@igazor 'So to summarize -- Update drivers -- Check and cap the fps rate -- Reduce resolution if you aren't already doing so -- Check that RAM usage! -- Don't play in HUGE or overpopulated worlds or expect them to last for generations -- Not specifically mentioned, but on the Tips page, don't play logged in, disallow the in-game TS3 store shopping experience and the startup hidden object game, switch off scrapbook memories or use a mod to control them all to help reduce stress and calls for more and more RAM -- The rest of the Tips page for mod usage and game file maintenance'
So I've done everything except RAM usage, and it's still just closing unexpectedly on me. How do I use Task Manager to check RAM when I'm in the game?
@Albertine26 Hey, we all have to start somewhere. When you're in-game, you can switch from fullscreen to windowed mode by clicking on options and unchecking the box that says "enable fullscreen mode." You can then press crtl-alt-delete to bring up a list of options that includes the Task Manager. Click on it, and you'll get a list of all the processes currently running on your computer. TS3 should be at or near the top of the list. Under Memory, you should see a number like 2,560 MB (2.5 GB); if you only see percentages, try right-clicking on the Memory tab and changing the option to "values."
Here's a screenshot (under the spoiler) of what you should see:
P.S. You don't need to be in windowed mode to bring up the Task Manager, but it's easier to switch between tabs and keep an eye on RAM use if you can constantly see the Task Manager's window while you're in-game.
@igazor @puzzlezaddict so I've played in small screen and the FPS shot up to 100+, however it played a bit longer than when in full screen (didn't go above 60). RAM looked good (under 2.5gb) when playing but didn't catch what it was when it crashed out
@igazor@puzzlezaddict so I've played in small screen and the FPS shot up to 100+, however it played a bit longer than when in full screen (didn't go above 60). RAM looked good (under 2.5gb) when playing but didn't catch what it was when it crashed out
Would this be in an already ongoing game in one of those huge worlds listed prior, a smaller EA world, or a new game entirely? Sometimes narrowing down the cause of such crashes can be more art than science and it takes trial and error to get more information. Also, was the 2.5 GB the starting out level, or did it reach that after a reasonable amount of gameplay (like an hour or something)?
On the fps, as mentioned prior vsync arranged through the Nvidia control panel does not work in windowed mode. For that an additional tool such as Nivida Inspector is required.
Hi! I have a problem with my packs. After my game had a fatal crash and i reinstalled it, some packs are not visible in the game launcher, but origin says, that they are installed. Every pack was running nicely before. Help, please. :(
> @Kopice said: > Hi! I have a problem with my packs. After my game had a fatal crash and i reinstalled it, some packs are not visible in the game launcher, but origin says, that they are installed. Every pack was running nicely before. Help, please. :(
I also tried to run the game, but the packs are simply not in the game. I tried to reinstall the game again, but NOPE. Nothing changed. :(((
@Kopice Sometimes, the disappearing packs reappear on their own after a couple of reboots. But if they don't, you can try clearing Origin's cache, or even uninstalling Origin entirely if necessary. [Edit: and then reinstall Origin again, once you've cleaned out its files.] This wouldn't affect your installed games.
It should also be noted that when you uninstall TS3 on a PC, you need to clean the Windows registry before reinstalling. A tool like Piriform's CCleaner (the free version) will do the trick. I'm not sure how you went about the reinstall, but you can check your registry for entries (or missing pieces) against the list in this link, under the tab for manual uninstalls for PC:
The other possibility is that EA deactivated some of your packs, and you're only finding out about this now. It could be a glitch on EA's end. But if you bought through an unauthorized third-party seller, the codes might have originally been stolen or otherwise fraudulently obtained. In the past year, EA has been systematically deactivating such codes without warning the player of what's happened. Origin can't tell you either, and it will still register the packs as installed. The only way to find out whether this is the case for you or not (or to fix a glitch) is to contact EA customer support and ask someone on that end to look at your account. Be sure to have whatever proof of purchase you can find on hand for the chat.
@Kopice Sometimes, the disappearing packs reappear on their own after a couple of reboots. But if they don't, you can try clearing Origin's cache, or even uninstalling Origin entirely if necessary. This wouldn't affect your installed games.
