Sims 3 crashing Solved/Closed

Question

Hello,
I recently purchased the Sims 3 game for my Dell PC and I have been having problems with the game crashing. I could play the game for about 10 minutes, then the monitor would turn black, yet me CPU would still be running, and the only way I could restart my computer was by unplugging the whole system and turning it back on. I have heard people have had problems with their video card on their computer being disabled... any additional ideas? 
ThanksSystem Configuration: Windows XP Internet Explorer 8.0

Carrie1354 · Accepted Answer

I found the solution!!!!! I tried almost everything there was out there from updating my drivers, getting rid of all my downloaded content, unintstalling the game and re installing it... but then I found this out.  All you have to do is disable Data Excecution Prevention (DEP) for The Sims 3.

FOR WINDOWS:

Go To Start - Settings - Control panel and select System. 
Click on the Advanced tab and in the preformance section click Settings. 
Click the tab for Data execution prevention and click the option to [Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select] 
go to browse then find where your game was installed and add TS3.EXE to the list. (The program may just be called TS3) 
Make sure it is an EXE extention (right click, go to properties and it will tell you) 
Try to add all versions that you have ( TS3, WA, HELS and Ambitions).
MAKE SURE YOU APPLY THE CHANGES AND REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM.   

TADA :D

EaneedstoretireSims · Answer

I have had the Sims 3 for 1 day, I can play in build mode with no problem as soon as it goes to play mode it crashes.  It isnt my computer, it is a bran new gamer computer.
It is EA...they need programmers that have knowledge to program.
Alot of people are having major problems with sims 3.
I will go back to 2, it doesnt crash.

Thetawaves · Answer

I had it crash to desktop straight after loading (about 20 seconds of actual ingame before the crash) and having had a similar problem on Fallout 3 that a modder on a forum had fixed, I decided to give it a go with this. It worked for me, maybe it will for you: 

Download and install (I am not a bot or an evil virus-spreader, honest folks!): 
https://www.ntcore.com/files/ExplorerSuite.exe 

Go to "C:\Program files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Ambitions\Game\Bin" 

And find a program called "TS3EP02" 

**Copy this file somewhere where you can find it again, we need to make a backup (for when EA releases an official patch)** 

Right click the original file > "open with CFF explorer" 

You now have a window open "CFF explorer - [TS3EEP02] 

On the left, under "NT Headers", there should be a tab called "File Header" Click it. 

Then click on the area, towards the right of the window, labelled "Click Here" 

A "Chacteristics" box will open. Check the option "App can handle >2gb Address space" 

Click ok 

**MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DONE THE BACKUP AS I SAID EARLIER** 

Close CFF explorer 

save changes to original file. 

Hopefully it will work for you too.  :)

When EA releases a patch that fixes this, or if this didn't work for you, simply find the original copy you made (because you did do that didn't you?) and overwrite the modified file with the original copy. This will allow the patch to install (because it won't on a modified .exe) and will revert the changes we made above

Josh.K · Answer

Some people have reported crashing with Sims 3: Ambitions. It seems the expansion has an issue with the DEP (Data Execution Prevention) on your computer. Here's how to fix it. This will work for Windows XP (which I have) and hopefully others. If you don't have crashing, then don't bother with this.

Feel free to copy this and repost it on Sims forums or on other sites. I don't deserve the credit for this information; I'm just passing along some info I saw on another site.

1. Go to Control Panel/System/Advanced/Performance Settings.

2. Go to the Data Execution Prevention tab. Click on "Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select" and press "Add." You will now add your Sims game, expansions and Stuff Packs to the DEP exception list. Copy-and-paste these "C:" locations in the spot where it says "File Name."

Sims 3 base game:
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\TS3.exe

World Adventures:
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin\TS3EP01.exe

High-End Loft Stuff:
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 High-End Loft Stuff\Game\Bin\TS3SP01.exe

Ambitions:
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Ambitions\Game\Bin\TS3EP02.exe

Click OK. You'll have to restart the computer for this to take effect. It should stop the crashing.

Sims 3 crashing

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