Troubleshooting Problem with pop-up bubbles on Sims2

bump... please help me :(

 

A Soluion to Your Problem

I think I may have a solution to your problem, but it may come at a price.
The problem is definately with a windows update, and that update is probably from before March, this year.

To fix the problem: (I'll do the instructions for XP, but there is a way to do the same thing with Vista, I just don't know how).

- If possible, disconnect from the internet (you don't want Windows updating itself again as soon as you reset)

- Get to the System Restore Menu for either operating system. To do this with XP, open up the Start menu, find the Help and Support Center (white "?" with a blue circle around it) and open it up. On the right side, there will be the heading "Pick a Task". The third option down should take you to this menu.

- Pick the first option, "Restore my computer to an earlier time"

- A calendar image should pop up, and the bolded dates are ones you can reset to. Find one you think is before the problem update (mine was March 1st, but i cant connect to the internet often, so you may have to choose an earlier date).

- Before you reset, make sure you create a restore point for your "today", just so you can return to this point in case anything goes wrong.

- Click "next" twice, and your computer should reset to the date you picked. NOTE: This will reset EVERYTHING, except Word documents, etc. and emails, and that means programs. Anything you installed between your date and now will be GONE. However, you can reset to the point you just created.

- Try now.

This should fix the problem if you did it right. Hope it helped!

 

Here is a solution that works:

1. On the Dell Support website, choose your operating system from the drop-down menu.
http://support.dell.com/support/dow...temID=INS_PNT_1501&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=

2. Download the recommended Bios update(s) and allow it to install and restart the computer.

3. Return to the Dell Support website and again choose your operating system from the drop-down menu.

4. Download the recommended Input Device Drivers update(s) and allow it to install and restart the computer.

5. After this, The Sims 2 pop-up menu problems should be resolved.

 

Resolved... but it was not Windows update or BIOS related... here is everything I did, and what fixed it.

After months of being drove up the wall with this problem and trying almost everything... it is now finially fixed. I too have Dell Inspiron 1501. Something to note, the problem also occured in MSN (that cream colored window that comes up when you mouse over anyone in your list... would disappear all the time, just like Sims) and the problem occured in hotmail... whenever I tried to click on the drop down to attach a file... a menu comes up and asks you if you want to upload a file or photo... and just like sims, the menu is there for a brief second... then gone.

Things I tried that didn't work:
Updating the sims 2 game
updating the video driver from the dell website
updating the video driver with a newer one direct from AMD(ATI)
updating the bios with the latest from dell
updating the touchpad driver with the latest from dell (Synaptics driver)
updating the touchpad with the latest driver from the Synaptics website
reinstalling windows vista with the Dell disk
reinstalling windows vista with my own copy of vista
removing vista and trying windows xp

What did work??? I sent it away to Dell for warranty on a different issue, but made mention of this as well... the keyboard was replaced, and now it works like a charm!

 

100% GUARANTEED SOLUTION for Vista Users

http://uoem.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15663