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Test Subject
Original Poster
#26 Old 17th Mar 2016 at 4:39 PM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
20 mins to 2 hrs, improvement!

I agree it is an improvement, but the fact that it crashed with no warning is a little concerning. I gave it 1500 MB of Video Memory to use and it still crashed. The only other thing running was Origin and that is required to run the Sims 3.
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Test Subject
Original Poster
#28 Old 18th Mar 2016 at 12:52 AM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
I hate to say it, but if you could run for 2 hrs without crashing, that's pretty good. I mean, let's admit at few things, this is a game from 2009. You are running it on Win 10 and on a new GPU that it doesn't even recognize anymore. There has to be some compatibility issues, that's just something we cannot get around. Also, are you running patch 1.69? If you are, you really shouldn't. 1.67 is the last known stable version.

Anyhow, how often do you save? I save about every 1 hr of play, but I know most people save every 20-30 mins of play b/c they have much more CC/mods. Eventually it isn't even about crashing, just that you'll start getting error 12 on older saves that are heavily modified with a larger population. Sometimes when I'm building something large, like a mega mall, I actually save and quit every 30min to 1 hr just to refresh the game.

Well... I looked at the version I was using and it just so happens to be Version 1.69. Sadly I don't know how to change the Origin copy of the Sims 3 to Version 1.67, so I think I am stuck there.

Secondly I don't save as often as I should. I have still yet to make a family that I like, and spent the first 20-45 minutes fixing the "Late Night" Neighborhood. I realize now that I should have saved after I fixed it, but instead I tried making a family based on one of my Fan-Fics.
Lab Assistant
#30 Old 18th Mar 2016 at 12:51 PM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
There IS a way to revert back to 1.67, but it will require you to get a hold of a Sims 3 basegame DVD and the 1.67 superpatch. However, I have no experience with it other than theoretical. You'll have to ask someone here who actually done it. Actually, it would be great if someone else with Win 10 and patch 1.69 could jump in and comment on the stability of their game. So far, I'm just speculating.

But yes, you should save more often. If you do not have a habit of saving, you can get NRAAS saver mod, which has autosave functions I believe. You also want to make sure you have unncessary elements in the game option turned off, such as "sims memories" "online functions" etc... try to run the game as lean as possible.


Since the latest patch of Origin, somewhere in January of this year, it's no longer possible to revert back to patch 1.67 with just reinstalling the Base game unforunately. Solutions are written on our site on this page: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/patch%201.69, last paragraph.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#31 Old 18th Mar 2016 at 6:37 PM
So let me get this straight... If I install the 1.69 Version of ErrorTrap that should help with the crashing issue?
Lab Assistant
#33 Old 18th Mar 2016 at 7:23 PM Last edited by stevset : 18th Mar 2016 at 9:31 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by ShadowSteel
So let me get this straight... If I install the 1.69 Version of ErrorTrap that should help with the crashing issue?


No where on that page is it written, is it?

The game crashing can mean a lot of things:
1. save file overbloating
2. insufficient memory (RAM) on your system
3. incompatible mods
4. bad CC
5. something else
Pick your poison.

ErrorTrap was initially made to help with 1., catching error code caused by the game engine or due to 3. that got lost in the web of strings (very thin strings) that's called Sims 3. It has a fallback on 3. to stop the error and reset the Sim that was stuck in a loop of errors. Though not perfect but some useful reporting (ScriptError......xml) for diagnosis purposes so a Coder/Programmer can look at the error and advise what to do next, without those error reporting, errors will still be there unnoticed until you as gamer see it happen that some sim is doing the tango or a drastic CTD.

Ever since EP Generations came out with its Memories options the whole save bloating blew up too extraordinary portions, reason why a whole lot in the Sims 3 community will tell you to switch that feature off in the game options. Beside Errortrap there are other tools to clean up Saved files from this garbage, giving it more room to grow in regular gameplay.

That message about ErrorTrap on our NRaas page is there for those who have ErrorTrap on another gameversion and are getting the "Incompatiblity Warning Message" when opening the launcher, to get the updated ErrorTrap for patch 1.69x, since its a Core mod.

