Windows Lost Save Files While Cutting/Pasting During Error 12

Just to confirm then, your most recent backup would still give you game saves from at least 12 days ago?

Ugh. No, there is nothing you can do as a regular Windows user with the tools that Windows gives us to recover these files and I would not recommend trying to extract data out of .bad saves. We don't know what exactly went wrong and where when a save is not successful, even if the file sizes of the component world nhds look right. Also the component world nhd files might not be as useful as you think if the TravelDB that holds everything together is not also intact.

In theory you could take this computer or at least its hard drive to a tech specialist and have it examined for potential data recovery -- this will cost quite a bit. as in potentially hundreds of dollars (USD) and may not end up recovering anything useful. The data might still be there but Windows has no way to find or point to it, the more you use your computer since this happened the more likely the data will become overwritten as hard drive space is used for other things. There are also data recovery software programs out there that again in theory might be able to help, but the effective ones are not free and in the end you may still end up with nothing usable.

Although it may seem catastrophic right now, we're only talking about 12 days of gameplay loss and not files that are critical to one's health, education, career, or financial well-being. I'm afraid that if this happened to me and I had no viable backup source, I would take the loss and as best I can replay the lost days with the understanding that not everything is going to go or get designed exactly the way it was the first time.

Sorry, I haven't been able to respond while I attempted to recover my files. I was able to so far recover a save from my last day of play, shortly after my Sims returned home (still missing over a day Sim time). I'll update again soon.

"igazor;c-17239201" wrote:
Just to confirm then, your most recent backup would still give you game saves from at least 12 days ago?

Ugh. No, there is nothing you can do as a regular Windows user with the tools that Windows gives us to recover these files and I would not recommend trying to extract data out of .bad saves. We don't know what exactly went wrong and where when a save is not successful, even if the file sizes of the component world nhds look right. Also the component world nhd files might not be as useful as you think if the TravelDB that holds everything together is not also intact.

In theory you could take this computer or at least its hard drive to a tech specialist and have it examined for potential data recovery -- this will cost quite a bit. as in potentially hundreds of dollars (USD) and may not end up recovering anything useful. The data might still be there but Windows has no way to find or point to it, the more you use your computer since this happened the more likely the data will become overwritten as hard drive space is used for other things. There are also data recovery software programs out there that again in theory might be able to help, but the effective ones are not free and in the end you may still end up with nothing usable.

Although it may seem catastrophic right now, we're only talking about 12 days of gameplay loss and not files that are critical to one's health, education, career, or financial well-being. I'm afraid that if this happened to me and I had no viable backup source, I would take the loss and as best I can replay the lost days with the understanding that not everything is going to go or get designed exactly the way it was the first time.

Thank you. I was able to recover what looks complete and usable from 3 days ago, which might as well have been just one day, because that's the last day I played. If that doesn't work, I still have the normal surefire backup from 12 days ago, yes. I used software to retrieve the recent one. The program found none of my saves from today and the newer ones (later on Friday than the one I retrieved) were definitely not complete. One from Friday looks complete. Plus I got an in-between one from their last day at University.

I lost a near-complete makeover of one house, which is a bummer. I just need to re-do it before winter because their house isn't winter-friendly. It's not the simming I hate losing so much as the building and styling. I usually just rotate (not "replay"...yet) if I just miss live mode, losing remodels and such hurts (well, I'd also rotate so I don't have that reminder while the ordeal's fresh in my mind). I also lost picking out some new autumn clothes for a Sim. She'll need those soon as she just has one tiny everyday summer outfit. It's in the 70sF in Fall right now and about to drop, and she looks dressed for 95, haha. I won't mind so much jumping back into that. I anticipate loading the game up before I rotated to them, perhaps right after the students got back (and then I pretend they're not around, haha). I still want to rotate to the same Sims this time.

At least now I know they actually need a much bigger loan for the house remodel, lol.

If I have to go back to the 12-days-old one, I think I might have them just drop out of University for now. Hopefully it won't come to that. Hopefully I only lost about a day and a half.

What also hurts is I feel so du...erm, "plum." I feel so unsmart. :weary:

@igazor Yes, the recovered "saves" had two separate issues preventing them from loading.

I'm pasting in more backups, as it's possible one is slightly newer than the 12 day one, it's been hard to tell because once the folders are pasted it's much harder to compare those dates, but the game obviously knows.

I'll probably have the Sims drop out of university unless I'm struck with some "inspiration." I may take a break first though and load up a new save in Bridgeport or something, until I get over this issue and miss my Sims.

Yes, my last save was 8 days ago, actually. I dropped them out, returned home, I'll be ready to rotate to another household. It'll be good okay that way for a few reasons.

"simmerLella;c-17239478" wrote:


What also hurts is I feel so du...erm, "plum." I feel so unsmart. :weary:

@simmerLella - No need for you to feel unsmart, everybody makes mistakes occasionally, Sims 3 related or not. It's just human nature. :)