This is one solution though the best would be to upgrade your card:
 
The following steps can be used to eliminate or minimize the issue(s) reported with the game:
 
1. Set the display to 16-bit color. To make this change, follow these steps:
a. Click on the Start menu and select Settings, Control Panel, and then double-click on Display. If using Microsoft Windows* XP: Click on the Start menu and select Control Panel, "Switch to Classic View" if the category view is shown, and then double-click on Display.
 
b. Select the Settings tab.
 
c. Change the Color Quality (Color Depth) to 16-bit color.
2. Run the game with the -w switch which forces the game to run in a window. To add this switch, follow these steps:
 
a. Right-click on the The Sims 2 game and left-click on Properties. You can do this either on the game's shortcut on the desktop or on the game's entry in the Start menu.
 
b. Add a space and -w to the end of the Target field, so that it looks like this: "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSBin\Sims2.exe" -w
 
Note: The actual path may vary depending on where the game was installed. Make sure that the -w goes outside the quotation marks and that there is a space between the last quotation mark and the -w.
 
c. Click OK.
 
This applies to:
Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller and Intel® 82810 Graphics Controller

i have tried all of that and none of it works
thanks for trying though

I know that Intel no longer supports that graphics controller - see here: http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel810/ and Sims 2 is a graphics memory hog. When it says it supports the following cards, it means it:
* ATI RadeonTM series (7000 or better)
o Radeon 7000/VE series (non-T&L; requires 2.0 GHz processor)
o 7200, 7500
o 8500, All-In-Wonder 8500
o 9000, 9200, 9500, 9600, 9700, 9800
o X300, X600, X800
 
* Nvidia® QuadroTM series
o Quadro, Quadro2, Quadro4
 
* Nvidia® Geforce series (GeForce2 and better)
o GeForce2
o GeForce3, 3 Ti
o GeForce4, 4Ti, MX 420, 440
o GeForce FX 5200, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 5950
o GeForce 6600, 6800
 
* Intel® Extreme Graphics (non-T&L; requires 2.0 GHz processor)
o 82845, 82865, 82915
In other words, you should put in a new graphics card with plenty of memory on it. The problem is I can't suggest one since I don't know if your card support AGP 4x or if you will have to install an old PCI card.
 
Even if you can get Sims 2 to work on your machine in its present setup, all the cute bells and whistles graphically will most probably be unavailable to you.

can u please help me...i cant figure out what to do.. I am getting this same message..it say that i cant play the sims 2 because i dont have directx 9.0 or sumthing and i cant walk because i broke my foot and all i want is to play this game and i cant because it doesn't work!!HELP!!!!!!
 
 

If you have the onboard Intel chipset: Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller and Intel® 82810 Graphics Controller - in theory it will run if you do what is listed above. However, it won't run well if at all. Tell us what your video card is and we may be able to help.

I'm sorry about that but i have no idea waht the video chip is or anything like that soyou will have to like majorly help me ok please i really want to play and all i can do is that and watch tv because of my foot so please !! thanks! byee
 
 

please help me

Right click on My Computer, then click on Properties from the menu that appears, then click on the Hardware tab, then click on the Device Manager button, then click on the "+" next to Display Adapters. This will open up and show you a subentry which should display the name of your card or onboard device.

I'm having the exact same problem. Please help me! The name of my card/onboard device is
Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller (Microsoft Corporation)
 
Please please help me!

Samantha098 the only way that you will be able to play the game with any facility is to buy one of the boards mentioned above and install it and disable your 82815 Graphics Controller. You can try to lower the resolution and a variety of other things that are often suggested, but it will not be a fun experience and you will come to screen that you won't be able to view or you will need a tool that won't appear.

First press start on your computer and click run and in the box type dxdiag. Then in the window that pops up click display. At the botton there are 3 programs with either enabled, disabled, or not available. Next to Direct3D Acceleration I am guessing it says not available. If it says disabled just enable it. If it says enabled and it doesn't work I don't believe I can help. Now if it does say not available you will have to download DirectX 9.0c at this website: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/detai...;displaylang=en Verify your type of internet connection and click continue and verify it again and click download. Now how you download it is very important! Do not press open you have to save it! Make sure you save it on our desktop! YOU CANNOT SAVE IT ANYWHERE ELSE! After it is downloaded on your desktop minamize the internet to your desktop and you will see its icon. Double click it to run it and follow what it says. After that is done restart your computer and go back to pressing start, run, dxdiag and see if its there now and enabled and try playing Sims 2 now!
 
