A lot of people have noticed some serious issues with the recent versions of CAW, but all the information has been turning up on separate threads. Let's bring it all together in one place and look for common issues and possible causes.
The most widespread and recent issue seems to be Edit In Game (EIG) mode deleting lots upon saving. Common threads are problems with saving, with EIG, and with lots.
Notably, during all this mess, CAW's version has gone back a number.
July's CAW was 1.18.3. Since then the numbers have gone 1.18.3 -> 1.19.3 -> 1.18.4 -> then a silent update to 1.18.5
Reference ThreadsCAW update is deleting all my lotsRead only lots + insufficient memory1.42 and CAW. Does it work?What is that? Is that a light?Save failed...CAW says save unsuccessful in Edit in Game Mode...Another issue with the new updateworked FOREVER on something, saved it, then go back to CAW and it's not there?Save Successful - BUT WITH WARNINGSSymptoms
Specific world files (that worked on previous CAW versions) no longer open.
Specific world files (that worked on previous CAW versions) open but crash EIG mode.
World saves successfully in CAW but with error messages claiming some lots are set as read-only. Tells users to make these lots writable.
World saves successfully in EIG but deletes lots. Lots may or may not appear in CAW despite being deleted, perhaps due to caching, but are gone in EIG. Seems to affect all world files.
Exported worlds do not install. The launcher says they have installed, but they do not appear in the InstalledWorlds folder.
Workarounds
Currently it is possible for many of us to keep working on a world, it is just tricky. Many creators are finding that minimising Edit In Game's second loading screen, then letting the game load minimised, allows them to access Edit In Game without crashing.
Exporting your world will produce a simpack with all your files intact inside it, but the simpack will not be readable. The only way to install a world right now is to use the method
anetherron provides here.
Comments
Kiwi_tea
OS: Windows 7 64bit
Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 965, 3.40 GHz
RAM: 8GB
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4890, 1024 MB
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
Affected world files: 1 + all its back ups (16 files in all).
World file size: c.73 MB
CC: Matrix54's floor tiles, not yet publicly distributed. Uninstalled during testing, with caches cleared.
Symptoms: 5 lots labelled read-only when the world is saved. Crashes on loading EIG. Happens on both SN and Seasons versions of CAW.
Navazzah
OS: Windows 7 64bit
Processor: Intel Core2 Duo CPU E8400 3.00GHz
RAM: 8GB
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
Affected world files: 1 + backups
World file size: 70.2 MB
CC: Yes, some, but also tried without them.
ellacharm3d
OS: Windows 7 64bit
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 @ 3.06 GHz
RAM: 6GB
Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 7850, 2048 MB
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
CAW version: 1.16.2
Game version: 1.34
Psiychan
My computer is about: 4 to 5 years old
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit (was updated to this OS last year)
Processor: Amd Atlon Le-1620 Processor 2.40 Ghz
RAM: 2 GB
Video Card: Nvida Geforce 8200
Your CAW is LAA: Not sure
CAW version: 1.18.4.019037
Game version: 1.42
Sinkala
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Processor: AMD FX-4100 Quad Core 3.60 GHz
RAM: 8 gb
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GT 440
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
CAW Version: 1.18.4.019037
Game Versions: 1.42
File size: 27mb
CC-Patterns only
OS: Windows 7 64bit
Processor: Intel Core2 Duo CPU E8400 3.00GHz
RAM: 8GB
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
Affected world files: 1 + backups
World file size: 70.2 MB
CC: Yes, some, but also tried without them.
I've repeatedly failed something I've done 100 times before. I've been trying to place 2 community lots and 4 residential lots using both pre-built game lots and stuff I copied from starlight shores.
