Well, from reading this forum, I'm glad to know I'm not alone with the EA problems. I got The Sims to install, but Livin' Large gives me the same error every time (something like 0 * 10000). I tried shutting off all the background programs I run, and actually starts the install, but doens't finish, I still get the error.
I wrote the EA techs, and they had some suggestions. One of which was to alter the shortcut. But if I can't install the damn game, isn't that a moot point?
I'm C&Ping the advice below, any suggestions appreciated. I recently wiped my hd, and installed Win2K. Celeron, no AGP, decrepit sound card. Nothin' fancy. Everything is up to date, grabbed brand new drivers for everything with the wipe.
From EA:
1. Make sure that you are logged in as the Administrator. This will usually be the first account that was created once Windows 2000 Professional was fully installed. If you are not certain, contact the manufacturer of your PC for assistance in finding your Administrator account.
2. Make sure that you have closed any programs or tasks running in the background. To do this, hold the Ctrl and Alt keys down at the same time and hit the Del key once. This will in turn bring up a window called "Task Manager". You will see several tabs located in this window. Select the Programs tab; this will list all current programs that are running. Be sure to highlight each one that is running and hit the "End Process" button.
Also, do not close any applications that say "System" next to them. Be sure not to close a program labeled "Explorer" or "Taskmgr" as well. You close each one of these applications by clicking on each one and hitting the button "End Process". Note some applications may take multiple times before closing. Don't worry that you are permanently changing your system configuration; these applications will return when you restart your system.
3. Try editing the shortcut to The Sims. To create a shortcut, Right-click on the desktop, choose New, Shortcut, browse to The Sims folder. (Usually C:\program files\maxis\the sims\sims.exe) Choose Next and finish the shortcut. Right-click on the new shortcut and choose properties. Go to Shortcut, and the Target Line should be high-lighted. Add the following switches to the end of the line: -nodx6 -skip_verify -w
(Ex: "C:\..\the sims\thesims.exe" -nodx6 -skip_verify -w )
As a last resort use the -nosound switch to disable the game sound.
4. Update the drivers for your sound and video cards. To update your soundcard driver, go to your sound card manufacturers web page and download the most recent Windows XP driver available for your Sound card. To update the driver for your videocard, first determine what type of videocard you have. This information is usually available in the System control panel, in Device Manager, under the display adapters heading. Next, try to obtain a new driver for that device from the manufacturer, either by downloading one from the manufacturer's website or by contacting the manufacturer of the card directly. Installing newer drivers for both of these cards should fix your problem. If you need help installing these drivers, please contact the manufacturer in question, as these drivers are not our products.
5. Try to lower the sound acceleration for your sound card. To do this:
a. Go to Start>Find>Files & Folders.
b. In the "Named" box, type the following: dxdiag.exe
c. Then make sure the "Look In" box is pointed to your (C:\) drive.
d. Click "Find Now".
e. After the file has been found, double click on it to run the
application.
f. Click on the tab labeled "Sound".
g. Lower the Hardware acceleration down to "basic"
h. Click "Exit" and try to run the game.
6. Try to lower your video hardware acceleration. I would like you to right click on your desktop and select Properties. Click on Settings and then on the button that says Advanced. Once there, click on the tab that says Troubleshooting. Adjust the setting to one notch to the right of NONE. Also, be sure to check and make sure that the option Write Combining has been unchecked. Then try the game again.
