Sims 3 keeps crashing, help? [ Edited ]

[alxtl]

Okay so I have the Sims 3 base game and Late Night EP installed. I initially started the game with patch 1.0. No problems whatsoever, game ran perfectly. Then I patched to 1.36 and boom, I began having several problems. Display driver crashing, game suddenly freezing, bluescreening, etc...you get the picture. I got very annoyed  . So, naturally I looked online for solutions. I have tried just about everything to fix the problem:

• Patched to an earlier version of the game (freezes up once I start playing with a household) 
• Removed CC 
• Tweaked DEP settings 
• Turned vertical sync off 
• Lowered graphic settings 
• Patched to the latest version (DD crashing) 
• Updated display driver 
• Played in windowed mode 
• Reinstalled the entire game 

NOTHING helped! Still have the same issues. Please, I am actually begging, I've had this issue for months now and it seems like The Sims just doesn't seem to want to play on my laptop...which, by the way, does meet the minimum requirements for the game. So I don't know what the problem is, I'm desperate  Please suggest some other things I could try to fix the issue!  :mansad::mansad:

I'm running on a Dell Inspiron N5040, the laptop is ony about a year old...I have a good bit of CC but removing it didn't fix the issue. Here is my dxdiag:

------------------ 
System Information 
------------------ 

Time of this report: 8/4/2012, 15:54:52 
Machine name: ELLE 
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.120503-2030) 
Language: English (Regional Setting: English) 
System Manufacturer: Dell Inc. 
System Model: Inspiron N5040 
BIOS: BIOS Date: 09/23/09 11:58:43 Ver: 08.00.10 
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU P6200 @ 2.13GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.1GHz 
Memory: 3072MB RAM 
Available OS Memory: 2934MB RAM 
Page File: 2543MB used, 3324MB available 
Windows Dir: C:\windows 
DirectX Version: DirectX 11 
DX Setup Parameters: Not found 
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI 
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent) 
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled 
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode 

------------ 
DxDiag Notes 
------------ 
Display Tab 1: No problems found. 
Sound Tab 1: No problems found. 
Input Tab: No problems found. 

-------------------- 
DirectX Debug Levels 
-------------------- 
Direct3D: 0/4 (retail) 
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail) 
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail) 
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail) 
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail) 
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail) 
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail) 

--------------- 
Display Devices 
--------------- 
Card name: Intel(R) HD Graphics 
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation 
Chip type: Intel(R) HD Graphics (Pentium) 
DAC type: Internal 
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_0046&SUBSYS_05051028&REV_02 
Display Memory: 1275 MB 
Dedicated Memory: 64 MB 
Shared Memory: 1211 MB 
Current Mode: 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz) 
Monitor Name: Generic PnP Monitor 
Monitor Model: unknown 
Monitor Id: SEC5441 
Native Mode: 1366 x 768(p) (59.997Hz) 
Output Type: Internal 
Driver Name: igdumd64.dll,igd10umd64.dll,igdumdx32,igd10umd32 
Driver File Version: 8.15.0010.2342 (English) 
Driver Version: 8.15.10.2342 
DDI Version: 10 
Driver Model: WDDM 1.1 
Driver Attributes: Final Retail 
Driver Date/Size: 3/26/2011 03:17:46, 7473664 bytes 
WHQL Logo'd: Yes 
WHQL Date Stamp: 

[crinrict]

your graphic chip does not meet the minimum requirements. You should have 128 MB of dedicated memory where you only have 64 MB.

The patches add several new game play options since 1.0 so it is heavier on the resources.

Nevertheless you should be able to run the game on minimum settings if you don't have pets.

1. Does the crashing follow any patterns ?

2. Do you have the issue on new games as well as old ones ?

3. What town are we talking ?

4. What files did you add to DEP ?

5. Do you use the online features or do you play offline ?

6. What's the symptom of a display driver crash ? Not sure what you mean by this.

[alxtl]

I know it's not the best graphics chip but it should still run the game?
No, I don't have pets installed. I have lowered everything to low graphics settings, I'm basically running the game on minimum preferences.

1. The issue mainly occurs while I am playing a household, either during buy & build mode or after I close buy & build mode. Sometimes it may crash just randomly within the game. It can crash anywhere within 10 minutes of starting the game to several hours.

2. I've had the issue before I installed any EPs or CC, the issue only started occuring after patch 1.0

3. It crashes when I play Bridgeport or Sunset Valley. Those are the only towns I have installed.

4. I added TS3.exe and TS3EP03.exe files to the DEP.

5. I play offline.

6.The crash occurs as following: anywhere between 10 minutes to several hours of gameplay, the game freezes for a couple of seconds, the screen begins flashing black, then, unless I close the game, it crashes to my desktop saying 'Display driver crashed' and it tells me Intel Graphics Accelerator stopped responding. Sometimes if I don't close the game, it freezes for a couple of seconds, begins flashing, freezes for several minutes then my laptop begins making a weird noise and bluescreens then restarts. After that I get a pop up saying Windows has recovered from a serious error.

I am going to try and do a full reset to factory settings now and see if that will fix the issue. If that doesn't work then I'm just gonna give up because I have no idea what else I can do to prevent the crashing. 

[crinrict]

Add ts3w.exe to DEP. You won't have that file with patch 1.0 but you should have it with the LN patch and later.

As for the display driver crash, this sound more like a issue with the driver. Maybe even your laptop is overheating. This is getting into an area where I don't feel comfortable answering. I saw that you also posted this in the Sims 3 Forum. Why don't you add that extra info there and maybe someone of the more technical people there have an answer.