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Theorist
Original Poster
#1 Old 30th Mar 2017 at 5:15 PM Last edited by PolarBearSims : 19th May 2017 at 1:05 PM.

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Showtime, Supernatural, Seasons, University Life, Island Paradise, Into the Future
Default Crashing in build/Buy mode FIXED!!!
Wasn't sure exactly what catagory to put this under. I posted a couple years ago about an issue similar to this and I have looked it over but it isn't the same thing that is happening here so I'm posting a new thread.

Ok what is happening:
Started a couple of days ago. I was building a house. I had a lot of it done and was down to the last few rooms. Then the game crashed. I haven't had my game crash in over a year or more. So I thought ok, it happens. Loaded it back up, BAM! less than 15 min later it crashed again. Now I'm starting to wonder. I load it back up BAM less than 10 min it crashes. It basically shuts down and says that Sims 3 has occured a problem and stopped working. So I went in, saved my lot. I thought maybe the save got corrupted. So I loaded a fresh game/world and put the lot into that town. BAM! it crashes again! Now I'm thinking this house is corrupted. So I move it again, clear cashe and go to a different town again and save it under a different name. BAM! crashes again. I was able to get that one done. So I went and did 2 lets play video and not a single problem. Never crashed once. I thought ok must of been the house then. I am now in a different save of a different lets play building a house again. I get through the entire construction and start working on the decoration. BAM it crashes! So I tried probably 2 more times and each time it crashed with in 10 min or less. So I went in and removed the Sims 3 folder and made the game create all new files. Put back in my content and loaded the game. But it still crashes. Appears to only be crashing in Build/Buy mode

Some info on my system and game:
I don't use CC in any of my Build/Buy only in CAS
I do have store content
All the expansions except Katy Perry

My computer:
Its been the same since I got the game 4 years ago except now it has a new motherboard that's more powerful than before and now I have 24G Ram instead of 8
Trust me it isn't my computer specs causing the issue, its more than capable of running this game. Has been for years.

Does anyone have any ideas on why it would crash during builds? This is really getting aggravating and just started for the first time 2 days ago. Is there anything else that could get corrupted that I could try removing and created new of? Maybe a program that could tell me if any CC is corrupted? Thank you for all of your help! Always greatly appreciated
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Instructor
#2 Old 30th Mar 2017 at 6:51 PM
Do you have the error/crash logs? Try running them through this to narrow it down a little http://modthesims.info/d/416883.
It should be able to let you know at least a basic idea of what's going wrong.
Theorist
Original Poster
#3 Old 30th Mar 2017 at 7:22 PM
Quote: Originally posted by orose
Do you have the error/crash logs? Try running them through this to narrow it down a little http://modthesims.info/d/416883.
It should be able to let you know at least a basic idea of what's going wrong.


Thank you I will try that.
Theorist
Original Poster
#4 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 1:27 AM
I downloaded that program. It says Maximum memory used. However, I have 77G in that Partition that the game is saved in. I do have more in another partition. Its never done this before. I tried to take a picture of some of the things it is doing before it crashes but fraps only captured a black screen. So I will try to explain if I can. One of the things it does is the Build/Buy Bar at the bottom turns black but the writing is a neon green color. Also the Top left where the price of the lot is at wil also turn black with neon green writing. It doesn't crash when it does this only crashes after I click on something else. Another thing it does that you don't see while in game but it is showing up in my build video. The picture below is what the curser does right before the crash. Just a few seconds before. I wouldn't of known this if I wasn't recording the build. You don't see this in game. I do not understand how I would not have enough memory. I only get 15 min or less before it crashes and it is just fine when I am not in Build/Buy mode. Any other ideas on what the problem is?
Screenshots
Instructor
#5 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 1:38 AM
I believe that message may have more to do with RAM than hard disk size. I've had it crash in build/buy on really large, complicated lots in my old computer, and it threw that error.

Does having the graphics on the lowest setting affect the issue at all?

