Sims 2 Problem

simsfan · 12-27-2006, 07:07 AM

I have had the Sims 2, Nightlife and University for quite some time now. I recently installed the Happy Holiday, Family Fun, Open For Business, Glamour Life and Pets. For some reason all of the walls are flashing red and black. No matter what wallpaper I try to put up it is always some shade of red and not the original design. Even when I go and try to create a family the walls behind everything are red instead of the usual brown brick. Once I uninstalled everything that came out after Open For Business the problem was fixed. But everything installed after that in any combination gives me the same problem. I know this is not normal and it is very frustrating. Is it a problem with the game, my computer graphics or memory?

Indoril Nerevar · 12-27-2006, 07:12 AM

Welcome to TSF.

Sounds like a conflict of some sort. Try each of the steps under "Common Game Issues" in my signature, and see if anything there helps. If not, post back with full system specs.

simsfan · 12-27-2006, 08:19 AM

Thank you

I just updated the NVIDIA Drivers and downloaded the latest version of DirectX. Should I try it now?

simsfan · 12-27-2006, 09:26 AM

I noticed that the Sims requires 5 GB of free space after installation. I only have 3.7 GB of free space and that's after I uninstalled the other three games. Could this be the problem?

simsfan · 12-27-2006, 12:52 PM

Is everyone just as lost as I am or what?

**koala** · 12-27-2006, 01:21 PM

Post your system specs (CPU, RAM, motherboard, PSU), size of hard drive and free space, and details about your graphics driver.

If it says you need 5gb and you only have 3.7gb, that leaves no free space for Windows to use. You need at least 10% free space for WIndows to run efficiently. I don't think this is the cause of your problem though. It sounds more like faulty graphics drivers or a problem with the expansion packs.

Did you uninstall the old driver before updating?

Have you tried adjusting the games settings?

Go to Start > Run > dxdiag and run the DirectX tests.

simsfan · 12-27-2006, 02:36 PM

Microsoft Windows Xp
HP Pentium 4 CPU 1500MHz
1.5GHz, 256MB of RAM
NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro
DirectX 9.0c

I didn't uninstall my drivers but I just updated the NVIDIA earlier today. But the funny thing is that when I uninstalled all the expansion packs that came out after Open For Business and then put in OFB to play, all of the walls were normal. It's only when I put in the later versions in any combination that I had the problem. So whatever the problem is, why would it affect the walls only?

simsfan · 12-27-2006, 04:48 PM

I found the solution. My video card is not compatible. But what is the difference between NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro which my computer properties states and the NVIDIA GeForce? Are they the same thing? I would assume that my particular card is on this list somewhere because it is compatible with The Sims 2 OFB

Supported Video Cards:
ATI Radeon series 8500 or better (7x00 models no longer supported), All-In-Wonder 8500, 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800, X300, X600, X700, X800, and X850.
NVIDIA GeForce 2, 2 GTS, 3, 3 Ti, 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, and 4800.
NVIDIA GeForce MX 420, 440, and 460.
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 55500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, and 5950.
NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300, and 5900.
NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 6600, and 6800.
NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, and Quadro4.
Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915, and higher.

So which one is mine? I guess my only option is to buy a new card.

**koala** · 12-27-2006, 05:00 PM

The NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64 is an older card, not designed for playing modern games, but I would have thought if it could handle the original Sims2 without any problems then it should be ok with the expansion packs. Do these have higher system requirements than Sims2?

Whenever you install graphics drivers you need to uninstall the old ones first, then reboot into VGA mode, disable antivirus, and then install the new driver and reboot again. This is to prevent conflicts.

simsfan · 12-28-2006, 08:07 AM

The Sims 2 requires.....
Supported video cards (and the more video memory the better):

ATI RadeonTM series (7000 or better)
Radeon 7000/VE series (non-T&L; requires 2.0 GHz processor)
7200, 7500
8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
X300, X600, X800

Nvidia® QuadroTM series
Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4

Nvidia® Geforce series (GeForce2 and better)
GeForce2
GeForce3, 3 Ti
GeForce4, 4Ti, MX 420, 440
GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
GeForce 6600, 6800

Intel® Extreme Graphics (non-T&L; requires 2.0 GHz processor)
82845, 82865, 82915

The Sims 2 Stuff Packs only take....
ATI Radeon 8500 or greater;
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS or greater;

The Sims 2 Pets takes....

