Can't Open Save Files -- Resolved!

[RainBeau]

I have two separate problems, but I will put them together in one post. I've been posting on other similar threads but I haven't received any answers so I hope this works better.

Background: Right before Patch 1.50 came out (I didn't know it was going to come out or I might have waited), we installed a new operating system on the computer. The reason for this was that we bought extra RAM to bring it up to 10GB but the OS we had (Windows XP) would only work with about 3GB of RAM. My husband told me his friend said we needed a new operating system in order to get the full effect of all the RAM. Since I was very tired of my game crashing and getting Error 12s I was really excited to have more RAm, since I was told this should fix those problems.

When we upgraded the system I re-installed all the Sims 3 games. I had to patch in order to install any expansion packs. I don't know what broke my game, whether the patch, the new OS, or something else, but I have since un-installed and re-installed three or four times and nothing is working. Last time I even did a manual un-install, which took forever, and it still isn't working.

Problem #1: I can't open any save files.

I opened my game as normal, selected a file and waited for it to load. It got almost all the way done loading and then I got a message saying: "A serious error has occurred while loading Sunset Valley.sim3. It is strongly recommended that you restart the application." I thought it might just be for pre-patch save files, but when I created a new file using some saved houses and sims from the library I had the same problem. So I can't open any save files.

But on my last re-install, I thought "let me check after I install each expansion and see if I can open a  save file so I can pinpoint the problem". I opened a fresh file in Sunset Valley, selected the Working Friends household, and saved the game in Live Mode. I then quit the game and re-opened it. For the first time in over a week, I was able to open a save file! I got a little excited. But then I installed several more expansion packs, forgetting to check in between. After I finished the one I was working on, I decided to check the file again. I was able to open the base game save file again, but I decided to add some content from the expansions to test and see if that was what was affecting the game. I added a dining chair from each expansion I had added and saved again. When I tried to open that save, I got the same error message. Thus I think it is the expansion packs that are causing the problem. Trouble is, I don't know if it's one or all! The EPs and SPs I installed are Fast Lane, Generations, Pets, Showtime, Katy Perry Sweet Treats, and Seasons.

Problem #2: The Launcher has stopped working.

I have seen many people on the Internet with this problem but none of their solutions have worked for me. Yes, I know the workaround on how to get into the game without the Launcher. I also figured out (thanks to a thread here) how to install content without the Launcher. I even managed to patch without the Launcher. The thing is, I'm just funny in that I like my whole game to work pretty much all the time. I'm particular that way.

So this is what I have tried to fix my problem: I have done a complete uninstall/re-install. I have done a manual uninstall and a re-install. I have done a factory reset (seemed redundant with the re-install but I did it anyway). I have removed all CC. I have patched. I have updated Origin. I downloaded EA Download Manager, which is really hard to find now. I turned off my Internet (that was a suggestion somewhere). I restarted the computer. I cleared caches. I made sure nothing else was running when I ran the game. I deleted the file "missingdeps.idx" from DCCAche. I have installed all the EPs and SPs in order. I have done them out of order. I have done them in backwards order. All to no avail.

There may be more I have done but it's all running together now. The point is, nothing has worked yet. If you have suggestions, please let me know and I'll either try it or tell you I've already tried it.

Edit: I am planning on getting University Life (and praying that it will fix my game if nothing else will) but I can't afford to get it until it goes on sale.

[Louise56]

I don't know if this will help, but it is worth a try.   http://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2012/11/a-serious-error-has-occurred.html

[RainBeau]

Thank you, Louise. This is more helpful than anything else I've seen yet. I followed the first set of instructions to no effect I will follow the second page when I get home.

[RainBeau]

Nothing is working, and my game is getting worse. It won't even open new files now. My last hope is that installing University Life will fix it, but I am somewhat unwilling to spend the money on an expansion for a game that I may no longer be able to play :,( So so sad right now.

[pallyndrome]

I had a similar problem just yesterday (I skimmed your first post but I think it's a similar problem). Every time I loaded my saved game I also got an error message just like the one you described. I tried a few things, then decided to restore a backup of the saved game. It worked! Fortunately it was also a very recent backup. This is the site I used to help me:

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Restoring_Backup_Saves

Hope it works for you too!

[Sarabi]

A few questions:

1) What new OS did you install?
2)  Have you installed all of the patches for this new OS?  Device drivers up to date?
3) Have you reinstalled other applications, and are they working as you would expect?

