(c) 2004 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved.
MAXISÖ 6/10/04
Version 2.0
Welcome
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Welcome! Thanks for playing Inside The SimsÖ 2!
We recommend that, for optimal performance and viewing experience, you set your screen resolution to 800x600.
You may notice synchronization hiccups when you start to play some of the video clips in the demo. These synchronization hiccups resolve themselves as the videos continue to play.
For help troubleshooting other problems with the Inside The SimsÖ 2 CD, please check our online help resources at http://www.thesims.com.
Performance Tips
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If your Inside The SimsÖ 2 CD crashes, please follow the following instructions to fix the problem.
1. Restart the application or system.
When a problem or crash first occurs, shut down Windows and restart the system (if the crash didn't already result in a system restart). If Windows was not properly shut down as a result of the crash, allow Scan Disk to examine the hard disk(s) for any errors. Restart the application.
2. Work with a new file.
This can help determine if the problem is specific to the file you're working on. If the error or problem does not occur in a new file, try adding new content similar to that in the problem file. .
3. Test the application (or problem file) in Windows 95/98/2000/Me/XP Safe Mode or Windows NT VGA Mode.
This can determine if a conflict with another application is causing the problem or if the problem may be a video driver or other driver.
To start Windows in Safe Mode (95/98/2000/Me/XP), hold down the F8 key (Ctrl key for WindowsMe) while the system is booting up. When the Windows startup menu appears, select Safe Mode.
To start Windows in VGA Mode (NT), choose VGA Mode from the boot menu after restarting.
Once Windows has been booted into Safe Mode/VGA Mode, run the application and perform the same actions that caused the problem. If the problem does not occur in Safe/VGA Mode, then it's likely that other applications or drivers which are running when in Normal mode are causing the conflict. See steps 5 and 6 for how to end background tasks and update Windows drivers.
An alternate method to starting in Safe mode is to enable the startup menu when booting by following these steps:
1. Click Start, and click Run.
2. Type msconfig and then click OK.
3. Click Advanced, and check Enable Startup Menu.
4. Click OK, and then click OK again. Click Yes when you are prompted to restart Windows. Windows will restart and display the Windows Startup Menu.
5. At the Windows Startup Menu, press 3 for Safe Mode, and press Enter. Windows will restart in Safe Mode.
6. To restore your system to normal settings, follow steps 1 through 4 and uncheck Enable Startup Menu.
7. Restart the computer.
4. End background tasks.
Programs that run in the background or in the Windows system tray can also cause conflicts with applications. Background tasks can be closed using the Close Program dialog (Windows 95/98) or the Task Manager (Windows NT/2000/XP).
Steps:
1. Close all open documents and applications.
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del.
On Windows 95/98/2000/XP the Close Program dialog opens, listing all the programs currently running.
On Windows NT, click Task Manager in the dialog that opens, and then click the Applications tab to display the list of currently active programs.
3. To exit a program, in the Close Program dialog box or Applications tab, select the program you want to exit, and then click End Task.
4. Repeat step 3 for each program you want to exit, except Explorer and Systray (the Windows core tasks).
Note: if you are uncertain as to the purpose of a particular process or application that is displayed in the list, please consult your system administrator.
5. After all background tasks have been terminated, launch the application again.
6. If the application runs properly then one of the background tasks is in conflict with the application. Restart Windows normally and redo step 2, testing the application after ending each task. By process of elimination the conflicting background application can be identified.
5. Update Windows device drivers.
Invalid Page Faults, General Protection Faults, freezes, and other unwanted behaviors are often caused by a conflict with a Windows device driver, most commonly sound and video card drivers. These types of conflicts are often resolved with new driver releases, available from the manufacturer's Web site (usually a small, free download).
To determine the manufacturer or model of a devices in your system, open the Windows Control Panel. For the sound card, open the Multimedia control panel, and click the Devices tab. Expand the Audio Devices item, and find the name of your sound card.
To find the name of the video card manufacturer, open the Control Panel and double click on the Display icon. Click the Settings tab and find the name of the display adapter. If not listed, explore the other tabs to find it.
Visit the manufacturer's Web site, and download and install new drivers according to the manufacturer's instructions. Restart before testing.
Note: Many higher end graphics card manufacturers update drivers often. In some cases the latest drivers will not resolve the problem. If that's the case, sometimes installing a previous version driver will resolve issues as well. Report any problems with new drivers to the manufacturer so they can be addressed.
6. Adjust the Windows swap file and memory allocation.
Applications will sometimes crash or lock-up if there is not enough available memory. If all physical memory (RAM) is being used, Windows writes data to a temporary file, or swap file, on the hard disk (usually drive C). If the drive is full or doesn't have enough space to write to the swap file, the application may freeze or crash. Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements to run the application and that there is plenty of free space on your hard disk to allow for the swap file to be written (200 MB is usually sufficient).
7. Try the same steps on another system.
This can help determine if the problem is specific to a particular system or configuration. If the problem is not reproducible on another system, focus attention on any differences between the two systems to help determine the cause of the problem.
For the latest performance tips, check out our online support site at http://www.thesims.com.
