My favorite thing to happen to me in this game so far is that it has done a blue screen crash due to display driver failure (I think) at least five times. I've updated my driver to the most recent version, my computer is capable of running the game, and yet it constantly fucks my driver and makes my computer crash to blue screen, thus fucking up many things in the process. So! Anyone know any solutions?

BSOD is not a game problem, but a potentially very serious computer problem. The game will not cause your computer to crash unless there is something wrong with the computer.

Please post your system specs: http://modthesims.info/showpost.php...312&postcount=2

In the meantime, do not continue to attempt to play. You could end up permanently damaging your computer.

My computer is having the same problem. The Sims 2 and all EPs/SPs ran fine, and so does World of Warcraft and Star Wars (I'm the nerd of the family, go figure) but TS3 always BSOD's me! It's getting kind of annoying. I can play for about an hour on highest graphic settings, then it goes all dark and I can't see. I tried upping the backlight on my monitor to no avail - it just stays dark and ominously murky even on the highest setting. Then when I go to click on something or rotate the view, it just *poof* crashes to desktop and restarts! And plus, my desktop has 1680 x 1050 resolution, and it crashes to 800 x 600 every single time, even though my game has the same res as the rest of my computer! All these restarts have corrupted my TS2 saved data, which I had dating back to 2005, so I'm almost through with TS3 and it's stupidheadedness. My system specs are:

OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (6.0, Build 6001)
CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
RAM: 3062MB RAM
GPU: Intel(R) G33/G31 Express Chipset Family
MANUFACTURER/MODEL: Acer Aspire M5620

mj2004_3 your problem is that your computer has integrated graphics, and it doesn't help that your computer is an Acer.. Acers are notorious for overheating and other stability issues and really are far from ideal machines to try to game with. Turn down the resolution when you try to game. Your graphics can not handle Sims 3 on that high of a resolution. Turn down all your settings to low, as well. The fact that it is crashing down to that resolution is bad. You could be damaging your onboard chipset, and if that happens you will need a new computer.

Read through these:http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...nboard_Graphics http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...Recommendations
If you find that nothing suggested works, then you are going to need to spend some money updating the computer you have. Plan to budget about $150 for a graphics card and power supply to run it. Sorry

Well....first I installed the sims 3 on my computer. It ran fine for a few days with no problems. . I got the message that told me I was low on available memory when I tried to start the sims3. I attempted to restart and now windows wont boot. I figured my hard-drive died on me. However....now I wonder. My husband is the computer builder in my family. I guess I need to learn more since he is deployed right now and he can't salvage my PC.
I committed the ultimate sin and installed on husband's PC. Now whenever I am in edit neighborhood or build/buy mode his computer SHUTS OFF!!! no warning no nothing just shuts off. Now I might think it was overheating except that once I did get that evil blue screen of death, and running the build/create sims doesnt crash it. i can leave it running all night if I wanted. I checked drivers and system specs and the PC meets all the requirements. I borrowed the sims wiki and put in my specs...Hope I got it all right
* Operating System: Vista service pack 1 Home premium
* Processor:AMD Athlon 6000 _ 2cps 3.0GHz
* Memory: 3582 MB RAM
* Page File: 1446MB Used 5943MB Available
* DirectX Version: DirectX10
* Dell Model Number: not a dell

==Display==

* Name: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS
* Manufacturer:Nvidia
* Chip Type:GEForce 8800 CTS
* Approx. Total Memory: 2152

* Main Driver: mvd3dum.dill,nvwgf2um.dll,nvwgf2m
* Version: 8.15.0011.8585

==Sound==

* Name: Realtek High Definition Audio
Edited after reading it with a clear head and eyes in the morning check ram display and driver version again

I'm having a similar issue. I just bought the game, was able to install it without issue. I even made my own sim and when I bought her a home my game crashed and an error about my video card not working properly popped up. I went through made sure I had everything up to date (which it seems to be) restarted, and tried again. I played about ten minutes and when I sent her to the bookstore it crashed. Whole screen went black. I left it for a few hours went back shut everything off in the background. It worked another ten minutes and I got the same error from before. Everything keeps saying my card can handle it, and my computer isn't that old and runs great still so I don't get it. Sims 2 worked great, still does. If anyone could help it'd be amazing, because I'm honestly running out of ideas.
These are my specs:
==System==
System: Microsoft Window XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600)
Processor: Intel Pentium, 4 CPU 3.00GHZ (2 CPUs)
Memory: 1022MB RAM
Page File: 531 MB used, 1926 MB available
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
==Display==
Name: RADEON X600 256MB Hypermemory
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies
Chip type: RADEON X600 (0x5B62)
Approx total memory: 256.0 MB
Main driver: ati2dvag.dll
Version: 6.14.0010.6534
==Sound==
Name: Sigmatel audio

