I keep getting this error message: "The ati2dvag display driver has stopped working normally. Save your work and reboot the system to restore full display functionality. The next time you reboot the machine a dialog will be displayed giving you a chance to upload data about this failure to Microsoft." I just started having these problems last night after updating my graphic card driver from the Dell website. I previously had the 2003 version, but I installed The Sims 3 and it would not run with that old driver so I updated to the one available from Dell but it is from 2005. Everything else runs fine but when I try to run the game, it runs for about 15 minutes and then the screen blinks and goes to 16 colors and the error message pops up and I have to restart. I am running a Dell Inspiron 8600 with an ATI Radeon 9600 Turbo Pro graphic card. I will post any other information as asked. I am currently on my mini laptop so I can do whatever needs to be done with the laptop mentioned. Thanks for your help

... was it running fine before the update? ... will it not uninstall from control panel "add remove programs" reboot.... then after reverting back to (Driver Download) your old driver, should'nt that be ok? Grrrr "...pentathol makes you sing like a canary" http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/... ... got brain freeze

Issue is resolved, I had to totally remove all ATI utilities using the remover tool, then I downloaded the new catalyst but used the mobility modding tool to make them compatible with my laptop. Apparently the problem is that Dell no longer provides upgrades for my graphics card but won't allow upgrades directly from ATI, that's why I had to use the modding tool, thanks for the reply tho, game is working fine now :) this can be marked as solved

I installed the sims 3 last night and have had the same exact problem, and am getting a little irritated because I don't know what to do! JRobi31- glad to hear you've resolved the issue on your computer. I didn't really understand from your reply though how to resolve it myself. I don't know what a modding tool is or what the new catalyst is?? !! All I understood was to remove anything ATI related. Does that mean I don't need a new or better graphics card? I can remove it and reinstall it? Or would a new graphics card be best? My current graphics card is the radeon x600 256MB hypermemory. Please help if you know what I can do!!!

Hi Cel85 Sorry to hear you're having that same issue, I'm not an expert by far, but since I was running a Dell, I found out that the drivers for my laptop were no longer supported. I then found that ATI indeed had new drivers but they had to be modded for my laptop using the mobility modding tool found here: http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool... I'm not sure what system you are running but you will probably do better posting a seperate post from mine since I stated that it was resolved last night...they may not be checking it anymore. You can also try to get help for your specific graphic card in the driverheaven forums...not to take anything away from Computing.net because they are awesome and helping me with another issue currently with my other laptop, however, there is a specific forum for ati radeon graphics card and you may get help with your specific problem from people with more expertise... http://www.driverheaven.net/ati-rad... So I suggest either making a seperate thread here so that the experts here can help or there...hope it works out for you :) I am now suffering from the 20 minute crash that tons of people are having, but I do believe that has more to do with the game than our systems. Good luck!

JRobi31 Thank you for your prompt reply! It sounds like your problem is occurring on a laptop, whereas mine is a desktop - Dell XPS 400. I'm not sure if there is a difference or if it can be fixed in the same way. Thank you for the website suggestions to view, I will have a look at those and post a seperate thread. Maybe mine is the 20 minute crash too? Or does it not come up with the same message as the "ati2dvag display driver has stopped working normally" etc etc. The first time the I got that message and the game crashed was when I was in the create a sim mode, it happened twice there... Then it happened about 3 more times when I was actually playing the family. I wasnt timing, but it could be every 20 minutes. I wonder what will fix that crash? I hope you're enjoying the game anyhow - I love the sims!!

The 20 minute crash is different, I no longer get that error message since I fixed my drivers, the 20 minute crash is when you can play anywhere from 10-20 minutes and then the game just crashes to the desktop and you have to start it over, it's really frustrating. I hope you figure out how to fix your computer so that you can enjoy the game too, if only for 20 minutes at a time :) at the same time, you may be one of the lucky one's who don't have the crash symptom after fixing your drivers, good luck again :)