Common Solutions

There have been a number of threads covering various different technical problems with installing or playing The Movies game by Lionhead Studios posted here. In this thread I am going to attempt to post a description and solution to each of the problems which has been encountered so far. Please do not post asking for help in this thread - this thread should be used for posting known (and working - at least in some cases) solutions.

Things To Try First

Patch - The Movies v1.1 patch has been released which fixes a number of issues with the game: http://www.lionhead.com/news/231

Before trying the solutions that are listed below it's worth noting that most problems with games are caused by out of date drivers, the need to carry out some standard maintanence tasks or unsupported hardware. Please do the following as a first step in making sure you have no problems:

• Check for windows updates (Windows Update).
  
• Make sure you are running the latest version of DirectX.
  
• Update your display drivers (commonly either nVidia or ATI).
  
• Check for sound driver updates for your card.
  
• Defragment your Hard Disc Drive.
  
• Scan your PC for viruses and spyware.
  
• Check your PC meets the Minimum Requirements.

Additionaly if you are experiencing slow performance try turning down detail levels and make sure you are not "forcing" high quality modes or other features using your graphics drivers.


Solutions For Problems

Please follow the links below for solutions to problems (links take you to posts within this thread):

• I can't install The Movies
• The Movies won't start with message "Please Insert Correct Disc"
• The Movies won't start, exits after showing the introductory screens
• I can't connect to The Movies Online
• My movies don't play (sound with no vision)
• All my extras/actors/workers are black/white
• I lost my CD Key
• 30 Second Upload Mac Users Only

None Of This Helped

If none of these solutions helped you with your problem you could try posting a thread in the Technical Help Forum or contact Activision through The Movies Support Page.

If posting a thread in Technical Help please give as much information as possible such as when exactly the problem occurs, what the problem is and give as many details about your system as possible (eg. CPU, RAM, GFX Card, Sound Card, Driver Versions etc.).

To find out your system specifications (if you're not sure) simply go to the Start Menu select "Run" and type "dxdiag" (without quotes) and press enter. This will bring up a window giving you all the information you need. The display tab of this window will also tell you your graphics card make and driver version.