Sims 2: Failed to find any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapters

Okay so my problem is, I am trying desperately to play sims 2, I do not have internet at home and I have just about NOTHING to do, so I bought Sims 2 and it keeps telling me that "Failed to find any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapters in this system! Please make sure you have a DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapter and have installed the latest drivers provided by the manufacturer. The application will now terminate." I have Downloaded and installed DirectX 9.0 c a few times now, and I still get this message. ( I am at my mothers with my tower, trying to fix this!)

These are my specs.
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.120830-0333)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: HPE-300z
BIOS: BIOS Date: 05/21/10 17:45:13 Ver: 6.04
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 945 Processor (4 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6136MB RAM
Page File: 2668MB used, 9601MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode


If someone could please help me I'd appreciate it very much I can me e-mailed at [email removed for safety].
 
Do you have a graphics card or are you using integrated graphics?

Go to the start menu and type dxdiag in to your search box, press enter.

In the "directx diagnostic" window that pops up, click the save all information button at the bottom, save the text file, and copy and paste it here please.
 
You may have to use the drivers provided directly from HP. I've seen this happen when you use drivers from AMD instead of the manufacturer.
 
Same problem, have gone to much further extents.. if anyone can help I would GREATLY appreciate it. Here is what I have posted in other forums (where no one has been able to figure it out)

[FONT=verdana]Error message: Failed to find any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapters in this system!Please make sure you have a direct X9.0c compatible graphics adapter and have installed the latest drivers provided by the manufacturer. The application will now terminate.[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]I have an AMD Radeon(TM) HD 6480g graphics adapter, a dual core processor, all my drivers are up to date and in the directX diagnostic tool, all components are ENABLED. I've scoured the internet for forums on this for weeks now and have come to no possible solutions. I have updated drivers, cleaned up registry and I've reinstalled the game, tried 3 different copies of the game. I have also tried running the game in several different compatibility modes, minimized windows and running as administrator. I uninstalled my graphics drivers and reinstalled them via the most updated versions from hp's site instead of AMD. Adjusting hardware acceleration is not an option per the manufacturer of the graphics adapter. I've even tried (with great risk) creating a system backup, uninstalling registry entries for directx11 and installing directx9.0c. This did nothing so I did a system restore. [/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]I have posted this on SEVERAL tech forums and nobody can find out what's going on as my computer is very capable of running this game. However I have yet to post something on a forum where people are familiar with this game. Any ideas?? [/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]A few system specs:[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]RAM: 3.6GB[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]Processor: AMD A4-3305M APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics Dual Core 2.0GHZ[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]Graphics Adaptor: AMD Radeon(TM) HD 6480G video ram (2GB)[/FONT]

[FONT=verdana]DirectX Version 11.0[/FONT]
 
BritannyB and svpewing Try installing the latest DX version: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35
svpewing Dont touch the registry, it could cause big problems. Also, if you have a VAIO, Toshiba, or Panasonic laptop, dont proceed because they do not allow 3rd party drivers.
1. Create a system restore point: http://windows.microsoft.com/is-is/windows7/create-a-restore-point
2. Uninstall your old drivers with this tool:
http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/catalyst-uninstall-utility.aspx
3. Install new drivers from this page:
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Pages/radeonmob_win7-64.aspx
 
Okay so my problem is, I am trying desperately to play sims 2, I do not have internet at home and I have just about NOTHING to do, so I bought Sims 2 and it keeps telling me that "Failed to find any DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapters in this system! Please make sure you have a DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics adapter and have installed the latest drivers provided by the manufacturer. The application will now terminate." I have Downloaded and installed DirectX 9.0 c a few times now, and I still get this message. ( I am at my mothers with my tower, trying to fix this!)

These are my specs.
Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.120830-0333)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: HPE-300z
BIOS: BIOS Date: 05/21/10 17:45:13 Ver: 6.04
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 945 Processor (4 CPUs), ~3.0GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6136MB RAM
Page File: 2668MB used, 9601MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 64bit Unicode


If someone could please help me I'd appreciate it very much I can me e-mailed at [email removed for safety].

HPE-300z HP-US driver support page:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...en&cc=us&dlc=en&sw_lang=&product=4242506#N196

AMD Unified Graphics Driver Update
2012-11-15 , Version:8.892.1.1000, 120.69M

This package provides the driver update for the AMD/ATI Radeon HD graphics solutions in supported models that are running a supported operating system.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...&dlc=en&lc=en&os=4063&product=4242506&sw_lang=

directx 9 installer:
directx_Jun2010_redist.exe 95.6 MB
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109

reinstall directx 9, only missing directx 9 components will be installed/updated.
directx 10/11 will not be changed.
 
JC713, when troubleshooting game-related problems, I never assume that the poster has the latest drivers unless the he has stated his current driver version verified against what the OEM/AMD has.
there is no harm done if the OP would re-check his driver version again at hp's web site or to auto-detect hardware against hp hardware database.
 
