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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 11th Mar 2018 at 10:21 PM Last edited by s4rts4 : 30th Mar 2018 at 2:03 AM. Reason: Update in problem

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Apartment Life
Default Sims 2 UC pink flashing and crashing in Windows 10 pro, version 1709
Edit March 30. I've played the game without any problems in Windows 10, version 1607, Build 14393.2068. I read that the next major update is coming soon. I hope that it'll fix the problem and I don't have to roll back anymore, but we'll see.

Edit March 12. The pink flashing horror soup has appeared again in Windows Pro 1709, build 16299.125. I'm rolling back to version 1607, while I still can.
My friend speculated that the spectre and meltdown fix would be the culprit, but I suspect it. Afterall, that has been fixed in this version too, yet sims 2 UC works perfectly. I think that it's the "fix" for directX9 games in version 1709. Somehow they borked it up more instead of fixing it.. At least for sims.


Hello! Week ago I wanted to play Sims 2 UC but I was welcomed by very pink flashing neighborhoods and fierce crashing. I had played 29th of November last time. I've been reading about this problem since and noticed that many players have the same problem as me. I'll post my specs and all the measures I've taken to test the game. I've also uploaded few pictures of the error and attached a zip with my current DxDiag, computer config log from my documents and my corrected Graphics rules and video cards.sgr files, but from what I can tell, they are same as the ones before re-install. Sims 2 UC used to work for me perfectly with using graphic rules makers,no-cd exe, 4gb patch, windowed and run as administrator as settings.

System Specs:
Processor: AMD FX(tm)-8350 Eight-Core Processor (8 CPUs), ~4.0GHz
Graphic card: AMD Radeon (TM) R9 390 Series, 8 gb memory (Changed from Nvidia gtx 770 to this on 18th of January)
RAM: 32 gb
Motherboard: ASRock 970m Pro 3

TL;DR: Operating system: -> During the errors I had in Windows 10 pro, version 1709, build 16299.201 (Read more and find all builds for 1709 here), to which my windows had updated 20th of January. After many steps that I'll write down below, I've ended up in build 16299.125, which is older build than the one above. Sims 2 UC seems to work fine in this build. While researching the builds, I noticed that in earlier build 16299.98, is a mention about dirextx9 games: "Addressed a performance regression when users run full-screen Microsoft DirectX 9 games and applications.". Also to add, apparently the cursed version 1709 also fixes a bug that has been in since Windows 7: "In Windows 8, Microsoft changed how DirectX 9 reported the amount of available memory to games; while Windows 7 seemingly allowed a game to use the entirety of the available VRAM, Windows 8 limited games to exactly 4GB for no apparent reason. This behavior persisted in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, making things worse for gamers who upgraded to Microsoft’s new operating systems.". Read more here

Note: since I did install windows again in the process, I don't have the error logs or any logs from before anymore, but the error every time was an Access Violation error. I also tried to lower graphics settings in-between testing to reload game textures but it had no impact whatsoever..

-> March 6th. Noticing the problem when game loads the neighborhood (4,2 gb CC, ~150 character files, few generations of ISBI played). After staring the pink flashing horror for a few seconds the game crashes. (Picture attached, 'hood view)
-> Rename the whole The sims 2 Ultimate collection -folder in my documents to something else, let game regenerate fresh new files and 'hoods without CC..
-> Try to make new 'hood -> Instant crashing

-> Repair and update the game in Origin
-> Launch the game, so far so good, no pink flash, no crash. Load Pleasantview. Go to some family and play for a bit. So far so good.
->Create new neighborhood. Create family and try to play.. -> Crash.

-> Make new graphics rules with Graphics Rules Maker
-> Crash.

-> Since I've also switched graphics cards since last gameplay, but only uninstalled drivers via windows features, I decide to do a clean driver installation in safe mode with DDU (Available here)
-> Download DDU to desktop, download latest drivers for my GPU to desktop -> go to safe mode -> uninstall persisting Nvidia drivers and software -> Install AMD catalyst software and latest drivers.
-> Load neighborhood, so far so good. -> Load family, pink flashing (picture attached, lot view).

-> DO ALL THE THINGS! New graphics rules once again, Apply 4gb patch here, test both origin UC exe and a no-cd exe. Run in administrator mode. No compatibility mode. Edit graphics rules with something I read from @CatOfEvilGenius thread "allow the graphics driver to manage its own memory".
-> Error about directx9 and compatible graphics card? I didn't take a screenie of it.
-> Install DX9 library from here
-> Origin exe crashes immediately or doesn't even load most of the time...
-> No-CD exe loads into new, custom neighborhood without pink flashies and let's me play family of two for 45 minutes, after which I go to sleep for the night. Community lot visited, ok. I go to sleep and decide to play test more next morning..

-> Next day. I try to launch the game with a grain of hope since last night's play session
-> Instant crash? I'm dumbfounded. I read many topics about this matter and nothing seems to be of help, except rolling back to previous version of Windows, which I can't do, since it's been long due the 10 days in which you can roll back.
-> I even tested disabling the new game mode in windows, which has caused problems for newer game titles. Game crashes still.
-> I decide to install older version of windows 10, namely 1607, in where I remember sims 2 UC working perfectly.

-> March 8th. Do a clean install of Windows and all games and programs... I only saved my archives of sims 2 CC, photos, music collection and other personal stuff.
-> Don't connect to internet. Edit windows registry to defer major updates like 1709 and against installing driver updates.
-> Sims 2 UC works perfectly, alas, there's some stuttering, but I did have it before with windows 10.
-> Use graphics rules maker. Add 4 gb patch like before. -> Test play Belladonna cove, highest settings, load a big apartment lot with 2 sims. Test going to community lot. Everything ok.
-> Add camera mod. Some CC like Default skin and eyes. ACR. Just to test CC. -> Delete cache files -> Play test goes fine. Sadly I don't have time to play test much since I have work.

-> March 9th. I go to work. Windows decides to update to 1709 somehow during the day, even though I made major changes to defer it. Apparently the update is so important for security that it can't be evaded. Update settings still say that feature updates will not be installed.. *heavy sigh*
-> I prepare for worst when I launch the game. Miraculously, it works. Even the stuttering is gone. I look into different versions of the Windows version 1709...
-> I currently have build 16299.125. While researching the builds, I noticed that in earlier build 16299.98, is a mention about directx9 games: "Addressed a performance regression when users run full-screen Microsoft DirectX 9 games and applications."

...I'm thinking that either Windows 1709 borked for some users when Windows updated to a newer build of 1709 OR some particular newer build borked it up. At the start, I used to have only three builds newer build, in which Sims 2 UC didn't work at all. It would be interesting to test if someone with newer build were to uninstall and test if older build like 16299.125 or 16299.98 fixes the problem with the game. I'll do it myself if Windows manages to update itself again somehow. Anyhow, It's reassuring to know that it isn't the entire 1709 version that's causing this and it actually makes sense, since some people don't have this problem at all, even with same specs as someone who does. Windows build number might make the difference.

I've yet to test my original 'hood that I was trying to play, since I want to test some more before putting it back in. I have a day off work tomorrow so I'll hope I get to test or even play.. I wanted to post this, since it may be of help for other people struggling with this. I hope I remembered all the steps I've taken. I'll edit when I have something to add.
Screenshots
Attached files:
File Type: zip  sims.zip (28.4 KB, 169 downloads) - View custom content
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