Changing the OS on a machine is no small undertaking.

[RainBeau]

A few questions:

1) What new OS did you install?
2)  Have you installed all of the patches for this new OS?  Device drivers up to date?
3) Have you reinstalled other applications, and are they working as you would expect?

Changing the OS on a machine is no small undertaking.

You're not joking!

1) Windows 7
2) Patches for an OS? Do you mean game patches or are there patches for operating systems? I SuperPatched, if that answers your question. I don't know if the device drivers are up to date, I'll have to figure out how to check.
3) It's my husband's computer, and I don't really use any other applications on it. I do know that he has played League of Legends and Diablo and it's all worked, and so has Firefox. Although I believe League of Legends is actually on the external hard drive...

I hope that adequately answers your questions, I'll get to work checking device drivers. Thank you Sarabi.

I had a similar problem just yesterday (I skimmed your first post but I think it's a similar problem). Every time I loaded my saved game I also got an error message just like the one you described. I tried a few things, then decided to restore a backup of the saved game. It worked! Fortunately it was also a very recent backup. This is the site I used to help me:

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Restoring_Backup_Saves

Hope it works for you too!

So far what I've read looks like to fix if one town or file is messed up, but I can try it and see if it works! Thanks Pally.

EDIT: I tried restoring a save and it didn't work. I think the worlds themselves are broken now. They won't open up anymore.

Updated answers to Sarabi's questions after checking with my husband:
2) All updates have been done automatically, and the drivers are up to date.
3) He listed off a bunch of applications that work. It's just my game that doesn't.

My friend who plays Sims said she has never successfully upgraded an OS and had Sims work afterwards. Maybe I'm doomed.

[Sarabi]

In order to best utilize all of the new RAM, you'd need a 64-bit OS (rather than 32-bit).  So, I would assume you've installed 64-bit Windows 7?

Did you check your hardware to make sure that it is compatible with the new OS?  There is some additional info here.

As a last-ditch effort prior to uninstalling/reinstalling all over again, you might try this Patch Downloader.  It will probably prompt you to update some of the pre-generations EPs/SPs.

Your idea to "check after I install each expansion and see if I can open a save file so I can pinpoint the problem" is, I think, a good one.  A slow, painstaking process to be sure, but it is what I would do.  Store your other old saves somewhere, but do not put them back into your current game directory.

I suspect that since your older games were saved under a different OS, it is possible that you might not ever be able to play them with the new OS installed.  If that is the case, having them in your saves folder could possibly be causing the launcher to glitch.

I can certainly appreciate your frustration with all of this.

[Chuckles_82]

Also, as well as installing each expansion and testing individually, you could try downloading incremental patches and install the patches manually. Add each patch, test, write down results, add next patch/expansion in order, then try again. Keep going even if one of the patches or expansions seems to break the game, in case a later patch fixes the issue. Do that until you get up to date, and then uninstall it all over again (yuck!) and reinstall to the point that it last worked properly. You could try it with two sets of results - one for new saves, and one for your old saves. Make sure you only have one save in the saves folder at a time, though. There often seems to be some sort of 'leaking' between save files. If you google 'sims 3, incremental patches, install manually' you should find plenty of information at MTS (not allowed to link there due to CC).

Also, check with your hubby that the computer is recognising the extra RAM, and if it is dual or quad core processor, make sure it is using all cores.

That, I'm afraid, is the limit to my hardware and OS knowledge, as I also let my hubby do all the computer stuff. I used to do all my own, but things have advanced so far in the last decade that it's all above my head now, because I didn't keep up with it.

Wait, no. One last little bit of advice - go to System Requirements Lab and it will assess your system's capabilities, and tell you if any of your hardware or software is inadequate.

I'm afraid I've got no idea about the rest. I did have a problem with my launcher a while back, but uninstalling Origin and then reinstalling the new version fixed the problem. Did you uninstall it before you updated it?

Oh, another possibility - Windows 7 has the ability to be run like XP. You could ask your hubby to tell it to do that and see if that helps.

[RainBeau]

I'm sorry Chuckles, I didn't realise that I hadn't responded to your message. I did read it. Anyway, I finally got the answer from EA Phone service Tech Support. They told me to start a new administrator account because sometimes the entire pathing of the game gets messed up in one account and a new account is the only option. It worked! Hurray! The Launcher is fixed and I can open my save files!