JC713, when troubleshooting game-related problems, I never assume that the poster has the latest drivers unless the he has stated his current driver version verified against what the OEM/AMD has.
there is no harm done if the OP would re-check his driver version again at hp's web site or to auto-detect hardware against hp hardware database.
Yeah, but he already has the latest 13.1 drivers, they are much better than OEM drivers.
Edit: He should still double check as you said.
 
Yes I double checked and I do have the most current drivers. I got a tip from another forum I posted on today and someone said something about the game might not run on a graphics adapter that is set for shared ram. In the settings of my graphics adapter the video RAM is showing a value of 0. I'm wondering if there is a setting in BIOS to change this.

To be a little more specific here, this is what someone else had said in reply to my issue: "[FONT=Segoe UI]Would there be a setting in BIOS on your machine for selecting the amount of RAM to be used by[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]the graphics ? While the [/FONT][FONT=Segoe UI]HD 6480G is supposed to be a dedicated graphics card it has no VRAM
(Video RAM), so if the BIOS is set to only allow 64-128MB shared system RAM then the game may not run.

It is also possible that The Sims2 will fail to run on a graphics option that uses 'shared' RAM as the
game may look for a specific minimum of VRAM."
[/FONT]
 
I think for shared memory, the video ram is automatically allotted whenever needed.
if a user wants to allot a fixed amount of video ram, some bios settings need to be changed.
for shared intel graphics ram (not your system), it is under intel DVMT.
I don't know the equivalent for amd.

from http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6480G.55685.0.html
AMD Radeon HD 6480G
The AMD Radeon HD 6480G is an integrated processor graphics card for entry level laptops. It is integrated in the lower mid-range Llano APUs (A4 Series, e.g. A4-3300M) and offers 240 of the 400 shader cores clocked at 400MHz. It offers no dedicated graphics memory (shared memory graphics card) and is therefore slower than similar Radeon HD 6000M cards.
An exception is the HD 6480G in the AMD A4-3305G where it only features 160 Shader but a higher core clock of 593 MHz. However, we expect this version to be slower than the 240 shader versions.
The new UVD3 video decoder supports the decoding of MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, VC-1, MPEG-2, Flash and now also Multi-View Codec (MVC) and MPEG-4 part 2 (DivX, xVid) HD videos on the graphics card.
The performance of the Radeon 6480G should be in the entry level class of dedicated graphics cards. According to a benchmark by AMD, the 6480G positions itself between the HD 6370M and the HD 6470M. In our gaming benchmarks, the HD 6480G is only on the level of a slow Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics card. Therefore, modern games like Anno 2070 are playable only in minimum detail settings and low resolutions. Some demanding games like Battlefield 3 wont be playable at all.

this is found in ea knowledge base: https://help.ea.com/article/RN1274

The minimum system requirements for The Sims 2 Deluxe, and The Sims 2 Nightlife can be found below:
Note: If you have purchased The Sims 2 Nightlife separately you must have The Sims 2 base game in order to install.
•Windows XP, ME, 98, or 2000 operating system.
•1000 MHz (1 GHz) or faster processor.
•256 MB or more RAM.
•At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space.
•Supported T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM.
Supported Video Cards:
•ATI Radeon 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500, 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800, X300, X600, X700, X800, and X850.
•NVIDIA GeForce 2, 2 GTS, 3, 3 Ti, 4, 4 Ti, 4200, 4600, and 4800.
•NVIDIA GeForce MX 420, 440, and 460.
•NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 55500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, and 5950.
•NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300, and 5900.
•NVIDIA GeForce 6200, 6600, and 6800.
•NVIDIA Quadro, Quadro2, and Quadro4.
If you have a 2.4 GHz or faster processor, the game may run with the following video cards:
•Intel Extreme Graphics 82865, 82915, and higher
 
So basically you just gave me info about my graphics card, game requirements, and said that I might need to change settings in BIOS. How was this helpful? I am aware that I need to do this, the complication lies within the procedure of doing so.

By pressing the BIOS key on my system (F10) I only get these options. Security passwords, hard drive/memory tests, system config : language, svp support, fan, action keys and boot opions (all just enable or disable). That is all. I cannot edit anything. Either I'm an ***** and I'm in the wrong area, or the system is completely unable to be altered.
 
I dont see why the game cant run, It is able to run on a 82865 Intel controller, in which I have in my old PC which contains a Celeron D (very old CPU). I am guessing they may not support modern graphics card. Try this (Courtesy of Microsoft, http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/make-older-programs-run-in-this-version-of-windows):