I wonder, if you have two graphics cards, is it trying to run on the integrated instead of the dedicated one?
Theorist
Original Poster
#6 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 1:55 AM
Quote: Originally posted by orose
I believe that message may have more to do with RAM than hard disk size. I've had it crash in build/buy on really large, complicated lots in my old computer, and it threw that error.

Does having the graphics on the lowest setting affect the issue at all?

I wonder, if you have two graphics cards, is it trying to run on the integrated instead of the dedicated one?


I have 24G ram so I doubt it's the ram. But now that I think about it, I changed motherboards a few weeks ago. I haven't built since the change. In a little bit I will see what one it's using and get it changed if it's not using my after market card.
Instructor
#7 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 2:36 AM
Quote: Originally posted by PolarBearSims
I have 24G ram so I doubt it's the ram. But now that I think about it, I changed motherboards a few weeks ago. I haven't built since the change. In a little bit I will see what one it's using and get it changed if it's not using my after market card.


Is TS3 actually capable of using that much RAM though? I was under the impression after reading this thread (http://modthesims.info/t/548125) that it's only capable of using 2GB or 4GB max, however my understanding of how the game interacts with various systems is admittedly not very deep. xD
Theorist
Original Poster
#8 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 3:33 AM
Quote: Originally posted by orose
Is TS3 actually capable of using that much RAM though? I was under the impression after reading this thread (http://modthesims.info/t/548125) that it's only capable of using 2GB or 4GB max, however my understanding of how the game interacts with various systems is admittedly not very deep. xD


It doesn't use all that you have. It is set to use 2g. However, several online posts say you can change that if you have more. Like posted above it runs the game itself fine with no problems, just when I'm in build/buy mode that it crashes.
Theorist
Original Poster
#9 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 3:35 AM
Quote: Originally posted by orose
I believe that message may have more to do with RAM than hard disk size. I've had it crash in build/buy on really large, complicated lots in my old computer, and it threw that error.

Does having the graphics on the lowest setting affect the issue at all?

I wonder, if you have two graphics cards, is it trying to run on the integrated instead of the dedicated one?


I checked, my new motherboard doesn't have on board video and the computer shows its using my Radeon.
Theorist
Original Poster
#10 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 4:20 AM
Game was set to use only 2G ram so I raised it and still crashed with same error. Maybe this will help. That program allows me to put it into a text file so I will have it uploaded. Maybe someone will know what I need to do and what is going on.
Attached files:
File Type: zip  Crash Log 3-30-17 11PM .zip (1.1 KB, 63 downloads) - View custom content
Mad Poster
#11 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 6:21 AM Last edited by igazor : 31st Mar 2017 at 6:48 AM.
Hi there. Those crash logs rarely tell us anything useful, but this one appears to be complaining about specific instances of custom content (which would make sense that they would cause problems in Build/Buy mode even if not being used live in-game), although then it's puzzling because you say that you don't have any such CC.

This may not be causing today's crash, but you also have a problematic graphics card. The Radeon HD 5450 is not strong enough to carry the entire game or even half of the EPs. The wiki chart says that it can't carry any of them (that might be a bit overstated). There is something about the cards occupying those product slots, the 350s and 450s, and it's not the total amount of video memory that they carry, in all of the Radeons from that era that just makes TS3 very unhappy with them, especially as the cards age. Even the less often seen 8350s do this. Not being a new equipment snob here, my card is from that era as well but it's a 6770. Any chance of a card upgrade in the near future?

Edit: Also, just as an FYI although you have moved past this now, the game will reach for and use up to just short of 4 GB of RAM all by itself as of the LateNite patch (long ago), which made it Large Address Aware on Windows. The setting often pointed to that looks like it says 2 GB really says 20 GB and doesn't do what it sounds like it does for a 32-bit application.
Alchemist
#12 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 9:06 AM
Just throwing that out there, but have you tried removing all CC, deleting the cache files and what's left in the CurrentGame folder after the crashes, and running the game again? You may have some corrupt CC that causes the game to keep reading it over and over again, which increases the RAM it needs. The Process Monitor method allows you to isolate such CC and take it out. Just one note: you only need to add TS3W.exe to the filter, not all EPs and SPs.

