No picture of household, fatal error

[tumblers]

When I open the launcher, there isn't a picture of my household, just an outline of a few people. When I try to load it, it fails in the first second. What can I do? Thanks.

[Summers]

When I open the launcher, there isn't a picture of my household, just an outline of a few people. When I try to load it, it fails in the first second. What can I do? Thanks.

Do you mean you can't see the  household thumbnail picture in the main menu and can't start the game right? I think I have an idea from EA. Go to the Sims3 folder in my documents, and open the Saves folder and make sure you still have your household game in there. There could be file name.sims3 and file name.backup.sims3. Take the 'backup' out of the backup file name and name it like 'file name.sims3' without the letters,backup. And Erase the file name.sims3. And then run your game and you might be able to save your game file.

[tumblers]

I can't find a folder like that.

[Ricalynn]

Carl has come up with a detailed explanation at this thread here.  


The exact path is Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Saves.

[Summers]

I can't find a folder like that.

Currently, I took the saves folder and saved it separately on my desktop for installing all Sims3 at the moment.
So you can find the Saves folder in your Documents.

For example, I have a Sunset Valley_T.sims3 game file and one more file with backup.
So erase the Sunset Valley_T.sims3 game file
and rename the 'Sunset Valley_T.backup.sims3 to Sunset Valley_T.sims3.

And then run the game one more time
because I heard it is what EA prepared for preventing game files loss.
 If you can't find that game file name in Saves folder,
then unfortunately  you might lose your household.

Sorry for the poor English.

[tumblers]

I just did what Carl posted, and now it says "can't load this saved game. it may have been saved with expansion pack data that is no longer present on the system."

[Ricalynn]

Have you uninstalled anything recently?

[tumblers]

Nope. Everything is still there.

[Summers]

Nope. Everything is still there.

Have you backuped your household? If you have one in the library, then you can make a new game with the same household.

[tumblers]

No, and I just spent a few weeks building a new house.

[Summers]

No, and I just spent a few weeks building a new house.

What I've recognized since I've been playing Sims3. I lost my household many times from sudden bugs. Now I always save my household in the library for just in case. Sorry that I can't help you with this issue now.

[MadJack]

Try this

Backup your saves (C:\Users\[User]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Saves) in an alternate folder, on the desktop for example.

1.  Create a new game using the town which is used by the corrupted save.

2.  Using your new sim, visit world destinations you visited Al Simhara etc, before the save got corrupted.  Then save this new game.

3.  In C:\Users\[User]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Saves open the folder containing the game you just created - eg NewGame.sims3.

4.  Copy (ctrl+c) the meta files - which are - 1a5tf1l3.dat, Meta.data and TravelDB.package  (copy ONLY these three files.)

5.  Then, in C:\Users\[User]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Saves, open the 'corrupted' save file and hit Ctrl+v to paste the copied metafiles.  Overwrite the old meta files when prompted.

6.   Restart your pc.

7.  See if they work.

[Summers]

 Create a new game using the town which is used by the corrupted save.

How do you create a new game with the corrupted save?
Even the save file won't open as I remember.

[MadJack]

As in, if your corrupted game used Bridgeport, start a new game in Bridgeport.

[Summers]

As in, if your corrupted game used Bridgeport, start a new game in Bridgeport.

ohh...now I got it what it means.