Visuals Not Working But Game Running

[kdanigreen2001]

I uninstalled one of my expansion packs after noticing that the game was running slower after I had installed it and I had already wanted to install another expansion pack. When I uninstalled the one and then added the other, I attempted to run the game to hear the music and everything going on but the actual visuals are not showing. There is nothing on the screen.

I must have uninstalled something by accident but I'm not sure what I did. I uninstalled all the games and when I installed the base Sims 3 again, it does the same thing. 

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@kdanigreen2001  Please try forcing the game to launch in windowed mode.  Go into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3, open options.ini, search for fullscreen , and set it to 0 (zero).  If this works, you can go back to fullscreen at the Main Menu, but at the same time, set the in-game resolution to 1920x1080, the resolution of your laptop's screen.

If this doesn't help, please try playing in a clean boot:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-...

If you play through the EA App, leave the EABackgroundService enabled; the App needs it in order to run.  Disable everything else.  And after you reboot, go through the Task Manager's background services list shutting down everything that doesn't absolutely need to be running, for example Asus may have installed ArmouryCrate or some other unnecessary software that's also still active in a clean boot.  If you accidentally kill a critical process and it doesn't restart on its own, just reboot your computer again.

[puzzlezaddict]

@kdanigreen2001  While uninstalling, did you remove the Sims 3 folder from Documents > Electronic Arts as well?  This is the user folder and is separate from the game's program files; the user folder doesn't always get deleted during the uninstall process.  Even if you're not sure whether this folder is new, please move it to the desktop and try again to play.

If that doesn't help, please run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

https://help.ea.com/en/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

[thesims1depot]

Hopefully, we'll get to the bottom of this, but just know in the meantime that if you're patched to 1.69, you don't have to uninstall an EP that is giving you issues. You can just disable it at launch.

This thread at the Sims forum suggests deleting the Options.ini file, which will regenerate upon launch. Some discovered that this issue may be caused by an unsupported resolution:

https://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/799639/sims-3-launches-with-sound-but-no-picture

[kdanigreen2001]

Hi there

Thank you for the help. I tried to do these but no luck. I am going to try access support from EA. 

[kdanigreen2001]

Hi there

Thank you for the help. I tried doing some of the solutions via the link but unfortunately it didn't work. I'm also on PC rather than Mac. 

[puzzlezaddict]

@kdanigreen2001  I'd still like to see a dxdiag.  You can attach one to a post in this thread.

[kdanigreen2001]

Brilliant thank you!!

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@kdanigreen2001  Please try forcing the game to launch in windowed mode.  Go into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3, open options.ini, search for fullscreen , and set it to 0 (zero).  If this works, you can go back to fullscreen at the Main Menu, but at the same time, set the in-game resolution to 1920x1080, the resolution of your laptop's screen.

If this doesn't help, please try playing in a clean boot:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows-da2f9573-6eec-00ad-...

If you play through the EA App, leave the EABackgroundService enabled; the App needs it in order to run.  Disable everything else.  And after you reboot, go through the Task Manager's background services list shutting down everything that doesn't absolutely need to be running, for example Asus may have installed ArmouryCrate or some other unnecessary software that's also still active in a clean boot.  If you accidentally kill a critical process and it doesn't restart on its own, just reboot your computer again.