This is a guide on how to stop your Sims 2 game from crashing due to lack of memory or the 4gb patch not being properly applied. This is particularly helpful for Windows 10 users since there is currently a bug in a recent update but it also helped me, a Windows 7 user.


The video is step by step. However, you can skip it and go straight to the memory allocation fix. BUT, if you have not correctly applied the 4gb patch (Even if you think it is working it might not be!!!) then the memory allocation fix will not work so I suggest you just listen to the whole video.

This is thread for all discusion on these fixes. Please share tips and how they work for you. Here's to crash-free simming, everyone!

**IMPORTANT LINKS**

How I stopped my Sims 2 game from crashing. (My original post on the 4GB patch in 2011.)

The Windows 10 Update Bug and Fix (Many Thanks to /u/ marts_sum on Reddit.)

Fix for AMD RELIVE (If that is what is eating your standby memory.)

RAMMap (Microsoft)

The 4GB Patch (from NTCore)


**CREDITS**

I would not have found this fix without the kindness and help of gdayars. She dropped everything to come help me! Thank you so much!!

Also many thanks to Jo who told Gina about my crashing problems and started the whole ball rolling, Yeah, Jo!! *hug*

**LIVESIMMING**

We (my patrons and I) livesim every other Sunday. You are welcome to join us. Grab Your Mascot! This is Kettle Falls.

Update April 18, 2018:

If the 4GB patch is NOT applying right click on the .exe and turn off any comptability mode options you have on it. Thank you to @DudeRocks for the tip!

Quote: Originally posted by duderocks

Hi @TheJessaChannel, I tried your fix for the 4GB patch, and it turns out that simply disabling any and all compatibility settings will fix the issue. I had to move my M&G exe to TSBin to get SimPE to recognize M&G properly and I was able to utilize the 4GB once I reverted my compatibility settings to defaults. Conversely, enabling said settings + moving to CSBin disables the 4GB fix.

If your game is minimizing to the desktop everytime the standby memory is reset by the task you set up, make sure you have followed the directions in the reddit post exactly! Don't skip step 4!

Quote:

General Tab (give it a name). Under security options > Change user or group > Advanced > Find Now > go down and choose SYSTEM (important to make it run silently in the background). Tick 'Run with highest privileges' and 'Hidden' at the bottom. Pictures here https://stackoverflow.com/questions...-the-background

https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/...rs_on_creators/

Update April 23, 2018:

If you are have trouble applying the patch to your .exe, try a more flexible .exe found here: http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=7800

Good job Jessa. I found an alternative way to do this (with some friends on Sims forums) but this is wonderful. I'll add the patch as a safe keep just in case. Perhaps it'll help with the random pink-sim issue due to memory leakage.

Could you share the method you used? Also I had pink flashing too (posted a photo here) and that's stopped, too.

Pink flashing tends to be running out of graphics memory specifically, though I don't see why the 4GB patch wouldn't help with that.

I highly recommend the 4GB patch myself over CFF Explorer method - they both do the same thing (the patcher was made by the author of CFF Explorer!) and it's less clicks. I'd also say more idiotproof.

The Windows 10 update last november made my game all flashing pink, so I couldn't play anymore. And I allways played with the 4GB Patch and all the other good things. But a few days ago there was a new little Windows update which fixed something. The pink problem is completely gone now.

The 4GB patch also works on The Sims 2 Castaway Stories.

Any chance of a subtitled version or a transcript? My hearing's not quite good enough. :/

Does this apply to both the Ultimate Collection from Origin and the disk version of the game? I know some things work well for one version and not for the other so thought I might as well ask. Sounds like this could be a fantastic help for a lot of people! Thanks for the post Jessa

From what I've heard it works for both.

Excellent tutorial. Everything was pretty easy to understand.

I have UC and am in the process of trying this now. So far, moving my exe file has made the free memory listed in the log change from 1024 to 4096. So far, so good.

Just wanted to say thank you for this.
Had some pink flashing again this morning ... and of course went to re-research the problem and found this post.
The "RAMMap" and the "The Windows 10 Update Bug and Fix" was new to me and was extremely useful.

as a side note...
... almost half of my memory was set for standby at the time I discovered it existed! (on a Win10 system here).

I too stopped trying to do things with Sims2 (back in november) thinking I had borked something yet again...
... and as a Ultimate Collection user, it seems the Pink is gone. :D

Apparently my comp has enough memory...just a crappy graphics card. I've never had pink, even on the worst of machines. But this is great help, thanks Jessa!

I more confuse than ever, I have window 7 64 bit desktop I try to follow Jessa You Tube Channel for directions ( how to ) My last installed game was Seasons.
I don't know what Window System Jessa have, all I know her Sims files do not look like what I have when I go to Seasons TS Bin all I see there is a long screen of numbers and letters.
Plus I really don't know where this 4gb patch is to be place at or what files. My setup on my computer is not like Jessa

I do not go to documents as Jessa do, instead I have to go to Computer then open Window 7 C files once there I then scroll to Program Files (x86 ) from there to EA Games once open all my Sims games are there, since Season is my last installed game I then go to TS Bin all that is there is a long roll of numbers with letters,nothing there look like what Jessa is showing. So at this point I have not accomplish anything. But just being more confuse, nor do I have any idea exactly where this 4gb patch go.

I see what you are seeing. In that folder, look for a file called Sims2EP5.exe. Apply the 4gb patch to that. If you need to find it, type that name

Sims2EP5.exe

into the Search area at the top of the folder.

Would anyone be willing to summarize this textually?

I have noticed that since applying the Empty Standby List fix, my game is not crashing but it is randomly popping out of the game and back to the desktop. I can then click the toolbar icon to go back into the game, but it is annoying. I don't play in windowed mode. What should I do?

I only play in Windowed mode. Is anyone else experiencing this?

I have found the solution. It's in point 4 of the reddit tutorial linked in the original post. Thank you, Jessa for compiling the fixes

Okay, there is two options that I can think of. One is that you can just empty your standby memory from time to time yourself. But that means if you forget while playing you will crash when you run out of free memory. In RAMMap program I talked about and linked in the first post, in the menu it says EMPTY click that and in the drop down click Empty Standy List.

You could also try a program that will keep a window on top...I use one called 4t Tray Minimizer Free: http://www.4t-niagara.com/tray.html

Or you can playin windowed mode, which I know for some may not be desirable.

Edit: solution found!


Bolding is mine. Remember to read the directions **carefully**, everyone!

Hi @TheJessaChannel, I tried your fix for the 4GB patch, and it turns out that simply disabling any and all compatibility settings will fix the issue. I had to move my M&G exe to TSBin to get SimPE to recognize M&G properly and I was able to utilize the 4GB once I reverted my compatibility settings to defaults.

Conversely, enabling said settings + moving to CSBin disables the 4GB fix.

Thanks! Can I just ask how to use the 4t Tray Minimizer to keep my TS2 window always on top? I can't make sense of the instructions.

edit: Thanks for explaining the settings to use for the scheduled task. It makes sense now

You don't need to. Just follow this step in the reddit post, you skipped it:



https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/...rs_on_creators/

Thank you so much! It finally works, yay!