Hi, everybody,
I’m receiving an error message when I log in Sims3: “unable to start game; service initialization failed (0x024e424f)”: I’ve never received this message before. My game is completely original, and I have all the EP’s and SP’s: so, I believe there’s something newer happening, something more recent, which involves Win10 and EAgames, and Adobe, which discontinued FlashPlayer: I was obliged to reinstall Windows and reinstalling all my EA GIG, which’s TS3 and its entire packages: EA didn’t allow me to manage the installation order of my packages and installed them in the sequence that it wanted to, and I’ve allowed it to: and I suspect so this is the problem, but, before reinstalling them all again, in the sequence that it used to work, I’ve decided to seek for MTS, because, along 7 years, the game used to work fine, even though with defect: It was only hitting ‘play’ and the game entered. And the question it’s exactly this, did anything change in Origin’s launcher? I use the latest version, the 10.5.90.46284 - 767180 version: Did Origin’s launcher changed anything in TS3base game and/or its patches? My launcher version it’s the 1.69; Did EA made any structural problem in these packages, after adobe having discontinued flash player, or for EA’s personal reasons, probably, doesn’t like TS3, and didn’t rest a single day to break that which it did, and got a new way of doing this..?
I don’t know if some of you are passing through this[..?] and if there’s any way of solving it[..?], so, in additional data, I add things which I’ve already made, to try and solve the problem:
I've reinstalled Win10pro x64 [my sys spec’s at the dxdiag report uploaded]; Then, I’ve reinstalled, Origin, and then, TS3, according to Origin - in its sequence, TS3 base + all its EP’s and SP’s, with no special order of installing: Everything installed correctly, all recognized both in Win10 and Origin and TS3GameLauncher: I execute the game, I press the play, the black screen enters, and after a couple min.my game crashes, giving the error message, which’s the reason of I being opening this thread here in the forum [pict.of the error message uploaded]. I’m an ancient user, I know the protocols, but none of them it’s working; I too have followed the cleaning cache procedures requested by MTS, but it didn’t work, I’ve searched for the forum, but I’ve found no answer for this.
osb.: I've uploaded an image and a txt [the error message+dxdiag], if there's any problem in viewing or the files don't show up, just let me know that I type it here
Thanks in advance.
Att.,

Can this thread be moved to Help? It's not really a WCIF thing...

Installation order isn't really a thing with TS3, that is I believe a holdover concept from TS2. I'm not really sure that Flash Player was really a thing either, maybe it was with Origin itself and its predecessor the EA Download Manager long ago.

I do see MSVCR80.dll errors in your dxdiag, which indicates possibly a problem with your Windows reinstall's C++ compiler that the game heavily relies upon. Or that might be more of a symptom or artifact of the crash than its cause, it can be difficult to tell. You might need to reinstall and reactivate the C++ components that the game needs, which is not difficult to do. But instead of going around in circles with that task right away, I would suggest bringing the issue to EA's AHQ help forum board for TS3. There are players and helpers there who are geniuses with this stuff and they can help you run some diagnostics to tell you if this is the correct course of action or if the fault is somewhere else.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/bd-p/the-sims-3

igazor, I'm wordless, really, thanks, I will do exactly this which you've indicated me, I'll check the c++ along with microsoft, as well as the forum at EA which you've indicated, independently of the result, I will post it here

igazor, out of this, I have an aditional problem: I'm in a place of difficult access to the internet, downloading anything here it's complicated, and if I have to reinstall windows again, I will have to reinstall all my packages again, is there any way of I being able of reinstalling the game without having to redownload it all over again?
thanks

By packages you mean Expansion and Stuff Packs? Not that I know of by way of an Origin managed installation, no. There was supposed to be a "save the install files over here" option at some point, but I don't know that it ever worked reliably for TS3 and I no longer have an Origin for Windows install to test this as I switched over to Steam on my end years ago. But if you didn't have a way to do this when you installed just recently, it would be too late now for that installation.

Retail disc installs offer the convenience of installation with no downloads, but then you would have to patch up or convert the install to an Origin controlled one.