1. Open up Caw
2. Place what ever roads I need
3. EIG
4. Draw empty lots
5. Place pre-built lots on empty lots
6. Save and exit EIG
7. Find out that all my lots are gone. Every single one, even the ones I built before.
but i've defo been having problems with what everyone seems to be getting also with lots disapearing after u saved it in edit game
and my world failing to put into my game
lets hope they fix it i cant wait to play the world i just made for seasons
putting in all my houses and community lots..partly builded them in EIG.. (gladly i always saved those with EXPORT)...save...EIG end...= Map = Blank
sadly hours working on it for nothing...
but glad..it seems it wasnt my fault^^.
ah..i wish i wouldnt have patched my game today (and reinstalled CAW.
hopefully they can fix this soon
Specific world files (that worked on previous CAW versions) open but crash EIG mode.
World saves successfully in CAW but with error messages claiming some lots are set as read-only. Tells users to make these lots writable.
Exported worlds do not install. The launcher says they have installed, but they do not appear in the InstalledWorlds folder.
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 @ 3.06 GHz
RAM: 6GB
Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 7850, 2048 MB
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
CAW version: 1.16.2
Game version: 1.34
I learned that CAW 1.18.4 (patch 1.42) is LAA-aware out-of-the-box, but the earlier ones are all manually modified to be LAA.
What problems I've encountered:
Work saved is not retained when next load a CAW wip .world file (from CAW ver 1.18.3 onwards), after program is restarted (see last issue)
Save always end up with failures, Save As also the same, but the lines show the successful message for the individual layers, which is supported by the folder showing the layers having the correct timestamp of the last Save action.
Same missing lots when Saving in CAW 1.18.4 as others
EIG crashing, from CAW ver 1.18.3 onwards
After Save As, (yes with errors reported), and closing the world file, reopening any other .world file would result in a crash with the protected memory error message. Always need to Exit and relaunch CAW. This never happens when I last used CAW extensively back in April
What I've tried, and nothing seems to work, above issues still happened:
With the reports coming in with the 1.42 patch, I've done several uninstalls to rollback to older versions. Here's the result.
uninstalled and rollback both the game and CAW to
1. 1.39/1.19.32. 1.36/1.18.3
3. 1.34/1.16.2
Started over from scratch to rule out borked saves as root cause
Used "SuperCaw"
Used the Unlocker tool to use direct Save with a "successful" report, but changes is still not guaranteed as retained on next load, and most of the time is not retained anyways
I'm tired of dealing with this since Mon and need a break. My next troubleshooting step is to continue on to rollback to game version 1.33 and CAW 1.16.2; maybe at the weekend. Just hoping my results above is able to let the devs know where to start looking...
I wonder if they are checking the CAW forum. I really want the patch because of all the cool stuff, but I sure as heck don't wanna lose my work or the worlds I'm working on!
The more tweets he gets to this thread, the more likely he is to check it out, or have the devs update or check into it. I am gonna do it later, also gonna ask if we can get something from the Gurus saying they are working on it, are aware or something. x.X
edit to add twitter link >_>
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGraham
But yeah, I'm having the same problem. I've got 2 read only lots. I only have installed CC patterns I made myself...
I hope they fix this soon because I just started a new world and would very much like to continue making it.
I think I lost my world.
I now only have the file folder and the world file. I cannot find the setting file.
I sure hope they fix this soon, and I hope that I do not have to start over with my world.
Lets keep this up top so that EA will see it. we hope.
My computer is about: 4 to 5 years old
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit (was updated to this OS last year)
Processor: Amd Atlon Le-1620 Processor 2.40 Ghz
RAM: 2 GB
Video Card: Nvida Geforce 8200
Your CAW is LAA: Not sure
CAW version: 1.18.4.019037
Game version: 1.42
My lots disappear after trying to save in edit in game. I get a save failed error message with certain lots showing as unsuccessful. They also disappear from all previous versions of the world.
Here is my specs:
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Processor: AMD FX-4100 Quad Core 3.60 GHz
RAM: 8 gb
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce GT 440
Your CAW is LAA: Yes
CAW Version: 1.18.4.019037
Game Versions: 1.42
File size: 27mb
CC-Patterns only
This folder is all you need to back up. It contains everything you have done, all your work, CAW textures etc and all your worlds.
*Especially* back up before a new patch! >_>
I'm sorry for you guys and I know how it is to lose a world. I hope they can reverse this and recover your data!