ATI Radeon(TM) series (8500 or better)
8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
X300, X600, x700, X800, x850
X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950
NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series
Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4

NVIDIA GeForce series (GeForce2 GTS and better)
GeForce 2, 2 GTS
GeForce 3, 3 Ti
GeForce 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, 4800, MX 420, 440, 460
GeForce FX 5200, 5500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
GeForce PCX 5300, 5900
GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800
GeForce 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950
S3 GammaChrome
S18 Pro
S18 Ultra

So I would guess I would have to get the latest version of NVIDIA GeForce series which is what?

**koala** · 12-28-2006, 08:14 AM

The latest GeForce is the 8800 which is serious overkill for an old game like Sims2. Any of those cards listed will be able to run Sims2.

The higher model numbers are more recent and more expensive. Make sure your PSU can handle whichever card you install. Newer ones require more power than your current TNT2.

simsfan · 12-28-2006, 08:39 AM

I think I should go with the PCX 5900 or maybe even a bit higher.

**koala** · 12-28-2006, 09:17 AM

That's a PCI-e card and your current TNT2 is AGP. Make sure your motherboard has the correct slot before buying.

dancinangel67 · 03-19-2008, 04:39 PM

did you unistall the sims 2 open for buissness? the same thing happened to me and after i unistalled open for buissness, everything else worked

psd123 · 03-25-2008, 12:04 PM

This is due to increased system requirements as new packs are released. This issue is more common with stuff packs, where the requirements are more precise, and less graphics cards are supported, but also happens with expansion packs with lower-end/unsupported graphics cards.

Here are some ways that might help you:
Try updating your graphics card drivers, to see if updated drivers help.
Purchase and install a supported graphics card.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU!!!

12-27-2006, 07:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	Sims 2 Problem I have had the Sims 2, Nightlife and University for quite some time now. I recently installed the Happy Holiday, Family Fun, Open For Business, Glamour Life and Pets. For some reason all of the walls are flashing red and black. No matter what wallpaper I try to put up it is always some shade of red and not the original design. Even when I go and try to create a family the walls behind everything are red instead of the usual brown brick. Once I uninstalled everything that came out after Open For Business the problem was fixed. But everything installed after that in any combination gives me the same problem. I know this is not normal and it is very frustrating. Is it a problem with the game, my computer graphics or memory?

12-27-2006, 07:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
Indoril Nerevar Manager, Games Team Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 5,016 OS: Windows 7 RC 64-bit My System	Welcome to TSF. Sounds like a conflict of some sort. Try each of the steps under "Common Game Issues" in my signature, and see if anything there helps. If not, post back with full system specs. __________________ Donating to the forum keeps TSF free for all. • Common PC Game Issues • Common Installation Issues • Posting System Specs • Power Supply Information • • NVIDIA Drivers • ATI Drivers • Thermal Paste Guide • System Requirements Lab • YouGamers Game-o-Meter • • Everest • Prime95 • DirectX • AMD Drivers • Memtest86 • SensorsView • Driver Cleaner • I do not give help via PM. Please post your question on the forum.

12-27-2006, 09:26 AM	#4 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	I noticed that the Sims requires 5 GB of free space after installation. I only have 3.7 GB of free space and that's after I uninstalled the other three games. Could this be the problem? Last edited by simsfan; 12-27-2006 at 09:49 AM.

12-27-2006, 01:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,449 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	Post your system specs (CPU, RAM, motherboard, PSU), size of hard drive and free space, and details about your graphics driver. If it says you need 5gb and you only have 3.7gb, that leaves no free space for Windows to use. You need at least 10% free space for WIndows to run efficiently. I don't think this is the cause of your problem though. It sounds more like faulty graphics drivers or a problem with the expansion packs. Did you uninstall the old driver before updating? Have you tried adjusting the games settings? Go to Start > Run > dxdiag and run the DirectX tests. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

12-27-2006, 05:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,449 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	The NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64 is an older card, not designed for playing modern games, but I would have thought if it could handle the original Sims2 without any problems then it should be ok with the expansion packs. Do these have higher system requirements than Sims2? Whenever you install graphics drivers you need to uninstall the old ones first, then reboot into VGA mode, disable antivirus, and then install the new driver and reboot again. This is to prevent conflicts. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

12-27-2006, 08:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	Thank you I just updated the NVIDIA Drivers and downloaded the latest version of DirectX. Should I try it now?

