I am SO pissed!

[CrimsonMaiden]

My five year old Dell desktop died a few weeks back. I finally got hubby to agree to get a new one (need desktop for kids to use and so I can play the sims2). So Friday, we go to Best Buy and pick out a computer. I definitely wanted to steer away from Gateway as I have had serious issues with one we had in the past. I wanted one with a stand alone graphics card because I've heard that integrated cards are definitely not good for gaming the Sims2.

The salesman showed me the only system they had that had a stand alone video card. It was an HP and seemed to have decent specs: Intel Core 2 Duo e4500 processor @ 2.2ghz, 500 gig hard drive, 3 gig memory, and a Nvidia GeForce graphics card. Get it home and everything seems to run fine... until I play my Sims2 game (all expansion packs installed). The game itself played fine, however, the minute I exited, I got a blue screen of death and the computer restarted.

Vista error reporting said it was a video hardware error. After some research, I've discovered that it seems that Nvidia cards are notorius for BSODs with Vista. Considering that Best Buy doesn't have a similar good computer with an ATI card, it looks like I am screwed until Nvidia fixes the problem with their drivers (and it seems this has been a recurring problem since the first of the year. You'd think they'd have it fixed by now). ARRGHHH!!!

 

[rgraham666]

Bummer Crim. *HUGS*

 

[Oblimo]

(inner ex-help-desk phone monkey takes over)

Have you tried running Sims2 under Vista's XP emulation mode? Also, have you tried the latest drivers on both HP's and NVIDIA's website?

 

[Misty_Morning]

My five year old Dell desktop died a few weeks back. I finally got hubby to agree to get a new one (need desktop for kids to use and so I can play the sims2). So Friday, we go to Best Buy and pick out a computer. I definitely wanted to steer away from Gateway as I have had serious issues with one we had in the past. I wanted one with a stand alone graphics card because I've heard that integrated cards are definitely not good for gaming the Sims2.

The salesman showed me the only system they had that had a stand alone video card. It was an HP and seemed to have decent specs: Intel Core 2 Duo e4500 processor @ 2.2ghz, 500 gig hard drive, 3 gig memory, and a Nvidia GeForce graphics card. Get it home and everything seems to run fine... until I play my Sims2 game (all expansion packs installed). The game itself played fine, however, the minute I exited, I got a blue screen of death and the computer restarted.

Vista error reporting said it was a video hardware error. After some research, I've discovered that it seems that Nvidia cards are notorius for BSODs with Vista. Considering that Best Buy doesn't have a similar good computer with an ATI card, it looks like I am screwed until Nvidia fixes the problem with their drivers (and it seems this has been a recurring problem since the first of the year. You'd think they'd have it fixed by now). ARRGHHH!!!

Aaaaaahhhh....What?


I just want to plug it into the surge protector and go....all that other stuff is for technonerds and stuff.....




*heehee...and I have a PhD.....hahahahahahahahaha*

 

[English Lady]

How annoying!

 

[Lee Chambers]

To be honest, I blame Vista. I'm a regular gamer and since getting my new laptop I've had MANY problems with several higher end games I've played. One game I couldn't finish a section of because every time I talked with a character the whole fucking thing would crash. Another game, played online, would boot me off of a server after only a few minutes of play.

The first game was older and despite all my searching I couldn't find anything about how to fix it. The second game is only about a year old and from what I read the server booting is due to problems with Vista that haven't been addressed in any game patches.

Thank you so much Microsoft you cock sucking whores. I hope that everyone under your auspices has still born children. Harsh? Shouldn't have fucked with my games.

EDITED TO ADD: I blame Microsoft because for those who don't know, Microsoft is basically forcing everyone who is using a PC to use Vista. Starting next year, Microsoft will offer no more updates or tech support for Windows XP. If you go to websites like Dell or Gateway where you can get custom built computers, the default is Vista. If you want XP instead you have to pay about forty dollars more to have it installed.

So yeah...still born children. And then I hope, in your grief, that you are blinded by your tears and step into the middle of a busy intersection and get hit by a bus. But I hope you don't die. Then you can live with the agony you have inflicted upon others.

Cock suckers.

 

[matriarch]

My five year old Dell desktop died a few weeks back. I finally got hubby to agree to get a new one (need desktop for kids to use and so I can play the sims2). So Friday, we go to Best Buy and pick out a computer. I definitely wanted to steer away from Gateway as I have had serious issues with one we had in the past. I wanted one with a stand alone graphics card because I've heard that integrated cards are definitely not good for gaming the Sims2.

