Crashing/Launcher Not Working/Can't Save without error (Mac)

[lorettarose]

I literally have no idea what has just happened to my game.

I have been enjoying playing Sims 3 University ever since it came out. Yes it occasionally crashed/froze/wouldn't let me save with the error code 12 thing/asked me to debug it, but I was coping with it, saving regularly and such.

Yesterday the launcher would not open. After many tries and restarting my computer I managed to figure out that for some reason if I turned the internet off the launcher would open. So I clicked play and got to the bit where you pick which game you want to play, but as the game loaded it froze so I had to force quit, this happened a few times before i decided to search on the internet for suggestions. I did the whole renaming your documents folder thing, and i copied and pasted my downloads (i will mention now I have NO custom content, I only have stuff that I've paid for off the EA website that they've made), and I copied and pasted my saves. I opened the launcher (I still had to have the internet off) and I went the install the downloads and it did, but when I clicked 'OK' it froze, I couldn't force quit so I had to force switch off my computer (It's a mac btw if that makes it more relevant). I switched my computer back on and thought I'd see what would happen if I just copied and pasted EVERYTHING from the old folder to the new folder. So after doing this I opened the launcher (still had to have internet off) and clicked the game, this time I did manage to get into my game but it was very slow to load and I couldn't play a whole day (i usually save every 24 hrs) before it crashed. Today I went on again, managed to save once but couldn't save again as I got the error code, and I'm to understand you only get that error code if you haven't saved for a while, but I had only saved not 5 mins ago so i thought that was strange.

I actually wanted to post this on the ea website but for some reason I cannot log in despite the fact I know my e-mail and password is correct, the website is trying to tell me it isn't, and when i try to click "forgotten password" it takes me to Origin (which I only got to get University). I literally am at my wits end and have no idea what's happening. Please please please someone help me, it's literally impossible to play my game.

I have a very new mac with loads and loads of memory (sorry for not being more specific, I'm not technically savvy at all, clearly haha)

[Ricalynn]

Welcome to the forum, lorettarose!

Are you loading up a new game before copying over your downloads and such?  Sometimes doing the copy of downloads doesn't work and they have to be redownloaded from the website. 

Do you have any xcpt files in your Sims 3 folders?  Did you try uninstalling Origin?  I haven't had issues with the program on my Mac so far so I'm only guessing on that one. 

Have you deleted your cache files?  Everything in the DCBackup but the ccmerged in case you're copying that over, too.  You may be experiencing one problem where the game options have been reset so it's freaking out a little bit from that. 

[lorettarose]

Welcome to the forum, lorettarose!

Are you loading up a new game before copying over your downloads and such?  Sometimes doing the copy of downloads doesn't work and they have to be redownloaded from the website. 

Do you have any xcpt files in your Sims 3 folders?  Did you try uninstalling Origin?  I haven't had issues with the program on my Mac so far so I'm only guessing on that one. 

Have you deleted your cache files?  Everything in the DCBackup but the ccmerged in case you're copying that over, too.  You may be experiencing one problem where the game options have been reset so it's freaking out a little bit from that.

No I don't think I'm loading a new game before copying my downloads. What happened was when I copied and pasted the whole folder (which I realise was probably a mistake) when I opened the launcher all the downloads had been installed again so I didn't need to do anything, and I'm just trying to get back onto a game I've been playing for some weeks, so not a new game.

I do have xcpt files, I know to delete all the cache files before every game, but I always forget what else to delete haha should I be deleting the xcpt files? Also, if I delete origin will I still be able to play University? I think I need to learn how to properly copy and paste to the new folder, it's just a lot of technical talk goes over the top of my head haha

Thanks for your reply

[Ricalynn]

Actually the proper way to check on something is to start a new game.  If you're doing a factory reset (renaming the Sims folder), you have to NOT move anything over to see if it worked.  Just copying it all over is bringing the issue with you. 

Xcpt files are actually the crash logs that the game produces to tell you why your game is crashing.  The program I use to read them is on my PC not my mac.  If you want I can share my email address with you for you to send me a copy of the .txt version of one so I can run it through the program.

If this is just one save game that's having all the same issues, it might be the file size of said game because of how long it's been playing.  Game files become long and buggy over time.  If it's not a challenge game (as in something official from this forum), you may want to consider moving that family to a new town as soon as we can get you playing again.

If you can get into the game, go to edit town and save the family (& house if you absolutely have to have it) to the bin.   Then I suggest going to a new town with your family and placing them down.   They will lose relationships with townies and the family tree will be broken somewhat if you don't have tombstones in your inventory.   However, I wonder if you'd be able to play longer doing this.    Are you willing to try it?

[lorettarose]

The whole game just seems so messed up, I even followed directions to renaming the file properly but the downloads won't then re-install without crashing/freezing the launcher, I'm beginning to think it's the entire game and not just one corrupt family.

Also the problem with moving the family to another town is that this family is huge, the whole family lives in about 6 houses and i tried to move a smaller family to a new town once and not only were the family trees messed up (despite the fact i had the gravestones) but it didn't even fix the problem that i moved them there for anyway.

I'm just beginning to get so fed up with this ridiculous game and it's problems, I've been playing sims since the sims 1 when i was about 7/8 and to think how much money i've spent on the sims in all those years and for it just to mess up like this.

I'm at a complete loss

[Ricalynn]

Have you thought about doing a complete reinstall and seeing if you can play with a new family?

[janehumen]

Honestly, I would just reinstall the entire game. 

[lorettarose]

I know that's probably my only option just feels so sad, I was so proud of that family, I can never usually get a family that big and still be interesting in them, it doesn't usually take me long to get bored and start a new game, but with this one I was really excited with all the plans I had for them, haha sounds so sad when i put it like that. It is just like I say though, all that money and I can't even properly play it

[Ricalynn]

You can move your save files somewhere safe and reinstall without losing the family.

[lorettarose]

Yes I'll have to try that, hopefully the family isn't corrupt and won't mess up the game though.

Anyway, thanks for all your help