Broken saved game

[pallyndrome]

thanks for the suggestions mrs flynn. I am hoping I'll be able to play them all in one neighbourhood though for a variety of reasons including that I edit the towns to my own liking and don't want to have to do that over and over again.

... I uninstalled/reinstalled, but there's something I found a little strange. I didn't have to redownload my shop and exchange items - they were still there as if I'd never uninstalled the games. And my second "sims 3" folder from the old factory reset is still there too. Did I do something wrong? I uninstalled the normal way (through control panel). Last time I did it, I uninstalled manually, but with the same result of the still-existing downloads...

[MrsFlynn]

Hi Pally,

Hubby and I like tweak our own towns as well. We tweak our towns and then save them for later use. Then re-save them with a different name when we go to play them. I usually give my game saves either the family's last name or first, and then the date. Which ever fits better or is easier to remember.

I think that's actually happened to me before, a long time ago. What had happened is that I forgot to rename my existing Sims3 folder to something different before uninstalling Sims3.

Did you re-name your Sims 3 Folder before un-installing Sim3?

MrsFlynn

[pallyndrome]

I was not aware we had to change a folder name before un/reinstalling - do you mean a factory reset, where that is necessary? Because I'm not talking about a factory reset, but uninstalling each expansion then the base game, then reinstalling them all over again. I've never heard of changing a folder name when doing that. Perhaps you mean backing up my files? Because I did do that.
Has anyone else experienced an un/reinstall where the downloads (swap shop, sims shop) don't need to be re-downloaded or re-installed?

[Anushka]

Pally, when you uninstall base game, you should get the pop up asking Do you want to remove saved games and custom content - it looks like you chose Not to remove them

[MrsFlynn]

Oh no, Sorry, I didn't mean it was a have-to thing. I was just saying it might be a good idea to do that so you can start with a totally fresh install of the game.

MrsFlynn

[pallyndrome]

Pally, when you uninstall base game, you should get the pop up asking Do you want to remove saved games and custom content - it looks like you chose Not to remove them

I don't think I got any such pop up. Looks like I'll have to do it again. Might try that last idea of yours first Anushka. And that's fine mrsFlynn. I did mean to start with a fresh install but looks like I didn't do it right.

[pallyndrome]

Hello everyone again.

Since I last posted about this problem, I have uninstalled and reinstalled everything (including all store and swap shop content). I have started a fresh neighbourhood (Union Cove), and completely redid everything (deleting families/lots, and adding all the community lots I wanted). I have recreated some of my old sims through CAS and added new ones (from other neighbourhoods) that I have edited with the edit-in-cas cheat. I just started playing again like I used to, with my first couple (and I was just about to restart my story The Ordinary Lives of Union Cove). I played for a few sim days (like 5) during which I made them a house, and had the couple marry and have a baby. Then I opened it again, and it froze within minutes of playing. Every time I have opened it, it has frozen (it's taking less and less time to freeze). I restarted the computer, but still the same problem.

I am quite depressed by this as this was the same problem I had with my last game. I don't understand how it can happen as this is a completely fresh game file. It must be something to do with how I play - story progression/aging off - or how big my neighbourhood is. I desperately want to only play this way - I'm not at all interested in playing the way most people do (with a single family) - and I am now thinking I will have to give up on sims altogether, which is very disappointing (I love this game).

[Twinmum]

Have you tried in a different neighbourhood  Pally? I've given up trying to play Union Cove as it always freezes shortly into the game.

[pallyndrome]

I chose Union Cove because it had the best open space to make a neighbourhood customised to my preferences. But my original problem (from before I uninstalled/reinstalled) was in Barnacle Bay, so I would doubt that the problem is due to being in Union Cove. But perhaps I will try another place, I just will need to spend a long time recustomising a new town  .

[loveSims]

Pally Apaloosa plains have a lot of empty lots if you want to play around and change things.

[pallyndrome]

I really don't think it's just the neighbourhood, but thanks lovesims. I have contacted EA (again) and they said they'll get an expert to email me. I really hope I can still play - I love this game.

[MrsFlynn]

Hey Pally,

Did you ever hear back from EA about your game?  If so, what did they say?

MrsFlynn

[pallyndrome]

Yes I have heard back from them twice over the last two weeks. The first time they told me to delete temporary files and stop background programs, and give them my computer details if that didn't work. Then when I told them that didn't work, they told me to run a special exploratory thingy (that I've forgotten the name of), which I haven't done because:

During the last two weeks I have also been doing my own testing. I have concluded that the problem does not lie with my cds, or my downloads, or zonealarm. It seems to be something to do with my computer. So I had my dad completely reformat my computer, and I am now playing again with sims reinstalled. It is still freezing, but not in the same way, and not in a repetitive fashion like it used to (freeze at the same spot each time I play) so while I am annoyed that I have not pinpointed the problem, I can seem to play like this so, so far so good...

[MrsFlynn]

I'm sorry to hear your still having some problems. But happy that your still able to play Simmies the way you want too.

MrsFlynn