewise, when I play a pre-made family, I can play just fine it seems until I go to a mirror and change appearance (so far I haven't had much time to actually play as I have been trying to make a new family, so I don't know if it would crash after a while of playing, but it doesn't seem like it would). Every time it crashes with an ACCESS_VIOLATION error, which seems to be that it is trying to read or write to memory it shouldn't have access to when in CAS. 

One thing to note is that my laptop is a 64 bit machine and the game seems to be a 32 bit game. Could that be causing any problems?

Hi @TarixSim @Jozo7O:

Have you both already tried to run the game in compatibility mode with Windows XP (Service Pack 2)? I know for you it worked in that computer before, @Jozo7O, but please, try anyway if you haven't done so already. You would need to:

1. Open C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSBin  (path might be different if you changed the Origin game installation folder)
2. Right click in Sims2EP9.exe > Properties.
3. Go to Compatibility tab
4. Select to run the program in compatibility mode for Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
5. Select to run the program as administrator.
6. Apply the changes and double click on Sims2EP9.exe to start the game.

If that doesn't help, you might want to give the option 'Reduced colour mode' to 8-bit a try. It's also in Compatibility tab.

@TarixSim your graphics card is actually not that powerful, considering the specifications of the rest of your computer, and the issue could come from there. If compatibility mode doesn't work, could you try lowering the graphics settings as much as possible?

@Jozo7O great PC! Your computer has two graphics cards, as you probably already know. Could you try to change the card the game is using to launch? You should be able to do it using NVIDIA Control Panel. Let me know if you are not sure how to do that and I'll help 🙂

Thanks!

-Mai

Thanks XD 🙂 also I tried the compatibility mode and its still crashing, this time it crashed as soon as it brought up the neighborhood menu

And I try to go on the control panel and click on the list of games and it seems to list all types of sims 2 apart from EP9 XD lol, See image attached XD, any other suggestions?

Glad to read that, @TarixSim! You could try to 'play' a bit with the settings until you find the best ones for you.

Enjoy the game! 🙂

@Jozo7O :D The pack is hiding! Luckily, we can fix that easily - see that button just to the right where it says 'Add'? Use it and NVIDIA will show you a list of the recently used programs.

If sims2ep9.exe doesn't even show in that list, use 'Browse...' option below that list to find it yourself. Remember by default it's inside C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSBin

Please, let us know if that helps 🙂
-Mai

Ok, so I loaded it in the list of applications but I cant see anywhere where i can try switch graphics cards, what option do i change?

I got my sims2 finally working by using this program

[Edited by EA_Mai: links to third party software not allowed, for security reasons]

basically open the program and select  'Location of your sims 2'\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\TSBin Sims2EP9.exe

I am still having some issues for example flashing pink textures but at least it works now.

Hello. Im having the same problem as described. I attempted to fix it as you previously mentioned, however, Im still not able to play Sims 2 normally.

The closest I am able to get to having the game run properly is if I run the program as Admin through Windows Vista (Service Pack 2) while using my Integrated Graphics. However, when doing this my graphics are terrible and the gameplay screen flickers no matter what graphics settings I choose.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to resolve this? It's strange that I was able to run it fine before, and then suddenly its just started crashing... I would really hate to never be able to play this game normally again.

Hi @EA_Mai thank you for your reply! I know this is an old thread, so I appreciate you taking the time to revisit the topic.

Attached is my DxDiag file that you requested. I ran the game as Admin, using Windows Vista (Service Pack 2), and NON integrate graphics (which is what I would preferably like to play with so my game doesn't look like mashed potatoes haha).

The game crashed before I was able to select a neighborhood. It may be worth noting that I am sometimes able to move further into the game, however, it will still usually crash while trying to access CAS or the neighborhood, or when clicking the Main Menu icon.

Hello mai!

i've tried to do what you said on previous comments but my CAS still doesnt work, do you have any idea what i could do?

My pc is kinda crappy but it Works fine with ts3 and ts4 ( used to work fine with CD ts2, but i have never tried that on Windows 10)

ps: i have very recently rebooted all my pc back to the default settings and erased everything.

