[CoasterFreak]

I figured since so many people are having Sims 2 Problems, I would post this. I have custom made this FAQ SO appreciate and enjoy it
-EJ

Minimum System Requirements:
800 MHz processor
256 MB RAM
Windows(R) XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System.
At least 3.5 GB of hard drive space
A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM:
ATI Radeon(TM) series (7000 or better)
VE series (see note below)
7000, 7200, 7500
8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
X300, X600, X800

NVIDIA(R) Quadro(TM) series
Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4

NVIDIA GeForce series (GeForce2 and better)
GeForce 2
GeForce 3, 3 Ti
GeForce 4, 4 Ti, MX 420, 440
GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
GeForce 6600, 6800

NOTE: If you have a non-T&L capable video card, such as Intel Extreme Graphics or Radeon VE series, then you need at least a 2.0 GHz processor.

Recommended System Requirements
1.6 GHz Processor
512MB RAM
Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98
5GB (or more) HD Space
Any ATI Radeon 9000 series video card or any NVidia GeForce4 or GeForceFX Video Card.
DirectX 9.0 or better.

FAQ:

Q. The sims freezes while on "The Sims 2" splash screen.
A. Either your video card or sound card is conflicting with DirectX 9 or you do not have enough free Memory/RAM to run the game.
Assuming The Sims 2 is on your desktop, try this: right click on The Sims 2 >In the target line, go all the way to end of the text and put in a space after the " > after the space type "-w" without the quotes > put in another space > type "-nosound" without the quotes. The Sims 2 should now start, if it does, then try updating your Video and Sound Drivers. If it does not start, contact Maxis Support via www.thesims2.com

Q. I can't install the Sims 2!
A. Your computer does not meet the system requirements. Ensure your computer meets all the requirements. Also ensure your sound and video drivers are DirectX 9 compatible. Another reason is because you have downloaded The Sims 2 from the net or You are trying to install the game from a copied disc.

Q. The Sims 2 has really bad performance when playing.
A. This occurs when you're video card doesn't fully meet the system requrements or because you do not have enough memory to run the game.

Q. The Sims 2 freezes while I'm playing.
A. Again this is due to your video card or because you do not have enough memory to run the game.

I'll add more questions as they come in.

[CoasterFreak]

FAQ (continued):
Q. When I try installing the new Sims 2 I am told that I need to insert a disk in the drive even though the disc is already in the drive. What's wrong?
A. This has been a common problem. Nine times out of Ten, the cd is faulty, usually because of the protection on the CD. Try exchanging the game for another one. Sometimes you just have to restart the computer with the disc in the drive, then try to install. If that does not work, ensure you are using "Disc 1" or refer to what I said in the beginning.

[McTimson]

Excellent post.

Hmm....I wonder if we could make one of these threads for every game, and have them all under one locked thread......hmmm...

Oh, and guns don't kill people, death kills people. Ask a doctor, it's a proven fact.

[CoasterFreak]

Originally Posted by McTimson

Excellent post.

Hmm....I wonder if we could make one of these threads for every game, and have them all under one locked thread......hmmm...

Oh, and guns don't kill people, death kills people. Ask a doctor, it's a proven fact.

Thanx

I like your idea. But it was hard enough for me to pull most of this from my memory...lol

BTW: People that shoot people with Guns cause death which in turn kills people.

[compweb]

hi everyone,
i hav started playing Sim2 few days ago. I installed the game and can run the game successfully. However, i find out that i can't use the build tools. For example, when building walls, i was supposed to click and drag on the empty ground, but i can't. I can't use everything under the build tools. Do you have any ideas on wat my problem is?

Thanks

[CoasterFreak]

FAQ Update (for compweb):

Q. When I run The Sims 2, I am unable to use the build tools or save my game.
A. This happens when cracked/downloaded versions of the game are used. Such things include No-CD Cracks. Buy the game and use the CD or DVD you bought to run the game.