Hopefully that won't be necessary, if you can get whatever the fault is diagnosed and fixed without requiring an entire wipe and redo of the operating system at least on this particular machine.

Thanks, igazor, I've opened a topic where you've indicated, hopefully someone has any idea who may help, as well (x ). I checked the c++ and it was really out of there (don't know why, even after all updates Microsoft did, it did left a 2013 version, way obsolete, so I've manually downloaded the most recent one available at Microsoft, the 2015-2019 version), and I've also checked the netframework and it's the latest version, as well as java, etc., drivers ok now, I've runned the dxdiag once more, and I've uploaded it to the topic I did at ea's forum) - but, yes, =/, still the same error message popping up.

hi, nitromon, thanks,
yes, I did this, what happened was that the command didn't work: I switched fullscreen to 0, it was set to 1: but even so, the game continued launching in fullscreen. Then I went back into the Options.ini, to see if it was set to 0 yet, and still was 0 there, but even so, (I've tried launching it 2more times) and the fullscreen continued. And yes, indeed, it looks like it is reset to the defaults of the game.

yes, I did, I've replied above

Sorry, I wasn't very specific about that but I think you actually would need the older C++ and .NET frameworks. The game was designed in 2008-09, after all. It's not a matter of updating, the various frameworks are supposed to be able to co-exist. But hopefully the folks at AHQ can take a look as they have more experience with these errors. I would hold off on adding more or redoing those steps until they advise further, just so as not to waste time going in circles.

Have to agree (fell behind a bit here) that if your options.ini file says fullscreen=0 but you are launching in full screen mode, then you might have a second unwanted TS3 user game folder in there that is being read from. The modification date/time of the DeviceConfig.log (it's .log, not .ini) file should tell you if the game folder you are working with is even being used.

A common place for second unwanted game folders to hide is within OneDrive, if that is present and activated.

yes, I agree on what you've said about the technology.. . it could be simpler
Ok, I'll go look for the docs under users to see if the right file was changed.


You mean these? ::

=== Rating info ===
GPU: 5 GPU Memory: 1 CPU: 4 RAM: 4 CPU Speed: 3696 Threading: 3
Adjusted CPU: 4528 RAM: 65460 Adjusted RAM: 64948 Cores: 6
=== Graphics device info ===
Number: 0
Name (driver): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080
Name (database): NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 [Found: 0, Matched: 0]
Vendor: NVIDIA
Chipset: Vendor: 10de, Device: 1b80, Board: 85aa1043, Chipset: 00a1
Driver: nvldumd.dll, Version: 27.21.14.6109, GUID: D7B71E3E-58C0-11CF-2E64-A4A51BC2D635
Driver version: 6109
Monitor: \\.\DISPLAY1
Texture memory: 32MB <<OVERRIDE>>
Vertex program: 3.0
Pixel program: 3.0
Hardware TnL: 1

Yes, I was surprised with what happened, so I went one asking, "was there any structural changing on Origin, TS3 and its EP's and SPs, or anything like this..?", before this crash manifesting, I've never had a problem like this, TS3 has always had a historic of breakings, but I've always managed to, whenever was necessary, reinstalling them (as I've learned, in the launching order, as it was in sims2 and in sims3 after so many bugs happened when it was launched, but the patch 1.69 did have solved those), and after, reinserting my custom content in EletronicArts folder and it was all fine. A couple days ago, Origin said it needed an update, just as Microsoft and Nvidia also said it arround the same day, and I've made the required updates. Origin said this wouldn't mess with the installed games, I said "ok", Microsoft said this wouldnt mess with my apps and programs installed. NVidia didn't say my installed games would be reset to their defaults in each new update: after this, I didn't get to run anymore, this message started popping up. And a blackscreen instead my desktop. And then, the reinstalling process - I've made a clean win10 install, and a ts3 clean install, I do have in my desktop my backup of it, do you think so it may be trying to read these files too and messing things up? also, may the hkey_local_machine may have kept anything from the previous installing ? once windows passed through a reinstalling process, might it have kept the previous hkeys or something like this? Also, you said you runned it through Steam instead Origin, is it better, more stable..? Is it possible switching to Steam? or something like this, I really am considering this.
One more strange thing I've found, at the DeviceConfig.log you've said: Ea it's treating my Win10 as if it were a Win8 6.2.9200. One of the questions it's if EA changed the structure of the packages, which runned in previous versions of .netframework to newer versions, to run in win10, a more recent platform, (I've seen many things like this with audio boards, drivers things and vst plugins 32/64,), because I've downloaded these versions 3days ago, the ones which were installed in my computer were from about 3 years ago. Yesterday windows updated the netframework for the 4.8 version, as well, I've installed windows before this installing, I haven't so much understanding on the issue,but it doesn't allow me to place the more previous versions of the netframework anymore, or at least, I don't know how to do it through the conventional way

