I'm having a few Major CAW problems...

[RylandHomes]

Hi guys and gals!

So I've been trying to work on a world I started months ago, but ever since I posted the world in the feedback forums here, CAW hasn't worked... (LOL Not saying you guys are the problem.... maybe just an omen.... HAHAHA jk jk jk)

Anyway, CAW has been doing some screwy things to me in the past few months. Once I got Late Night actually, the problems began. Since then, I've reinstalled CAW with the newest versions from the TS3 site God knows how many times. I've purchased the new expansion and stuff packs that have been released since Late Night, partly in hopes that with the new EP/SP, EA would have fixed whatever issue it may be.. but I am still having all these different problems! :help:

Problem 1: Random Crashes
So, some of the time, CAW like to trick me into thinking it's working. I'll get a bunch of work done with what seams to be no problems... Then out of nowhere, it'll crash! :faceslap:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb370/ian_bernard/CAWcrash1.png

Problem 2: Shutdown Failure
Okay, so this one is a rare one. I don't see this often, but it shows up often enough for me to know I hate it.... heh heh
It usually occurs when CAW first loads up, or right after it tells me CAW has crashed like in problem 1. :|

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb370/ian_bernard/CAWcrash2.png

Once I click "OK", CAW Closes by itself, without me having to go to the Task Manager and close it like we all read it says in my screen snip.

Problem 3: "Save As" Crashes

Another problem that really gets my blood boiling is any and every time I chose "Save As", I get an almost exact crash like problem 1, however CAW will stop responding for about 2 minutes or so before I get the crash alert thing...

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb370/ian_bernard/CAWcrash3.png

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb370/ian_bernard/CAWcrash4.png
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Well, those are three of the problems CAW I get, I would list the others, but they aren't as important as those three... I decided to give the top three, because I figured if these three can be fixed the others would be fixed.

My Specs might be necessary, so here they are.

Basic Info:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb370/ian_bernard/PCbasicspecs.png

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb370/ian_bernard/PCbasicspecs02.png

I've attached my DxDiag Report in hopes that it might help one of you help me.

[simsample]

Did you make your CAW executable Large Address aware?

Link here, plus some other things you can try:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=441595

[RylandHomes]

I've now made my CAW LAA, thanks simsample :)
I tested CAW for a bit, sculpting random terrain, placing roads, painting, all that jazz, with none of the usual problems like random crashes.

I did still experience on of the problems I didn't list. Which is everywhere but the render panel, when I mouse over, my mouse pointer is always "loading". I have the mac mouse pointer theme so it's always that spinning beach ball unless I'm on the render panel.

I am also still unable to save via "Save As"... When I tried to save that way, I got the same crash alert message.

[buxcosim]

For me, the random crashes largely stopped after I started running CAW as Administrator. A lot of the "tried to access protected memory" faults (which are probably also causing the "save as" crashes) are due to poor memory management on CAW's part, but running with admin privileges seemed to fix that for me.

I *did* however start having crashes on saving once my world got above a certain level of complexity (i.e. adding all of my lots, trees, visual effects, etc.). I've solved that one by turning off all of the layers I'm not using at the moment (including shadows and fog), and then pausing game time so that the plants and effects aren't drawing huge amounts of memory. Trees and effects are not really a problem in the game (although too many effects can cause lag on slower systems), but when you're editing in CAW, its memory management issues can easily overwhelm even a fairly high-end system.

[RylandHomes]

I've started running CAW as administrator, but I'm still having the crash when I "Save As".
This really sucks because I'm wanting to start another world, and dumb CAW it being lame... :\

[buxcosim]

I've started running CAW as administrator, but I'm still having the crash when I "Save As".
This really sucks because I'm wanting to start another world, and dumb CAW it being lame... :\Hmm, that's a bummer. Did you try turning off the layers you're not using to free up some memory? For me, once my world gets too complex, CAW starts crashing on saves (but not in EIG, fortunately), so shutting off the resources I don't need helped.

Under the "View" menu, I uncheck the shadows and fog options, then click on "pause game time (trees and effects)," and under "View...Layers" I shut off things like atmosphere, sims, background, and visual effects (unless I'm actually editing them at the time). For me, that freed up enough resources that I could save (and save as...) with impunity!

I generally only use "save as..." when I'm making an experimental change I don't know if I'm going to like or not, so I haven't run into that problem myself. I'm pretty much at the point now where I can make a few minor adjustments in CAW and then go into EIG and work on my lots and then save from EIG, so as long as I remember to close out CAW once EIG loads, I generally don't have problems. (CAW sometimes seems to hijack the controls of EIG, i.e. the navigation controls of EIG get shut off and I have to use CAW's navigation controls - the arrow keys and dragging the mouse to rotate - which are a considerable pain in the butt when editing lots!)