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Happy Simsmas 2021 Gift Exchange ~ Closed

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    MiaSkywalkerMiaSkywalker Posts: 3,436 Member
    Checking in. About 3/5 of the way done with my main gift, and 1/3 of the way done with my secondary gift.

    Been having random game crashes on my new computer (just exits to desktop, no warning), and I haven't been able to figure it out. Updated all my drivers and DirectX, done all my Windows updates, so not sure what's going on. Fortunately, it only takes seconds to load the game on this computer (main drive is SSD - makes a HUGE difference in loading times!) so the only time lost is the less-than-half-hour after my last save, but it's still discouraging. Presets get lost each time because it's not a normal game exit.

    If any one has any suggestions for things I could try, I'd appreciate it. It's a brand new computer, and it's definitely NOT a RAM, hard drive, or power issue (you probably wouldn't believe the CPU and GPU on this thing), but it could be something I need to install that I'm not thinking of. All I know for certain is that it's not DirectX, and it's not my video card driver, because I have the latest on both. That said, there could be some software or other driver that I'm forgetting about that the game needs installed in order to run properly, and that doesn't come pre-installed with Windows 10.
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    puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @MiaSkywalker If you were missing a runtime that Sims 3 needed, the game wouldn't open at all, so at least you don't need to worry about that. If you can stand to be without an internet connection on your desktop for a while, try playing offline, as in, pull the ethernet cable (or disable the network adapter if you prefer). If that doesn't help, try playing in a clean boot, again while offline:

    https://www.windowscentral.com/how-clean-boot-windows-10

    If that doesn't help either, please provide a dxdiag. Hit Windows key-R, enter "dxdiag" without quotes, wait for the scan to finish, click "Save all information," and save the file to your desktop. From there, upload it to a third-party filesharing site (the free version of Pastebin.com is fine) and link it here.
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    KesminlixKesminlix Posts: 252 Member
    Checking in! I've got a pretty good idea of what I want to gift my buddy but right now I'm testing out a couple of different things and seeing what I like best. :wink:
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    CharlotteknCharlottekn Posts: 544 Member
    Checking in. About 3/5 of the way done with my main gift, and 1/3 of the way done with my secondary gift.

    Been having random game crashes on my new computer (just exits to desktop, no warning), and I haven't been able to figure it out. Updated all my drivers and DirectX, done all my Windows updates, so not sure what's going on. Fortunately, it only takes seconds to load the game on this computer (main drive is SSD - makes a HUGE difference in loading times!) so the only time lost is the less-than-half-hour after my last save, but it's still discouraging. Presets get lost each time because it's not a normal game exit.

    If any one has any suggestions for things I could try, I'd appreciate it. It's a brand new computer, and it's definitely NOT a RAM, hard drive, or power issue (you probably wouldn't believe the CPU and GPU on this thing), but it could be something I need to install that I'm not thinking of. All I know for certain is that it's not DirectX, and it's not my video card driver, because I have the latest on both. That said, there could be some software or other driver that I'm forgetting about that the game needs installed in order to run properly, and that doesn't come pre-installed with Windows 10.

    If you have Nvidia you might need to completely remove the old drivers and then install the new drivers offline. There's instructions online for your particular card and OS. I had some trouble with this happening after a driver update (not with Sims 3 but another equally old game just biting the dust spontaneously) and this method worked for me. I am jealous of your new computer and all! :smiley:

    We've been having power outages these past two days (tons of storms and wind) but I managed to get some playtesting done and I think I am making progress! I even looked up some tutorials to try and be less horrible at building.

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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    Roofing...Roofing is giving me fits.XD
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    PuddinroyPuddinroy Posts: 4,451 Member
    Checking in. :)
    :) Smile!

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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    edited November 2021
    Checking in. About 3/5 of the way done with my main gift, and 1/3 of the way done with my secondary gift.

    Been having random game crashes on my new computer (just exits to desktop, no warning), and I haven't been able to figure it out. Updated all my drivers and DirectX, done all my Windows updates, so not sure what's going on. Fortunately, it only takes seconds to load the game on this computer (main drive is SSD - makes a HUGE difference in loading times!) so the only time lost is the less-than-half-hour after my last save, but it's still discouraging. Presets get lost each time because it's not a normal game exit.

