Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Theorist
Original Poster
#1 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 2:08 AM

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Supernatural, Seasons, University Life, Island Paradise
Default Added more RAM, made things worse
Okay, so I have the following laptop:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K1IO3Q...de_forum_vgl-20

I've had an error lately in PETS where the game stops working after a few minutes. I have all the EPS apart from Supernatural, Island Paradise and Into the Future. No stuff packs. I've tried lowering the resolution but now I can't really even get into the game....

I just installed 4 more GB ram, bringing it up to nearly 8. I had this issue of "THE SIMS HAS STOPPED WORKING" prior to installing the new RAM but now I get that blue screen and other issues.

Now I can't even start a vanilla game without my laptop crashing or if I am lucky getting to the main menu then it crashes.

I keep getting a buzzing noise then this blue screen with "we are gathering information" and then the computer restarts. I'm so fed up as I tried everything but like I said, now I can't even play a basic game before my laptop goes buzz and "crashes."

Is there anything I can do? I've tried it all today and ready to scream.

Thanks so much if you have any ideas. I've googled but at this point not even loading a vanilla game is a possibility.


"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Advertisement
e3 d3 Ne2 Nd2 Nb3 Ng3
retired moderator
#2 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 4:00 AM
If you've only been having the bluescreen issue since upgrading the RAM then it's likely linked to the new hardware. Windows 10 has a utility for checking this:
http://www.wintuts.com/Windows-Memory-Diagnostics-Tool

Other causes of BSOD include driver error. You can check for these problems too:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...e-screen-errors
Theorist
Original Poster
#4 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 2:11 PM Last edited by HCAC : 27th Dec 2017 at 3:03 PM.
Thanks for the replies, as always. Did the Memory test and there are no issues. Will carry on trying to sort this.
I am able to use my laptop with many windows open, watching videos and so on with no issues. So far it's just Sims 3 and the packs causing an issue but I will do more research.
Anyone else who can offer a link or help, let me know.

I'm getting a IRQL not less or equal stop error (windows 10) when I try to run the game. (Crashes to blue screen).
Anyone know a fix? I googled but a lot of the help is annoying and confusing.

Thanks.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Scholar
#5 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 6:07 PM
I'm not an "expert", particulary for the W10 ad its peskiness, but if the problem was there before enlarging RAM there might be something wrong with installation. It's a disc game, steam game, origin game? They all proceeds a bit different.

Do you run the game with admin priviledges? Does game is set as an exception for antivirus (some of them are ... strange) etc. Does the game is properlyy set with "compatibility mode"? (it sometimes is a case and sometimes is not)

I'd clean the installation completely - like really completely - all the leftover mess in the Registry database, including additional leftovers created by Steam or Origin in %User/AppData/Roaming, or whatever it's called in W10) and then, if possible, I'd install only basegame to check it out. Then expansion. And so on.

Adding another RAM chip if not damaged may lower the efficiency of the installed one (if the new is somewhat 'weaker') not involving DeathScreeen sentence. If the chip would be damaged the machine should scream on you during boot procedure, but checking could not hurt anyway.

also - check the crash log, there should be an information when the game failed.
---
It's almost 2018 and there're companies selling three-wheeled car (4GB for W10? why not just one /rolleyes) and considering that "a fair trade"? Such part of the Universe deserves format C:/


favorite quote: "When ElaineNualla is posting..I always read..Nutella. I am sorry" by Rosebine
self-claimed "lower-spec simmer"
Theorist
Original Poster
#7 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 8:04 PM Last edited by HCAC : 27th Dec 2017 at 8:33 PM.
I can do every thing else on the computer right now apart from try to load and play Sims 3.

I hardly have anything on here apart from Sims stuff.

I actually also have Sims 3 and Pets on Steam, tried that as an experiment and it crashed with this sort of message "Dxgmm2.sys" or something.
So I'm either getting that IRQL thing, this other message or something else called IntelDaljhi which I saw in the error logs.

I read it could be a driver error but my system said it was running the recommended driver.

I don't know how to go in the bios or what to do once there.

