[Current Issue] Sims 3 "serious error" when loading save
"A serious error has occurred while loading [world name].
It is strongly recommended that you restart the application."
This error happens when the game is unable to load the save. There are three known causes, the first more common than the others.
- The game can't write to the user folder
- The world the save takes place in isn't installed properly
- The save is too corrupt to load properly
To distinguish among these types of errors, try to load a new save in the same world as the save that threw the error. If it works, you likely have the third issue.
If the new save doesn't load, try starting a new save in Sunset Valley. If it works, you likely have the second issue. If it doesn't work, you likely have the first issue.
The short version
At the moment, this error is usually OneDrive-related, and pausing syncing doesn't help most players. So you may need to stop OneDrive from touching your files at all. Please see this section of the guide for further information, under the spoiler:
[Anchors aren't working at present, so ctrl-F and search for "get rid of OneDrive" to jump.]
Workarounds
1. The game can't write to the user folder
jump to: OneDrive-related issues
jump to: antivirus-related issues
jump to: other causes
When loading a save, the game needs to copy the save data into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > CurrentGame. If it cannot, it typically throws the "serious error." Common causes of this block are OneDrive, an overly protective antivirus, and other assorted permissions issues.
Currently, the most common cause of the "serious error" is OneDrive blocking access to Documents and therefore preventing Sims 3 from writing to the user folder inside. This is only possible if your Windows account's Documents directory is inside the OneDrive folder. (Your computer will have several Documents folders, but only one is the directory.) To find the location, search in Windows for Command Prompt, open it, and enter this command:
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders" /v "Personal"
If the file path includes OneDrive, that may be the problem. (Otherwise, see the Antivirus and Other sections below.)
For possible OneDrive issues, try pausing syncing. This is not a proper fix, but it's a useful test and interim workaround. To see the option, right-click the cloud icon in the lower-right corner of the screen, or it may be hidden in the Tray (^ icon).
If this doesn't help, or you'd like a permanent fix, you may need to move your Documents folder out of OneDrive. If you don't want to do this, or you'd rather test first, an alternative is to create a new admin Windows account and try playing there. Make it local—don't link it to your Microsoft account or any email address—and OneDrive will not be in the picture. If you can load a new save in the new account, it's fine to keep playing there. Or you can get rid of OneDrive entirely:
First, make a backup of any synced folders you want to keep. You can right-click the folders and select Copy, then right-click where you want the backups to be and select Paste. An external drive or USB stick is ideal, but if you don't have one handy, you can use your computer's Downloads folder, which OneDrive doesn't sync. You can also find your files later by signing into your Microsoft account at onedrive.com.
Right-click the OneDrive icon in the lower-right corner of your screen, select Settings > Backup, click Manage Backup, and click Stop backup for all three categories, then confirm the choice.
The reason to do this is to move the default locations of these folders out of the OneDrive folder on your computer, which might otherwise be a more complicated process. Next, right-click the OneDrive icon in the lower-right corner of your screen and select Settings > Account, then click Unlink this PC. It's unnecessary to uninstall OneDrive—without a link to a Microsoft account, it has nothing to do.
After the above and before you do anything else, please double-check that your Documents folder is no longer in OneDrive. Restart your computer, and run the same Command Prompt command as above. If OneDrive is still listed in the file path, you'll need to change the location manually.
The simple way is to right-click Documents in the left panel of a File Explorer window and choose Properties > Location, then Move, then click This PC, then choose this:
C:\Users\[your username]\Documents
Click Apply, then Yes. You may get an error that says "Can't move the folder because there is a folder in the same location that can't be redirected." The normal workaround is to stop OneDrive from backing up the location of Documents, as described above. If this hasn't helped, you can change the location of Documents by editing the relevant registry entry:
Please be very careful when editing your computer's registry. One simple typo can have significant consequences. Make a backup before you do anything: click File > Export, and save a copy of the entire registry. If you mess up the edit, just restore the backup by double-clicking the saved file. You can check your work with the same Command Prompt command as above.
This also applies to the Desktop and Pictures folders if they've previously been directed to OneDrive.
If getting rid of OneDrive doesn't help, please create a new admin Windows account and try playing there, as described immediately above the spoiler.
An overly protective antivirus can block a program's access to Documents and everything inside. To find out whether this is the cause of the error, try disabling the antivirus, temporarily of course. If it fixes the issue, set an exception for TS3.exe (for an EA App install) or TS3W.exe (with the W, for a Steam install or a disc install that doesn't require the EA App). You may not see the .exe extension, but that's fine, it's the same file. The default location is one of these, depending on the install type:
C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
If you don't know how to set an exception, google "set exception [antivirus name]" to find a guide. Or see this article for a few examples:
https://crinrict.com/blog/2020/10/add-exceptions-to-anti-virus-programs.html
The Documents directory could be in an unusable location. Or permissions could be broken on the Documents directory, or a folder inside. For more information, expand the relevant spoiler below.