It should also be noted that when you uninstall TS3 on a PC, you need to clean the Windows registry before reinstalling. A tool like Piriform's CCleaner (the free version) will do the trick. I'm not sure how you went about the reinstall, but you can check your registry for entries (or missing pieces) against the list in this link, under the tab for manual uninstalls for PC:
The other possibility is that EA deactivated some of your packs, and you're only finding out about this now. It could be a glitch on EA's end. But if you bought through an unauthorized third-party seller, the codes might have originally been stolen or otherwise fraudulently obtained. In the past year, EA has been systematically deactivating such codes without warning the player of what's happened. Origin can't tell you either, and it will still register the packs as installed. The only way to find out whether this is the case for you or not (or to fix a glitch) is to contact EA customer support and ask someone on that end to look at your account. Be sure to have whatever proof of purchase you can find on hand for the chat.
Just a slight addition to the above, if I may. What @puzzlezaddict must have meant in the first paragraph was uninstall Origin entirely and then reinstall it.
But yes, that is the best sequence in which to proceed before, if all else fails, contacting EA for some Origin support to see what's going on with your account from their end.
@igazor Oh right, sorry, I must have been distracted for a second there while I was typing. Of course Origin has to be reinstalled before the games will work; I'll fix that.
Thanks, I'll try and let you know... I think that all those packs that disappeard were bought with cd's, but i don't know about some, becouse they were gifts. Thanks again!
So I did everything but... nothing changed. But I noticed one thing. The PC is also telling me that the Into the Future pack (that's the only one missing) is installed. I deleted cache, uninstalled Origin, uninstalled Sims, deleted everything in Sims. But nothing changed. I am pretty sad, Into the Future is my favourite pack and I love it. I think that this pack was bought in JRC game center (normal game store in Czech republic). And I know that It must be original, bcs I bought The Sims 4 there. Any other suggestions?
So I did everything but... nothing changed. But I noticed one thing. The PC is also telling me that the Into the Future pack (that's the only one missing) is installed. I deleted cache, uninstalled Origin, uninstalled Sims, deleted everything in Sims. But nothing changed. I am pretty sad, Into the Future is my favourite pack and I love it. I think that this pack was bought in JRC game center (normal game store in Czech republic). And I know that It must be original, bcs I bought The Sims 4 there. Any other suggestions?
Your only recourse then is to contact EA's Customer Support for a realtime conversation to find out if there is something about your Origin account that needs to be unlocked from their end. There have been false positives with these chargeback investigations and sometimes players' accounts get locked for no known reason. Only EA can help sort that out from their end.
The usual choices are web based chat and telephone call backs, depending on country, time of day, and time zone.
Hi, I had a sim who've died from starvation, I got the sims back a a playable ghost and had another sim make ambrosia but the problem other ghost sim has no option to eat but put away as left overs or clean up. All the other active household members have the option to eat but my young adult ghost sim. I've tried making it hungry and locking it in a room with the dish but it still would not work. Then I tried to save and quit hoping it would work when I open the same but its the same thing. I even tried given it as a gift and there was no option. Is there a way to fix this?
Hi, I had a sim who've died from starvation, I got the sims back as a playable ghost and had another sim make ambrosia but the problem is my ghost sim has no option to eat but 'put away as left overs or clean up'. All the other active household members have the option to eat but my young adult ghost sim. I've tried making it hungry and locking it in a room with the dish but it still would not work. Then I tried to save and quit hoping it would work when I open the same but its the same thing. I even tried given it as a gift and there was no option. Is there a way to fix this?
@Anna35 You can just drag the plate of ambrosia to the fridge (or have one of the other sims do it), and then tell the ghost to eat leftovers. (Is there a reason that wouldn't work? I've actually never had a playable ghost.) Regardless, when this glitch appears with one of my very-much-alive sims, dropping the plate into the fridge seems to reset things, so you might be able to just take the ambrosia out again and then direct the ghost to eat.