    If any one has any suggestions for things I could try, I'd appreciate it. It's a brand new computer, and it's definitely NOT a RAM, hard drive, or power issue (you probably wouldn't believe the CPU and GPU on this thing), but it could be something I need to install that I'm not thinking of. All I know for certain is that it's not DirectX, and it's not my video card driver, because I have the latest on both. That said, there could be some software or other driver that I'm forgetting about that the game needs installed in order to run properly, and that doesn't come pre-installed with Windows 10.

    Have you tried lowering your graphic settings? mine crashes because I run out of memory, and my PC is gaming desktop.
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    PuddinroyPuddinroy Posts: 4,451 Member
    Walls. Why so difficult! :)
    :) Smile!

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    ADWilsonADWilson Posts: 6,755 Member
    All Buddies have checked in. :)

    The next and final check-in is November 28th!
    At that time, your gift should be done or nearly done because gifting begins on December 5th.

    For those of you having concerns, feel free to send me a pm with sneaky peek pics and I'll be glad to give feedback ... offer support/encouragement ... provide :cookie:
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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    Puddinroy wrote: »
    Walls. Why so difficult! :)

    Have you tried googling layouts online a lot of sites let you browse for free.
    I also watch youtube videos of sample builds for inspiration.
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    PuddinroyPuddinroy Posts: 4,451 Member
    Puddinroy wrote: »
    Walls. Why so difficult! :)

    Have you tried googling layouts online a lot of sites let you browse for free.
    I also watch youtube videos of sample builds for inspiration.

    Cool. I'm doing good now!
    :) Smile!

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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    The struggles are real :s:D
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    ADWilsonADWilson Posts: 6,755 Member
    For those struggling (and even those not struggling, lol), time for a break ...

    026-600x491.jpg

    Here's a little seasonal humor that will hopefully make you smile!

    What do you call a large colorful pile of leaves?
    The Great Barrier Leaf

    Building Tip: When building and struggling, it's sometimes helpful to shift attention to something else and come back with a fresh set of eyes. Still no joy? Send me a pic via pm and I'll try my best to help.
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    LMC6255LMC6255 Posts: 940 Member
    @ADWilson Thanks! I definitely could use a break and those cookies look yummy! Love the Fall colors!
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    PuddinroyPuddinroy Posts: 4,451 Member
    ooo. Yummy cookies. I'll take an orange leaf cookie. Yum.

    @ADWilson: Thanks.
    :) Smile!

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    MiaSkywalkerMiaSkywalker Posts: 3,436 Member
    @puzzleaddict @Charlottekn @GraceyManor and anyone else interested:
    I've lowered my graphics settings now all the way to the bottom, and the crashing still occasionally happens. Last night it crashed my system completely, doing a full computer reboot. That's with all the graphics settings at the bare minimum.

    I always play Sims 3 in offline mode, and turn off things like the store settings. I also play in Windowed mode, which is supposed to use less RAM than full screen. It has happened when I'm disconnected from the internet (we had an internet outage a couple of days ago, during which I played Sims 3), and I don't generally have background programs going when I play. I even do my web browsing on my old computer. I didn't buy this computer because I needed to replace my old computer; my older computer is a gaming rig as well, but about 12 years old. I run them both, side by side on my desk.

    Originally I had followed my new video card's "suggestions" and had all of my graphics settings for the game at max. I have since set everything to minimum, in my attempt to see what's causing these crashes.

    The irony about RAM is that I have 64GB of RAM. I just wish Sims 3 could actually USE it.

    Btw, I should be clear: While sometimes the game simply crashes to desktop, at least twice it has completely blue-screened the computer. I've so far only encountered this while playing Sims 3, but I think that's just because Sims 3 taxes things more heavily than anything else I've done/played so far. I do have some AAA games, but only play them occasionally. I suspect that I will have the same problem when playing those.

    That's why I'm convinced it's a driver that I haven't figured out yet. I did install the latest driver from their site, but I have to remove the old one? I'm not sure there WAS an old one, unless one came with Windows itself. It's an RTX 3090, and I think that's recent enough that Windows had only been using a generic driver before I installed NVidia's driver from their site.

    But I wonder now... did it actually install the driver properly? Maybe not; maybe it's still using the basic drivers that came with Windows 10. It *seems* to be using the specs of the new card, but it's possibly not. I'm not entirely sure how to test that.

    Obviously SOMETHING is wrong, because of those blue screen reboots. I don't think it's Sims 3; I think Sims 3 just hits things pretty hard, and triggers something that's going wrong. I also don't think it's hardware; it hardly ever is. I hope I eventually figure it out. I'll keep poking at it, and checking different drivers as I think about them, and I probably eventually will.

