How I Handled the Error Code 12 Message

AnotherSimNut

I’d like to share what I did to stop the dreaded Error Code 12 from appearing (I hope, knock wood, it doesn’t appear again). Recently I added two 64” x 64” beautiful, incredible lots to my game. Afterwards, an Error Code 12 started popping up and would not let me save the game I was currently playing. From reading comments from simmers on the Forum, I have to agree Error Code 12 is a memory issue. Usually I check downloaded lots for spawners, and delete if too many. I may just have too many families in one town, and my PC can’t handle all the data from each of these families. Before I start moving some of my families to another town, decided to first try something.

Here’s what I did: 1) Cleared out my DCBackup folder (had over 2000 files there and deleted all of them from “Earlier This Year”). Just do not ever delete the ccmerged.package file (your premium content is stored in this file). If you’re afraid to delete some files in this folder, just cut and paste to another folder on your computer. For example, create a folder on your desktop and move some files there.

2) I moved pictures from the Screenshots folder (only left ones needed for my stories). You can always move them back.

3) Moved some of my saved games from the Saves folder to another folder I created. I only play with about 12 saved games now each time I play a town. On my PC, the page I see when choosing which town to play only loads 32 saved games (no matter how many I have in my Saves folder). I don’t want to take a chance seeing this dreaded code again so I only play a few saved games at a time. The less my PC has to load, the better it behaves in a game.

4) Deleted the four cache files in the Sims 3 folder; and 5) Defragged my hard drive. So far so good, no Code 12 Errors.
Also, when playing any EA-generated lots or Sims, I do improve the décor but to avoid any problems with the game, I am not moving or deleting any of them to avoid messing up story progression and corrupting the game. I hope this helps others who are having the problem I had. If any of EA’s computer programmers read this message, please give me the specs of your computers so I know what type of computer to purchase that can handle the Sims 3 and 4 without any problems.

ErinaRox

This is a old thread, but error code 12 is still a problem for me >.< thank you for posting these tips I really hope they work, yesterday I lost about 2 hours of gameplay because of it :/

phoebebebe13

ErinaRox wrote: »

This is a old thread, but error code 12 is still a problem for me >.< thank you for posting these tips I really hope they work, yesterday I lost about 2 hours of gameplay because of it

How much ram do you have and is your computer 32 or 64 bit? Ideal is to play this game on 64 bit with 8gb of ram. Also have you checked your hard drive to see if it is getting low? You should leave yourself 100gb of free space on your hard drive where the sims 3 is installed. Error code 12 is caused by having low memory. Also save frequently

igazor

Sorry to interject, but Error 12 upon saving can be caused by not having enough memory. But it can also be caused by the game reaching for more than it can use even if your system has plenty to spare. TS3 is a 32-bit application and cannot cope with more than 4 GB of RAM at any given time even on a 64-bit system. In practice, it's really ~3.7 GB and one spike into the danger zone can cause the current game session to Error 12.

Give me any computer system no matter how great and any world, and I guarantee I can stuff enough sims and lots into it together with some very needy CC (high poly hair for instance, HQ skins, some poorly designed or way over the top lots, maybe some dangerous badly designed mods thrown in) to make it Error 12. It's a talent. (flexes knuckles)

Cororon

igazor wrote: »

Sorry to interject, but Error 12 upon saving can be caused by not having enough memory. But it can also be caused by the game reaching for more than it can use even if your system has plenty to spare. TS3 is a 32-bit application and cannot cope with more than 4 GB of RAM at any given time even on a 64-bit system. In practice, it's really ~3.7 GB and one spike into the danger zone can cause the current game session to Error 12.

But it's still good to have more than 4 GB RAM, right? Because I have 16 GB RAM and can have the game open, and Photoshop and listen to music and surf the net at the same time, and I have never gotten Error 12 since I bought this computer. I used to get Error 12 sometimes on the old one with 4 GB RAM.

igazor

Cororon wrote: »

But it's still good to have more than 4 GB RAM, right? Because I have 16 GB RAM and can have the game open, and Photoshop and listen to music and surf the net at the same time, and I have never gotten Error 12 since I bought this computer. I used to get Error 12 sometimes on the old one with 4 GB RAM.

