Common Errors & Crashes

dotequals

dotequals

Member
This post contains common errors and crashes and the troubleshooting steps you should follow to try and solve them. Everybody's computer is set up differently and these solutions may not work for you.

If you don't see the problem you're encountering or the steps to try haven't resolved your issue, make a new post in Support or post in #support on the FreeSO Discord.

If you have a valid copy of The Sims Online and are experiencing problems with FreeSO, do not uninstall The Sims Online.

Error List
  1. Table of Contents For Post
  2. System.Exception: Tuning.cs: Invalid path: C:/Program Files/Maxis/The Sims Online/TSOClient/tuning.dat...
  3. System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path ‘C:\Program Files\FreeSO\Content\setup.png’ is denied...
  4. System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The system cannot find the file specified…
  5. System.OutOfMemoryException: … was thrown...
  6. SharpDX.SharpDXException: … ApiCode: [DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED/DeviceRemoved], Message: Unknown…
  7. System.Net.Sockets.SocketException: The system detected an invalid pointer address in attempting to use a pointer argument in a call…
  8. Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio.InstancePlayLimitException…
  9. System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object… at SharpDX.XAudio2.SourceVoice.CreateSourceVoice…
  10. Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.NoSuitableGraphicsDeviceException: Failed to create graphics device!...
  11. Invalid install of The Sims Online
  12. Invalid install/update of FreeSO
  13. SharpDX.SharpDXException: ...ApiCode: [E_INVALIDARG/Invalid Arguments], Message:...
  14. Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio.NoAudioHardwareException…
  15. FSO.Client.UI.Screens.PersonSlotDisplayAvatar… (Unpatched The Sims Online folder)
  16. System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null... FSO.Client.Controllers.InboxController...
  17. System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'MonoGame.Framework, Version-0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' or one of its dependencies...
  18. System.Exception: Unknown error during AvatarDataServlet at FSO.Server.Clients.CityClient.AvatarDataServelet() in...
If you have an error that should be in this list, solved one of the existing errors in a different way, or found a mistake, message dotequals#0001 on Discord or post to My Profile.
 
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System.Exception: Tuning.cs: Invalid path: C:/Program Files/Maxis/The Sims Online/TSOClient/tuning.dat...
Note: The path shown on this error is important, so remember it.

What It Means:
FreeSO can’t find your The Sims Online folder.

What To Try:
  • Open File Explorer and navigate to the path that was shown in the error.
    • If it doesn’t exist and you’ve installed The Sims Online, you can either move your The Sims Online folder so that the path in the error can be resolved, or you can tell the launcher the new location (jump to the end).
    • If it doesn’t exist and you haven’t installed The Sims Online, that’s what you have to do. Open FreeSO Launcher, click the Installer tab, click The Sims Online, and pick a location on your computer to install it to.

Update The Sims Online Location
  • Launcher Method:
    • Open the Launcher, click the Installer tab, click The Sims Online, select the parent folder of The Sims Online (ex. If my folder lived at C:/Program Files/Maxis/The Sims Online/ I would select the Maxis folder and then click “Install in this Location”).
    • If this was done correctly the launcher should say the files are already there and ask if you want to use them.
  • Regedit Method:
    • Click the Start menu and then type regedit.
    • Navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Maxis\The Sims Online.
    • For the value name InstallDir change the Data value to the path where you installed The Sims Online.
 
System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path ‘C:\Program Files\FreeSO\Content\setup.png’ is denied...

What It Means:
FreeSO.exe doesn’t have permission to access required assets.

What To Try:
  • Make sure FreeSO.exe isn't already running via Task Manager or log out of Windows and then back in.
  • (Alternatively) Right-click FreeSO.exe and click “Run as administrator” or run the game via FreeSO Launcher.
 
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System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The system cannot find the file specified…

What It Means:
If this occurred after FreeSO told you it required an update, it’s likely your antivirus put it in quarantine.

What To Try:
  • Disable your antivirus temporarily while you update FreeSO.
  • (Alternatively) whitelist the FreeSO directory in your antivirus software.
  • (Alternatively) after the game crashes with the exception above, locate your FreeSO folder and run update.exe as admin
  • (Alternatively) Manually perform the update by downloading the zip file from https://beta.freeso.org/dist, extract the contents and replace your FreeSO folder with the contents from the extracted zip file.
 
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System.OutOfMemoryException: … was thrown...

What It Means:
FreeSO ran out of RAM (It doesn’t matter how much you have, FreeSO can only use 2GB).

