Data Execution Prevention + Latest Patch
PorcelainVal:
Quote from: PA on 2011 June 06, 19:33:41
The 1.22 patch changed which .exe runs Sims 3, so you may need to fix DEP to work with TS3W.exe as well. You didn't say whether or not you had patched to 1.22, but you did say you were running test AM, and as that is for 1.22, it seemed safe to make that leap.
Thanks! Turns out it was TS3W.exe because my game's been running smoothly since I added it.
Quote from: Anach on 2011 June 09, 17:34:38
DEP can cause problems for quite a lot of stuff. The problems of DEP far outweigh the slight benefits. I'm sure most people using it have no idea what it even does and the likelihood of your system being compromised in this way is very slim. Why not just leave it at it's default setting (for essential windows programs and services only). Then there wont be any issues.
Normally, I wouldn't touch it because I don't consider myself computer savvy. The reason I got involved is because Sims 3 got DEP related crashes when I had it set to the essential windows programs/services. I read some tutorial online which suggested turning DEP on for all programs and specifying which ones to bypass.
Anach:
Quote from: PorcelainVal on 2011 June 09, 17:48:23
Quote from: Anach on 2011 June 09, 17:34:38
DEP can cause problems for quite a lot of stuff. The problems of DEP far outweigh the slight benefits. I'm sure most people using it have no idea what it even does and the likelihood of your system being compromised in this way is very slim. Why not just leave it at it's default setting (for essential windows programs and services only). Then there wont be any issues.
Normally, I wouldn't touch it because I don't consider myself computer savvy. The reason I got involved is because Sims 3 got DEP related crashes when I had it set to the essential windows programs/services. I read some tutorial online which suggested turning DEP on for all programs and specifying which ones to bypass.
DEP shouldn't be interfering with Sims in its default setting. Are you sure they were DEP related crashes, or just one of the many other crashes. These computer thingies aren't all that tricky. I've managed to have Sims working without hassle on 4 different PC with major hardware differences, from single cores with 2gig RAM to quad core with HT and 12gig, plus a few in-between. The most common issues for Sims that I notice come down to several issues.
1. Outdated or uncommon hardware with lack of driver support. How many people barely scrape in with old hardware, or even unsupported laptops, and wonder why things don't work right (I have a friend that does just that).
2. Lack of RAM (Sims likes to have plenty. Id say comfort zone would be 6 gig total RAM, with 4 of that for Sims and 2 for Windows. Obviously with a 32bit OS is going to limit you to about half that in usable memory. While you may say "I have 4 gig", you are actually limited to around 3gig of actual usable memory and windows itself needs some of that.. At the end of the day, your game probably only has 2 out of 4 available.
3. Bad custom content. There is a shit-load of that out there. Even when it looks good, it doesn't mean it works good. Which is why these days I limit my CC to essential stuff by authors I trust to produce quality items.
4. Outdated mods. So many people fail to update their tweaks, tunings and script mods after a patch. This isn't limited to Sims, but every modded game.
5. NOCD cracks. The .exe variety. These things are horrible. Most are emulation of protection, they use more memory, they are prone to memory leaks, they cause problems with DEP and many people don't even install the correct version for their game.
6. Reboot your PC. I noticed that even with plenty of Memory, if you don't reboot your PC every couple days, Sims will start giving saving issues (error 12) and slowdowns.
7. Corrupt towns and Sims. Played a town too long, through several patches and with lots of mods. Then this is likely to become an issue at some point. Save corruption due to mods isn't just limited to Sims 3 either. It's quite a common issue in modding circles.
The problem with the DEP and UAC, is that they both cause issues, and the sort of internet nasties people are more likely to get usually come from email, IM or websites. For the average gamer, you are better off without them. The other problem with DEP (and life in general), is that someone says they had to whitelist an app to fix DEP crashes. Suddenly everyone else that hears that thinks they might have the same issue, but not realising the default DEP settings prevent this. Then they turn their DEP on, creating more problems than they solve, and find that its working, where in actual fact it's probably more due to the reboot or just the shear randomness of most crashes giving the placebo effect. Before you know it, someone has added this info to a guide, and you have all these people hopping on the band-wagon for a miracle cure. I've found with many different games over the years, pretty much any custom .dll that gets loaded into memory along with the game exe will cause DEP issues if you turn it on, even with the whitelist.
That's my two cents. Generally I find Sims 3 to be quite a stable game for both myself and my Wife, but it's been a learning experience along the way, that is for sure.
IgnorantBliss:
I've definitely had DEP related crashes after installing each EP. It basically made the game unplayable, because as soon as I'd unpaused it it crashed. I don't remember fiddling with any DEP settings prior to that, including changing it from the default, but it's possible my ex-husband who built my computer had done it originally. The last time the crash happened after installing Generations (and the patches), my computer actually helpfully suggested adding the game to my DEP list (in a message in a pop-up window).
Anach:
Quote from: IgnorantBliss on 2011 June 10, 11:21:05
I've definitely had DEP related crashes after installing each EP. It basically made the game unplayable, because as soon as I'd unpaused it it crashed. I don't remember fiddling with any DEP settings prior to that, including changing it from the default, but it's possible my ex-husband who built my computer had done it originally. The last time the crash happened after installing Generations (and the patches), my computer actually helpfully suggested adding the game to my DEP list (in a message in a pop-up window).
The reason you get a DEP crash after installing a new EP, is the game uses a different .exe to launch. So each EP/SP .exe needs to be added to the DEP whitelist. If DEP. If your DEP wasn't enabled, you wouldn't have a list to add it to in the first place. Easy to tell though. Just press Windows Key + Pause Break (Or right click my computer and click properties). Then under the advanced system properties (Advanced tab), you have a settings button, and within the settings window is your Data Execution Prevention tab. By default the top option (Turn on DEP for essential Windows Programs...) is selected. In this configuration you won't need to use the whitelist to add each .exe everytime you install an EP/SP.
basbas:
Quote from: Anach on 2011 June 10, 13:53:17
In this configuration you won't need to use the whitelist to add each .exe everytime you install an EP/SP.
If this were the case, many people wouldn't know about the existence of DEP in the first place.
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