[letigrex]

Okay, sorry if anyone gets mad by my question, I read this whole thread, but I'm so not smart at these stuff.

I just got the sims 2, and it installed in my computer just fine.
Than., i went to run it and it went I forget exactly what it said
but it said I needed directX 9.0c compability..thingy. So, I went and download whatever that was. I downloaded it.......installed whatever whatever.

restarted computer..

it's still not working! so when I go to play that message keeps coming up! but i've already downloaded it! what's going on?

[imadude10]

something i want to say.

there is a special edition DVD version which you NEED to have a DVD drive to play on. there is also the normal version that can be played with any drive as long as it meets speed req. my sis and i bought DVD version + thought it just had extra DVD.

just a tip.

[CoasterFreak]

LOL yes...I forgot to mention that. I figure I'll add a nice little Q and A right now:

Q. I have The Sims 2 "Special DVD Edition" and for some reason I cannot get it *to work*; what could the problem be?

A. Ensure you have a DVD Drive in your computer. This version of the game REQUIRES a DVD-ROM Drive.

[Xonia]

Hi. Nice work you've done so far. I've got another questions for you

Q: When I run the installation, around 18 % it pauses. I then get the msg that TData\Res\Sound\Sfx1.package misses (first CD). What now? *looks desperate*

[ScottWood]

Well can you help me ... i emailed EA games 3 weeks ago, but they did nothing for me!

when i open TS2 i get a message popping up, "Failed to find any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapters in this system! Please make sure youn have a DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapter and have installed the latest drivers provided by the manufacturer. The application will now terminate."

I really really really want to play.

What is the problem? How can i fix this? What do i need? Where do i download it from? Is this a rasberry in my yoghurt or is it out of date?

[CoasterFreak]

Q: When I run the installation, around 18% it pauses. I then get the message that TSData\Res\Sound\Sfx1.package misses. (1st Disc on Normal Edition)

A: Faulty Disc, take it back to the place of purchase and exchange it for another. That should solve your problems.

[CoasterFreak]

Q. When I run The Sims 2, I get the following error: "Failed to find any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapters in this system! Please make sure youn have a DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapter and have installed the latest drivers provided by the manufacturer. The application will now terminate."

A. Obtain the latests drivers for your card. To find out what card you have, right click on my computer>click the hardware tab>click device manager>click the plus (+) sign next to Video Adapters>Make note of what it listed>Go to google and type in what you find and add "+drivers" without the quotes to the end of whatever you typed. Try, if possible, to only obtain drivers from the manufacturer (which should come up in Google Results). After you have obtained the latests drivers, try to re-run the game, if that DOES NOT work, right click on the sims 2 icon on the desktop>in the target line, go all the way to the end of the line, put in a space after the " and type "-w" without the quotes. Now rerun the game. You should be able to play.

[CoasterFreak]

Q. Is there way to play The Sims 2 without the CD?
A. Yes, but currently the *No-CD Cracks* will not allow you to run the game or you may experience game issues, most commonly not being able to build in build mode, not being able to save.

Q. Is there a way to backup The Sims 2?
A. Not at the moment. Even if there was, I couldn't tell you...against forum rules.

Q. Why is my game often slow after an hour or so of gameplay?
A. This is actually normal. Sometimes your processor, RAM, HD, may become a little hot and work a little under average. Simply exit the game, shut down your computer for about 2 minutes, re-run the game as soon as the computer boots up. Be sure to not have anything else running. The Sims 2 is a performance hog.

[ZooF]

I know how it says everywhere that you need Radeon 7500 or above, but i have Mobility Radeon 9000 (Toshiba laptop, Tecra S1) and the game keeps freezing on me right when something happens to the ambitions thing.

anyone know how to fix that? i've tried downloading updates for the Radeon 9000 driver but it doesn't recognize that MOBILITY Radeon series and Toshiba doesn't have an update that helps with this problem.

=*( i really want to play this game.