What To Try:
  • Close the game periodically and minimize time spent in city view.
 
SharpDX.SharpDXException: … ApiCode: [DXGI_ERROR_DEVICE_REMOVED/DeviceRemoved], Message: Unknown…

What It Means:
Not all SharpDX.SharpDXException errors mean this, but if you’re using Intel graphics and your computer is older, it’s likely unsupported.

What To Try:
  • This is a hardware problem, so you would need to install a discrete NVIDIA or AMD GPU into your computer (if possible).
 
System.Net.Sockets.SocketException: The system detected an invalid pointer address in attempting to use a pointer argument in a call…

What It Means:
Your environment has some sort of odd networking configuration that FreeSO doesn’t like.

What To Try:
 
Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio.InstancePlayLimitException…

What It Means:
FreeSO was unable to play a sound.

What To Try:
  • Unmute your speakers.
  • Plug in a pair of headphones.
  • Run the game in DirectX mode by changing your graphics mode on the settings tab of the launcher (this makes it to happen much less frequently).
 
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System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object… at SharpDX.XAudio2.SourceVoice.CreateSourceVoice…
The first part of this error can be thrown for many reasons, so make sure the bolded part matches your specific message somewhere near the top.

What It Means:
Something required for XAudio doesn’t exist.

What To Try:
  • Right click your Speakers in the taskbar, click Playback devices, click the speakers you want to use, and then click Set Default.
  • Unmute your speakers and FreeSO in the Volume Mixer.
  • If this is happening to your first launch of the game, you can try running the DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer.
  • (If the above doesn’t apply) Open FreeSO Launcher, click Settings, and change Graphics Mode to OpenGL.
 
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Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.NoSuitableGraphicsDeviceException: Failed to create graphics device!...

What It Means:
FreeSO can’t find your GPU.

What To Try:
  • If your game has worked fine and you’re now seeing this after a GPU driver update, restart your PC.
  • If you’re attempting to play remotely from a computer that doesn’t have a monitor or its monitor is powered off, you will need to plug a monitor in or turn the primary monitor on before launching FreeSO.
  • If you have a gaming laptop with Intel graphics and a discrete AMD or NVIDIA GPU, you’ll likely need to do three things:
    • Right click your FreeSO Launcher, click Properties, click Compatibility, check the box for “Override high DPI scaling behavior” and then select “Application” in the dropdown.
    • Open Settings on your computer, click System, click Display, click the slider for “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” and set it to 100% (Sometimes this is a drop down selector, but it should still say 100%).
    • Right click your desktop and click NVIDIA Control Panel, then under 3D Settings select “Manage 3D settings”, under the Program Settings tab, find FreeSO.exe, select “High-performance NVIDIA processor” in the second drop down, and click Add.
  • If you have a powerful GPU and aren’t using the native resolution:
    • Right click your desktop and click NVIDIA Control Panel, then under Display, select Change Resolution. The selected resolution should have “(native)” next to it.
 
  • System.ArgumentException: An item with the same key has already been added...
  • System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: ... Microsoft.Xna.Audio.DynamicSoundEffectInstance...

What It Means:
Your The Sims Online installation is invalid.

What To Try:
  • Reinstall The Sims Online (if this is your first time playing, try to stabilize your internet connection by using Ethernet or placing your computer near your Wi-Fi Access Point.
 
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  • System.MissingMethodException: Method not found: 'Void FSO.Content.Content.set_TS1Hybrid(Boolean)'...
  • System.MissingMethodException: ... 'Int32 FSO.Client.GlobalSettings.get_TexCompression()'...
  • System.NullReferenceException: ... FSO.Client.UI.Panels.EODs.UIRouletteEOD.SpinHandler...

What It Means:
Your FreeSO install is invalid.

What To Try:
  • Reinstall FreeSO by opening the Launcher, clicking the Installer tab, and then clicking FreeSO.
 
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SharpDX.SharpDXException... Message: The parameter is incorrect...
at SharpDX.Direct3D11.Device.CreateTexture2D(Texture2DDescription& descRef, DataBox[] initialDataRef, Texture2D texture2DOut)
at Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics.Texture2D.CreateTexture()...
PPXDepthEngine.cs...

What It Means:
Not all SharpDX.SharpDXExceptions mean this, but if your error message contains more of the error text that follows, your GPU likely can't create a render target this big.

What To Try:
  • Disable anti-aliasing.
  • (Alternatively) try running the game with OpenGL by changing your graphics mode on the settings tab of the launcher.
 
