Sims 3 won’t save after building

@lillucyj  Build/Buy is more demanding that live play in some ways, so it's possible the game is running out of resources when you're building.  This could be related to memory or to some other value, so please take a look at the game's memory use in the Task Manager.  Make sure the TM is displaying RAM in absolute values, not percentages; you can right-click on the header to switch.  Put the game in windowed mode, and you'll be able to alt-tab back and forth between Sims 3 and the TM.

Please let me know what memory use is once your save loads and has been running for a few sim-minutes, when you first enter Build mode and it's fully loaded, and when you're trying to save.

It's also possible there's some other issue not related to your current save.  As a test, please start a new save, build something, and see whether you can save afterwards.  There's no need to spend much time on it; the point is to see whether the saving in build mode itself is the issue, or there's something going on with your save.

Please also undo the compatibility setting; it's not necessary and can get in the way of troubleshooting.  And Sims 3 can already use close to 4 GB memory on its own, without any help; that was fixed in a patch in 2010.

I have the same problem too! its been going on since I've gotten a new computer. @puzzlezaddict I have done the third test more then thousands of times. Do you think this has to do with the 64-bit update for the Sims 3? I read your other reply to someone else and you mentioned going to the Nraas website to see if the mods were outdated where exactly can I find where they do that. Sorry for the rambling but also could you give a more specific tutorial on the first step I don't quite understand it.

@dedewade  The 64-bit update hasn't happened yet (and is only for macOS anyway), so it wouldn't be affecting your game now.  If you're worried about your mods causing this issue, try playing without them or any of their potential residual effects:  Move your entire Sims 3 folder out of Documents\Electronic Arts and let the game spawn a new one, which it will do the next time you play.  Don't add anything to the new folder yet; just see whether you have the same issue as you do now.  Let me know either way.

If you still can't save, it would be helpful to know more about your computer.  If it runs Windows, please run a dxdiag and attach it to a post:

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

If you have a Mac, please post its full specs, as described here:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/READ-FIRST-Sims-3-Mac-Help-Guides-and-Troubleshooting/m-p/4756624#M2878

Either way, please also list the packs you currently have installed.

Hey! thank you so much for replying I really appreciate it 🙂), I did exactly what you said and gladly it worked but sadly I still want to play with my mods ;(. is there a way I can play with mods and just find the bad ones other the Delphy's dash thing because I don't want to break my computer ☹️(.

@dedewade  Now that you know that one of your mods is (probably) the issue, you can test them to find out which one(s) you need to remove.  If you have a lot of them, the 50/50 method is the most efficient way to sort: test half your mods, and if they're fine, add half of the rest.  If you can't save again, remove half of those you just added and test again.  In this way, a large number of files can be pared down very quickly.

I forgot to mention though that there might be a shortcut.  If you have buydebug on, you may not be able to save after building; turning it off again fixes the issue.  So if you like to turn it on while building, or you think you have a mod that might enable it, that's the first place to look.

@dedewade  Are you still testing in a clean save?  You can try with your existing save now; maybe there's an issue with that particular save that's causing the crashes, and the issue doesn't show up in a new save.

Yes, I have tried that right after I did the method and it didn’t work. I truly have no idea what to do about the save because I know there is a problem.