I managed to move my windows installation when I found that my 31 day old motherboard was only reading RAM in the last 2 slots. (with a 30 day return policy! Argh!) I had the phone ready to call Microsoft, sure I'd have to reinstall, but *knock wood* It booted up and let me install the Bios update and mobo drivers, and all windows wanted was to let it reauthenticate. And this was with a totally different brand of mobo. It's been 2 weeks now, and everything is running fine.

jsalemi, how do you like the card? It really gives a pretty picture, doesn't it? If they'd just fix the driver and TS2, I'd be in heaven. 

You're dreaming if you think Vista only needs 2 GB. The game, with XP needs 2 GB to run properly. Vista needs 4. But I don't think this is the cause of your problem.

When you did the clean install, did you make sure it was really uninstalled by checking C/Program Files and your registry? Did you completely move the folder out of my documents?

Over watering the harvestable plants doesn't produce weeds. It just makes them wilt and drip water.

If you have indoorplant, it's not a PROBLEM, it's how the hack was designed. Read the RTFM. 

No. He's an idiot.

I just unzip everything into folders. Sometimes I get forgetful about what a mod does.

If you're on a desktop, why is the card an ATI Mobility Radeon x1600?

I'm glad it's working for you, but 2GB is standard with XP and the game. 4GB if you're trying to run Vista.

You can also use "testing cheat" without being poked with sticks.

Yes, I was being sarcastic by calling it boolprop.  Since we were obviously talking to a sheeple, I was trying to use their language.

I gave up trying to help on the BBS long ago. All it ever accomplished was me wanting to throttle someone.

  All "boolprop" does is report the errors. The errors haven't stopped, you just have stopped being told about them.

I don't think we'll ever convince the Sheeple of this.

You're running it on a laptop with only 1 GB of RAM. You need Moar RAM for starters, and make sure you're not overheating.

Just because it's only FT that has the problem does NOT mean that it's not your computer. And lots of people have outdated computers. It's not the game that causes crashes. It's usually video drivers, not enough RAM, or other things like that.

Yeah, this morning it was update the Bios and make sure you have a good enough power supply.  I'll be updating the ticket again shortly.

You said you checked the hacks for compatibility, but did you actually install the UPDATED ones?

You're told that it's not a game problem because it isn't.

What are your system specs?

And when you install ATI drivers, do you use the uninstall tool to get rid of what you already had?

It was my new PC just a few weeks ago.

The game will force you to update the base game, Pets, and Seasons, IIRC. I know it definitely made me update Pets. I just let it go, and then updated BV before installing FT. I'm not having any problems with my game that everyone else isn't having, and fewer than quite a few.

I do it all by hand,since I don't use half of what's in the DC, at least.  I go through the list when the new EP is out and take out everything that's borked, outright. Then I go through and replace everything else- download it, then delete the one in my folder, then when I'm all done, unzip everything back into the folder. After that,  I go in through this link every day, so I can sort by Last Modified, and replace anything that's been updated. For the first couple weeks, that last step is important, since some hacks get updated constantly at first.

Idiot ATI!!!!!!

I submitted a ticket. The response with their "solution"?


Hello, I didn't claim I HAD hang or lockup issues. 

Needless to say I went back and updated the ticket to tell them NO, that was not helpful.

  Well, I still think it's pretty random, and am using the debugger to choose for them, not the game.

You missed part of the OTH thing, though, from the guide. It's also determined by Interest. From the L&P Guide directly:

"Each Sim's predestined hobby is chosen at birth (or the first time you play after installing The Sims 2 Free Time) based on a combination of personality and Interests. Personality points and Interest level will make certain hobbies more likely than others as a Sim's predestined hobby"


Arts & Crafts: Culture, Fashion
Cuisine: Food
Film and Literature: Entertainment, Culture
Fitness: Health
Games: Entertainment
Music and Dance: Entertainment, Culture
Nature: Environment, Weather, Animals
Science: Sci-Fi
Sports: Sports
Tinkering: Toys

Since "hunting bugs" also finds spiders, maybe it was a 6 legged spider? Or maybe just Eaxis is full of it.

Anyway, I had 3 kids in a row with the same hobby as their mother (Sports) until I used the debugger to change them.

Petitions are either worthless or hurt the cause.

Made sure you're card is registered, and then submit a ticket to ATI.

EA may have (finally) gotten Nvidia to come down the highway and help them fix those issues, but the game is still DESIGNED to be friendly to ATI cards. Just not the DX10 ones, apparently. 

The driver is out way early- they almost always stick to releases around the 20th.  It fixes 3 WoW issues and a Blu-Ray issue, so maybe this was a Rush job, and we're put off until later. We're not a "real" game, after all. Bah!

I always have my Sims gold or platinum (occasionally green) and see the decay.  I just keep on sliding those needs up and making them live like normal Sims that can nominally make it through an entire day without fainting from exhaustion.  And an hour or so of just shooting hoops- no running, just Horse- shouldn't tank their hygeine either. Stupid Eaxis

The game wants to make the majority of my Sims Sports sims. This is why Pes lets us change the One True Hobby with the lot debugger.

You can get them early from chance cards, but you're not supposed to get membership cards until level 5.

Yep, a definite Maybe. I managed to do it- all it asked for was for me to let it re-authenticate. Just back up and be prepared to reinstall, just in case. LOL The motherboard has nothing to do with Windows, so it can't have been running Vista before. 

I've been running with AMD processors for 8 years now, and have always been happy with them. My new one is an AM2 5600 that eventually I can get around to easily overclocking, so I've read.  LOL

Like I said, the top Intel processors are faster than the top AMD processors, but unless you can afford that top Intel processor, you're better off buying an AMD.  For what I paid for mine, I could have had an Intel processor with so-so performance or an AMD one with great performance. But you'll hear that Intel processors are better, and it's technically true- if you can afford their top ones. Unfortunately, most of us have budgets. 

I'd reinstall, personally. *shrug* Of  course, then I "sit on my ass all day" so why listen to me, eh?

These are new cards, and it's been a problem since the very beginning, so I gather. Definitely neither an older or newer driver solved it for me when I went looking.  There's supposed to be a fix in the drivers that will be out later this month. (generally around the 20th)