Then again, it may just be an issue with spending too much time in CASt or switching between build/buy mode a lot.

Are you doing something specific when the game crashes (accessing a specific category of the catalog)? Does the game crash even if you let it run on its own for 10 minutes, without your intervention?

Tumblr - more downloads! ◾ CC reuploads / creator backupsTS3 CAS Conversion Catalog - for basegame, EP, SP, and Store clothing!
Theorist
Original Poster
#13 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 12:23 PM
Quote: Originally posted by igazor
Hi there. Those crash logs rarely tell us anything useful, but this one appears to be complaining about specific instances of custom content (which would make sense that they would cause problems in Build/Buy mode even if not being used live in-game), although then it's puzzling because you say that you don't have any such CC.

This may not be causing today's crash, but you also have a problematic graphics card. The Radeon HD 5450 is not strong enough to carry the entire game or even half of the EPs. The wiki chart says that it can't carry any of them (that might be a bit overstated). There is something about the cards occupying those product slots, the 350s and 450s, and it's not the total amount of video memory that they carry, in all of the Radeons from that era that just makes TS3 very unhappy with them, especially as the cards age. Even the less often seen 8350s do this. Not being a new equipment snob here, my card is from that era as well but it's a 6770. Any chance of a card upgrade in the near future?

Edit: Also, just as an FYI although you have moved past this now, the game will reach for and use up to just short of 4 GB of RAM all by itself as of the LateNite patch (long ago), which made it Large Address Aware on Windows. The setting often pointed to that looks like it says 2 GB really says 20 GB and doesn't do what it sounds like it does for a 32-bit application.


That doesn't makes sense on the card since I've had it for over a year and I used to have,my settings on high and it ran better than my previous card and the card before was smaller and ran the game as well just fine. Just a few weeks ago I did a build that took a few hours and didn't exit the game to build and never had a problem. I haven't had my game crash like this in a cpl years. So I doubt it's my card.
Theorist
Original Poster
#14 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 12:29 PM
Quote: Originally posted by sweetdevil
Just throwing that out there, but have you tried removing all CC, deleting the cache files and what's left in the CurrentGame folder after the crashes, and running the game again? You may have some corrupt CC that causes the game to keep reading it over and over again, which increases the RAM it needs. The Process Monitor method allows you to isolate such CC and take it out. Just one note: you only need to add TS3W.exe to the filter, not all EPs and SPs.

Then again, it may just be an issue with spending too much time in CASt or switching between build/buy mode a lot.

Are you doing something specific when the game crashes (accessing a specific category of the catalog)? Does the game crash even if you let it run on its own for 10 minutes, without your intervention?


Yes I have played the game with out going into build/buy mode for over an hour with no problems.

Also I haven't changed anything in CC for several months so my question for you is, can CC just all of a sudden corrupt? If it can, would downloading fresh fix that if I found what it was? I have a few CC only for a prison challenge I've been doing but it's been in there for several months. I also started a lot based off of a house in a show but that was added 6 months ago. Other than that all CC I have are things like clothing, tats,and hair and those other CCs will be gone after the build/ let's play is done.

Also what do you mean by this: "Just one note: you only need to add TS3W.exe to the filter, not all EPs and SPs." I've never moved the TS3W.exe file, that's where the game put it.
Theorist
Original Poster
#15 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 12:41 PM
Quote: Originally posted by PolarBearSims
Yes I have played the game with out going into build/buy mode for over an hour with no problems.

Also I haven't changed anything in CC for several months so my question for you is, can CC just all of a sudden corrupt? If it can, would downloading fresh fix that if I found what it was? I have a few CC only for a prison challenge I've been doing but it's been in there for several months. I also started a lot based off of a house in a show but that was added 6 months ago. Other than that all CC I have are things like clothing, tats,and hair and those other CCs will be gone after the build/ let's play is done.

Also what do you mean by this: "Just one note: you only need to add TS3W.exe to the filter, not all EPs and SPs." I've never moved the TS3W.exe file, that's where the game put it.


