I purchased Sims 3 yesterday and I tried to play it. It starts but then a blue screen comes up and says: ialmdev5.DLL PAGE_FAUT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. What does that mean and how do I fix it??
What you’ve got here is called a .dll error. DLL stands for Dynamic Link Library files, and they basically contain functions that can be called in from other executable code. They plug into other programs when it needs the features that come with the .dll file.
Blue Screen DLL Error
This particular DLL error means that you need to update the video driver on your computer in order to run the program. It is a common error when you download a computer game, and I see it a lot with Sims. Basically, the existing drivers in your computer are conflicting with something in the Sims 3 program.
Update the Video Driver
If you can access the computer in normal mode, you can get into Device Manager and update the video drivers from the manufacturer’s website. If you can only get in using Safe Mode (press F8 when you start up the machine), you can still access the drivers. Safe Mode will start the machine without the video driver that you need in Normal Mode. In Safe Mode, open the Display Properties and choose Settings and then Advanced. Click on Adapter and then choose Properties and then Driver. You can uninstall the old driver if you want, but make sure you don’t do it before you’ve found the new one - you will have problems with the screen if you remove the driver first.
System Restore
Because you just got the Sims 3 yesterday, you can also try to do a System Restore in Safe Mode, then download the updated driver and then install the Sims 3 game again. To do this, get into Safe Mode and at the prompt, type in: %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe. Follow the prompts to set a date to restore to - pick a date that is close to yesterday - and then let the system run. You shouldn’t lose any of your data doing this system restore.
Once you’ve updated your video drivers, the game should run just fine without any conflicts.
