Computer advice - The Sims 3

[gptech]

Another Volsnap error ID 33. on Drive C. I have no restore points and my computer did one today for a Windows Update. Does this mean my Drive is faulty.
Now a Cap 12 ID 4107 something about a Certificate. There was a Download Link and I used it but have no idea where to put the Certificate.
Help.
Kind regards James.

Did you run.....

Volsnap error... out of my depth here but check to see what space is being allocated.
Click Start, type cmd and right-click on cmd.exe and choose Run as Administrator
In the pop-up window type 'vssadmin list shadowstorage' (without the little quotes) and press enter.

Mine reads used 2.942GB (0%), allocated 3.381GB (1%), max 10GB (3%)

If used is very close to allocated then it may need adjusting - but don't change anything.

Type 'exit' to get out of the cmd window.

?

Have a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2328240 for your new error, if that matches don't do anything other than report back!!

Windows 7 is fully up to date

Mmmmm.... but are all the updates you've installed relevant to your system?---there are many instances of Windows updates 'breaking' things, the kind of thing that gets everybody here in a tizz when a RW update causes a problem or two, but too many just apply Windows updates (which are totally optional, you can turn auto-updating off) whether they're needed or not.

EDIT: One important thing to understand, in Microsoft speak 'error' doesn't always mean 'problem', for example:

"I received an Error Code 206 when I was trying to save a file in a music editing program. After looking it up, I found out that it meant that the file name I was trying to save my music file as was too long. 400 characters probably was a bit long."

[Retro]

Thanks That matches the error. I have increased the percentage of the Drive used as Glowball suggested. I Have a copy of Acronis True Image Home and have made Backups. Could this Program cause Restore Points to vanish.
I hope it is not a faulty Disk Drive.
Kind regards James

[Retro]

Have applied the Microsoft Fix It Fix to the Cap 12 error.
Kind regards James.

[Retro]

Just to say that the Machine seems to have settled down now. The big difference is the lack of Red Circles in the Event Logs. My last Machine had at least 10 a day. I have everything running but The Sims 3. To gptech I can't move My Documents Folder onto the SSD because it has nearly 45 Gigs of Music and Video Files on it and there is not enough room for all that. I am in contact on a daily basis with EA Support but they have yet to come back with a solution that works.
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

I can't move My Documents Folder onto the SSD because it has nearly 45 Gigs of Music and Video Files on it and there is not enough room for all that.

Is windows on the SSD or just your games?

[Retro]

Just my Games and there is not enough room for anything else. I also have to look at future addons for TS 2012 and have space for those. The SSD is only 80 Gig. If I could get into the Sims and make it place the User Documents on the SSD this would only take up about 6 Gigs but nobody seems to have been able to do that.
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

Just my Games and there is not enough room for anything else. I also have to look at future addons for TS 2012 and have space for those. The SSD is only 80 Gig. If I could get into the Sims and make it place the User Documents on the SSD this would only take up about 6 Gigs but nobody seems to have been able to do that.
Kind regards James.

Thanks for clarifying that James.
Only thing I can think of, though it's a bit drastic, is to un-install Sims 3 and re-install, choosing the 'Custom' option (if it offers one). In theory this should allow you to define where data files are stored.


EDIT: you could also create new libraries for your 45GB of existing stuff on the bigger drive, and still move 'My Documents' to the SSD, creating a folder structure so that only the Sims stuff is actually stored on the SSD.

[Retro]

I have just discovered that the place The Sims 3 User Data is located is coded in. However by using something called NTFS symbolic link (symlink) it is possible to create just the Sims section of My Documents to another Disk. However I cannot understand the terminology and the instructions needed to do this.
gptech The Custom Installation option does not allow you to change the position of the User Data File.
Kind regards James.

[Retro]

Just a thought if it is possible to move the My Documents folder without the My Music and My Videos being moved. I think I may have been thinking about moving the entire User Folder. The My Documents Folder is only 8 Gig.
Kind regards James.

[Retro]

Just moved My Documents to the SSD and the program is still stuttering. This must be due to something I have on this new Machine which was not on the old one. The main Differences are the GPU GT120 to GTX 570. and the Pinnacle TV Card. The I7 is a more powerful and second generation to to the I7 920 on the old machine The MOBO is different The Main Hard drive is A WD Caviar Black instead of a cheap one and I have a new Monitor running at Full HD as opposed to the old one running at a lower resolution as it is a 16:10 as apposed to the new one at 16:9. Plus the SSD and Windows 7 as opposed to Vista. This has got me very puzzled. It would seem that the Program does not run on higher end Machines.
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

i don't have The Sims so I can only offer general advice. Your machine is more powerful than the old one, particularly in the graphics department but I doubt that the game can't be run on higher spec'd PCs.
Have you tried creating a custom profile for The Sims in the nVidia control panel?---even though it focuses on the in-game settings, http://www.neoseeker.com/Articles/Games ... nce/2.html might be of help.

[Retro]

Thanks for the link it is quite interesting. Now I know it is not a Hard Drive problem I can look in other directions.
Is anyone out there running the Sims 3 on a higher performance machine and is it working?
Kind regards James.

[gptech]

Found a few forum posts about graphical problems with The Sims, advice was to turn off Gamma Correction in the nVidia control panel.

[Retro]

Thanks will give that a try.
Kind regards James.

[Retro]

Gamma Correction is already off.
Kind regards James.