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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 22nd Aug 2016 at 2:13 AM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, Late Night, Generations, Seasons, University Life, Island Paradise
Game Crashes at Initial Start-Up- Newly Installed
Hello! So I will give an overview of my issue and then include the answers from the Game Problem FAQ:

I purchased all of my Sims 3 games through Origin, so they are all digital downloads. I downloaded the Sims 3 and the following EPs: Generations, Late Night, Seasons, University, Island Paradise and the game is patched to 1.69.43.024017.

Just going to give some backstory here, not sure whether it's relevant or not (apologies if not): I recently purchased an Asus Desktop specifically for gaming for the Sims 3. I had installed the game and then installed my expansion packs (Ambitions, Generations, Late Night, Seasons, University, Island Paradise) and then I started downloading some CC (less than 100 files) which I had used before when I played Sims 3 on my Macbook- so I knew that they wouldn't harm my game. But my game started crashing (black screen of death) and I would have to manually restart my computer each time. Anyways, I got frustrated because I had purposefully purchased the desktop to be able to play my games and have some cc and it wasn't working out. So I thought I would just sell it and restored it back to manufactory settings.

But I never did end up selling it and only until recently- I decided that I wanted to try and play my game again, thinking that maybe it was the CC last time that caused the issue and I could live without it. So I had to setup my computer again and made it sure it was up to date with everything. Then I re-downloaded Origin and logged in. I downloaded the Sims 3 and then re-downloaded my expansion packs. I then clicked on the Sims 3 Launcher and it all seemed like normal. I was a little worried that I had downloaded the expansions prior to just running the base game but when I checked the Expansion/Stuff tab none of my expansions showed up. I thought maybe it was a little weird because I hadn't run the game yet. So I clicked the play button anyway. It went through everything like normal (the Ea logo, Maxis logo, and the video) but just before it finished loading to reach the main menu- the screen went black and I couldn't do anything so I had to manually restart my computer. When I started the Game Launcher back up again, I made sure that I had the most recent game patch (1.69.43) which I did. I also clicked on the Expansion/Stuff tab again and this time all of expansions showed up- but I still hadn't clicked on the option to install them yet. So I clicked play again and this time it made it to the main menu but then it crashed like before- black screen. I tried again a couple of other times and it still crashed.

I thought maybe it was just an issue of Sims 3 with Windows 8, so I decided that for now- i'd give up on Sims3 and move onto Sims 4, since I had just purchased that too and downloaded it prior to downloading Sims 3. But it pretty much did the same thing too. It would crash at the main screen and give me the black screen.

This is what I've tried:
I have not uninstalled the games, since I just downloaded them and I did not have anything EA related prior to downloading the Sims 3. I cannot bypass the Launcher since they are digital downloads and I obviously don't have any sort of issue with CC so I did not have any cache files. I have made sure that the OS and the drivers and stuff are all up to date. I also made sure that the graphics card was recognized by the game by checking the DeviceConfig.log and it was. And there are never any background tasks going on nor is the anti-virus stuff an issue either. I did try the Options.ini file but it still crashed. I also made sure that the compatibility mode was for Windows 8 and even took out my graphics card and put back inside, in hopes that maybe it would read it again but it still crashed.

I have attached the DxDiag as well for computer specs. Though I should note that after I updated the drivers, it changed the information of my graphics card from ASUS HD 8760 to AMD Radeon HD 7700. But before I did that- I had just made a DxDiag. So I included both of them in the zip file. If that matters at all. (Sorry my tech savvy-ness only goes so far!)

I'm just a little out of my league now as to what I should try next. Other than uninstalling and re-installing it again. But even that, I have little hope it would help. If anyone has any suggestions, that'd be awesome! And hopefully I didn't miss any Game FAQ steps!
Attached files:
File Type: zip  DxDiag.zip (26.3 KB, 10 downloads) - View custom content
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 22nd Aug 2016 at 3:28 AM
Hi there. Your computer is more than capable of playing TS3, but I suspect you already know that. I'm sensing two different things in play here.

1 - You did not clean the Windows Registry in between the original TS3 install (attempt) on this machine long ago and the more recent one. Therefore, Origin and the Launcher are incorrectly detecting remnants of the original install. I'm afraid the only way to fix that is exactly what you didn't want, uninstall everything, clean registry of all things TS3 and Origin thoroughly, and start over. If this is indeed what has happened.
https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

But also...
2 - Your graphics card driver update did not go well and it now has some sort of identity crisis. Did this update come from Asus or from AMD? Those "new" drivers look awfully old and generic to me. In any event, before doing anything drastic there we had better let the graphics hardware experts take over.

Paging Dr. @PapaEmy
Paging Dr. @Nitromon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 22nd Aug 2016 at 4:24 AM
One, thanks for taking the time to respond! :lovestruc

And two:
1. Agh. I guess technically that is the one thing that I didn't try... But since I had issues with the Sims the first time around, I thought maybeeee it had something to do with the computer itself. Plus I wasn't sure since I had already returned wiped the computer in-between game installs, that I didn't think there would be leftover information. But I guess that is something that I will have to try.

