All sims in save file are gone

[egonfinley]

Hello, 

Today I had a really strange issue with the game. I have my own save file, where i keep my builds and families. And while i was doing a build in one of the lots i realized that, my families are disappeared, but not just a one family, all of the families in my save file are gone, I’ve checked from manage households, it says sim count: 0 while it should be over 200. But somehow the name of the families are still appearing. I tried everything to solve it, i tried old save files, and the same thing was happening to them too. I’ll share my screenshots with, I hope someone can help me cause this save file was a work of over 6 months. Thank you already...

[egonfinley]

Just a while ago i tried to start a new game, and i was about to check the base game families in a new game file, and again non of the families were visible, same issue happened. 

[kreatora]

@egonfinley

Go to Documents/ElectronicArts - inside will be The Sims4 folder
Step 1. Rename The Sims4 folder to "The Sims4 old"
Step 2. Fix the game in Origin
Origin/Library - right-click on TS4 - option "Repair game"
You have to wait until Origin will fix all packs, not only the base game.
Step 3. Turn on the game - a new game folder will be created and you will have two - one old, one new
Step 4. Check if you still have this problem in the newly created game folder. Start a new game with a random sim and play for 10 minutes. Save and check if this problem disappeared in the new game
If yes
Step 5. Delete in the new game folder following folders:
"saves" and Tray.
Step 6. Go to "The Sims 4 old" folder and copy - your "saves " folder.
Step. 7, Paste this folder in a newly created game folder.
Step 8. Do the same with Tray folder and TrayDeleteItems file
Step 9. If you don't use mods - skip this step.
Check if there are newly updated version mods you are using.
Then copy and paste your mods and CC from old mods folder to the new one. First copy the scripts mods every time checking if the game is working properly. If you have a lot of CC try 50/50 method ( divide your CC into smaller batches for example 50 pieces in one subfolder and check these subfolders one by one)
Step. 10. If all is OK - delete The Sims4 old folder.

If the new game folder does not have this error, but after pasting the old saves, it error will appear again, then, unfortunately, there is no possibility to repair your old saves

I don't work for EA

[egonfinley]

Hello,

First of all, I appreciate for your respond, thank you!

I did everything step by step, at the end I was be able to play the game, but in a new game, after I put my save file back, same thing happened. I realized that the problem is not in mods file nor tray folder so, it’s obvious that the problem is my save file. So at this point, what I possibly can do for it?

[kreatora]

@egonfinley

I am sorry to say it, but nothing can be done to heal old saves. I can only advise on the future of what to do to avoid it.
After each patch, you need to delete localthumbcache.package file in the game folder. In this file, the game errors can be saved.
Save the game always option "save as.." adding another number. Keep two last saves - older one you can delete by click on the X mark in the right corner.
If you will see the first serious bugs in the game -don't wait! Try doing the reset of the game folder in the same way as you have done now
But if you will do like as described above, I don't think you will need it.

[egonfinley]

@kreatora But do you know what caused that issue? Cause I’ve been playing for days after the game patched. And this problem happened suddenly while i was in the game. What if it recovers by it self. I mean what if next time i open the game i have not that problem anymore? Impossible?

[kreatora]

@egonfinley

I don't think so. If something is broken - it stays broken. If it were different, people would close the broken car in the garage and believe that it will repair itself.
What caused it? I can only suppose that at some point the game could not read a file properly, as a result of which the inhabitants disappeared. Why has the file changed? Maybe because it was overwritten many times. Every time the number of inhabitants changed, the file had to change too.
When an error in the calculation arrived, the game has taken the zero score, which is always safer, from the point of view of the game and easily executable. It was enough to remove the inhabitants to make the result correct.