Error Code 12

There’s a possibility that your save game becomes corrupted. The error 12 an “out of memory” error and most often happens with large save games, meaning neighborhoods you’ve been playing for several generations.

To avoid this is in the future, here is a small piece of advice:
- Copy your saves folder to another location periodically. Depending on how often you play, do this every week/2weeks/month.
- Always keep two copies of your save game. Instead of hitting the Save button, choose Save as every time. Save your town to sunsetvalley1 today, and sunsetvalley2 tomorrow alternating between your save games. That way you never loose much progress if one of your saves becomes corrupted.

Yeah but that doesn't help.

At the moment I'm busy following EA's advice.

The reason why it doesn't work technically is because even before I got the Error Code 12 I'd been making double saves of everything.

And this is playing up with families that I've been playing with for a quite a while. The problem is: it seems to affect a new game after about a week of playing in that save. 

Please, please if you have any more advice please say something. I'm desperate!! 

Did you try the things in the error 12 sticky ?

How much RAM do you have and what is your operating system (32 bit or 64 bit) ?

What do you mean 'Error 12 Sticky????'

Sorry but I'm a bit of a technical idiot. I've got a 250GB hardrive and about 120GB of space left. I THINK my operating system is a 32 bit but I'm not sure. 

I've heard that getting more RAM can solve the problem but....

EA told me to uninstall my games and then reinstall them which I'm currently doing.

What do you suggest?? Please help! 

This: http://answers.ea.com/t5/The-Sims-3/FAQ-Save-Errors-Error-12-13-15-16/m-p/652/message-uid/652#U652

It's stickied (or floated to top as it's called here) so everyone can see it.

If you have a 32 bit system, you need to limit all running background programs and maybe start a new game. This game has some serious memory leaks which make the game use lots of your RAM. With a 32 bit system, the game can only use 2 GB worth which is used up very quickly.

Try saving more often and restart your game from time to time

Thanks a  lot.

Just asked my dad if we can install a 64 bit operating system. He said yes so that should help. 

Also, a lot of people said that saving every 15 minutes or saving once every Sim day works. Do you know if that works....

When you say 'short periods of time' HOW LONG ARE SHORT PERIODS OF TIME????? I mean when playing time just seems to fly. I don't want to have an alarm go off every 15 minutes so that I know that I must save. How much time is it?

Also in some games I found that it was just completely corrupted or so it seemed. It just won't let me save! On my other saves it will let me save perhaps a few time and then say, 'Error Code 12'. 

With regards to the restarting of the program; I have been saving while exiting to the Main Menu. So should I rather restart the game all over again when I save?

Thank you for helping me. Please - if you can- answer the questions above. It'd be much appreciated.

Probably will only see your next message tomorrow. I'm loging out...

It really depends on the game you're playing. Long played games use more memory faster so you need to save more often.

I myself have a 64 bit system and I save every half hour.

Thanks for fhe update about what error code 12 really is a memory full fault. I think I will reach that soom since the game has started slowing down freezing from memory flow. I will just update my operating system to 64 bit I already have 16g memory installed on the motherboard. Slhould solve the problem. EA claimed this error code was fixed and would never explain why it happems. I get this error after visiting other countries in World Adventures and saving again also the slow down starts occuring after I edit the town placing lots and people all around to make the game more interesting. This explains alot since you have finally identified what error code 12 reallly is a memory overload. Adobe was having memory problems on a leak and now on video anther leak I am part of that thread. So I really undrstand memory problems. The Suggestions are great but EA needs to fix this problem since they have moved to the gaming on Xbox and WII. Unless this is only a problem on PC gaming. The problem I see with this situation is Virtual Memory should take care of this problem on Windows 32bit system unless Sims will not allow the operating system to access VM this allows for major swap outs and with Terra Bite HDD the matter of space is of no concequence.Wondering if there is away to force Sims to wite Memory over flow to the page files and set aside maybe 8g for paging of this program alone. That should resolve the 32bit delima.

Yeah. EA seriously stuffed it up.

I haven't quite finished installing my games - in fact I haven't done anything besides the base game - seeing as I need more bandwith to update my game before I can install WA.

I'll try and save more but do you think I should see if it works without my saves and then perhaps move my saves into the Sims 3 folder? Because maybe it's may saves that keep on buggering up my game.

I'm also thinking about getting the Sims 3 Seasons Limited Edition so maybe I'll get it and then start playing with my saves again.