Re: [Current Issue] Sims 3 "serious error" when loading save

“a serious error has occurred able loading ‘’. It is recommended that you restart the application.” 
I am getting this error code when trying to create a new world. I just installed the game 12 hours ago. I’ve already uninstalled it and reinstalled it using steam and EA separate times to see if that was the issue. Put my computer on airplane mode so it didn’t sync online. There are no saved households on the game yet. What can I do? 

@sexualkfc  Is OneDrive running on your computer?  Whether you use it or not, it can get in the way of loading data from the user folder, or anything in Documents.  So can an overly protective antivirus, so please let me know which one you use.

Please also run a dxdiag and attach it to your reply, for reference.

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/pc/how-to-gather-dxdiag-information/

@Charnly9  Try moving the Electronic Arts folder out of Documents.  And please let me know whether this folder is in Users > your username > Documents or somewhere else, for example in the OneDrive folder.

Using airplane mode was a good idea, one that I suggest sometimes too.  But it doesn't help if the game can't write to the user folder for other reasons.  So in addition to the location of the folder, please let me know what antivirus you use.

Hi, yes the sims 3 file is located on one drive. Will I need to move it to my C drive? 

I just did that exact same thing.. including steps requested and still got the same thing "serious error occured when opening whatever the map is. still said "It is strongly recommended that you restart the application."

Update: I uninstalled the game and turned off one drive. I reinstalled the game, this time it installed to my C drive but I’m still having the same issue, when I try to go into a world I get the same error again but now I can’t access the game even if the graphics settings are the lowest. I’m not sure where to go from here. 

Unlike the last person I just installed all of my expansions and since then I had this issue

Cant start a new game nor load a save and i have no cc or mods or expansion packs.

@sexualkfc  Try pausing OneDrive syncing, which you can do by right-clicking the cloud icon in the lower-right corner of the screen, or perhaps hidden in the Tray (^ icon).

If that doesn't help, search in Windows for Command Prompt, open it, and enter this command, starting with reg query:

reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders" /v "Personal"

This will return the location of the Documents directory for this Windows account.  (Your computer has several Documents folders, but only one directory.)  Please list the result here—if it's in OneDrive or somewhere else it shouldn't be, we need to move it.  You can write [username] instead of the actual username, but please leave the rest intact.

@fantab50 and @mariamxx16  I've merged your posts into another thread about this same issue.  Please try pausing OneDrive syncing, and if it doesn't work, post the location of the Documents directory, both described above.

Thanks for the help @puzzlezaddict but nothing seems to work. I disabled my antivirus and turned off one drive which had no effect. I thought maybe there was an issue with my graphics card so I went through the process of the matching it, I followed all the steps, noticed some weird things on the way such as the Deviceconfig.log thinking my PC was operating at the lowest standard which is definitely not the case. After changing all of that (my CPU and all that to a 5 instead of a 1, which it should be) and matching my graphics card the same error appeared. I have uninstalled and reinstalled multiple times, the only link I've found to the error was when I changed my graphics in game. Prior to installing the game to my C drive, when it was installed to my OneDrive the game worked but only under the lowest graphics settings, however when i changed these this error appeared, but when the settings were reverted back the game would run. However, since installing onto my C drive, I cannot access the game even under the lowest graphics settings. I just feel like there is something wrong with the code of the game, there is clearly something that is inhibiting the game from operating but I can't pinpoint where this error is occurring? I have tried everything and still the same error persists that I literally have no clue what to do.

@sexualkfc  Please repair the game again, to undo the changes you've made to the program files.  The "serious error" message has nothing to do with getting your GPU recognized, but an edit that doesn't work properly could break the game in another way, preventing a possible fix from helping.

Please create a new admin Windows account and try playing there.  Make it local, as in, don't link it to your Microsoft account or any email address.  (You can keep declining.)  Don't make any changes after repairing, or download any new content, and the game should stlll be installed to C:\[some folder], for example the default C:\Program Files\EA Games is fine for this test.

hello, i have the same problem and when i relocate the whole folder, the sims is working, but my previous households get deleted so i have to start playing with creating a new family over and over. its a two-tailed situation - either i can play sims 3 but only with starting a new family to which i later cant get to or the family (which i created earlier) is there but the serious error about restarting the application pops up so i cant play with that family. hope its understandable, english is not my motherlanguage🙂 

@bozalkova3  Are you saying that even a new save can't be loaded again later?  Does your computer run Windows or macOS, and do you have OneDrive or iCloud Drive, respectively, running on your computer?

Yes, even a new game cant be played or loaded because of the error but you can see the household between other ones (it is also saved in folder on pc). My pc runs Windows 10 and I have  Onedrive. 

@bozalkova3  I've moved your posts to a thread about this error in Windows since the other thread was old and the original poster had a Mac.  OneDrive may be the issue here, so please try pausing syncing.  To see the option. right-click the cloud icon in the lower-right corner of the screen, or hidden in the Tray (^ icon).

@Jaylizzlemanizl  I've merged your post with a longer thread about this error.  If OneDrive is running on your computer, whether you deliberately use it or not, please see post 12.

If OneDrive is not present at all, please try loading a new save in this same world and let me know whether it works.  If it doesn't, try loading a new save in Sunset Valley.  If that produces the same error, let me know what antivirus you use.

I just downloaded Sims 3, and when I open the game, my previous save does not show up and it prompts me to start a new game as if there is no data there. When I try to start a new game, it gives the error message that "A serious error has occurred while loading 'Bridgeport.world'. It is strongly recommended that you restart the application." I have checked to make sure that all of the expansions and stuff are checked when I open the game, and I am able to locate my save file and backup file on my File Explorer for my previous save in The Sims. What is going wrong with this and is there any way of getting back my previous game data??

@mxpringle57  I've merged your post with a longer thread about this error.  If OneDrive is running on this computer, please see post 12.  Otherwise, let me know what antivirus you use.

For your missing save, this guide may help:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/PC/CURRENT-ISSUE-Sims-4-saves-user-content-disappearing-PC/m-p/12475370

It's written for Sims 4 but mostly applies equally well to Sims 3.  The major difference is that when searching for saves, look for the name of your save, not Slot_ etc.

i bought the sims 3 yesterday it worked for awhile and now when i try to play it i get a serious error has occured while loading i tried restsrting the app unistaslled the game reinstalled it and still doing the same thing

I downloaded and installed the directX 9 and I still can't play the Sims 3.  It says there's a serious error has occurred and to restart game... which I've done many times already.  I also restarted my PC after installing the directX9.

Thank you in advance, 

Alison

@carterbreese1 and @alibuff  If OneDrive is running on your computer, whether you use it or not, please try the suggestion in post 12.  If that doesn't help, or OneDrive isn't present, please let me know what antivirus you use.

Dear EA!

I start the game with the sims 3 launcher, it loads the game, then when I want to select the world, it gives me this error message: "A serious error occurred while loading Sunset Valley.world. It is strongly recommended that you restart the application. "

I played with it yesterday, no problem at all. Reinstalled the ea app and the sims, no change. I reset the settings in the game to default. No yet.

Within the same application, I had previously installed sims 4, which had no problems at all.

I would like to ask for help

@0g0l9ix3j32r  I've merged your post with a longer thread for this issue.  Please provide the info requested in post 12.

Thanks so much!