Oh yes, absolutely. With only 4 GB, TS3 has to compete with the operating system and other background tasks for all the RAM it can get and the OS does tend to take higher priority. It's not always easy to determine if Error12s are caused by the game trying to reach for more than it can handle without losing its mind (~3.7GB on Windows, 2GB on Mac), the system not having enough memory to go around in the first place, a combination of both things, or the dreaded none of the above but it just seems to think it's out of resources (more likely to cause a crash, really).

But we see players with 8-16 GB get Error12s all the time and not understand the program's limitations.

Your processor must hate you, though. Bet most of its siblings that came off the assembly line that day lounge around snoozing most of the time while their users check their email and bank balance then walk away without making them do any real work.

phoebebebe13

Cororon wrote: »

igazor wrote: »

Sorry to interject, but Error 12 upon saving can be caused by not having enough memory. But it can also be caused by the game reaching for more than it can use even if your system has plenty to spare. TS3 is a 32-bit application and cannot cope with more than 4 GB of RAM at any given time even on a 64-bit system. In practice, it's really ~3.7 GB and one spike into the danger zone can cause the current game session to Error 12.

But it's still good to have more than 4 GB RAM, right? Because I have 16 GB RAM and can have the game open, and Photoshop and listen to music and surf the net at the same time, and I have never gotten Error 12 since I bought this computer. I used to get Error 12 sometimes on the old one with 4 GB RAM.

The game will only use 4gb of ram no matter how much ram you have. All the things you have open while playing the game will use ram. Add windows, origin and whatever else is running that is also using your ram. If all the other things your running besides the game exceeds 12gb of ram your not leaving 4gb of ram to run the game.

Your computer with 4gb of ram. The game alone needs 4gb to run. You also need ram to run windows, origin and what ever else your doing so if you were trying to play while on line browsing the web, having other apps opened etc all trying to run on 4gb of ram you would not have 4gb of ram to run the game.

I have 16gb of ram never have error code 12. I play off line and dont have other things open while playing. I also have no mods and not a lot of cc. As @Igazor pointed out if you have bad mods, cc, Playing on a very large lot that is over he top can cause issues too.

KatAnubis

I have a 32 bit system and unfortunately run into Code 12 errors all too often. However, I've found that if I move my family every 3 generations or so, that I don't have it for the longest time (unless I do something stupid like forget to save at least once a SimDay, preferably about 12:30-1am in the Sim day and never during the middle of a party.) I also agree that big lots can be a major problem (as I found when I moved my household and placed their house on a lot in another world than the one I usually use and it turned out to be a much bigger lot.) I haven't really found clearing the caches or deleting files to be that helpful, although moving to a new neighborhood probably has a similar function as it really downsizes the file size. Mostly I think that moving helps to clear out all the "extra friends" as well as cut back on the memory used for maintaining all those family relationships. (And I long ago turned off "memories" for individuals and deleted all the memories they had.) I figure that if I need to have a family tree, I can construct that on my own.

I did find that if I had Origin running (which I discovered after I had done the TS4 free trial, as I don't use Origin otherwise), it used a lot of memory. Same with playing when logged into the site (so no "badges" for me, but then I'm not big into that sort of thing anyway. And I'm so "non-competitive" that it's not funny.)

SimplyJen

I have 8gb of ram and run Origin, Pandora, Chrome, Photoshop, sometimes Fraps, and sometimes with the game connected online. Almost 2gb of cc and mods but I don't play on big lots. Never had error code 12 ever and my last PC was a pre-built HP forced to run everything it couldn't. Amazing that I didn't kill that PC. I don't think upgrading my computer to 16gb would have any benefit to sims.

Cororon

igazor wrote: »

Your processor must hate you, though. Bet most of its siblings that came off the assembly line that day lounge around snoozing most of the time while their users check their email and bank balance then walk away without making them do any real work.

Nah, it's a six core one for gaming. It hasn't complained, yet.

But I did have a RAM related problem with this computer. I got "Access Violation" crashes with TS3, and sometimes bluescreens. I googled and googled, and then I ran a memory test program, and it turned out that one stick of RAM was faulty. Got it replaced, and no more of those crashes/bluescreens.