[Peptobismol165]

Hello!
I'm having some problems with my computer. I play games like the Sims 3 and A.V.A and I have been for a while. On my old computer they ran great. Got a new computer, ran even better! Then my graphics card died, so I bought a new one. I go to play my games...nothin'.
This is what happens:

(For the Sims 3) I hit "Game start" and the screen goes black. (It always did this. Even on my old computer) Then my desktop re-appears, but this time my background is grey. Everything works fine. I try it again... same thing happens.

SO whats wrong? I re-installed the game (3 times to be exact) and still the same problem!!! Like I said it's ALWAYS ran great! I even disable my Anti-virus, did a virus scan, googled help and still nothing!!! Help please!

If you need it here are my System specs. Its a custom build, so it doesn't have a model name:

-Core i3 processor 2.93 ghz
-NVIDIA Ge force 210
-ASUS P7P55 SuperComputer Motherboard
-1 Gb of DDR3 RAM
-300 Watt power supply
-360 Gb of SATA memory

By the way all basic things (like the Internet, Note Pad, Ect) work fine.

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-300 Watt power supply

It seems to me this may be a issue. Your PSU may not be powering the new video card correctly.
Try this and post the screenshot.
Download Speedfan (The download link is to the right), and install it. Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows.
The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.
To make sure we are getting all the correct information it would help us if you were to attach a screenshot like the one below of your Speedfan results.

To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard.

• It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
• Now go to Start and then to All Programs
• Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
• In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
• Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
• Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop
• Attach it to your next reply

[rshaffer61]

-300 Watt power supply

It seems to me this may be a issue. Your PSU may not be powering the new video card correctly.
Try this and post the screenshot.
Download Speedfan (The download link is to the right), and install it. Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows.
The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.
To make sure we are getting all the correct information it would help us if you were to attach a screenshot like the one below of your Speedfan results.

To do a screenshot please have click on your Print Screen on your keyboard.

• It is normally the key above your number pad between the F12 key and the Scroll Lock key
• Now go to Start and then to All Programs
• Scroll to Accessories and then click on Paint
• In the Empty White Area click and hold the CTRL key and then click the V
• Go to the File option at the top and click on Save as
• Save as file type JPEG and save it to your Desktop
• Attach it to your next reply

[Peptobismol165]

This is what I got:

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by Peptobismol165, 18 September 2010 - 10:24 AM.

[rshaffer61]

From Nvidia on your GPU:

Minimum Recommended System Power (W) 300 W

I believe this to be your problem. Under normal circumstances the video runs fine but when you stress it by playing games it's just not enough to handle everything.
I would suggest replacing it with something like a Corsair 500 like this one HERE
They cost a little more but have proven to be very reliable and being 80 Plus certified it doesn't use as much energy as other PSU's.

[Peptobismol165]

Thank for the help!

[Peptobismol165]

Thank for the help, but then why dosen't my game start up period?

[rshaffer61]

One of the following reasons
PSU not powering correctly
Video card not working correctly
PSU not connected to video card
Faulty video card.

[Peptobismol165]

So which of these two power supplies should I get. I know I want a 850 Watt, but I'm not sure which is better. Whats you opinion? (By the way I'm going to use SLI)

http://www.newegg.co...0-024-_-Product

or

http://www.newegg.co...Tpk=corsair 850

[rshaffer61]

I myself and partial to Corsair.
I've always had really good luck with.

[Peptobismol165]

Well I got a new power supply and a new graphics card. I got a Xion 850watt power supply and an ASUS Nvidia GTX 250 and it still doesn't work.
Do you have any idea whats wrong?

[rshaffer61]

OK time to roll up the sleeves and dive deeper into this.
Please do the following.
Push and hold the Windows key on keyboard. This is the one with the Microsft windows logo on it.
While holding Win key down click on the Pause\Break key

This should open the System properties window
On this window it will show

System info:

Microsoft Windows: type and version
Service Pack number

Registered Name
Register Number

Computer:
CPU type
Memory
I need all the above info in your next reply Except for Register name and number.
This is private and we don't need to know this information

Go to

Start and then to Run
Type in Chkdsk /r Note the space between k and /
Click Enter ...It will probably ask if you want to do this on the next reboot...click Y
If the window doesn't shutdown on its own then reboot the system manually. On reboot the system will start the chkdsk operation
This one will take longer then chkdsk /f

Note... there are 5 stages...
It may appear to hang at a certain percent for a hour or more or even back up and go over the same area...this is normal...
DO NOT SHUT YOUR COMPUTER DOWN WHILE CHKDSK IS RUNNING OR YOU CAN HAVE SEVERE PROBLEMS
This can take several hours to complete.
When completed it will boot the system back into windows.

Let me know if this fixes the problem

[Peptobismol165]

Didn't work.

[rshaffer61]

What didn't work?
I gave two different sets of instructions to do two different diagnostics.

[Peptobismol165]

Opps! Sorry here is my systems property stuff! The Chkdsk /r didn't help. I did it and i still have the same problem.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[rshaffer61]

OK again two different instructions I'm giving here.

• Please download the Event Viewer Tool by Vino Rosso VEW and save it to your Desktop:
• Double-click VEW.exe
• Under 'Select log to query', select (as appropriate):
  
  • Application
  • System
• Under 'Select type to list', select (as appropriate):
  
  • Error
  • Information
  • Warning

Then use the 'Date of events' or 'Number of events' as follows:

Either:

• Click the radio button for 'Number of events'
  Type 3 in the 1 to 20 box (or any number from 1 to 20)
  Then click the Run button.
  Notepad will open with the output log.
  
  
• Click the radio button for 'Date of events'
  In the From: boxes type today's date (presuming the crash happened today) 13 07 2009
  In the To: boxes type today's date (presuming the crash happened today) 13 07 2009
  Then click the Run button.
  Notepad will open with the output log.

Please post the Output log in your next reply





Go Start and then to Run ("Start Search" in Vista),
Type in: sfc /scannow
Click OK (Enter in Vista).
Have Windows CD/DVD handy.
If System File Checker (sfc) finds any errors, it may ask you for the CD/DVD.
If sfc does not find any errors in Windows XP, it will simply quit, without any message.
In Vista you will receive the following message: "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations".

For Vista users ONLY: Navigate to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS folder. You'll see CBS.log file.
Usually, it's pretty big file, so upload it to Flyupload, and post download link.


If you don't have Windows CD....
This applies mostly to Windows XP, since Vista rarely requires use of its DVD while running "sfc"
Note This method will not necessarily work as well, as when using Windows CD, because not always ALL system files are backed up on your hard drive. Also, backed up files may be corrupted as well.

Go Start and then Run
type in regedit and click OK


Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup

You will see various entries Values on the right hand side.

The one we want is called: SourcePath

It probably has an entry pointing to your CD-ROM drive, usually D and that is why it is asking for the XP CD.
All we need to do is change it to: C:
Now, double click the SourcePatch setting and a new box will pop up.
Change the drive letter from your CD drive to your root drive, usually C:
Close Registry Editor.

Now restart your computer and try sfc /scannow again!


Thanks to Broni for the instructions



Revised and Simplified:


Do you have a valid XP CD?

If so, place it in your CD ROM drive and follow the instructions below:

• Click on Start and select Run... type sfc /scannow (note the space) (Let this run undisturbed until the window with the blue progress bar goes away)

SFC - Which stands for System File Checker,
retrieves the correct version of the file from %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file.
If you want to see what was replaced, right-click My Computer and click on Manage. In the new window that appears, expand the Event Viewer (by clicking on the + symbol next to it) and then click on System.