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Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Audio.NoAudioHardwareException…

What It Means:
FreeSO can't find your audio hardware and if you are using OpenGL for your graphics mode, audio output is required to run the game. We are keeping an eye on an open pull request though.

What To Try:
  • Unmute your speakers.
  • Plug in a pair of headphones.
  • Run the game in DirectX mode by changing your graphics mode on the settings tab of the launcher.
 
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object… at FSO.Client.UI.Screens.PersonSlotDisplayAvatar…
The first part of this error can be thrown for many reasons, so make sure the bolded part matches your specific message somewhere near the top.

What It Means:
Your copy of The Sims Online hasn't been patched to the version FreeSO expects.

What To Try:
  • Following the steps below, the patch worked correctly if you see a bunch of text output followed by "Complete!" at the very end. If you see red text, there was an error and your copy of The Sims Online is not patched.
  • Command Prompt (Admin) can be used in place of PowerShell and may in fact work better.
  • Pro-tip: if you're typing the command out by hand, use tab after typing a bit of each part and the shell will try to autocomplete the path for you.
With Launcher:
  • You can try disabling your anti-virus and downloading The Sims Online files again, hopefully then allowing the patch to execute.
  • Perform a manual patch:
    1. Open Windows PowerShell (Admin), you can do this by right clicking the Windows icon on your taskbar. This needs to be run as Administrator, thus the (Admin) part.
    2. Type the following into the PowerShell window, replacing the file paths with the locations to your FreeSO Launcher, and The Sims Online files (you can use File Explorer to double check these paths exist on your machine)
      Code: 
      "C:\Program Files (x86)\FreeSO Launcher\bin\TSOVersionPatcherF\TSOVersionPatcherF.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\FreeSO Launcher\bin\TSOVersionPatcherF\1239toNI.tsop" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\The Sims Online\"
      This example assumes the launcher is at C:\Program Files (x86)\FreeSO Launcher\ and The Sims Online is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\The Sims Online\
Without Launcher:
  • For macOS and Linux please refer to the steps in their respective guides
  • Perform a manual patch:
    1. Download TSO-Version-Patcher Release.zip from GitHub: https://github.com/riperiperi/TSO-Version-Patcher/releases
    2. Extract the zip and make note of its location
    3. Open Windows PowerShell (Admin), you can do this by right clicking the Windows icon on your taskbar. This needs to be run as Administrator, thus the (Admin) part.
    4. Type the following into the PowerShell window, replacing the file paths with the locations to your Release folder, and The Sims Online files (you can use File Explorer to double check these paths on your machine)
      Code: 
      "C:\Users\dotequals\Downloads\Release\TSOVersionPatcherF.exe" "C:\Users\dotequals\Downloads\Release\TSOVersionPatcherF.exe" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\The Sims Online\"
      This example assumes the Release folder is at C:\Users\dotequals\Downloads\Release\ you will need to change this, unless you're future me . It also assumes The Sims Online is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\The Sims Online\ you may need to change that.
 
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System.ArgumentNullException: Value cannot be null... FSO.Client.Controllers.InboxController...

What It Means:
Your inbox is corrupt.

What To Try:
  • Delete your Inbox folder located at /path/to/FreeSO/Content/Inbox/
 
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System.IO.FileNotFoundException: Could not load file or assembly 'MonoGame.Framework, Version-0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' or one of its dependencies...

What It Means:
Microsoft SmartScreen is blocking access to DLLs FreeSO needs. This usually happens when installing without the launcher.

What To Try:
  1. Open Windows PowerShell (Admin), you can do this by right clicking the Windows icon on your taskbar. This needs to be run as Administrator, thus the (Admin) part.
  2. Type the following into the PowerShell window, replacing the file path with the locations to your FreeSO folder (you can use File Explorer to double check these paths on your machine)
    Code: 
    dir -Path "C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\FreeSO\" -Recurse | Unblock-File
    This example assumes your FreeSO folder is located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\FreeSO\
 
System.Exception: Unknown error during AvatarDataServlet at FSO.Server.Clients.CityClient.AvatarDataServelet() in...

What It Means:
FreeSO now uses HTTPS for authentication by default so that your username and password are transmitted securely. This type of authentication relies on a correct system time and date.

What To Try:
  • Sync your computer's clock so that your date and time are correct
  • Press F1 and change https://api.freeso.org to http://api.freeso.org (this is insecure and not recommended)
 
Similar problem when visiting today, "FreeSo.org" is down as well. Concerningly the mods listed on the freeSo forums have not been online for several months
 
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