University Town - Infinite loading screen

[acerthorn]

I'm sending my newly-adult Sim off to University. However, when he gets in his car and drives off to the University, the loading screen never finishes.

It gets to around a tiny sliver of the loading bar filled up, and then it just stops loading.

The interactive "find the object for happiness points" minigame still works. It's not like it takes a while for my clicks to load. The game just isn't completing the load of the game.

[MrsFlynn]

You haven't mentioned things you've tried to help troubleshoot the problem, so please forgive me if you've already tried any of these.

Does this happen with a new game? If not, it maybe just that you have a bloated saved game. - A game that may be too-large or too buggy to load. This happens from time to time, specially if you've been playing it for a long time.

On my older computer, it would actually "freeze" at almost full loading bar. It took it about 8-10 minutes to load. Specially with games that I had been playing on for a few months or more.

Here are some troubleshooting tips to try:

1. Delete the Game Cache Files
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401809#msg401809

2. Turn off Interactive Loading Screen
> Options > General Settings > uncheck the Enable Interactive Loading Screens box

Turning this off will help the game run a little more smoothly

3. Turn off Memories
> Options > General Settings > Memories, in the drop down menu select Disable Memories

While your in this tab, it may help to make sure Enable Shop Mode and Lessons are un checked. -- Turning off memories means less game bloat/overly large game save file.

4. Try a factory reset
Sims 3 Factory Reset - How-To
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401814#msg401814

I do this if my game is acting odd or doesn't want to fully load.

[acerthorn]

You haven't mentioned things you've tried to help troubleshoot the problem, so please forgive me if you've already tried any of these.

I have no idea where to even begin troubleshooting, so I haven't done anything.

Does this happen with a new game? If not, it maybe just that you have a bloated saved game. - A game that may be too-large or too buggy to load. This happens from time to time, specially if you've been playing it for a long time.

I've followed this Sim from birth to high school graduation. Am I just not allowed to do that?

On my older computer, it would actually "freeze" at almost full loading bar. It took it about 8-10 minutes to load. Specially with games that I had been playing on for a few months or more.

Oh no! I can come back a few HOURS later, and it hasn't made any progress at all!

1. Delete the Game Cache Files
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401809#msg401809

Will I still have all my saves?

Also, I have a new update. This actually seems to happen when I do a load screen from inside a game. For example, if I return to the main menu and load a new save file without closing down the entire game first, I have the same problem. But that problem goes away if I close the game down, restart it, and load the save from scratch.

[acerthorn]

Ok, I deleted the cache like you said. I also disabled memories and interactive loading screens.

But I'm still having the problem of infinite load times.

[MrsFlynn]

Your game-saves should be fine as long as you back them up first. If you haven't yet, try a factory reset. In the link below, it tells you what it is and how to do it.

Sims 3 Factory Reset - How-To
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=20732.msg401814#msg401814

Once you are back into your game, you may want to look over your Sim's individual inventory as well as the family's inventory. Full inventories will cause the game to lag/freeze and load slowly. So will a big household with a lot of decorations/furnishing and landscaping.

[acerthorn]

So will a big household with a lot of decorations/furnishing and landscaping.

Why would that matter if I'm leavng that household behind?

And if it's the sims' inventories, why does the problem not happen when I'm loading for the first time?

[acerthorn]

I checked my save file. It's at 41.6MB. Does that count as "bloated?"

[acerthorn]

When I do a factory reset, which folder am I supposed to move to the desktop? The folder with the game launcher in it? Or the folder in the "Documents" section that has my save files and mods in it?

[MrsFlynn]

Sims 3 Factory Reset- How-To

[This is different from a total-game reinstall - This just sets the game back to factory default.]

Move your Sims 3 folder to the desktop or some where safe, and rename it something like Sims 3 Current. Go To: ----> My Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3

You won't loose your files, like saved games or game options. It's all still there in the folder on your desktop or some where safe. Just don't delete anything.

Click the Sims 3 to create a new Sims 3 folder.

----
If you want to continue to play your previous game-saves, go into the Sims 3 folder that you backed up and copy over your game saves, files and such over to the new game to see if that helps.

The thread linked below will help with what to copy over to your new Sims 3 folder, after you've done a factory reset and want to play with your previous game saves and such.

Saving folders/files to use on a different computer or to use as backup
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,16414.msg313134.html#msg313134

[MrsFlynn]

It doesn't matter. But it would matter if you move the household into a lot that has a lot of furniture/decor.

I don't have an answer as to why there aren't problems when loading the family for the first time. Other than they don't have as much in their inventories when you first start playing them.

In any case, these are just troubleshooting problems. Trying to help solve the loading problems.

[MrsFlynn]

I honestly couldn't tell you if that size (41.6MB) of a game-save counts as bloated or not. It doesn't seem that big. But you're having problems loading the saved game. So therefore there is something wrong with it.

When I've had problems like this in the past. I do a factory reset and that usually fixes the problem.

[acerthorn]

I just did a factory reset. I'm loading the savegame now. I'll try to head to college and I'll tell you if that fixed the problem.

[acerthorn]

Yep, it's still not working. Let me try a totally new save game to see if that fixes it.

[MrsFlynn]

That is my other go-to "fix" is to take the family and their house into a new game to see if that helps.

[acerthorn]

Oh, I didn't take the family and house into a new game. I hastily threw together some traits for a brand new Sim and sent him off to college without even taking the aptitude test.

And guess what? Still didn't work!

I'm starting to wonder if maybe if EP itself is corrupted. What do I do to check if that's the case?