12-27-2006, 12:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	Is everyone just as lost as I am or what?

12-27-2006, 02:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	Microsoft Windows Xp HP Pentium 4 CPU 1500MHz 1.5GHz, 256MB of RAM NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro DirectX 9.0c I didn't uninstall my drivers but I just updated the NVIDIA earlier today. But the funny thing is that when I uninstalled all the expansion packs that came out after Open For Business and then put in OFB to play, all of the walls were normal. It's only when I put in the later versions in any combination that I had the problem. So whatever the problem is, why would it affect the walls only?

12-27-2006, 04:48 PM	#8 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	I found the solution. My video card is not compatible. But what is the difference between NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro which my computer properties states and the NVIDIA GeForce? Are they the same thing? I would assume that my particular card is on this list somewhere because it is compatible with The Sims 2 OFB Supported Video Cards: ATI Radeon series 8500 or better (7x00 models no longer supported), All-In-Wonder 8500, 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800, X300, X600, X700, X800, and X850. NVIDIA GeForce 2, 2 GTS, 3, 3 Ti, 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, and 4800. NVIDIA GeForce MX 420, 440, and 460. NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 55500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, and 5950. NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300, and 5900. NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 6600, and 6800. NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, and Quadro4. Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915, and higher. So which one is mine? I guess my only option is to buy a new card.

12-28-2006, 08:07 AM	#10 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	The Sims 2 requires..... Supported video cards (and the more video memory the better): ATI RadeonTM series (7000 or better) Radeon 7000/VE series (non-T&L; requires 2.0 GHz processor) 7200, 7500 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800 X300, X600, X800 Nvidia® QuadroTM series Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4 Nvidia® Geforce series (GeForce2 and better) GeForce2 GeForce3, 3 Ti GeForce4, 4Ti, MX 420, 440 GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950 GeForce 6600, 6800 Intel® Extreme Graphics (non-T&L; requires 2.0 GHz processor) 82845, 82865, 82915 The Sims 2 Stuff Packs only take.... ATI Radeon 8500 or greater; NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS or greater; The Sims 2 Pets takes.... ATI Radeon(TM) series (8500 or better) 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800 X300, X600, x700, X800, x850 X1300, X1600, X1800, X1900, X1950 NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4 NVIDIA GeForce series (GeForce2 GTS and better) GeForce 2, 2 GTS GeForce 3, 3 Ti GeForce 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, 4800, MX 420, 440, 460 GeForce FX 5200, 5500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950 GeForce PCX 5300, 5900 GeForce 6200, 6600, 6800 GeForce 7300, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950 S3 GammaChrome S18 Pro S18 Ultra So I would guess I would have to get the latest version of NVIDIA GeForce series which is what?

12-28-2006, 08:14 AM	#11 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,449 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	The latest GeForce is the 8800 which is serious overkill for an old game like Sims2. Any of those cards listed will be able to run Sims2. The higher model numbers are more recent and more expensive. Make sure your PSU can handle whichever card you install. Newer ones require more power than your current TNT2. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

12-28-2006, 08:39 AM	#12 (permalink)
simsfan Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 8 OS: WinXP	I think I should go with the PCX 5900 or maybe even a bit higher. Last edited by simsfan; 12-28-2006 at 08:44 AM.

12-28-2006, 09:17 AM	#13 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,449 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	That's a PCI-e card and your current TNT2 is AGP. Make sure your motherboard has the correct slot before buying. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

03-19-2008, 04:39 PM	#14 (permalink)
dancinangel67 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 19 OS: vista	Re: Sims 2 Problem did you unistall the sims 2 open for buissness? the same thing happened to me and after i unistalled open for buissness, everything else worked

03-25-2008, 12:04 PM	#15 (permalink)
psd123 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 60 OS: Windows Vista	Re: Sims 2 Problem This is due to increased system requirements as new packs are released. This issue is more common with stuff packs, where the requirements are more precise, and less graphics cards are supported, but also happens with expansion packs with lower-end/unsupported graphics cards. Here are some ways that might help you: Try updating your graphics card drivers, to see if updated drivers help. Purchase and install a supported graphics card. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU!!!