The install was very easy, as this computer is made to install extras. My husband put in the RAM in about 3 minutes. It was working okay but I kept getting the Sims 3 has stopped working as before the RAM. The next problem was this blue screen with the IRQL which I have never had before the RAM install.

I've been googling all day and trying stuff...Still no go but one or two error log messages said something specific about a Sims 3 bin...

I have removed all games and mods and stuff and just try to run it vanilla from the launcher. It loads to nearly the end of the screen then stops. It will not go to the next level (where you choose neighborhoods).

Thanks for all the suggestions. I just keep thinking I am missing something.

I'll try to play Sims 2 and 4 to see if that works.

Nope, Sims 4 crashed on Create a Sim with a terrible buzzing then Repair C drive. I'm scared I'm going to fry my laptop....

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Scholar
#8 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 9:24 PM
well, the system clearly jumps on you with drivers' problem (that: ' "Dxgmm2.sys" or something.') it's not the case of "recommended" - but "working ones".
Particulary "working ones with that one sneaky W10 last update". drivers' clean rollback is usually recomended 'till drivers' producer catch up with MS (and then another mess happens usually because, you know: "trust no one" ). [ https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...4-8f-19d5452dfb ] Check which version is actually considered safe. Mine is NVidia 388.00 but I'm a bit conservative in that area.

And I assume you have got DirectX 9c installed properly (they don't mess with DX10/11 etc. It's separate installation, different files).
You also used RAM chips with the same parameters (preferably the same manufacturer also). I hope.

error/crash log should be in your Documents/EA/Sims3 folder - it has been long time since S3 crashed on my machine, I may be a bit outdated.

/*
BTW: It's a machine with preinstalled W10? If so - you have a quite collection of malware and useless, clunky and intrusive software installed and probably running from the boot. Uninstall whatever is not needed (probably most), replace messy ones (like AdobeReader e.g.) with lighter versions, disable unused services (if you do not have printer plugged and working non stop you really do not need printing service as "default running" etc) - in short version: make a bit of software higiene. Standard Windows installation is atrocious and these preinstallations "by manufacturer" are criminal. And there is also case of limiting Microsoft Malwaresness but that's another (and not short) story.

*/


favorite quote: "When ElaineNualla is posting..I always read..Nutella. I am sorry" by Rosebine
self-claimed "lower-spec simmer"
Theorist
Original Poster
#9 Old 27th Dec 2017 at 10:17 PM Last edited by HCAC : 28th Dec 2017 at 2:29 PM.
Well, Sims 2 works pretty well...no crashing as of yet...did a little testing...
RAM is installed and working...watched a few videos and did that test and the amount shows up.
I have disabled most of the start up junk. I did that a few days ago.
Thanks for trying to help.
Update as of this morning did all this till 10 pm last night--removed new RAM.
No more crashing in Windows, yet, but my Sims 3 and Origin will not work. Getting error messages, this is just crazy for a game.
I have to try Steam and see if that works.

Update again...I had bought Sims 3 and Pets from Steam because you need to do that to get their codes for Origin or whatever...blah, blah. Sims 3 and Pets with Steam work fine so far.

I'm going to "at least" be able to play that until I sort out what to do with this new RAM. (Any suggestions? Should I sent it back and get 2 sticks of the same 4 make? Should that work "essentially" in a plug and play laptop?

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Theorist
Original Poster
#11 Old 29th Dec 2017 at 2:39 PM
I'd like to thank the people who tried to help me. Apparently this second stick of RAM was "2400" and my original stick "2133" which from what I could figure out, too strong and caused glitches. I called up the manufacturer of my laptop who gave me a few models of RAM to use but I couldn't find them (or one that I could find was 20 dollars more....no...) so I did some more digging on Amazon and found something that should work. I saw several people had the same system model as me and said this RAM was the same as the installed one.

I'll have to wait about 2 weeks but I hope this solves that problem. Next I'll get a laptop cooling pad. If anyone has good suggestions, let me know.

