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The Sims 2 resolution problems – solved !
I recently bought a copy of The Sims 2 but when I installed it, I found it was stuck at a resolution of 800×600, and I couldn’t get it to run any higher. My laptop has a native resolution of 1024×768, so it would be much better to run the game at that level.
The EA Games support site didn’t have much useful information on it, I tried the command line options that allow you override the defaults, but it didn’t make a difference.
I tried another search in Google last night and found a suggestion on a discussion forum.
Find the file:
C:/Program Files/EA GAMES/The Sims 2/TSData/Res/Config/Graphics Rules.sgr
… and make a copy of it under a different name as a backup (something like Graphics Rules.sgr.bak)
Now edit the original file and find the section:
“option ScreenModeResolution”
You will see settings for Low, Medium, and High. Copy the medium settings and paste them over the low settings to allow the game to start at 1024×768 resolution or better.
Save and exit and then start the game to see if it works.
The game looks much better now at full resolution on my laptop !
sorry, but how do you
“edit the original file and find the section:
“option ScreenModeResolution—?
how did you “edit the original file and find the section:
“option ScreenModeResolution�
Brilliant! I’ve ben looking for this solution for weeks. Cheers!
Hello,
I want to thank very very much for you solution. I myself have been trying for more than a week searching for an answer to this question. Ea games doesn’t offer much help on their sites. I also made a call to Sims in the Netherlands, but they neither could help.
So once again I admire your skill in handling software problems.
bye,
Rob (ex desperate father of a Sims 2 fan daughter!)
Thank you for the brilliant solution. You’re a genious!
PS: to chiki:
You have to rename Graphics Rules.sgr to Graphics Rules.txt then you can open it in your notepad and do the edit.
Holy crap, you rock man. :D
I love you! Thanks so much!!!
Wow no comments for the entire 2005 year and then it picks up for 2006.
I wonder why it’s suddenly more popular again. My 12 year old daughter has gotten right into it over the last 8 months. She even reads the Sims2 fiction on the site. At least she’s reading.
Sim or anyone: does the greater resolution cause a performance hit? I’m running it on a P3 and it takes a long time to load depending on which expansion packs are loaded. Should I accidentally alt+tab then it crashes the machine.
chiki: remember to rename the file back to Graphics Rules.sgr when you finish.
Paul
hey, any idea why simcity4 has the same error??? :(
I am still having trouble with the resolution changes. I followed the directions as you advised and still there is no option on the controls of the game for the higher resolution. There is only one choice and that is the 800×600. The file I changed made a shortcut and they all read the same file name with the Graphics Rules.sgr. Now there are 4 file with the same name. 2 orginal and 2 with today’s date. My 2nd comment is that it has taken about 1 hour to load the game and it is really slow. I have a pentium 4 processor and this should not be happening. I never had any problems with the Sims original game and expansions. Help!
Um…I tried and I still cannot get the game to give me more options on screen resolution! The only one listed is 800×600. My monitor is 1280×1024! Help if you can.
Help
after I was done editing
i rename the file back from txt to sgr
but it stay txt what am i doing wrong?
never mind i figure it out
Aw. It’s still 800 x 600 for me. :(
I’m sure I followed the directions correctly..
:( Help? :X
Hi there,
Oh,thank you so much!I got the link from Angel F of Mod the Sims,I also went on a hunt as I got seasons for my b-day, and so dissapointed when it wouldn’t go to higher res.Thank you for the solution, you made my day!!
Pixi
i used your solution but i had to edit it futher i had to change some more coding and variables from true to false.
if (match(“${cardName}”, “*GeForce2*Integrated*”) or match(“${cardName}”, “*GeForce?2*Integrated*”) or match(“${cardName}”, “*GeForce4*Integrated*”) or match(“${cardName}”, “*GeForce?4*Integrated*”) or match(“${cardName}”, “*GeForce2 Quadro2 Pro*”))
boolProp causticsEnabled false
boolProp enumerateMultisampleLevels false
setb forceLowSettings true
setb forceLowResolution true
endif
# the 6200 Turbo Cache peformed very poorly in CATLAB runs for EP2
if (match(“${cardName}”, “*6200*”) or match(“${cardName}”, “*6100*”))
setb forceLowSettings true
setb forceLowResolution false
i had to do this because i have a nvidia 6200 and had to stop it from forceing the resolution to low
Thank you so much to Vinny and the original poster. The website did not have this valuable solution to a problem which has bugged me since installing my NVidia GeForce 6200.
