More Awesome Than You!

I'm SERIOUSLY so damn pissed!! I don't GET it, it seems like playing sims 3 require a sort of finesse that can be compared to running a damn nuclear reactor!

I've updated all my sims 3 games to the most updated version and updated awesomemod as well, with all EPs and SPs installed.

I've have been encountering the Error 12, the "no traits" displayed and the lost of skills in some of my characters.

Then i've updated my display card driver to the most updated one (275.33). Afterwards my loading screen became a mess and some of the options can't even be displayed. Ok, screw that so I went ahead and started a saved game and now in the middle of loading it, it CTDed.

Can any god here help me? Please??

Win 7 32 bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 at 2.9GHz
nVidia GTS 250
3GB RAM
A LOT of free HD space
Sims 3 base with ALL SPs and EPs.

Yes I do have CCs and ONLY CC (like furniture only, no mods, no hacks...etc). I've tried removing those temporarily and "downloaded" store contents, cleared the cache, used the decrapify, used the dashboard (the most updated version too), and no luck.

Please move to 64bit OS, 32bit can cause corrupt saves and CTD due to 2GB memory limit per process. Sims 3 uses alot of memory.

Would making the appropriate Sims 3 executable (TS3W.exe?) Large Address Aware suffice as a workaround?

when the game CTD it's only using 600MB, and my total memory usage of the entire computer was only at 1.6GB, not even close to 3GB. CPU was running at 50%, distributed between core 0 and core 1...
I have a feeling it's something to do with the new display driver update. Don't know why though :/

Despite what game developers tend to advise, the newest display drivers aren't always best.  Some graphics cards are more suited to certain driver versions, and some programs work better with certain driver versions...and sometimes, there is no overlap between what your card wants and what the program in question wants.

tried that too and it didn't work


damn... anyone else have any suggestions? ~especially regarding the character traits and skills?

When you've got only 3 GB of RAM, LAA is completely useless.  This probably won't work, but it's a good idea anyway: to get rid of unnecessary background tasks, run msconfig to control what runs at startup.

I would encourage more RAM, and a switch to a 64-bit OS, 3 GB really isn't much, even though it should be sufficient.  When people experience issues like this, that many do not, it would seem to suggest a local problem.  As Jeebus said, check the tasks that are being started when windows starts, even use the task manager and shut down as many extraneous tasks as possible before playing, make sure you are disconnected from the internet and shut down your firewall, virus and spam filters as well.

I am using the same display drivers on an older GTX295 and I am not seeing any problems which are being caused by this specific driver version.

I get that error 12 a lot. I once tried to play another neighbourhood then play my original neighbourhood and it worked. However recently that too has failed.

How much RAM do you have?

http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,20434.0.html
Short answer is 3gb of RAM, but I figured that, since we have two topics discussing the same issue...

Just keep saving until it works. I learned my lesson with using save and exit, every time I attempt to use it I get the error.

Also, if you're impatient, use save as and it should save fine.