Origin has changed/evolved over the years. The game hasn't. The last meaningful change to TS3 was Patch 1.66 release in Jan 2014. The 1.69 patch in late 2015 arranged for the required Origin tie-in and provided a new Launcher, but that was it. It doesn't matter that the operating system is misidentified as Win 8.something in some of the logs, we all get that. I think the crash logs are even worse, it's not really significant.

Graphics card updates no matter they come from will always wipe out the Game Options and set them to default. This has always been the case with TS3. Does the modification Date/Time of the DeviceConfig.log in the TS3 user game folder you are working with match the last time you launched the game? I don't think we've seen an answer to that question yet. Right-click, Properties on the file to see the Modification Date/Time. If it's stale, then you know you have a second TS3 user game folder someplace as we had been suspecting.

Win 10 already includes .NET 3.5 as part of the standard install, but it has to be activated. Do a toolbar or start menu find on Control Panel, then Programs and Features > Turn Windows Features on/off and see if .NET 3.5 (not 4.x, it's not going to hurt but the game wouldn't use that) is at least checked or partially checked off in the little square to its left. If it isn't, then it needs to be activated from there. That will take a while to run, then the system will require a reboot.

Steam delivers Patch 1.67 and its own installation of the game. It would also requires a repurchase of the base game and all EP/SPs as the disc/Origin versions do not convey a license to run the Steam version. When there were 80% off sales on TS3 at the Steam store that was great, but we haven't seen those sales for over a year and now it would typically be quite an expensive proposition to switch over. Still doable, though.

Is it possible?? I've got a 256GB Intel which could run dedicated, if it's possible.. how does one does this?



I don't know well how to localize myself in the problem that you've put, the problem in windows10 is that the camera settings - the mouse one - doesn't work if one's not in the fullscreen mode, this was horrible for me, but I thought so this fullscreen problem was only inside ts3, and not something with what's happening, I tried to turn it off, but it continues bypassing the manual command, even going through the C: directory to the right user folder. I'll still keep trying to see if it obeys and goes to the windowed mode.
I'll read the topic you've quoted

Is it this date/time? [uploaded img]



I've checked the .netframework, 3.5, its box was marked in black, I've clicked it, and now there's a checking signal instead, I've understood that it was off, and now it was turned on: so, I've rebooted, as instructed, and attempted to enter the game again. Still the same error message.



But would it solve..? I mean, can I do it all over again through Steam and taking Origin off of my computer..? you say that at Steam there isn't this kind of probem? Are 7years of terror with Origin, it was never different, I take more than 40min to login everyday, and this, after trying to more than 10times, something which I begin by morning and only indeed get to by night, and I get to used it for more than 2hours, as it crashes instantly, and I've accepted because I thought so there was something wrong with ts3 and that every ts3 user passed through this, for not having another way, things of this kind, I've seen many people complaining at the forums, along these years, this kind of things, problems not precisely equal to mine but, that they got the black screen about twice, and after the third one it finally got to login, and that it was like this, I've never understood why.. it's even funny talking about these things, you liking something and not being able to be another way.