The salesman showed me the only system they had that had a stand alone video card. It was an HP and seemed to have decent specs: Intel Core 2 Duo e4500 processor @ 2.2ghz, 500 gig hard drive, 3 gig memory, and a Nvidia GeForce graphics card. Get it home and everything seems to run fine... until I play my Sims2 game (all expansion packs installed). The game itself played fine, however, the minute I exited, I got a blue screen of death and the computer restarted.

Vista error reporting said it was a video hardware error. After some research, I've discovered that it seems that Nvidia cards are notorius for BSODs with Vista. Considering that Best Buy doesn't have a similar good computer with an ATI card, it looks like I am screwed until Nvidia fixes the problem with their drivers (and it seems this has been a recurring problem since the first of the year. You'd think they'd have it fixed by now). ARRGHHH!!!

Whaa?????????

I am soooooo impressed that you wrote that, and apparently know what it all means......you might as well be speaking Swahili for all that it meant to me. *shrug*.

Techno-hero-worship.

 

[popcorn2721]

To be honest, I blame Vista. I'm a regular gamer and since getting my new laptop I've had MANY problems with several higher end games I've played. One game I couldn't finish a section of because every time I talked with a character the whole fucking thing would crash. Another game, played online, would boot me off of a server after only a few minutes of play.

The first game was older and despite all my searching I couldn't find anything about how to fix it. The second game is only about a year old and from what I read the server booting is due to problems with Vista that haven't been addressed in any game patches.

Thank you so much Microsoft you cock sucking whores. I hope that everyone under your auspices has still born children. Harsh? Shouldn't have fucked with my games.

EDITED TO ADD: I blame Microsoft because for those who don't know, Microsoft is basically forcing everyone who is using a PC to use Vista. Starting next year, Microsoft will offer no more updates or tech support for Windows XP. If you go to websites like Dell or Gateway where you can get custom built computers, the default is Vista. If you want XP instead you have to pay about forty dollars more to have it installed.

So yeah...still born children. And then I hope, in your grief, that you are blinded by your tears and step into the middle of a busy intersection and get hit by a bus. But I hope you don't die. Then you can live with the agony you have inflicted upon others.

Cock suckers.

The salesman showed me the only system they had that had a stand alone video card. It was an HP and seemed to have decent specs: Intel Core 2 Duo e4500 processor @ 2.2ghz, 500 gig hard drive, 3 gig memory, and a Nvidia GeForce graphics card. Get it home and everything seems to run fine... until I play my Sims2 game (all expansion packs installed). The game itself played fine, however, the minute I exited, I got a blue screen of death and the computer restarted.

Vista error reporting said it was a video hardware error. After some research, I've discovered that it seems that Nvidia cards are notorius for BSODs with Vista. Considering that Best Buy doesn't have a similar good computer with an ATI card, it looks like I am screwed until Nvidia fixes the problem with their drivers (and it seems this has been a recurring problem since the first of the year. You'd think they'd have it fixed by now). ARRGHHH!!!
__________________

Your puter should run just fine on XP. I would format the harddrive and install it without bother with Vista for a while. Alot of folks have had alot of problems with Vista an I dont see the end of it coming any time soon.

Just so you know, XP worked just fine right out of the box without SP1 or SP2. The need for those updates were purely for M$ to protect their product investment and actually offered very little security in addition to registration of product keys. Having said that, there will be a small but loyal group of coders who will continue to write and update drivers for XP when M$ finally abandons it like a bastard son.
Oh yeah...buy a copy of xp for 5 or 10 bucks at a yard sale too...dont go full cost on it.

 

[buxxxom]

You use your 'puter for more than porn?

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Whaa?????????

I am soooooo impressed that you wrote that, and apparently know what it all means......you might as well be speaking Swahili for all that it meant to me. *shrug*.

Techno-hero-worship.

I'm the computer nerd in the family. I'm not nearly adept at it as some of the computer gurus around here, but I know enough to get around a computer.

You use your 'puter for more than porn?

Umm... yeah. (for a LOT more)

Have you tried running Sims2 under Vista's XP emulation mode? Also, have you tried the latest drivers on both HP's and NVIDIA's website?

I have the latest beta driver from Nvidia. I updated it to the latest certified driver while doing all of my installs but then it crashed, so I checked the site and found a newer Beta driver. I've played the Sims2 with it for an hour with no crash, but my daughter played sims1 for less than thirty minutes and it crashed without even going blue screen. There's NO way it should have crashed on the first sims. It's not nearly as graphics intensive as the second one.

No, I haven't tried the emulator... that's one thing I don't know how to do. So... how do you do it?

I do not want to get rid of Vista because there are certain new things on it (like the Parental controls) that I like.