Hello!  I'm also having some issues getting Ultimate Collection to work on my laptop.

After lowering the graphics options in the game and changing the game to play in XP service pack 2, I can now start creating a sim, but it doesn't last and will crash before I can complete the sim.  And cannot create in Body Shop, it opens but crashes when I click to create a sim.  I tried to lower the color mode to 8-bit and this did not work.  I can build houses but not create sims.

My laptop has an Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000 card and is Windows 10 Pro.

Here is my dxdiag:

@EA_Mai did you have an opportunity to look at my DxDiag? I am still unable to play the game. I have even reimaged/ reset my computer without any luck.

@EA_Mai

Could you PLEASE assist me with the same issue? I am on Windows 10 Pro & have run the game compatibility in Windows XP, 7, 8, & Vista (with reduced color) and I already play in windowed as well. I can play mostly fine with the exception of CAS. I have only been able to make it through once without a crash! I NEED TO PLAY THIS AGAIN please advise!

@EA_Mai are you able to help us with this issue? You last posted here in June and this problem is still unresolved for myself, and many other players.

It's unfortunate that this game just stopped working after I've put so many hours, and money into playing it.

Hello @EA_Mai are you still helping people with this issue? I have been playing Sims2 for many years and bought all of the expansions and extra content packs when they were new.

In the last month is has just started crashing a few times an hour.  This is a real shame after putting so much money into it.

(I tried Sims3 but just did not like it)

Please can you help? Thanks!

Hi, I can play the game with premade families, but it crashes when I try to change appearance or go to CAS. I tried everything you recomended before. 

Hi. I'm having the same issues as everyone else. I've attached my dxdiag for you. I've also included info for my Alienware laptop. I was able to play this on my old laptop which was also Win10 but was a slower laptop. I can't tell you how much I do not enjoy Sims3 and 4 - I prefer Sims2. What can I do to keep it from crashing? Sometimes I'm able to play for about 20 minutes unless I try to send my sim to a different location, such as a community lot. Then it crashes. Other times, while loading the neighborhood page it crashes. Most frustrating. Why don't y'all set up a web-based version of the game we can use? Seems that would prevent some of these crash issues. Thanks.

It seems we're all screaming into the void here, but I'll join the crowd.

I've got Windows 10. My game loads just fine until I try to play a family. While I'm on the family loading screen, the game crashes every time. I've tried everything suggested in this thread and nothing works so far. If I run The Sims 2 from my old CD's the game plays (with a few crashes, but at least it plays). I uninstalled my old game, because The Ultimate Collection would get me all the expansions and is supposedly stil supported. But all it does is crash.

I wish I could load my old CD's - my particular laptop doesn't even have a cd drive to load from. The lack of answers about this issue is most frustrating. I demand a refund - at what I paid for the game, not current value or marked down values. I've been playing Sims3 but I really prefer all the options available with Sims2.

@EA_Mai  did you check the link before you deleted it?

It would be great if EA provided a fix so people did not have to resort to third parties to fix their game.

Sims 2 crashes ALL the time on Win 10

Sims 3 has major lags and crashes after Island Paradise EP was installed. This is well known that the world has major routing problems. Does EA fix it? NO -- so people resort to third parties to mod fixes.

I would rather play the games I purchased (yes I purchased all of the EPS for TS2 & TS3) than use a mod that may or may not fix the game.

So EA_MAI, please reach out to your superiors, bubble up the problems and work to have a fix.

Turns out with TS2 it is maxing out at 2GB ram -- Well I have 32GB ram on my system so it should not have a problem with virtual memory etc.

I am not entirely comfortable using fix on the Pleasant Sims website as it is not an official game patch and it is not a simple mod, it actually rewrites the executable.  -- so what is the solution?

Note: I did not attach the full DxDiag because it contains information about my machine that a hacker may find interesting and it doesn't seem like EA_MAI has responded on the forum to anyone who has posted them.