Sims 3 minimizing after a few seconds of being open

[tamsinlee423]

I have all expansion packs for The Sims 3 and my game ran fine with all the packs for quite a few months. Before that, I've had my Sims game and various expansions since 2009 with little to no game play problems. For whatever reason, a few months ago my computer decided it should minimize my Sims 3 game before it could even get to the intro screen. I try to open my game from the Sims icon running in the task bar, the game opens for a couple seconds and then again minimizes to the task bar. It does this every time I try to get the game to open. I have Windows 7 and my computer is no more than 2 years old with a pretty decent graphics system & plenty of available memory space. I am not understanding why this is happening. I had a customer service representative help me out today with the same issue. The problem was temporarily fixed after I got off the phone with him, but started up again the second time I tried to open the game today. Advice and help, please!

[rumbutter · Accepted solution]

that can be left at 0 (zero ) the default  hope i explain this right right click the screen-resolution-advanced settings find the monitor tab that will have the refresh rate for example 60Hertz then the refresh rate is 60

edit typo

[rumbutter]

try make sure you quit the game first the right click the sims 3 base game icon run as admin and see if you can manually change the resoloution

close the game then go to the electronics arts/thesims 3 there is a file named options first make a back up copy of the options file the desktop will before doing this open that search for the resolution  that is in that file then find where it says resolution , resolution for example my  resolution = 1280 1024 60  (the 60 is my refresh rate ) where it says resolution type in your screen resolution and the refresh rate make sure to have the spaces too inbetween the letters etc then close the document it will ask you if you want to save the changes say yes (for good mesaure restart the computer ) launch your game and see how it is )

so for example if your screen resoloution is 980 860  and the refreshrate is 75 you need to do this  980 860 75

[tamsinlee423]

There isn't an options file in the Sims 3 folder. Dunno where else to look for the screen resolution :/

[rumbutter]

in the electronicsarts/thesims 3 scroll down a bit to find it

[tamsinlee423]

Ok! Thank you! I found the resolution both in the Sims 3 option folder and on my computer and had to change it on the game options. I however am not finding where the refresh rate is on my computer. From what you posted it looked like it should have been where I found my computer's resolution, but I am not seeing it anywhere! What do you suggest my next step should be?

[rumbutter · Accepted solution]

that can be left at 0 (zero ) the default  hope i explain this right right click the screen-resolution-advanced settings find the monitor tab that will have the refresh rate for example 60Hertz then the refresh rate is 60

edit typo

[tamsinlee423]

Thank you for your help! The game is now running perfectly & the new resolution settings are even better for the graphics since the resolution was apparently supposed to be higher than the game's original resoltuion! 

[rumbutter]

your very welcome happy to hear your game is playing and running perfectly for you