I haven't paid attention complately on when it crashes other than I know it is isn't in build mod since I spent 30 or minutes on the construction of the lot. It crashes when I'm adding objects, recoloring or it has crashed a cpl times when I exit to save.
Alchemist
#16 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 1:00 PM
Quote: Originally posted by PolarBearSims
Also I haven't changed anything in CC for several months so my question for you is, can CC just all of a sudden corrupt? If it can, would downloading fresh fix that if I found what it was? I have a few CC only for a prison challenge I've been doing but it's been in there for several months. I also started a lot based off of a house in a show but that was added 6 months ago. Other than that all CC I have are things like clothing, tats,and hair and those other CCs will be gone after the build/ let's play is done.

If you haven't made any changes to CC, it may very well be that the lot itself is corrupted OR that on some occasions you really spent more time in CASt or the catalog than you thought -- or rather, time spent is only half the issue, the other half being how many times you switch between catalogues or recolor. Can you try building for only 5 minutes and attempting to save the game, to see whether it saves or crashes? And then reload the save and check if you still experience crashes.

Quote: Originally posted by PolarBearSims
Also what do you mean by this: "Just one note: you only need to add TS3W.exe to the filter, not all EPs and SPs." I've never moved the TS3W.exe file, that's where the game put it.

The Process Monitor guide - which you should follow just to cross something off your list - mentions under Step 4 adding every EP and SP you have to the filter ("filter" being the instructions that tell ProcMon which program to monitor). Follow the rest of the steps. However, you can check the ProcMon log (Step 8) while the game is running as well, if you wish.

The guide is fairly old so now you don't need to create a filter for every EP and SP, only the TSRW.exe file.

Tumblr - more downloads! ◾ CC reuploads / creator backupsTS3 CAS Conversion Catalog - for basegame, EP, SP, and Store clothing!
Theorist
Original Poster
#17 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 1:10 PM
Quote: Originally posted by sweetdevil
If you haven't made any changes to CC, it may very well be that the lot itself is corrupted OR that on some occasions you really spent more time in CASt or the catalog than you thought -- or rather, time spent is only half the issue, the other half being how many times you switch between catalogues or recolor. Can you try building for only 5 minutes and attempting to save the game, to see whether it saves or crashes? And then reload the save and check if you still experience crashes.


The Process Monitor guide - which you should follow just to cross something off your list - mentions under Step 4 adding every EP and SP you have to the filter ("filter" being the instructions that tell ProcMon which program to monitor). Follow the rest of the steps. However, you can check the ProcMon log (Step 8) while the game is running as well, if you wish.

The guide is fairly old so now you don't need to create a filter for every EP and SP, only the TSRW.exe file.

Ok I see on what you mean on the filter. Will check that in a little while. Also, doesnt crash till after 5 min. I think around 10-15 min it crashes. I have changed, lots, changed towns, started new games. Each still crashes. I haven't spent near as much in catalog or recoloring as I have in the past lol. I cant even get 1 room done and a month ago I was doing entire houses with no problems and I recolor a ton lol. This is why I'm confused on why it's happening all of a sudden. Something has to of changed since my last build a month ago but I haven't changed anything other than a motherboard upgrade and more ram. I will try in a little while removing a cpl of items and see. I also have a lot of store content and I have had a lot for several months.
Site Helper
#18 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 3:16 PM
Color changes happen to me a lot when my monitor is partially unplugged again (the connection is loose and my computer desk wobbles.) And cursor weirdness was one of the symptoms when I was running (or trying to run) a program that needed a graphics card that was better than one I had. If you are certain that your graphics card is not the issue, maybe the drivers got corrupted when you installed the new motherboard?

I am Ghost. My husband is sidneydoj. I post, he downloads, and I wanted to keep my post count.
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Theorist
Original Poster
#19 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 3:50 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Ghost sdoj
Color changes happen to me a lot when my monitor is partially unplugged again (the connection is loose and my computer desk wobbles.) And cursor weirdness was one of the symptoms when I was running (or trying to run) a program that needed a graphics card that was better than one I had. If you are certain that your graphics card is not the issue, maybe the drivers got corrupted when you installed the new motherboard?