 

[jomar]

The best thing about Microsoft is the joke in Independence Day when even the aliens were using Windows. I want an Apple.

 

[australwind]

The best thing about Microsoft is the joke in Independence Day when even the aliens were using Windows. I want an Apple.

I have a couple.... would you like to borrow one?



Actually ......scratch that offer..... I don't think I could survive without mine

 

[alyxen]

Crimson,

You do have another option to put a new video card into your computer. It is a very easy process, but you can have it done at places like best buy also. Sometimes they run specials with free installation, but just an option to get you into an ATI video card. Good luck!

 

[starrkers]

I'm the computer nerd in the family. I'm not nearly adept at it as some of the computer gurus around here, but I know enough to get around a computer.



Umm... yeah. (for a LOT more)




I have the latest beta driver from Nvidia. I updated it to the latest certified driver while doing all of my installs but then it crashed, so I checked the site and found a newer Beta driver. I've played the Sims2 with it for an hour with no crash, but my daughter played sims1 for less than thirty minutes and it crashed without even going blue screen. There's NO way it should have crashed on the first sims. It's not nearly as graphics intensive as the second one.

No, I haven't tried the emulator... that's one thing I don't know how to do. So... how do you do it?

I do not want to get rid of Vista because there are certain new things on it (like the Parental controls) that I like.

If the emulation mode works the same way as in XP (don't laugh, it's possible!), Go into properties of the Sims game and look for the compatability pulldown.

 

[DeeZire]

Can't you, like, return it, and get a better one? Perhaps you could find one in their online store and order it for in-store pickup.

My musician buddies are also having problems with Vista - going back to XP because Vista won't run their music programs. But it's common knowledge in the music community that Bill Gates is the Devil, so it's their own fault for trying to live their lives on the dark side.

I think Sims runs on a Mac, just in case you're pondering a life-changing move into the light...

 

[knitedreams]

I had to make the move to MAC when I heard about all the problems people were having with Vista. Not to mention, Vista doesn't work with my iPod. Can't live without my iPod. Anyway, I don't think I'll be going back to PC anytime soon.

 

[EmeraldKitten]

Crim, by chance, do you have the Seasons expansion pack installed?

I had Sims 2 holiday edition, then I bought the Pets expansion pack. Works fine, no problem. A few months later, when I finally actually saw the Seasons one, I bought it too. I installed that, and all of a sudden my life sucks, my computer wants to commit suicide, and I don't know what to do.
It would crash before it even loaded, or within 2 minutes of playing. And yes, I also got the blue screen of death.
Looking at Sims help websites, on a few of them I saw that some of the Seasons packs were faulty, so I uninstalled and took mine back and exchanged it. It was worth a shot, right?
Well, long story short, I had to unistall everything and reinstall it, and it worked for about a day, and the problem has ended up being the graphics card. So I got pissed off and unistalled everything but just the Sims 2, and it still doesn't work. I blame Seasons! lol.

Okay I was just wondering.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Can't you, like, return it, and get a better one? Perhaps you could find one in their online store and order it for in-store pickup.

My musician buddies are also having problems with Vista - going back to XP because Vista won't run their music programs. But it's common knowledge in the music community that Bill Gates is the Devil, so it's their own fault for trying to live their lives on the dark side.

I think Sims runs on a Mac, just in case you're pondering a life-changing move into the light...

They don't have a better one. *All* of their computers (including their online ones) that are of equal or better hardware than this one either have a Nvidia card or it's out of my price range (this doesn't include Gateway computers, which I won't buy.)

I know Sims runs on a Mac, but you have to have the Mac version of the game. I have the pc version and all expansion packs. I'm not about to buy a whole new set.

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

Crim, by chance, do you have the Seasons expansion pack installed?

I had Sims 2 holiday edition, then I bought the Pets expansion pack. Works fine, no problem. A few months later, when I finally actually saw the Seasons one, I bought it too. I installed that, and all of a sudden my life sucks, my computer wants to commit suicide, and I don't know what to do.
It would crash before it even loaded, or within 2 minutes of playing. And yes, I also got the blue screen of death.
Looking at Sims help websites, on a few of them I saw that some of the Seasons packs were faulty, so I uninstalled and took mine back and exchanged it. It was worth a shot, right?
Well, long story short, I had to unistall everything and reinstall it, and it worked for about a day, and the problem has ended up being the graphics card. So I got pissed off and unistalled everything but just the Sims 2, and it still doesn't work. I blame Seasons! lol.

Okay I was just wondering.

Yes, I do have Seasons (I have all the expansion packs), however, I'm pretty sure it's not the game though because Seasons ran just fine on my old computer.