    I've checked my Event Viewer. The only information I could get is that it's a Kernel error, but no more detailed information. I'm not as familiar with the Event Viewer in Windows 10 as I was with earlier versions of Windows, so there may be more information that I just don't know how to get at.

    Despite all this, I'm pretty much done with my gift. One of the things causing game crashes was, ironically, Nraas Saver. I realized a couple of days ago that any time I allowed it to do the auto-save, the game would crash. It would successfully save, but I would be booted to desktop immediately after that. Since I downloaded all the Nraas modules only recently, I should have the most recent version. So now I just cancel when Saver prompts me, go back to Live mode, and do a Save from there. It takes a little while to go back to BB mode, but it's worth it to avoid the crash.

    That's not what's causing the blue screen crashes; those seem to happen randomly, usually when I'm CASting something, but occasionally when I'm just placing down an object. That's why I allow Nraas Saver to prompt me; it reminds me to save every half hour, so I don't lose several hours worth of building!

    PuzzleAddict, I'll send you the link to the DxDiag on Pastebin privately. Not comfortable with posting that publicly.
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    BreeMilesBreeMiles Posts: 8,910 Member
    Who would like to do a Simsmas Crossword puzzle while in the midst of making your gifts?

    @EA_Mage posted this back in 2017 and I thought it would be fun to try it here while we work on our gifts!
    DAY 4 OF SIMSMAS: CROSSWORDS!
    https://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/932238/day-4-of-simsmas-crosswords

    All About The Sims
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    cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    @MiaSkywalker - I too had problems with the saver mod and don't use it. Your plan to cancel the prompt and then save on your own is a great work around!
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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    I to have been having issues with my PC crashing and the other day it just completely shut down, even though it wasn't overheating.
    I took a peak in my event history as well, and didn't really understand it.
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    puzzlezaddictpuzzlezaddict Posts: 1,877 Member
    @MiaSkywalker I'll start with Saver, because that might be a simple answer. Saver doesn't react well when working with a save that starts with a number, e.g. "1st build test" or similar. I don't know if you're naming saves like that, but it would be an easy fix if you were. Of course you can also just keep using Saver as a timer rather than letting it save.

    The Event Viewer is a massive pile of data and usually isn't worth combing through unless you a) know exactly what you're looking for or exactly when you're looking for it, and b) the other places to look don't have any useful data. I always start with the Reliability Monitor instead (hit Windows key-R, enter perfmon /rel) because it only lists real errors.

    Your dxdiag does show a couple of BlueScreens that unfortunately are not specific enough to point to a particular cause. I'd be interested in looking at a crash dump or two, if you'd like to share. The LiveKernelEvents are probably not serious. The Sims 3 crashes are generic, the kind that could be anything from going over the RAM limit to bad cc to just the game having one of its special moments where it does something that makes no sense. I don't know how much info you want posted here, so I'll send you more details in a PM.

    One thing I didn't ask before was if you've limited fps while playing Sims 3. Your graphics card is powerful enough to throw wildly high framerates, enough to be dangerous to the health of the card, and lowering the graphics settings without a limit in place would actually be worse—lower settings means even higher fps. If you're playing in windowed mode, vertical sync won't apply; you'd need to set an explicit limit either in the Nvidia Control Panel or with an outside tool. (Let me know if you need help with the process.) Please also confirm in-game that the limit you've set is working; the cheat fps on will put an fps counter in the upper-right corner of the screen.

    If your framerates are running higher, that alone could explain the Sims 3 crashes and possibly the BlueScreens if the graphics card isn't responding well, so it's critical to get this under control.

    For now, it's also worth running your monitor at 144 Hz instead of 165 and using 144 as the framerate limit. (Vertical sync will use whatever refresh rate the monitor is currently using, not its theoretical max.) I've seen a couple instances of monitors that were rated for 165 Hz but weren't totally stable there, but lowering the refresh rate to 144 stopped the crashing.

    Please also check your memory use in-game, just in case. Spending a lot of time in Build/Buy and playing around with CASt both drive up RAM use, and Sims 3's memory leak means the resources don't always get released when they should.
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    MiaSkywalkerMiaSkywalker Posts: 3,436 Member
    @puzzlezaddict : Saw your private message before I saw this. No, I hadn't had fps limited on this computer (I had on my old one; just forgot to on this), so I fixed it in the Nvidia control panel. That will limit it for all games, not just this one.