Move Documents to a new location:
If Windows has placed the Documents directory in a location Sims 3 can't access properly, you may need to move the folder. To find the current location, search in Windows for Command Prompt, open it, and enter this command:
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders" /v "Personal"
This will return the full file path to Documents. Unless you've chosen a custom location, it should be one of these, depending on whether OneDrive is involved:
C:\Users\[username]\Documents
C:\Users\[username]\OneDrive\Documents
If you see a different location, one you didn't intend to use, changing it may help. If Documents is in OneDrive and you don't want it there, the best course of action is to tell OneDrive to stop syncing your files, as described above, under the spoiler.
If this doesn't successfully change the location, or your Documents directory is in a different unintended location, you can change it by editing your computer's registry. Be very careful when editing the registry—an error can cause problems up to and including preventing your computer from working at all. So please follow these instructions exactly, and don't touch anything other than the Personal value:
Important: This process is only for moving Documents to another location on an internal drive. DO NOT move Documents to an external drive. If you would like to store your Sims 3 user folder externally, please use this guide instead, substituting Sims 3 for 4 where appropriate.
Important: Please also keep in mind that when you change the location of Documents, you also change the location where Sims 3 looks for its user folder. You will therefore need to move your saves and other user files to the new location.
Broken permissions:
You can use the takeown command to reset the permissions on the Documents folder if necessary. Please only do this if you have eliminated OneDrive and your antivirus as causes of this problem. If you haven't, please start from the top of this guide.
When you're ready to reset permissions, first move the Electronic Arts folder out of Documents, or delete it if it's empty. Search in Windows for "Command Prompt," open it, and enter this command:
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders" /v "Personal"
The location you see is what you'll use for the command. The command itself is this:
takeown /F "[file path to Documents folder]"
So it will probably be this, but double-check anyway:
takeown /F "C:\Users\username\Documents"
Write your actual username for this Windows account instead of username. Since the syntax needs to be exactly right, please copy this command to a Notepad file, substitute in your username, and then copy that string when you're ready to use it. Click Windows key-X and choose either "PowerShell (Administrator)" or "Windows Terminal (Administrator)," whichever option is offered, paste the command into the window, and enter.
Then restart your computer and try again to play. Let the game create a new Electronic Arts folder. If this works, and you'd like to preserve your saves and other user data, you can transfer the Sims 3 folder from the old Electronic Arts folder to the new one. Delete the new Sims 3 folder first, of course.
If running takeown doesn't fix the error, please see this post for further troubleshooting of a potential permissions issue:
You'll of course apply these steps to the Documents folder your account is using, wherever Command Prompt told you that was.
2. The world the save uses isn't installed properly
If you can load a new save in a different world, but not in the world in which your main save takes place, that world is probably not properly installed. For Sunset Valley or a world that comes with an expansion (e.g. Twinbrook, Bridgeport), please clear the EA App's cache:
https://help.ea.com/en/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/
and repair the game: open the EA App game library, and select Sims 3 > Manage > Repair.
For a Store (e.g. Riverview, Dragon Valley) or custom (player-created) world, first uninstall it through the launcher's Installed Content tab. Then open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > InstalledWorlds and make sure the .world file for the world you removed is no longer present. If it is, delete it. Open Downloads, in the same Sims 3 folder, and delete the .Sims3Pack file for the world. You can reuse it if necessary, but installing with a new copy is more reliable.
Finally, download a fresh copy of the world, install it, and try to start a new save in that world. If it works, the world is now installed correctly, and you can test your main save again.
3. The save is too corrupt to load properly
If you can load a new save in the same world, but your main save throws the "serious error," that save may be too broken to use, but there are a couple of steps you can try. First, open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Saves, and you'll see a folder with your save name plus another folder with the same name and a .backup extension. For example, you might see SunsetValley.sims3 and SunsetValley.sims3.backup. Rename the save and delete the .backup extension (e.g. SunsetValley1.sims3), and the save will be available to load from the Main Menu.
If you can load the backup save, it could still be corrupt enough to be unusable later. So as soon as it loads, use "save as" to rename the save so that your backup is preserved in case you need it later.
I would also strongly recommend seeking out mods, specifically NRaas ErrorTrap, Overwatch, and MasterController, to try to repair any corruption. ET and OW do their work in the background, with no need for player input; MC does nothing unless you use it to issue a command. Once the save loads, let the game clock run for a few sim-minutes, then click City Hall and select NRaas > MasterController > Town Options > Reset Everything. This may take a few minutes, depending on the speed of your computer and the complexity of the save. When it's done, wait a few more sim-minutes, then "save as," quit, reload the game, and continue playing.
If you cannot load the backup save, start a new save in the same world, pick a premade household, play for a few sim-minutes, save your progress, and quit. Open the folder for your backup save, right-click the .nhd file for the world the save takes place in, and select Copy. Open the folder for the new save you just created and delete the .nhd file for that world. Right-click and Paste the .nhd file from your backup save. Then try to load the "new" save. The thumbnail at the Main Menu won't update, but if you can load the save, you'll see your previous save, not the new one.
If your sims have traveled to other worlds in the previous save, and you would like to preserve that progress, you'll need to copy over the .nhd files from those worlds as well, and the TravelDB.package file. But please test first with only the homeworld's .nhd file.
I would recommend the same mods as above in this case as well. Saves that are almost too corrupt to load won't last much longer without help.
If you need further help with this issue, please post in this thread. State which of the three problems you have, from the list at the beginning of this guide, and what troubleshooting steps you've tried already.