> @puzzlezaddict said: > @Anna35 You can just drag the plate of ambrosia to the fridge (or have one of the other sims do it), and then tell the ghost to eat leftovers. (Is there a reason that wouldn't work? I've actually never had a playable ghost.) Regardless, when this glitch appears with one of my very-much-alive sims, dropping the plate into the fridge seems to reset things, so you might be able to just take the ambrosia out again and then direct the ghost to eat.
Oh thanks, it actually worked now my ghost revived!
Which town is fastest/smoothest to play peformance wise?
I only have 3 (well 4) towns currently:
Sunset Valley Twinbrook Moonlight Falls
Bridgeport is the 4th, but it's proven by now that that town is 70% lag and 30% waiting for my Sim to get out of the subway only to lose their job because the subway ride took 4 Sim work hours :lol: So I know it wont be the most performance-oriented for me whatsoever.
The reason why I ask is because the desktop I've had since the beginning of Sims 3 finally kicked the bucket and I only have my laptop to game on (I am a sad panda :cry: ), so I'm trying to figure out how to cut back on my lag slightly, and hoping I could do it by picking the best town performance wise.
Also, I have Master Controller and Overwatch, so I do know those help me a bit for lag.
@XHails_HaileyX - Can we get some specs on this laptop -- hard drive (with space free), processor, RAM, graphics card? How many EPs do you expect to have in play (and which ones)? The load that various systems can be expected to manage well varies greatly and some of the heavier hitting EPs may be out of the question, but we can't really tell until we know more about the system you are working with.
None of the three worlds you have listed are known for inducing lag, I would say that Sunset Valley and Twinbrook are among the lightest and best made worlds to play. Moonlight Falls only a tiny bit heavier. Even Bridgeport, although flawed in some regards, is fine for many of us but let's leave that one aside since you've already had some poor experiences with it.
It's a Toshiba with: 1TB hard drive 8gb RAM Intel Core i5 processor
All EPs but Island Paradise and Showtime hopefully BUT if the lag would be super out of control, the EPs I truly need would just be: Late Night Supernatural Generations
And University possibly, but I did have issues with the college town being laggier than home towns, so I'd have to see how this laptop handles it to know of I'd keep it.
@XHails_HaileyX - Except for the RAM, which is fine, I'm afraid that's not nearly enough information. Guess I wasn't specific enough about what I was asking for. If you could, please run a full dxdiag report on this laptop, send the results up to Pastebin.com (no account needed, the free version is fine), and provide a broken up link (use "h.t.t.p.s." or something like that) so we can read it.
> @rosemow said: > Hello :) Welcome to the forums. > Sometimes new discussion threads are restricted for new members. You may not be able to start a new thread until you become a full member. > If you have a Sims 3.game issue and are unable to find another thread with a similar issue , you are welcome to post on this thread and there will be simmers who will try to help you with your game issue.
I only have one question! I want to add some expansion packs, but there's one thing I've heard different answers to: If I add a new expansion pack, will I be able to use that expansion pack in an already-existing game? Or will I have to start a completely new game in order to use it? Thanks!
Hi @igazor - been playing for a few days to see if there's an improvement. Still crashing, but seem to be able to play for a while before it happens so much less frustrating.
I like to play legacy families, but I usually get to second generation and it glitches like nothing else. my second gen teen now won't age up. I've got MC, SP, Error Trapp installed and I've tried resetting everything, but still persisting. Drives me insane I spend all this money on the game and I can never play it how I want to.
> @rosemow said: > Hello :) Welcome to the forums. > Sometimes new discussion threads are restricted for new members. You may not be able to start a new thread until you become a full member. > If you have a Sims 3.game issue and are unable to find another thread with a similar issue , you are welcome to post on this thread and there will be simmers who will try to help you with your game issue.
I have a gameplay issue: One of my sims in the The sims 3 have opportunity through medical work to work overtime and I took the opportunity. When she finish her shift, she goes home and my game complains that she did not work overtime. I press go to work but my game tells me she be going to work in 19 hours. The opportunity happen in the hospital not in the restaurant. She doesn't have the 'hard working trait'
@bootbootbajoot You can certainly play an existing game after adding new packs. (Though subtracting a pack from an ongoing game is a huge problem.) Depending on the pack, you might run into some awkwardness around the edges, like suddenly adding animals to a world that didn't have them before. But there's no reason why a game wouldn't be able to integrate the content of new packs, and in fact, many players have done so without too much trouble. (Some here have still-active games that are older than many of TS3's packs, and those games run just fine.)