Meanwhile I can try to fix Origin and get all my packs and stuff back or I can (as of now) play Sims 3 and Pets on Steam.
I'm looking for a link to how to TOTALLY get rid of Origin so I can re-install it without an error.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Site Helper
#12 Old 29th Dec 2017 at 5:12 PM
(I think I would go with playing Sims 3 and Pets on Steam, since they are always having sales where you can get EPs for 5 dollars. And you can stay with 1.67. )

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
Group for Avatar Makers* Funny Stories *2017 Yearbook
Theorist
Original Poster
#14 Old 30th Dec 2017 at 2:04 AM
Thanks Nitromon for clearing that up. I'll see what happens with this new RAM. I believe it is the same as the factory RAM, but who knows. Trying to get an answer from these people has proven fruitless. As for the cooling pad, that's the one I was looking at. Thanks for the suggestion.

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went." Will Rogers
Instructor
#15 Old 30th Dec 2017 at 2:39 PM Last edited by PapaEmy : 30th Dec 2017 at 6:45 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by HCAC
I just installed 4 more GB ram, bringing it up to nearly 8. I had this issue of "THE SIMS HAS STOPPED WORKING" prior to installing the new RAM but now I get that blue screen and other issues.


There are few possibilities that causing the problem;

1. Something wrong with your TS3 installation, but it's unlikely to be the case.
2. Your Windows 10 Home version is 16299 (Creator Update) and,
3. Your GPU is Intel HD Graphics 620.

Let's skip the #1 possibility because it is unlikely though it's possible, reinstalling the game may fix the problem but since you bought your laptop with pre-installed Win 10 on your system, if the pre-installed Win 10 is the 16299 version, and with your GPU is the 7th gen of Intel HD, there's been known issue when these two (#2 & 3) were met.

Since the 6th Skylake gen of Intel HD graphics gen, I'm not really sure what about the 8th gen Intel HD graphics, but for SkyLake and KabyLake there's been known issue that this Win 10 16299 will refuse to install the proper these 2 generations of Intel HD Graphics drivers no matter what, even if you downloaded your Intel HD driver from Intel's official website.

So if this is to be the case, then I think you may not have proper drivers for your GPU installed, and this may cause TS3 or any other game to stopped or even blue screen.

I don't know what causing that to happen, and the workaround I know is by copy+paste and add the drivers manually to the Windows folder instead of installing them (and then restarting the OS), but even with that it might still giving some problems when the user trying to put something new things to the Windows Start Menu, the new shortcut placed in the Windows Start Menu just won't stick there and just disappeared, and this also still happened in Win 10 16299 version even with the older generation of Intel HD graphics laptops, including dual switchable gpus with Nvidia or AMD graphics, the only difference is Win 10 16299 is not refusing for its Intel older drivers to be installed, and there's no problem installing Nvidia or AMD Radeon drivers as well.

The workaround with this disappearing Start Menu can be fix by removing all the icons located in the Start Menu, and then restart the system, and just place them back manually there, but that still not guarantee that it would fix Win 10 16299 to let the proper Intel HD Graphics 520 & 620 drivers (for SkyLake and Kabylake) being installed.

So my only suggestion is to downgrade your Win 10 to 14393 version, first check your Win 10 Home version (by typing dxdiag in Cortana Box), if it happened to be 16299, then go check to Windows Settings >> Update & Security >> Activation and see if you have Digital License for your Win 10 copy, if you have Digital License registered there, then you can downgrade your Win 10 to 14393 with fresh new clean installation anytime and it will reactivate your Win 10 copy automatically once you're connected to the internet. Just make sure you install the same Win 10 Home to older 10 Home, 64bit to 64bit, otherwise it will ask you to put new Win 10 keys.

PS: If somehow you managed to fix the problems, I'd suggest to have TS3 1.67 as you also need FPS Limiter to protect your Intel GPU, FPS Limiter won't work with TS3 1.69 because it won't let you bypass the TS3 Launcher.


Edited: I just realized that indeed your Win 10 is 1703, which Creator Update, this version also have problem when installing Intel HD drivers like the Falls Creator Update (16299), I'd suggest you download the latest driver from Intel and let's see if it will let you install the latest driver.
Back to top