The reason I don't think it's the card is bc I've had this card for a year with no problems. I had to reinstall the graphics card and update it when I put in the motherboard. Those types of color changes when a monitor is loose isn't the kind I'm getting. Also, the mouse issue isn't visible in game, happen to see it bc it got recorded by fraps.
Theorist
Original Poster
#20 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 4:22 PM
Question on my graphics since it's been brought up on not capable and I think its bc it's series isn't listed as part of the requirements. When it comes to graphics cards I know some but not everything on what it is. The game tells you the required ATI series but apparently the series 5000-8000 isn't good enough but are made 2009 and newer yet a 4000 series which is even older is. Also says the card needs 128M. I'm assuming that's the memory size in the card. Mine has 1G memory so again not sure how mine isn't big enough other than just bc it isn't listed. And since that program says I'm somehow running out of memory-yet never happened before even before this card and you don't even want to know the dinosaur I had in it before lol So in a few min I'm going to try that program monitor and see what it says.
Mad Poster
#21 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 4:41 PM
It's not that the older 4000-8000 series aren't good enough. It's that cards within those series in the 350s and 450s are known to be potentially problematic. Not because they don't carry enough video memory, it's because their performance is just not strong enough in other ways. In other words, there would be a world of difference between a 5770 and a 5450.
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...em_Requirements

It's the same with Nvidia. The 900s are great. A GTX 970 would be fantastic for TS3. A 940M would not be and would hold the player back considerably.

And it is also possible, but much more difficult to tell, that your card is only just now beginning to fail due to age. Or that it's none of these things, but that model card does raise a warning flag for those of us who have worked with many players on it in the past.
Theorist
Original Poster
#22 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 4:56 PM
Quote: Originally posted by igazor
It's not that the older 4000-8000 series aren't good enough. It's that cards within those series in the 350s and 450s are known to be potentially problematic. Not because they don't carry enough video memory, it's because their performance is just not strong enough in other ways. In other words, there would be a world of difference between a 5770 and a 5450.
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...em_Requirements

It's the same with Nvidia. The 900s are great. A GTX 970 would be fantastic for TS3. A 940M would not be and would hold the player back considerably.

And it is also possible, but much more difficult to tell, that your card is only just now beginning to fail due to age. Or that it's none of these things, but that model card does raise a warning flag for those of us who have worked with many players on it in the past.

thank you I actually like learning more on this stuff because its cheaper to fix and build my own than to go to someone else lol I know some things can be tested if it is going bad or is bad like power supplies. Is a graphics card able to be tested to see if it is going bad?
Theorist
Original Poster
#23 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 5:00 PM
I did the Process Monitor program and nothing was being read over and over. The highest I had on a mod/package was 124. So I will remove a couple of items that were temporary and report back what happens.
Mad Poster
#24 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 5:03 PM
Quote: Originally posted by PolarBearSims
thank you I actually like learning more on this stuff because its cheaper to fix and build my own than to go to someone else lol I know some things can be tested if it is going bad or is bad like power supplies. Is a graphics card able to be tested to see if it is going bad?

That kind of test would be beyond my comfort zone. Usually I would rely on other symptoms, such as misbehavior in other games, simpler programs like web browsers also showing rainbows of color across the screen, odd noises coming from it, having no video at all (of course that's like saying death is a symptom of disease).

Paging @PapaEmy.
Theorist
Original Poster
#25 Old 31st Mar 2017 at 5:21 PM
Quote: Originally posted by igazor
That kind of test would be beyond my comfort zone. Usually I would rely on other symptoms, such as misbehavior in other games, simpler programs like web browsers also showing rainbows of color across the screen, odd noises coming from it, having no video at all (of course that's like saying death is a symptom of disease).

Paging @PapaEmy.


None of those symptoms are happening. Sims 4 runs great graphics wise, those are set on high. Didn't know if sims 4 needed better graphics. My son plays minecraft and he says it runs great too.
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