[FONT=Segoe UI]To change compatibility settings manually for a program, right-click the icon for the program, click Properties, and then click the Compatibility tab.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Setting Description[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Compatibility mode [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Runs the program using settings from a previous version ofWindows. Try this setting if you know the program is designed for (or worked in) a specific previous version ofWindows.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Run in 256 colors [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Uses a limited set of colors in the program. Some older programs are designed to use fewer colors.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Run in 640 × 480 screen resolution [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Runs the program in a smaller-sized window. Try this setting if the graphical user interface appears jagged or is rendered improperly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Disable visual themes [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Disables themes on the program. Try this setting if you notice problems with the menus or buttons on the title bar of the program.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Disable desktop composition [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Turns off transparency and other advanced display features. Choose this setting if window movement appears erratic or you notice other display problems.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Disable display scaling on high DPI settings [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Turns off automatic resizing of programs if large-scale font size is in use. Try this setting if large-scale fonts are interfering with the appearance of the program. For more information, see Make the text on your screen larger or smaller and Ways to improve display quality.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Privilege level [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Runs the program as an administrator. Some programs require administrator privileges to run properly. If you are not currently logged on as an administrator, this option is not available.[/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Show settings for all users [/FONT]
[FONT=Segoe UI]Lets you choose settings that will apply to all users on this computer.[/FONT]

[FONT=Segoe UI][FONT=Segoe UI][FONT=Segoe UI]I would try the first 3, especially the compatibility mode option (set it to Windows XP).[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
 
I have tried adjusting compatibility settings, adjusting screen resolutions and all that. Nothing is working. I did however (not sure if it will change anything) just find out that my version of BIOS needed an update. So I've updated, went into BIOS again after reboot, and there is still no "advanced" tab to locate any info on shared ram. Maybe this is just because HP doesn't want people screwing around with this stuff?
 
I have tried adjusting compatibility settings, adjusting screen resolutions and all that. Nothing is working. I did however (not sure if it will change anything) just find out that my version of BIOS needed an update. So I've updated, went into BIOS again after reboot, and there is still no "advanced" tab to locate any info on shared ram. Maybe this is just because HP doesn't want people screwing around with this stuff?
Probably, I have nothing for you then man. Good luck.
 
Okay I have no idea what the issue is, but after "googling" the issue, it seems like it's pretty widespread.

I found a forum thread that specifically addresses this issue.

h**p://www.leefish.nl/mybb/showthread.php?tid=3666

also found another post from another forum that someone seems to have simplified the steps:

the original poster was named: "The J man".
Post: h**p://forum.parallels.com/showthread.php?210407-Sims-2-Graphics-Issues

"
icon1.png
here's how I made it work

Pardon me if this has already been posted somewhere. I've searched and googled, binged and alta vista'd for days and ended up working out most of it by trial and error


Do this under Windows

1st you have to find the right file to edit. Depending on how many packs you have you'll have a bunch of files called "Graphics Rules.sgr". The one to use is under the folder corresponding to the CD/DVD you use to run Sims2 (Apartment Life perhaps?) Under C:\Program Files\EA Games\.... I think. It could be under C:\Program Files (x86)\EA Games\... if you're running 64 bit Windows.

Copy the Graphics Rules.sgr (save it in case you break it)
just click on the file and Control-C Control-V to create Copy of Graphics Rules.sgr

Edit Graphics Rules.sgr using Notepad

find this section
Code:
#############################################################################
#
# Determine if gfx device is supported, force software rendering if not
#
scroll down past all the if (match and elseif (match statements looking at various card vendors

look for

Code:
else
# unsupported/unknown vendor
setb useSoftwareRasterizer true
replace it with

Code:
elseif (not match("${cardName}", "Parallels *"))
# unsupported/unknown vendor
setb useSoftwareRasterizer true

Almost there ... this kinda works but I found Sims/Parallels was a bit of a memory pig (to the point of freezing my macbook). Turns out Parallels is reporting some 900mb+ of textureMemory. More than we need. More than is healthy. Certainly with only 4GB of RAM

So search for
Code:
#############################################################################
#
# Apply gfx device specific workarounds
scroll down to here
Code:
endif

intProp deviceLocalVideoMemorySizeDefault ($textureMemory * 1024 * 1024)
and change it to

Code:
elseif (match("${cardName}", "Parallels *"))
if ($textureMemory > 128)
seti textureMemory 128
endif
endif

intProp deviceLocalVideoMemorySizeDefault ($textureMemory * 1024 * 1024)

almost done

now to get sims to use the full screen width

find
Code:
#############################################################################
#
# UI Options
scroll down to

Code:
option ScreenModeResolution

and change the medium and high settings to something like
Code:
setting $Medium
uintProp maxResWidth 1280
uintProp maxResHeight 800
uintProp defaultResWidth 1152
uintProp defaultResHeight 720

setting $High
uintProp maxResWidth 1280
uintProp maxResHeight 800
uintProp defaultResWidth 1152
uintProp defaultResHeight 720

good luck to you and all who sail in you
"
Hope this helps you guys...
 
Hi everyone reading this,

I had faced this problem too and it seems to be related to saving modified (fullHD fix) GraphicsRules.sgr of the last installed EP with UTF-8 encoding instead of ANSI.

I haven't done any other changes to that file except for allowing maximum resolution to be 1920x1080px.

If this solution will work for anybody here, please feel free to post it elsewhere so the others can play this game again too if they wish that.

PS: This fix is working on integrated Intel GPU (HD530) as well as on discrete nVidia GPU (GTX 970M), there is no need for windowed mode or anything like that; OS Windows 7 x64 SP1.
 
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