Okay. Yes, that is the correct Modification time stamp so we have (I think) ruled out a second user game folder, assuming what you are showing us is really in your user Documents library and not in OneDrive or some other goofy place. One thing you can try is pull out or rename the current user game folder to let a new no content one spawn in its place and see if you can get the game started on that.

It sounds like you already had .NET 3.5 activated then, so that wasn't it. The dark square is meant to mean a partial checkbox. That kind of leaves us with the C++ theory if a new game folder at this point doesn't help. Let's give the post at AHQ some more time to see what they have to say. None of the helpers I know who can solve this (including one in particular) have posted anything on the board since yours, of course we're all in different time zones, have other things going on, etc.

I can't guarantee that Steam is going to be the cure-all. I switched because after over a year of Origin/1.69 on my end I got tired of the additional layer of startup delays, annoyances, and Origin periodically "forgetting" which packs I even had installed. It just wasn't any fun and added nothing helpful to the game for me, but it didn't at the time irreparably break everything either and I was very happy to have 1.67 back again. But the repurchase was affordable for me at the time, during one of the sales that don't seem to be happening anymore. The good news is that if you really do choose to invest in a Steam platform switch, you can get your money refunded for a day or two (I forget what the exact terms are) after purchase if it's just not going to work out, they revoke the licenses, no loss no gain except more time wasted if the problem is really system related and it persists.

I've read and tried the steps above, made the changing to the file, attempted to enter the game again, and still, the same
I'll follow trying, meanwhile
thanks

Hi, igazor, thanks for your time,
I've imagined the thing would be complicated, really.. I'll stand by the EAforum, yes, see if any idea comes up
An interesting thing that's also happening is that it's almost a fight to press the play: even though I'm quicker than the button and pressing it, it disappears, if I'm not faster to hit it, as if it were seeking for an initialization file and were seeking for a priority, and not finding it in three attempts, it gives the error as if it hadn't found what it wanted to, something necessary to follow a sequence, I mean, it's a logic error, as if the "play" weren't working, in that which would unchain the loader of something.
Another thing is that I'm doing these tests but I'm not cleaning registry neither the cashes, usually I run norton utilities and do all that protocol of bin and files, etc., but atm I'm just running the tests, but I don't know if this would work on something for this kind of problem, in this kind of error, it's funny this, I click the game button as admin, manually from the C: directory, and it opens and closes in less then 2seconds, and does this always in 3 times, in the same sequence, and in the third time it enters, I press play and it gives the error after the black screen and that mouse pointer running in circles.. .

yes, it's strange, I didn't understand the content of this loadoption.ini, I've uploaded a pict.of it, what is that? I think so the problem may be there, too..

I believe that's a Patch 1.69 thing that is supposed to (but doesn't always) keep track of which packs to load on startup. Those of us not on 1.69/Origin wouldn't have it.

hi, nitro,
yes, I've done this, I got to switch to windowed mode, but still same error. I press the play, then as quick as the black screen appears, I've pressed the command key and it stayed in windowed mode, but it crashed to desktop again, didn't go further =/ and yes, the same error message of service initialization failure

Yes, it does, the patch 1.69 had worked normally, until this problem manifesting, it was just launching TS3W manually through the C: directory, and it used to load all properly.. .
Igazor, could you ask me a question..? on level of sequential structure of the software, what happens when I press play (from the launcher window)? what does it means this play, which's the sequence of the launcher? will it go look for some .ini file, kind of 'priorities'..? the sensation that I've got is that it is not findining the place where should be a "boot", something of this kind, which would indicate a driver or something to be executed: it tries this for three times, in the options it has to search, when I try to execute the program, and not finding it, it makes the error screen: it's always the same sequence, I have to press play three times, and none of them works.
Also, I went to check on my hkey_local_machine (i've uploaded a pict. of how's the tree there), and I've seen that in the OriginGames folder there're 4 TS3 base game registries, is it correct..? I didn't understand why 4 parts of the base game, for 1 installing. When the game it's installed properly, it stays like this? I haven't payed much attention to this before, so I went to check on and I thought this could be a cause of the problem