What did I do wrong?

[Midnight12]

Trying to install sims 2 to the laptop. Its a Toshiba 140 GB with windows vista basic home edition. can't recall the rest but the video card and other requirements are more than up to snuff.
(I get GB and MB mixed up so forgive me)

I have sims 2 versions all the way up to seasons. and the last time I checked it left me with 100 of 140 GB. Everything was working fine and all until I go in and try to make my own sims 2 person. It freezes. Ok I hold down the power button reboot, check and make sure nothing was lost or worse. Restart and try again....two more times. The same thing. I can go in and play other premade sims, and edit lots but it gives me trouble with making my own. When I say freezes I mean I can move the mouse arrow but nothing else, the background music keeps playing but nothing else goes. I sit and waited about ten minutes each time thinking maybe it hit a loading issue.

SO I figure uninstall it all and redo it. This time a week later I uninstaill, restart, add each expansion one at a time, restart after finishing it and go on to the next one.
Currently trying to install sims 2 seasons and now its freezing during install. (Same thing I can move the mouse, but there is nothing else running in the background that I know of.) I don't believe I have a virus, thought maybe if I defrag or run system check it might help. Can't find either as i'm still learning the nooks and crannies left of vista.
What am I doing wrong? Or have I hit some secret preset limit. The laptop still works I just want my sims 2 to preoccupy my time when I HAVE to be on bed rest until baby is due.

(i've read all the books in the house already.)

[Broomjockey]

Try not installing Seasons. The entire Sims series is famous for just screwing up computers. Sometimes it's crappy programming, sometimes it's the DRM.

[Midnight12]

EDITED first post its Gigabites GM not Mega. DOH. went in and uninstalled pets for the heck of it since. real life pets are great (has cat and 2 dogs) but not so much with sims 2. seasons now works. and it has its pauses now and then but runs fine.

Now I fear I cannot complete my sims 2 collection. and must replace the sims 3 cd as it was....gouged

[casey13]

You've updated video drivers, right? I had problems with the Sims 2 till I updated them.

[Midnight12]

You've updated video drivers, right? I had problems with the Sims 2 till I updated them.

yes. i just can't think of the name at the moment. its about five months old still in great condition. hell when purchasing i had the sims 3 box in my hand to make sure the comp video card met or exceeded the requirements

[Broomjockey]

yes. i just can't think of the name at the moment. its about five months old still in great condition.

Video card drivers are updated monthly, depending on the manufacturer. It gives tweaks on how the video card processes the data being fed to it by the game.

[Midnight12]

Video card drivers are updated monthly, depending on the manufacturer. It gives tweaks on how the video card processes the data being fed to it by the game.

DOH. one thing i did not know

[casey13]

Don't go with what Microsoft tells you about your drivers and go to the manufacture's site. Usually Microsoft likes to tell me things are up to date when they aren't.

[Midnight12]

thankies casey13 and BroomJockey. will do. I dislike admitting it but now that I have alot of free time now I'll get on it. Doc orders to stay in bed as much as possible.

[MadMike]

Don't go with what Microsoft tells you about your drivers and go to the manufacture's site. Usually Microsoft likes to tell me things are up to date when they aren't.

Not only that, but they can be unreliable, sometimes even making things worse. I let Windows Update install a new video driver once, and afterwards everything ran all choppy. I had to remove the driver, and then reinstall it from the manufacturer's site.

A few years later, apparently not learning my lesson, I let it update the wireless network driver on one of the wireless machine. Not only did it kill my internet connection, but it wouldn't let me remove the driver either. The only way I could fix it was to roll back to a previous restore point.

Microsoft usually does OK updating their own stuff, but they seriously need to stay out of everyone else's.

[ApolloSZ]

The other one is to check for any new patches for the sims games, incae this is a known fault.
I'll ask my flatmate if she's had any issues, shes a sims fan too.