Still, it would be a good idea to pull your TS3 game folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts before you update. Then you can launch the game and play for a bit just to make sure everything's working; no need to save. If you're satisfied, you can move your existing saves and other content into the new folder that has spawned. That's the safest way to protect your game from being corrupted by the update, and it will also clear out a lot of useless files.
@Gerza71 With this kind of opportunity, your sim is supposed to stay at work late without your needing to intervene—the work hours extend as soon as you accept the offer. (And traits usually don't have anything to do with it.) If she's already left, the opportunity is cancelled and no longer available.
Or perhaps I'm not understanding what opportunity your sim received? Doctors have the chance to perform outside jobs during work hours; this opportunity also disappears at the end of the shift. But you have to manually tell the sim to leave work and go to the park to administer vaccinations or whatever; they don't do it themselves. This particular opportunity isn't really worth it, as your sim will likely not gain any more work experience than she would just staying at the hospital, although the offers for level 10 doctors are better.
Comments
-- Update drivers
-- Check and cap the fps rate
-- Reduce resolution if you aren't already doing so
-- Check that RAM usage!
-- Don't play in HUGE or overpopulated worlds or expect them to last for generations
-- Not specifically mentioned, but on the Tips page, don't play logged in, disallow the in-game TS3 store shopping experience and the startup hidden object game, switch off scrapbook memories or use a mod to control them all to help reduce stress and calls for more and more RAM
-- The rest of the Tips page for mod usage and game file maintenance'
So I've done everything except RAM usage, and it's still just closing unexpectedly on me. How do I use Task Manager to check RAM when I'm in the game?
Sorry to be such a tech novice :smile:
Here's a screenshot (under the spoiler) of what you should see:
http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/16591399/#Comment_16591399
P.S. You don't need to be in windowed mode to bring up the Task Manager, but it's easier to switch between tabs and keep an eye on RAM use if you can constantly see the Task Manager's window while you're in-game.
On the fps, as mentioned prior vsync arranged through the Nvidia control panel does not work in windowed mode. For that an additional tool such as Nivida Inspector is required.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
> Hi! I have a problem with my packs. After my game had a fatal crash and i reinstalled it, some packs are not visible in the game launcher, but origin says, that they are installed. Every pack was running nicely before. Help, please. :(
I also tried to run the game, but the packs are simply not in the game. I tried to reinstall the game again, but NOPE. Nothing changed. :(((
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues/How-do-I-clean-the-Origin-cache-files/m-p/5499713
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/manually-uninstalling-origin/
It should also be noted that when you uninstall TS3 on a PC, you need to clean the Windows registry before reinstalling. A tool like Piriform's CCleaner (the free version) will do the trick. I'm not sure how you went about the reinstall, but you can check your registry for entries (or missing pieces) against the list in this link, under the tab for manual uninstalls for PC:
https://www.ccleaner.com/
https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/the-sims/the-sims-3/manually-uninstalling-the-sims-3/
The other possibility is that EA deactivated some of your packs, and you're only finding out about this now. It could be a glitch on EA's end. But if you bought through an unauthorized third-party seller, the codes might have originally been stolen or otherwise fraudulently obtained. In the past year, EA has been systematically deactivating such codes without warning the player of what's happened. Origin can't tell you either, and it will still register the packs as installed. The only way to find out whether this is the case for you or not (or to fix a glitch) is to contact EA customer support and ask someone on that end to look at your account. Be sure to have whatever proof of purchase you can find on hand for the chat.
https://help.ea.com/en/contact-us/
But yes, that is the best sequence in which to proceed before, if all else fails, contacting EA for some Origin support to see what's going on with your account from their end.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
The usual choices are web based chat and telephone call backs, depending on country, time of day, and time zone.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
Sorry for the typos here it is again rewritten.