Now with Patch 1.69x another issue came with it. Since you are now bound to start your game through the Launcher, everything in your Sims 3 User Directory gets loaded, even the *.tmp files in your DCCache folder, which takes little more of your free accessible RAM from your system away, not to speak about needing to have Origin run on the background.
So where a player on patch 1.67x can utilize a maximum of 4 GB RAM (more or less 3.7GB) to run the game. Another player on patch 1.69x can only utilize about 3.3 ~ 3.5 GB (depending on how much Store / CC you have installed through Sims3Packs). Keep in mind that these figures drop with an amount of around 300MB to create the save file.

Having swiftly read your thread, I am more inclined to throw your situation on Save file overbloating. Open your Saves folder inside your Sims 3 userdirectory (Documents\EA\TS3) and then open the last current save you played. You'll see some files, what's the size of your TravelDB and <Homeworld>.nhd files?

Also next time you are gaming, check occasionally your Taskmanager on the memory usage of the process that's called Sims3 (sort on memory), if its reaches near 3.1GB of memory usage be ready to save, quit the game and restart. Or move your household to a small/medium sized neighborhood, or clean up your current save file following this guide: http://nraas.wikispaces.com/Deleting+SNAP+resources+FAQ
Test Subject
Original Poster
#34 Old 18th Mar 2016 at 7:45 PM
Sadly I don't have any saved games as of now. I am still trying to make a family to even play the game. The main problem is that it crashes on the CAS screen while I am making a sim.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#36 Old 20th Mar 2016 at 1:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
I thought you said you could play for 2 hrs? Is this a new crash?

So you played 2 hrs before without saving? I've never heard of people doing that. You really should save a lot more often.


I was editing the town for 45 minutes and in CAS for the rest. It always seems to crash in the CAS Screen. I am at least trying to make a family that I am happy with before I save my game. (It's a family of four that I am trying to make BTW)
Field Researcher
#37 Old 20th Mar 2016 at 6:33 AM
I read through this a few times, of course all the suggestions previous are the things to do first off. But, I see now your game DID go for 2 hours and you did other things before going into CAS.

Perhaps begin your next sessions straight away with making your families, then save, get out of game, restart and do all the other things.

I HAVE TO save every 15 mins and quit altogether (then restart) after about 1.5 hours or else I risk save errors.

You can try making your family in stages kinda: like, make up rough, quicky versions of them just to have them as a related family unit. Save. To further tweak them, use the cheat was into CAS (testingcheatsenabled true, then click sim you want to modify and option will come up to edit in CAS), and work on one sim at a time, saving your progress in stages. Name each save with its own name.."save as" so if you crash out, you just go back to most recent version and pick up. Don't just "save" because if that save farks up, you may not end up with a backup that is salvageable. In this slow way, you can most likely get to modify each family member exactly as you want them to be, but in stages, saving as you go conscientiously.

This is pretty much how I have to work on families if i am playing a big world, big houses full o'stuff, many generations in the world. I very, very rarely get save errors anymore and once upon a time, i got them constantly. Changed nothing about my set up, just got methodical about save frequency.

Hopefully this helps gets you going, along with other suggestos above.

MTS does not allow us to delete our accounts. I will not be logging into this account anymore, so PMs would go unanswered.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#38 Old 25th Mar 2016 at 5:26 PM
I understand the concept of making them in stages, but because of my Autism I tend to do things in one go. I can probably make one or two sims at a time then combine the households to make the main family. I was actually trying to make a group of roommates with two of them being a couple and the other two being cousins/niece and Aunt.
Forum Resident
#39 Old 25th Mar 2016 at 11:29 PM
Quote: Originally posted by ShadowSteel
Recently I bought "The Sims 3 Starter Pack" from Origin and shortly after playing it for 20 minutes I get a CTD. This seems to happen mostly when I am in the CAS Menu, and I will know that it is going to crash because the entire menu goes black.


Have you checked your driver for needed updates? Sometimes it's the little things that help the most?
GeForce Drivers
Test Subject
Original Poster
#40 Old 28th Mar 2016 at 3:07 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Simorph
Have you checked your driver for needed updates? Sometimes it's the little things that help the most?
GeForce Drivers

My GeForce Experience tells me when a new driver update is available so that shouldn't be a problem.
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