Forum Discussion

5 years ago

Solved

Can't load save game after downloadable item

I've purchased some premium build/buy items from The Sims 3 Store. Had no problem installing it.

My problem occurs AFTER the installation. The current game that I've been playing is greyed out.

As I hover to that game file, it says "Cannot load this save game. It may have been saved with expansion pack data that is no longer present on this system."

I was devastated. I started with my Sim named Alex who was a young adult, now an adult, and fulfilled his lifetime wish, got married to his co-worker, and have 10 kids currently. I then uninstalled the build/buy items that I downloaded from the store to see if my saved file is recoverable- AND IT WORKED (?!).

But now it means that I won't be able to play my saved games with the downloadable items ☹️ I have a separate file that I did not play and it works perfectly fine with or without the downloadable items. Now the items are sitting in my launcher... afraid to install it again as it might risk my saved game being corrupted.

Is there any way I could play my saved games with the downloadable content safely? I know there are not many players here to play Sims 3 since Sims 4 came about but I am hopeful that my problem would be resolved... please and thank you ☹️

technical issues

puzzlezaddict
5 years ago
@smallzilla That is a very odd issue indeed. What items did you install?

As a test, please try using a new Sims 3 folder. Move the existing one out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, open the launcher to spawn a clean folder, download fresh copies of the store items, install them, and load a new save to make sure they all show up in-game. (You can exit the tutorial by entering Edit Town mode.) Please also confirm that all your owned packs are loading properly.

Now copy your affected save from the old Sims 3 folder to the new one. You can copy over the entire Saves folder or just the one save, whichever is easier. Let me know whether it loads.

4 Replies

puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago
@smallzilla That is a very odd issue indeed. What items did you install?

As a test, please try using a new Sims 3 folder. Move the existing one out of Documents\Electronic Arts and onto your desktop, open the launcher to spawn a clean folder, download fresh copies of the store items, install them, and load a new save to make sure they all show up in-game. (You can exit the tutorial by entering Edit Town mode.) Please also confirm that all your owned packs are loading properly.

Now copy your affected save from the old Sims 3 folder to the new one. You can copy over the entire Saves folder or just the one save, whichever is easier. Let me know whether it loads.
smallzilla
5 years ago
omg, thank you kind soul for replying! yes, it is quite bizarre. the last time I played with downloadable content was somewhere between 2011 - 2015. I had no problems then.
I have installed the following buy items (I've attached the photo of it for reference):
Fit as a Fiddle Violin
Frost-Bite Pro Ice Cream Machine
Large As Life Movie Screen
Wonderfully Woven Hanging Chair
Sizzle Baby Pro Deep Fryer
Alpha Waves Aquarium

May I ask, (before I follow through with your advice-) when attempting to use a new SIms 3 folder, is there anything i should avoid to prevent my saved file from being corrupted?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
5 years ago
@smallzilla It actually doesn't matter what happens to or in the new Sims 3 folder. The folders are meant to be swapped back and forth; I do so all the time when testing, and it never matters. The key is to specifically copy your save, as in Copy and Paste, rather than dragging and dropping, so you're in effect experimenting on a backup copy rather than the original save folder. Even if you totally corrupt the backup, the original will remain intact.

I own three or four of those items and can test them myself if necessary, but I can already say that the violin has caused no issues in my current Sims 3 folder.
smallzilla
5 years ago
my game is working fine now after following through exactly as you said! thanks a lot for your help! <3
Everything is in working order now. What I did was: I copied the Sims 3 folder and pasted it on my Desktop, thus creating an empty folder as you said. Next, I downloaded all the buy items and installed them (including the expansion packs). Skipped the tutorial by clicking Edit Town. Exit the game. Then I copied the Saves from the folder and paste it into the new Sims 3 folder.

Works like a charm! Thanks again for your help, appreciate it!