    Oh gods, I know about memory leaks in games; I used to play EverQuest 2, and that's notorious for it. Beautiful game; ugly memory leaks. After playing for three or four hours you were (probably still are; I don't play anymore) pretty much guaranteed a crash, especially if you zoned into a busy or large zone. Not the only game or program I've encountered with that, and I think Sims 3 may top them all for how leaky it is. Devs must have used pointers, although if they had, you'd think the game would run more smoothly than it does.

    Never thought about the fact that a save name with a number might cause a problem. No, I've never done that; old habit from when I used to program, just never start a name with a number. I always END my save file names with numbers; I always do a "save as" with a new name, where the number is just incremented by one. It's always something like "SmithFamilySV_0001a", "SmithFamilySV_0001b", etc. So technically it doesn't even end with a number; I always tack on a letter, because it gives me a total of 259,974 potential file saves for that game, rather than a mere 10,000 or 100,000. Not that I've ever had to use the thousands columns, but I HAVE gotten it past 01XXa before. :)

    @GraceyManor:
    Yeah, Event Viewer kind of bites. It's how I used to diagnose things back in the NT days; I dealt with system backups, and it was the only reliable place to tell what went wrong in a backup or restore. While you get used to certain error messages and learn what they mean, new ones are sometimes just baffling. I don't really think they've improved it all that much, and as puzzlezaddict just showed me, the reliability monitor is MUCH better. I hadn't known about that before; I stopped doing I.T. about ten years ago, and many things have changed/improved since then.

    You can also find the Reliability Monitor through Control Panel => System and Security = > Security and Maintenance => Maintenance => View reliability history. Some of those are tabs, some of those are drop down menus, some of those are links.... Yeah, the navigation is not intuitive. :) I think they assume most people going there are admins. And we all know what "assume" stands for.

    However, while it will tell you WHAT happened, it won't necessarily tell you WHY. Double-clicking the crash info will give you a more informative screen, but to me, it meant nothing. It gave me an exception code, but without information on the exact programming code of Sims 3, I can't tell you what it meant. When I first used to do backups in I.T., WE made the software, so the exception codes actually gave me information we could use to fix the software.

    Anyway, puzzlez said that my problem is likely hardware; said I'm getting USB 3 errors. Since this is the first computer I've ever had that actually HAS USB 3, I wouldn't know how to recognize them. But since all of my ports on this PC are 3.0, I have no idea if it's the ports themselves, or one of the USB devices. Therefore I've stripped everything down to the basics: Just a mouse and keyboard, no external drives, no 10-key, no USB hub, no gamepad, no headset. I even pulled off the basic keyboard and mouse from my older computer, and am not using my gaming mouse or gaming keyboard. (Sigh, I love both of those so much!) I'm testing the build I've made at the moment; I think I'll leave the game up while we go out for my mother's birthday dinner tonight, just to see if that causes it to crash as soon as I get back. If anything will, that will. :)
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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    Checking in early for the 28th, I'm almost finished with my gift, then will be doing a quick second gift for my buddy
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    CharlotteknCharlottekn Posts: 544 Member
    I'm getting there on my gift (lots of saving this time! The world I'm building in seems to get laggy way quicker than my usual). We got a whole extra day off from work next week so I'll be in good shape by the 28th. I also have about 8 million other ideas I might mess with.

    I hope everyone is doing well!
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    MiaSkywalkerMiaSkywalker Posts: 3,436 Member
    I'm getting there on my gift (lots of saving this time! The world I'm building in seems to get laggy way quicker than my usual).
    That's why I always build in a build world. It will guarantee that the lot is flat (making the build usable in more worlds), and the save/load/exit times are quicker. It also means that when you do screen shots of the build, the background doesn't get distracting by showing other builds that have nothing to do with yours. (And can be confusing to the viewer.)

    It also means I don't have a lot of townies spawning walking around the build and distracting things. No townies in a build world.

    There are disadvantages, however. You don't have a city hall, so if you use Nraas for various functions, you can't change the defaults. You have to create another small lot on the world with just a city hall (I use the one from Lunar Lakes, because it's the smallest), just so you can set anything you want before you start building. (Like to turn off tourists, etc. Otherwise they spawn, and it's annoying when they're in the screen shots.)

    Another disadvantage is the same as one of the advantages: When you're taking outside screenshots of the build, it's sometimes odd to NOT see any buildings in the background. :)
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    GraceyManorGraceyManor Posts: 20,080 Member
    I thought mods weren't allowed? just in case someone doesn't use nraas mods.

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