Hello All,

My question is two fold. I've already done the standard delete caches, delete Current Game, delete World Caches. I renamed my TS3 folder and started a new game and transferred saves, Mods, DCBackUp, User Presets, etc. to the new folder. I was able to fix my not being able to save problem via that method but now my game hangs upon exiting Build/Buy mode.

Background: This all started three days ago when I installed some clutter cc and some new NRaas mods. Everything was working perfectly until my active family threw a gift giving party and I was unable to place the gift pile. I tried to save it, realized that would be hell given the number of sims I invited and the fact that I was running Seasons so I hard exited using the Task Manager and reloaded the game, added more room for the gift pile and tried to save. It didn't save. I hard exited again, redid the renovations and tried saving again. No dice. It was at that point I uninstalled the new cc and the NRaas mods I figured I could do without. I did the standard, ran the game and still was unable to save.

That's when I renamed my TS3 folder, ran the game and started importing stuff from a previous backup. I ran the game and lo and behold I could save but now I can't exit build/buy mode. I can add families to the bin (see below) but I can't move households with lots onto empty lots or put down new lots (the game will hang up after I plop the household with lot or house lot down). And I can't export families or lots--the game hangs up.

Right now, I figure I might as well just start over but it was a lot of work that I'd really rather not lose. So the second part of my question is, where are the families in the bin located and can I move them from one TS3 folder to another?

I'm running version 1.69 with AMB, WA, LN, SN, Pets, and SNS. Should note that I'm running Praaven. Please keep in mind that I have had no troubles with the world or my extensive cc up until this point so I'm not worried about my computer being unable to handle it. I have completely populated Praaven and was able to get my active sim married and pregnant (after starting her out as a child), my active family had six sims and 2 horses in it before my active sim married and moved out. The game does not crash or freeze, it just hangs up.

Of the NRaas suite I have.... Master Controller, Decensor, Woohooer, Register, Career, and Debug Enabler.

I have a few custom careers installed, no more than 5 or 6. I also have Shimrod's No Career outfits mod running too.

Pleeease help me save so I don't have to start all over again. It took me two weeks to make over a hundred sims, I've saved the families in the bin that I definitely wanted to keep. I'm okay with creating a new folder and installing Praaven all over again but I'll be crushed if I have to make all those sims over (even though I do have the .sims somewhere on my harddrive). Thank you!

Get Error Trap. It may not help, but it's worth a shot.

The Game Problem FAQ has steps to help determine where the problem is coming from. http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php..._3_Game_Problem

The folder you would be interested in saving the contents from is Saved Sims, (and possibly Library and Saved Outfits. ) And yes, it's possible to move them to a new Sims 3 folder.

But hopefully the saving issue will be figured out and you can keep them where they are.

It sounds like your save has corrupted. Using task manager to end the game during save is not advised. Saves generate their own back up the second time you load them, for example, if your save is called "Sunset Valley11.sims3" and if you have a "Sunset Valley11.sims3.backup" in your folder: Documents>Electronic Arts>The Sims 3>Saves, you can delete the original "Sunset Valley11.sims3" and from the save named "Sunset Valley.sims 3.backup" delete the ".backup". The game may now be able to load this version of the save.

Staying in Buy/ Build mode too long or Edit Town too long can both result in being unable to save. If you absolutely must end your game with task manager, or if your game crashes to the desk top, always go into the game folders and find Documents>Electronic Arts>The Sims 3>CurrentGame.sims 3 and delete the contents of this folder. It should always be empty when you start or load a game.

For your second question, sims from the CAS bin are found in SavedSims folder in your game files. Households that are accessible from edit town are found in the Library folder in your game files. Saved lots are also in there. They are named with a string of numbers and letters, so you may have to locate them by time stamp and trial and error. Family files are larger than lot files, generally speaking. Sometimes the households can be corrupt and moving them to a new save will corrupt that save too.

Good luck!

Hi All! Thanks very much for your suggestions. I'll try out Error Trap, I usually avoid it because I have problems understanding exactly what it does lol.

I agree with attuned in that something was corrupted--probably the saves and/or the world itself. Whenever I tried to load the saves in the new folder, I got over a hundred script errors as soon as I unpaused it. The save issue was rectified when I created a new TS3 folder in My Documents but I could not use that iteration of Praaven, exiting Build/Buy Mode always hung up the game. So I just called it a loss.

Yesterday, I uninstalled and reinstalled Praaven in my shiny new TS3 folder and everything worked the way it should. I have to renovate a few lots but I was able to save, as I said, the families I really wanted to keep. Today I plan on plopping them in a completely different world and testing to see if they too are corrupted. The saves from the previous Praaven are still in effect corrupted, even my back up saves--maybe they aren't corrupted, maybe that's the wrong word... I think moving the world files into the new folder borked something, but even after reinstalling Praaven I still can't exit Build/Buy mode in those saves. I have no idea why but as long as those families work, I'm happy.

Also, the saving while having a party issue for me is one of caution. On my old computer, I would always get the errorcode 12 or a crash to the desktop when trying to save during a party that had more than 5 Sims in attendance. You play, you learn, you practice caution. Best advice I can give anyone when playing TS3.

Nitromon--I'd love to post my deviceconfig but I'm absolutely positive that's not the issue. = ) I've never run into an error code 12 or any other errors while saving before (on this computer). It takes a anywhere from 3-5 minutes to save but it's an open world with a lot of lots and Sims so I understand.

I'll post back later to let you all know whether I was able to use the families with or without issue. I've basically solved the problem by reinstalling the world. As far as I'm aware, my saves are toast.

Reporting back.

Everything works perfectly well. I'm able to load the families, those with lots are in tact. So reinstalling the world was the fix.

I'm glad you can play your game now.