[FAQ] Save Errors (Error 12, 13, 15, 16)

[lady_capricorn]

How do I delete memories I don't need/want??  (I have a new computer, Nvidia GeForce 745 Graphics Card, i7 processor, more memory than I know what to do with, etc.; the memory problem is *not* on the part of my computer).

[crinrict]

You mean the Sims memories ? You can either delete them manually or by using a mod. There's no other option.

[z-force3sims]

Hi my game has earsed all my saved files. This has never happen to me before. I do mean all my save files my store content needs to be reinstalled the items of the exchange is gone and all my saved games just proof and dissapeared. My game was working fine yesterday no glitches or anything. Its just all gone I been playing with one fmaily for about and year and never had any trouble their just gone. Is their anyway I can get them back. Also some of my store content Ii have to rebuy which I can't anyway I can get those back.

[crinrict]

Search your hard drive for a save game file. Maybe your folder got moved by accident.

[sallymroshdy]

hi mine tells me its a erroe 16 i know it means that i cant over write it but how do i fix that problem and in my saves in the sims 3  files it like the save the .bad what does that mean?

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@crinrict wrote:

If your game is running, no, don't delete them. If it's not, yes, delete them.

How much RAM do you have and what is your operating system ? 32 bit or 64 bit ?

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[sallymroshdy]

I have 64bit and 6ram

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@crinrict wrote:

No, I can't garantuee you anything.

Do you have a 32 bit operating system or a 64 bit one and how much RAM do you have ?

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[ntomp2]

Saving without spaces worked for error 12 🌞🙃

[Ghiby]

The suggestions, guides with what to do or not to do in order to avoid error 12 are all good and nice and I personally want to thank to all the guys who took the time to write such guides, I know from experience it's not easy to troubleshoot, to identify the problems, to find solutions and to put them all together in a guide for others to learn as well... so kudos for those guys

my frustration goes to EA and in particular the Sims 3 series developers

error 12 it's a fault in the game itself, they know it and I assume there is little they can do about it, but they encourage the rumors is because of the lack or resources, to point the fault to our computers, to our hardware in other words to state something like "it's not us or our game, is your computer, you better get a new one"

yet, players - like myself - with very powerful gaming computers have the same issue with error 12

I've installed first Sims 3 on a relatively decent desktop computer, a Dell with Intel quad core processor, with 4 G RAM, with Vista Ultimate on it, updated to the latest service pack, with plenty (over 350 GB) of available room on my hard driver, with a nVidia GForce 1 MB dedicated video card, still I had error 12

I said, hmm, maybe it's my computer, even tho' I was playing GTA IV and V with no problems on it

I've installed them on a last model laptop, with Windows 10,  Intel duo core processor, 4 GB RAM, plenty (over 400 GB) of available room on my hard drive, AMD 1 MB video card, I still have the same error 12... hmm...

lately, I've got me an Alienware Area 51, I won't post the specs here because I don't want to look like I am bragging, but one thing is for sure, I still have error 12 when saving Sims 3 and the game is crashing...  hehe... so three decent, acceptable computers, same error 12 on all of them...

I mean, come on EA..??.. really..??.. and they - EA guys - expect us to keep spending real money on expansion packs and on premium content for in-game items and such things... all that while error 12 and multiple crashes are a common occurrence and no one in EA development team can fix it or seems to care... really EA..??..

in the what not to do guide, someone said we should save often, not play long games, for long time, and so many other good otherwise advice... 

but it boils down to on fact not playing the game at all so we won't get error 12... well, I got the game to play it, for hours if I choose to, and I don't want to save it every 10-15 minutes, I don't want or need this frustration...

I also play GTA series... I never had a problem with them and those games are resources intensive, and CPU and graphics and RAM intensive...  yet Sims 3, is giving us error 12, is crashing on us often and EA is doing nothing about it, other than letting us in the dark, or to help each other as much as we can, considering we can't find professional help - aka from EA - about this issue...

I personally lost respect for EA ever since error 12 appeared and since they closed down the NFSW - Need for Speed World - after players, like me too, pumped real money in that game platform (NFSW) and then they shut it down with just a big "sorry guys, but we'll close it"

I for one, I won't buy anymore any EA product, at least not until they fix error 12 on Sims 3...

they want us to move to Sims 4... hehe...  really....

in my humble opinion, Sims 2 was and will always be the best - if they (EA guys) would have focused their funds and development resources to improve and develop Sims 2 since back then when they initially launched, would be maybe a bigger phenomenon than GTA or Second Life...

but, no, they "upgraded" to Sims 3 that has a lot of issues - see error 12, frequent crashes and more - and now Sim 4 and they want us to keep spending real money to get that, more errors just with different game concept and more expensive version of Sims... 

I never played Sims 4, not even the free trial version and I won't, as I've read in the forums what others are saying about Sims 4...

but, I'll stop ranting...

@ EA

please take responsibility for error 12 in Sims 3 and please do something about it... many of us we are not teens anymore, we are quite capable adults (at least some of us are)...

and by the way EA, please come out with a Mature rated version of Sims, as again many of us we are not kids anymore

thank you for reading... 

[leftwithbread]

I have error code 16, your information was completely useless. How can I save the game when I can't even open it. It seems like you don't even know what error code 16 is. I can't log into Origins or open the game. 

[crinrict]

This thread is about error code 16 in Sims 3, not Origin.

Sounds like you have Error 16 in Origin and you should post in the Origin forum.http://answers.ea.com/t5/Origin/bd-p/O-2