BIOS Upgrade?
J. M. Pescado:
I think it's time to reformat and reinstall. It may be hardware, but more likely it's XP home, which is an unreliable piece of buggy spyware.
MsMaria:
Thanks Pes. I've never reformatted or reinstalled so this should be interesting. :-\
Hegelian:
Spontaneous reboots are usually the result of inadequate power and may be indicative of a failing power supply. They can also be caused by overheating.
TS2 runs the CPU at 100% even when paused, hence drawing maximum power from the power supply and generating lots of heat, so your problem could be power or heat (or both). Leaving the game paused for extended periods of time is a bad idea. In fact, leaving a PC on all the time in a home environment is a bad idea generally, not just because of the waste of electricity, but because a power-supply failure—which can a happen without warning—can set your PC on fire (literally) and burn down your house. I used to know a Web site that had photos of burned-out PCs, but I can't find it now. :(
BIOS updates generally add or extend hardware support for components like RAM or the CPU (allowing for the voltage and clocking requirements of new CPUs, for example). If you have recently developed this problem, it is highly unlikely a BIOS update will fix it. It is more likely that the root of the problem is leaving the game running all night.
If you must leave the PC on and the game loaded, at least ALT-TAB to the desktop to take the load off the CPU.
Quote from: MsMaria on 2006 August 04, 00:30:16
I get weird things with the game also. Sometimes it is like someone is holding my monitor and quickly moving it toward my face and away again. Sims get stuck doing things like starting up stairs then one foot up, same foot back down, over and over. It's hard to describe. All of this with the usual freezing while giving birth, etc.
These are probably unrelated problems. The sims on the stairs thing sounds like a problem with your game installation or corruption in your neighborhood or lot. The stuff with Explorer (the Windows interface) disappearing sounds like a problem with your Windows installation. The problem with your monitor sounds like a voltage regulator going bad; if the monitor is still under warranty (three years is typical), you should get an RMA from the manufacturer and return it for repair/replacement (been there, done that).
Quote
If in fact I do need to upgrade BIOS, is it free? esupport website wants to charge 50 dolloars to send me the file via email. They say American Megatrends no longer supports upgrades.
The BIOS is an EPROM (programmable ROM) on the motherboard that contains the code that allows the computer to boot, run the memory test, initialize attached hardware, etc. When you enter Setup at boot you are in the BIOS settings. There used to be companies that sold BIOS upgrades that were physical replacements for the EPROM on the motherboard; are they still doing that?
The sort of BIOS upgrade that most people have in mind is a "flash" upgrade that reprograms the EPROM on your motherboard. Because these are specific for each motherboard, and the brand-name vendors use customized BIOSes, it is essential that you get the BIOS update from the company that made your computer if it is pre-built (such as a Dell, Gateway, or HP), or from the motherboard manufacturer if you build your own or have replaced the motherboards. BIOS updates are free downloads.
MsMaria:
Thank you, Hegelian! I tried to find the power supply by peeking into the side of the box(fan-shaped clear acrylic? openings.) ; but can't find it. I guess I need to remove the cover?
The computer is always cold to the touch and I air it out with canned air on occasion. It has several big fans.
I'll make sure I turn the game and computer off at night; that was my short-term solution anyway. I will check out my monitor as well.
Thanks again! :)
Hegelian:
The power supply can be seen from the back; it's the box with the power-cord connector and a fan blowing out the back. Some have switches, but since with ATX motherboards the power button on the case connects to the motherboard, which turns on the power supply (there is always a small voltage feed to the motherboard as long as the PC is plugged in), many PSUs do not have separate switches.
The power supply is accessed by removing the left side panel of the case (when looking from the front), or the entire case cover if it is one piece. I suppose technically it's the right side panel in the same way the passenger side of a car is the right side. :P
Note that I added some comments re: BIOS to my previous post. ;D
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