[Read First] Running Sims 3 in Windows
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Overview
Contrary t...
Forum Discussion
jump to: Basic troubleshooting
jump to: Rebuilding your user folder
jump to: Performance improvements
Sims 3 generally runs well without too much work. However, it does NOT run well, by default, in the Isla Paradiso (Island Paradise EP) world, or in many custom worlds, or sometimes in Bridgeport (Late Night EP). Bad mods or custom content can also bog down the game. So before assuming you have a true performance issue, please test a new save in Sunset Valley, with no mods or custom content present. And make sure you've limited your in-game framerates, as described above.
If your game is crashing, or lagging, or generally not running the way you'd like, and you've limited your in-game framerates (see above), please test a new save in Sunset Valley with no mods or custom content present. (NRaas mods are fine to keep, but please disable or remove StoryProgression, as it can be a significant drag on performance.)
If that doesn't help, the next step is a clean folder test. Move the entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents > Electronic Arts and onto your desktop; if it copies instead of moving, or you get an error when trying to move it, stop here and ask for help.
Otherwise, when you launch the game, if it launches, a clean folder will spawn with no content. (Your saves and other content will be intact in the folder you moved but temporarily not read by the game.) Don't add anything to the new folder yet. Start a new save in Sunset Valley and see how it runs.
Note: The clean folder won't address potential issues caused by content that's installed into the game's program files. If you've added anything to the program files, please remove it and repair your game. Doing so will revert any changes you've made, so you may want to keep backup copies of edited .sgr files or the like. You can add them back later, but it's critical to test first with a completely vanilla game—no added or edited content whatsoever.
If the original problem is still present in the clean folder, please create your own thread in the tech section (here). Provide a dxdiag as well. Click Windows key-R, enter dxdiag in the run box, wait for the scan to finish, click "Save all information," and save the file to your desktop. From there, you can attach it to a reply using the paper clip (Attachment) icon included with the other formatting buttons.
If the problem is gone, you can start moving your old content to the new folder, testing as you go to see what, if anything, reintroduces the issue. Not everything needs to be transferred to the new folder. Please see the section below for further details.
Sometimes it's necessary to rebuild your user folder from scratch, or doing so is simpler than finding and removing the problem in the old folder. If you're here, you've likely already moved or renamed the old folder and confirmed that the game works with a new folder in place.
The next step is adding your old content to the new folder, a little at a time, testing to see whether the original problem shows up again. Please review this article for a description of the files and folders:
https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/01/faq-user-files.html
I would suggest starting with your mods or custom content. For .package-based files, test in batches, or use the 50/50 method:
https://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Finding_Problem_Custom_Content#The_50.25_Method
For launcher-installed content, you can test one .dbc file—these are bundled custom content—in the DCCache folder at a time. (The .ebc files are bundled Store content and should be handled separately.) Move dcdb0.dbc to DCCache in the new Sims 3 folder and test the game. While you're there, look through the launcher's Installed Content tab for any cc you didn't intend to install, and remove it if you want. Then test the game. If everything is fine, move over dcdb1.dbc and repeat the process. These files need to be transferred in numerical order or the game won't read them.
When you've sorted out your mods and custom content, you can move on to saves, Library files, etc., whatever you'd like to preserve. Where the game has created a new file or folder, it's best to keep the new copy rather than reusing the old one. The only exceptions are ccmerged.package, in DCBackup, which is necessary for premium Store content to work; and UserPresets.package, which holds data from patterns you've saved in Create a Style.
If you have a disc or Steam install and a ContentPatch folder with actual content in it, preserve this too. This folder contains Store patches, which are no longer downloaded through the launcher. An EA App install includes these patches in the game's program files, making the ContentPatch folder redundant.
Performance and graphics improvements
Lazy Duchess's Smooth Patch has been available for several years now, and the files that go into the Bin folder don't appear to have any detrimental effects on the game. The .package file is not fully compatible with NRaas MasterController, and it should be considered experimental in general. If you're seeing performance issues, try removing it, just the .package file.
A few players have experimented with DXVK, a translation from Sims 3's native DirectX 9 to Vulkan, with some success. This is also experimental, sometimes unstable, and not for beginners. There are a few good guides available online; I won't replicate them here.
ReShade is generally compatible with Sims 3, but not always with other changes to the game. It also increases the workload on the game's graphics engine and the GPU, so consider how well the game is currently running before adding it.
Any mod or tweak that increases the resolution of textures or other images—HQ mods, shadow adjustments, high-resolution custom content, etc.—also increases the demands on your hardware and on the game engine. Consider your in-game performance, not just that of your hardware but whether the game is lagging or otherwise struggling, before increasing its load.