I hope I was a help and if you have any other questions on it please email them to me at loismustdie_84@yahoo.com Good luck!

I really need help like bad and I need head on so if some one can add me on msn I am having the same problem and I cannot figure anything out ..so addd me and help I want to play the sims. animal_diva@hotmail.com

You need either:
 
1. A discreet graphics card such as ATI or Nvidea card that supports DX 9 functionality.
 
2. A new laptop with a new graphics chipset e.g. Intel 9xx series or ATI or NVidea
 
3. Play Sims Deluxe instead of Sims 2
 
4. On use the tips above by playing the game in a window using the -w option in the shortcut.

Mmkay, so i also have this Sims problem, and when I go to my Device Manager it doesn't have a Display Adapters section so i tried the next solution given, that didn't work either -all three of them were "Not Availale" and even after the download and i restarted it, the game still responded with that message. Any other ideas? Please, your help is greatly appreciated.
 
-Karina

Same error for me. I ran dxdiag. I have already updated to the latest driver and also downloaded directx 9.0C. Pls help
--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D: 0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw: 0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay: 0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow: 0/6 (retail)
 
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Mobile Intel® 945 Express Chipset Family
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Chip type: Intel® GMA 950
DAC type: Internal
Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_27A2&SUBSYS_99171584&REV_03
Display Memory: n/a
Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
Driver Name: igxprd32.dll
Driver Version: 6.14.0010.4926 (English)
DDI Version: unknown
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
Driver Date/Size: 2/15/2008 13:12:06, 57344 bytes
WHQL Logo'd: Yes
WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
VDD: n/a
Mini VDD: igxpmp32.sys
Mini VDD Date: 2/15/2008 13:12:06, 5854752 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B78E66-64E2-11CF-0A65-1DB9A2C2CB35}
Vendor ID: 0x8086
Device ID: 0x27A2
SubSys ID: 0x99171584
Revision ID: 0x0003
Revision ID: 0x0003
Video Accel:
Deinterlace Caps: n/a
Registry: OK
DDraw Status: Not Available
D3D Status: Not Available
AGP Status: Not Available
DDraw Test Result: Not run
D3D7 Test Result: Not run
D3D8 Test Result: Not run
D3D9 Test Result: Not run
 
 

Goto this site and click on Check system requirements to test your PC:
 
http://thesims2.co.uk/products.view.asp?id=38

OK For people who need help with the sims 2 problem. Make sure you have installed Directx 9.0c , make sure with the dxdiag tool. What i did to solve this problem is sat around trying a million things until onw worked! Go to this website:
 
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=DIMENSION%205100&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid
 
when you get there where it says category get the video option. then when it reseives results scroll down to the box that says "Intel-Driver applies to: 945G Graphics controller"
download that. when downloading first click save and save it to our desktop. then run it. when you are done downloading it restart your computor. when you get back you should be able to play.
 
IF NOT FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME AT ocean.perywinkle@yahoo.com
I WILL HELP YOU...I KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE!

I LOVE YOU!!!! i had the same issue as" beautflbrunette1" and EA could not help me for 2 days i got the same answer "we are sorry blah blah " but im happy i googled this and ran into your first post i have windows vist btw .i joined just to thank you becouse i was going to remove the game if i didnt get a remedy.

I have approximatively the same problem as edaz:when i run dxdiag,only the direct sound works for me.A few days ago i reformatted my pc,i believe that the problem comes from that.I already downloaded directx 9.c but still nothing.Help me please!!!

Hi, I have the same problem. My mum recently got me a laptop and it's a Toshiba Satellite and it's OS is Windows 7. I have DirectX 11 and for some reason the game isn't working.
 
Can anyone help me? Thanks!