Time freezing, animation looping in university dorm

@remedialcha0s  How much memory is this save using when you play?  Please put the game into windowed mode, load the save, and bring up the Task Manager in the background (the Processes tab is fine).  When you start to notice performance issues, switch to the Task Manager, but don't minimize Sims 4, and take a screenshot of what you see.

Please also run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

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

Thanks very much for getting back to me. I've attached the dxdiag and a screenshot of my Task Manager. I didn't actually take the screenshot when the game froze, just when it started to lag like it was about to. 

@remedialcha0s  Your dxdiag is full of Windows update errors, so many that any possible Sims 4 errors have been crowded out.  You're also on a Windows build that's almost three years old and has been out of support for over a year.  Have you been deliberately blocking updates, and if so, is there a particular reason?  Did you recently reset the computer to factory settings?  I ask because this should absolutely be addressed even separate from any Sims 4-related issues.

For the save itself, how large is the save file?  Please open Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > saves, sort the folder by modified date, and post a screenshot.

Please don't save your progress while playing this save, at least not right now.  You might need to revert to one of the backup saves, and that would only be helpful if you have an old-enough backup.  Saving demotes each of the previous backups and erases the oldest one.

Thank you so much for pointing this out to me! I was given this laptop by a family member not long ago and hadn't noticed I wasn't getting any updates. Took me a good few hours to find a fix online as Windows Updater itself was corrupted, but it's all sorted and up to date now. I dread to think how much longer I would have carried on without picking up on the lack of updates, so thanks again. 

I've attached a screenshot of my save files - all the visible ones are the same save game. Hadn't realised I had so many as MCCC autosaves for me, could too many saves be an issue? Regardless I've stopped saving now.

@remedialcha0s  Your saves list looks fine, and the fact that you have a lot of saves shouldn't have any impact here.  The game should only load data from the save you're playing, otehr than the thumbnails from the other saves at the Main Menu of course.  On the other hand, it's not going to hurt anything to move your older saves elsewhere, and it might make keeping track of the saves easier for you.  Whatever you prefer is fine.

Your save was using most of your computer's memory but not all of it, and I wonder if the RAM use keeps going up until you really can't do anything at all with the save.  It's difficult to tell from one screenshot, but you can keep an eye on the Task Manager once the save starts to lag and see what happens.

It's also entirely possible that this save's RAM use is fairly stable but that it's high enough overall to cause problems.  In that case, try playing this save immediately after restarting your computer and without opening anything else, other than the EA App of course.  It can also help to put the App in offline mode.  Other than cutting off access to the Gallery, this shouldn't affect the game at all.

Hi!

I have the exact same problem and I have tried everything but it still freezes. (like the other user said, only the time, but the trees are moving) And also only just with the sim who is in university. ☹️

Can you help me too, please! I really want to continue playing with her !!

Thanks

@btmdwsyrix5q  Please run a dxdiag and attach it to a post.

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

I am having the same issue. I’ve updated my driver and Windows is up to date. 

@mjacks48  Does this happen in all saves or only the one?  Do you use mods and custom content, and if so, does it happen with no mods or cc present?  I'm not saying you need to abandon the save or the third-party content, only that this is a useful test to perform before jumping down the rabbithole of potential system issues.

@puzzlezaddict Only the one save. I did two things:

First I created a new household with Mods and CC intact and the game time did not freeze and crash it ran smoothly. I then went back to the "bad save" with mods and cc and had the same time freezing issues

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@puzzlezaddict wrote:

@mjacks48  Does this happen in all saves or only the one?  Do you use mods and custom content, and if so, does it happen with no mods or cc present?  I'm not saying you need to abandon the save or the third-party content, only that this is a useful test to perform before jumping down the rabbithole of potential system issues.

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Now I just removed my entire Sims 4 out of Documents and on to my Desktop and created a house hold and ran the game with no issues (no mods no cc). Then I only put back my SAVED file that was on the desktop in the "new" vanilla game with no mods or cc just saved file and the game with this ONE saved file still froze time and crashed.