2. Yikes, maybe I downloaded the wrong thing. I did get the update from AMD... so maybe I shouldn't have?
Mad Poster
#4 Old 22nd Aug 2016 at 4:29 AM
Maybe I misunderstood about the original install, at first I was reading it as if you had intended to reformat the drive completely but never did. But I would suggest waiting for some better guidance on the graphics card issue before taking any further action. This has got to be fixable somehow.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#6 Old 22nd Aug 2016 at 5:34 AM
Hmm... I had gone to that link prior and downloaded this when I was updating my GPU drivers. That's when the system information for the GPU changed from ASUS Radeon HD 8760 to AMD Radeon HD 7700. Soo now I'm thinking that maybe ASUS has specific drivers for this branded GPU that came with the desktop?

And I just now had tried loading Sims 4 again, since I had been so focused on Sims 3 that maybe it would work- but nope. I did get farther than last time, but it froze. No black screen this time tho. But you're right- I would think that at least Sims 4 would work but it doesn't. So Im all out of sorts lol

I have also attached the Device Configs for both the Sims 3 and the Sims 4.
Attached files:
File Type: zip  DeviceConfigSims3+4.zip (3.0 KB, 6 downloads) - View custom content
Instructor
#8 Old 22nd Aug 2016 at 10:45 AM
There are few possibilities here, 1st your Win 8 OS may not recognized your graphic card (this could explain why even TS4 failed to run), secondly you may have not install the .Net framework for your Win 8 (your graphic driver needs this for Win 8 to run your graphic driver), and thirdly you may have insufficient power supply for your desktop system.

I don't have TS3 1.69 and I don't have Win 8, but I think the principles should be the same, since you said even TS4 failed to run, try fixing your graphic driver 1st to make sure your Win 8 OS recognized your graphic card, download (not direct online update) your proper driver for your gpu, the link that Nitromon's provided should be valid, but before installing the driver, you need to install the required .Net framework for your Win 8, I don't know what version of .Net framework suits for Win 8, but it's the same for every Win OS version, Win 7 needs .Net 4.0, Win 10 needs .NetFX or .Net3(3.5 included) for Win 10, and Win XP needs .Net 2.0, if you have Win 8 installer, you may find it under the Source\SXS\ folders (just like in Win 10), but if not.. you need to download it as well, install the .Net framework 1st, restart your Windows, then install your graphic driver you've just download it and restart your system again. Note; when it's done properly, you can check it from your Device Manager under Display Adapters, if it states as AMD/ATi Radeon HD 8760 as your main GPU that means you have proper driver installed and your Win 8 recognized it, if it stated as other than the "HD 8760" then you don't have proper driver installed, your Win 8 OS failed to recognized it and any game or program you run will have problem executing it.., if this step is done properly, then it's time for you to reinstall TS3 if you have previously removed it, or just edit the GraphicCards.sgr to make TS3 recognizes your graphic card.

But if all of the above is done properly, you got the required .Net framework for Win 8 installed, you got the proper driver for your Radeon HD 8760 installed and your Win 8 recognized it, and the problem still occurs, then there's one more possibility that caused it, you may need a more powerful power supply unit as you know the AMD FX 8 cores and your HD 8760 is quite hungry in power usage, you need to have at least 550W or 600W psu with the desktop PC spec you're running, consider yourself lucky if you lack on power and it's only causing you to crash or failed to run your game, because in some cases, lacking power may cause permanent damage to your hardware, it can hurts your graphic card or HDD or SSD, your processor and motherboard would alright, but those 3 other hardware are more likely to fail if you lack in power..
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 4:58 PM
One, thanks you guys for replying- totally appreciate it! I've never really posted on the forums before but you'll have been so helpful :lovestruc

And two: just so I know the step by step process of what I should be doing (and don't mess this stuff up again lol) I should:
- Install the correct .Net framework for Win 8 (which I'm unsure as to where I am supposed to find that? Online?)
- Restart the computer
- Install the graphic driver (which I can find through the link that Nitromon provided)
- Restart the computer
- Double check that the Device Manager has properly recognized "HD 8760"
- And I haven't uninstalled TS3 (I keep trying to avoid that step if i can) but since I haven't you said I should edit the GraphicCards.sgr, which I do how?

As far power supply stuff goes, I think I currently only have 500W- so I should probably get that taken care of regardless.
Instructor
#11 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 10:36 AM
Quote: Originally posted by stepnflee
- Install the correct .Net framework for Win 8 (which I'm unsure as to where I am supposed to find that? Online?)


try one of these links, download and install all of them; .Net 2.0, 3, 3.5, 4.5 for Win 8

As for your PSU, that would be the last thing to be considered as you already have the 500W, just make sure you have the required .Net framework installed, proper graphic driver installed, and then edit GraphicCards.sgr to make TS3 recognized your graphic card, I think 500W PSU should be fine..
Test Subject
Original Poster
#12 Old 8th Aug 2018 at 1:47 AM
In case anyone else reads this thread, it did end up being an issue with my graphics card. Although it should have been good enough to run the Sims 3 and the Sims 4, but for some reason it was not supported. My husband ended up buying a new graphics card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti to be exact and my game runs perfectly- with all high settings and everything. Just thought maybe someone would like to know!
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