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    I don't have a backup or .sims3 file!

    SophiaJulieBestSophiaJulieBest Posts: 11 New Member
    in The Sims 3 Help & Technical Discussion
    I started a new game on the sims 3, but after 2 hours i kept on getting error 12 then it crashed and i checked my files i have 2 files with .bad on it, i don't have any backup or .sims3 file!

    Please help i wanna restore my game :(

    Comments

    • AMariseSAMariseS Posts: 2,458 Member
      Without any that end with .sims3 or .backup, I honestly don't think there's a restorable save, I'm afraid. There may be someone with much more tech experience than I who might have a suggestion, though..?
      One way I avoid this problem is Save As every half hour, changing the name just a bit (DragonValley1, DragonValley2, etc.), that way I just lose 1/2 hour of progress instead of the whole save if I get Error 12. I got this idea from NRaas Saver (a lifesaver for someone who could play for hours on end without remembering/wanting to interrupt my play to save).
      I hope someone can help, but from my own experience, I don't think it's possible. I'm sorry.
    • AshpeefAshpeef Posts: 173 Member
      The game only keeps one previous version of a save, so if you are hit by an Error 12 or suchlike and try to save again -- even if you only retry once! -- your last and only functional .backup is overwritten and you'll end up with exactly two, unusable, corrupt files both ending in .bad; and no way to recover. So, as AMariseS said: always use 'Save as'. Also, for the same reason, use 'Save as' and then 'Quit' (without saving) to end a game session and never 'Save and Quit'.

      Sorry to be the bringer of bad news. :(
      I know this info won't help you recovering your last game. However, I hope it will spare you equal unpleasantness in the future.
    • igazorigazor Posts: 19,330 Member
      I'm afraid that @AMariseS is correct. Error12 means that the save was not successful. There really isn't anything you can do with those ".bad" folders except delete them as they are only the result of partial save attempts.

      Error12 is a memory (RAM) error condition. It either means that your system ran out of usable memory at the time you tried to save or, and this is the part that confuses some players, you have plenty of RAM but the game has tried to reach for more memory that it can ever use. On Windows, that would be 4 GB (but practically speaking, it's really around 3.6 GB), on Mac that would be 2 GB.

      A dxdiag report, if you are on Windows, might help us rule out some things if you could run and provide one.
      https://help.ea.com/en/article/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information
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