You guys rock!
Dude thanks, you rock it works for sims castaway too!
Thanks guys, the fix worked.
Another thing people may want to consider if this fix is not working for them, make sure you are editing the graphics file in the folder for the newest expansion pack you have installed.
ok so i made a backup of the graphic rules file but how exactly do you “edit the original file”?
there is no option that says “edit” in the right click menu, nor is there anywhere else on the page!
please help!
Telling me access to “” “” denied, wont let me save changes, any guess what I could do now?
If you still can’t get this to work, just copy the resolution you want to use and paste it over ALL of the resolution settings under “option ScreenModeResolutionâ€Â. Do not change the variable names, only change the resolution numbers.
For example, you could set every single one to 800×600.
No matter what the config decides to do, it will be forced to use the resolution you have selected regardless of whether the previous variables have been set to true or false.
I have to say, this is one of the most annoying and unreliable methods I have seen for a game to chose a resolution.
Sorry , please could you explain how to do it in a little more detail don’t understand some of the steps !
Thanks very much!!
Brentonss@LIVE.CO.ZA
My One does not let me save it ??? Anyone HELP ??? :( !!!!
Thanks for the fix!!!!!!
K, I tried what you told me to do… but… it made no difference except that the game ran a little slower.
Please, can someone help me!
Hi, I can’t open Graphic Rules… what can I do?
i tryed this but it dont work
IF ANYONE CAN TELL ME HOW TO RUN THIS ON A 1600×900 Widescreen add me to msn or email me QUICKLY PLZ
msn >>>richardjames008@hotmail.co.uk
yahoo email >>> rjd0011@yahoo.co.uk
My goodness! this fix works 100%! I edited my sims2 seasons “graphicsrules.sgr” because it’s my latest expansion pack. the fix gave me all available resolutions to choose from.
i have aproblem everytime i try to open the file graphic rules srg it says i need to no what file to open it with and i dont have a clue
HELP
Hey guys,
I wanna play The Sims 2 in 1400×1050 but I can only
choose 800×600 or 1024×768. Pretty weird, I always
play games in 1400×1050 and it’s the current size of my computer.
Somebody help me please!
MAIL ME! msn -> estherxoxo@live.com
Hey Im glad I found SOMETHING online that can help me get on the right track on fixing this…
My screen is 1440×900..when I went into Sims 2 University, everything was all messed up and flashing. It was crazy lol..so I followed your steps, &I got the text open (thank you veni) but now I dont know what exactly to do.
It’s just a bunch of coding to me “/..could someone help me out if I sent them a copy of my coding???
Please :(..I’d hate to have wasted money ¬ be able to play it!!
I would appreciate it SOOO MUUUCCH! Honestly…
My email is Natty30stm@yahoo.com if anyone would be willing to help me!!
Natty
Hey!! Great thinking. But wait: I was wondering, if your genious can think of a way to fix MY Sims 2 DOUBLE DELUXE with the nightlife and celebration stuff. I used to play it before on an old computer, and got a new laptop. So I installed it on my new laptop, and it loads and installs fine, but when I click to go into a neighborhood, it says: Application has crashed. Application will now terminate. I have uninstalled and reinstalled three times, disk defraged, and disk cleaned, but it still doesn’t work! I need help!! I removed my downloads folder, knowign that nothing was in it, but I still don’t know!! And I don’t want to download anything or buy anything, just somehting easy to get it working again!! Help me!!!!!!!!
I’ve tried everything on this list and still stuck in low res. I think I’m doing it wrong. I tried changing all of the
“forcelowsettings” to false, but again, I think I did it wrong as I changed ALL of them.
If someone could please email me a txt file of the higher resolution settings, it would be much appreciated.
My email is fistsizedmachine@aim.com
Thank you in advance.
I know what to do with the files and have the .sgr files. Whenever I try to edit the file it tells me access denied (Im the friggin’ administrator). Attempts to move said file, change it and put it back in the folder have not worked – the game resets it to its original state. What can I do? Please either post here or email me at reborn_raptor@yahoo.com
It worked! Thank you so much. To others… make sure you make these changes to all expansion pack folders. It WILL work if you make changes to all folders.
how do i save the file after i’ve edited it? it keeps telling me access is denied..