Wow, ladyabigail, something's kooky with your hubby's computer - 358 Meg RAM? RAM doesn't even come in that amount. It's possible your husband knows the reason for this, but if not either that computer has nowhere near enough RAM to run TS3, or something is broken.

ladyabigail 8800 CTS doesn't exist either.."8l.15.0011.8585" isn't a version of anything that I'm aware of. Maybe your graphics drivers aren't installed properly and it's stealing RAM because it thinks it's an integrated chipset. Indeed, you are using a TON of hdd space because your computer thinks you have next to no RAM. Even if that's the case you prob only really have 512MB which is still not nearly enough. Try downloading and installing these and tell me what happens: http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvis...85.85_whql.html Let me know how much RAM it thinks it has now. You're prob going to need to buy some different RAM for that PC to get Sims 3 to work.

Additionally, BSOD and the computer shutting off are potentially extremely serious computer problems. The game would never cause this to happen unless there is something wrong with your computer. It is usually indicative of bad RAM, overheating, dying hardware, or driver issues.

Ashesrotten Your RAM is very minimal and while it meets minimum requirements your page filing tells me you could be using more. Also, while that graphics card is technically supported it is not recommended. People with much stronger cards report poor game play. Unfortunately, your computer is quite old (technology is about 5-6 years old at this point, even if your actual computer isn't).

Your description sounds like the game is killing your graphics card. Try some of the things suggested here: http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...nboard_Graphics It's a guide written for Sims 2, but most almost everything still applies. Ultimately, you may need to put some money into upgrading that computer (if possible) or buying a new one if you want to play TS3. Continuing to game with those kinds of problems could end up damaging your computer.

Lets check for overheating. Please download and run this program:http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php Leave it running while you attempt to play the game, and it will automatically record the maximum temperature your hardware reaches while you are gaming. Ideally you want to play at least 20minutes, but if things are crashing like that then you may not be able to do that. Play as long as you can, but you need to close the game before the whole computer crashes or you will not be able to see the results. If the GAME is just crashing you will be able to get the results, but if the whole computer turns off or requires you to turn it off then you will need to judge how long you can play and shut down before things crash. Screencap the results (print screen and paste into photo program) and post them here.

MissLynn22 Please also download and update that directx and chipset drivers. If there's nothing to update it won't, but please try.

Also, lets check for overheating. (See above)

Ok, I posted the correct specs, late at night is not a good time to be reading little numbers. I played for over an hour and when attempting to put a door on in build mode it crashed and gave me the BSOD. It isn't over heating. So now what do you recommend now that I have the correct specs up there.

ladyabigail Did you update your drivers yet? I still recommend that. In fact I would go ahead and also update your chipset drivers and audio drivers as well. BSOD, as I've said before, can be indicative of driver corruption. If you want help tracking down those additional drivers I need the manufacturer and model of the computer, or in the case that it's a custom build the manufacturer and model of the motherboard.

Just humor me and do this: Please download and run this program:http://www.cpuid.com/hwmonitor.php Leave it running while you attempt to play the game, and it will automatically record the maximum temperature your hardware reaches while you are gaming. Ideally you want to play at least 20minutes, but if things are crashing like that then you may not be able to do that. Play as long as you can, but you need to close the game before the whole computer crashes or you will not be able to see the results. If the GAME is just crashing you will be able to get the results, but if the whole computer turns off or requires you to turn it off then you will need to judge how long you can play and shut down before things crash. Screencap the results (print screen and paste into photo program) and post them here.

I talked to my husband and he cant remember the model of motherboard he used and told me that if I mess with those drivers and get the wrong ones I could trash the whole system pretty badly.
I guess until EA can find a way to make this work (don't tell me it isn't their problem since so many people are having the same problem) or until my husband comes home I gotta put playing on hold.
Thanks again for your help. I did put the info you wanted on temp here (I think I uploaded it right.

The problem is not with the game. The problem is that the game puts a good deal of stress on the system, and stress on a system that is not up for it is going to cause problems.

I do not see the temps anywhere, but it looks like it doesn't matter since your husband does not want us to try to help you. I'm sorry. I know what I'm doing but if you cannot trust my advice then I think it goes without saying that there's nothing we can do for you. If the graphics drivers are wrong they will simply refuse to install. Anyway, since your husband says no, I recommend just not playing the game until your husband does the aforementioned.

Haha it isnt that my husband doesn't trust you. He is fully aware of my skill level when it comes to this kind of thing and doesn't trust ME!! But thank you for trying to help.

Hubby is in the navy and somewhere between Hawaii and Alaska. Internet connection isn't so good out there. Otherwise HE would be fixing his computer.
I am going to take my PC in and try to get windows booting properly. So (since my computer is older slower and smaller than his) I will probably be back here when mine blows up. Though the sims ran just fine on it for four days before my pc died. No crashes or anything. I wouldn't have ever thought it had a problem.