> @Anna35 You can just drag the plate of ambrosia to the fridge (or have one of the other sims do it), and then tell the ghost to eat leftovers. (Is there a reason that wouldn't work? I've actually never had a playable ghost.) Regardless, when this glitch appears with one of my very-much-alive sims, dropping the plate into the fridge seems to reset things, so you might be able to just take the ambrosia out again and then direct the ghost to eat.
Oh thanks, it actually worked now my ghost revived!
Which town is fastest/smoothest to play peformance wise?
I only have 3 (well 4) towns currently:
Sunset Valley
Twinbrook
Moonlight Falls
Bridgeport is the 4th, but it's proven by now that that town is 70% lag and 30% waiting for my Sim to get out of the subway only to lose their job because the subway ride took 4 Sim work hours :lol: So I know it wont be the most performance-oriented for me whatsoever.
The reason why I ask is because the desktop I've had since the beginning of Sims 3 finally kicked the bucket and I only have my laptop to game on (I am a sad panda :cry: ), so I'm trying to figure out how to cut back on my lag slightly, and hoping I could do it by picking the best town performance wise.
Also, I have Master Controller and Overwatch, so I do know those help me a bit for lag.
None of the three worlds you have listed are known for inducing lag, I would say that Sunset Valley and Twinbrook are among the lightest and best made worlds to play. Moonlight Falls only a tiny bit heavier. Even Bridgeport, although flawed in some regards, is fine for many of us but let's leave that one aside since you've already had some poor experiences with it.
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
1TB hard drive
8gb RAM
Intel Core i5 processor
All EPs but Island Paradise and Showtime hopefully
BUT if the lag would be super out of control, the EPs I truly need would just be:
Late Night
Supernatural
Generations
And University possibly, but I did have issues with the college town being laggier than home towns, so I'd have to see how this laptop handles it to know of I'd keep it.
How to run one: https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information
NRaas has moved!
Our new site is at http://nraas.net
> Hello :) Welcome to the forums.
> Sometimes new discussion threads are restricted for new members. You may not be able to start a new thread until you become a full member.
> If you have a Sims 3.game issue and are unable to find another thread with a similar issue , you are welcome to post on this thread and there will be simmers who will try to help you with your game issue.
I only have one question! I want to add some expansion packs, but there's one thing I've heard different answers to: If I add a new expansion pack, will I be able to use that expansion pack in an already-existing game? Or will I have to start a completely new game in order to use it? Thanks!
I like to play legacy families, but I usually get to second generation and it glitches like nothing else. my second gen teen now won't age up. I've got MC, SP, Error Trapp installed and I've tried resetting everything, but still persisting. Drives me insane I spend all this money on the game and I can never play it how I want to.
> Hello :) Welcome to the forums.
> Sometimes new discussion threads are restricted for new members. You may not be able to start a new thread until you become a full member.
> If you have a Sims 3.game issue and are unable to find another thread with a similar issue , you are welcome to post on this thread and there will be simmers who will try to help you with your game issue.
I have a gameplay issue: One of my sims in the The sims 3 have opportunity through medical work to work overtime and I took the opportunity. When she finish her shift, she goes home and my game complains that she did not work overtime. I press go to work but my game tells me she be going to work in 19 hours. The opportunity happen in the hospital not in the restaurant. She doesn't have the 'hard working trait'
Still, it would be a good idea to pull your TS3 game folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts before you update. Then you can launch the game and play for a bit just to make sure everything's working; no need to save. If you're satisfied, you can move your existing saves and other content into the new folder that has spawned. That's the safest way to protect your game from being corrupted by the update, and it will also clear out a lot of useless files.
Or perhaps I'm not understanding what opportunity your sim received? Doctors have the chance to perform outside jobs during work hours; this opportunity also disappears at the end of the shift. But you have to manually tell the sim to leave work and go to the park to administer vaccinations or whatever; they don't do it themselves. This particular opportunity isn't really worth it, as your sim will likely not gain any more work experience than she would just staying at the hospital, although the offers for level 10 doctors are better.