Error Plumming 12

Error 12 is an out of usable resources condition. It can be RAM, but could also be something else like virtual/video memory. The game can only address up to just short of 4 GB of RAM itself because it is a 32-bit executable, actually the hard upper limit is ~3.7 GB. Most of us find the danger zone is upwards of 3.5 GB. If it tries to reach for more than that even for a microsecond, it will crash or Error 12 upon trying to save.

According to Task Manager, how much RAM (in MB/GBs, not a %) is the game using once you start it up and the game clock begins moving forward smoothly? And again after a few sim hours or a real time hour? Which world(s) are you playing, are they heavily populated, is your active household very large or on an overly complicated residential lot stuffed full of objects, might their personal inventories be too full? Does a newly started test game behave better?

If it's not RAM usage directly causing this, Error 12s can also be triggered by very long and complicated CAS and Edit Town sessions, as well as by misbehaving mods and CC that just isn't working out right. If not averse to mod usage though, there are some NRaas mods specifically designed to improve game performance and lessen the chances of these things happening for no clear reason (in particular Overwatch, ErrorTrap, Traffic, Register, to an extent GoHere, and MasterController for an occasional Reset Everything run from City Hall).

Also please mention if you are on a Mac rather than Windows, because that triggers the need for a different conversation.

I often get that error if I've got a big household. The way I manage it is to watch the memory use of the game using Windows Resource Monitor that is accessed from the performance tab of Task Manager.

I find I can usually save 2 or 3 times before I get Error 12. I do save often so I don't loose too much if I get an error. I tend to get the error mostly when I think I'll just do a little bit more before I save and then I get it and wish I'd learned my lesson by now and just save, shut down the game and reload if I've already saved a few times since the last reload.

"igazor;c-17023690" wrote:


If it's not RAM usage directly causing this, Error 12s can also be triggered by very long and complicated CAS and Edit Town sessions, as well as by misbehaving mods and CC that just isn't working out right.

Would a lot of CC also cause crashes to desktop while in CAS?

"KevinL5275;c-17025504" wrote:

"igazor;c-17023690" wrote:


If it's not RAM usage directly causing this, Error 12s can also be triggered by very long and complicated CAS and Edit Town sessions, as well as by misbehaving mods and CC that just isn't working out right.

Would a lot of CC also cause crashes to desktop while in CAS?

I suspect the more CC you have the less memory will be available for the game to use. I just took about 1 GB of package files out of my mods folder to help with my Isla Paradiso Bunch game. It did make a noticeable difference.

I find it safest to save before going into CAS as I don't like crashes and saving seems to free up some RAM that is keeping track of what's been happening in the game since the last save. Of course some people like to save only at the end of the play session, and if that is the preference then out of memory crashing will be a part of their experience - how often depends on a lot of different things but most of them are manageable.

For example, with my Isla Paradiso Bunch game, I have currently got 20 sims in the household, including a large dog and a cat. They are on a large lot packed with stuff and I have over 7GB of package files plus just about everything available in the store installed. I know when I've got the game running in Isal Paradiso world I need to be careful. I'm currently working through inventories to get my sims to have their inventories as empty as possible. I know after I've saved about 3 times I need to shut that game down and relaunch to free up memory and avoid crashing in unfortunate places. If I do get a crash I know I should have already shut down and relaunched and just decided to risk it. But I won't have lost a lot of progress as I'm saving often.

I don't run any CC but I do run Errortrap and Overwatch from Nraas, I used to constantly get error 12 and now I don't.

I don't get Error12's anymore since I started playing heavily Modded though I used to get that a lot and it was worse if the EA bugfest was turned on as it tends to run way too many events all at once and my game's story progression isn't using nearly as much memory as the bugfest used to.I also use awesomemod to disable that broken automated school assingment system which used to cause saves to become unplayable and made larger worlds mostly unplayable.I also have onmy 114 Nraas Mod files and about 700 other Mod files on top of that.