Problem With Save Games and the New Patch

[Klondike]

For some reason, when I tried to download the new patch the launcher would go into this continual loop of not patching, so I saved my .backup files and reinstalled the game, thinking everything would be fine. The game patched to 1.6.6 successfully, and all my custom content worked as well, minus some NRAAS and AwesomeMod. However, it turns out the new save files with this patch are in a different format, meaning that all the .backups I have are virtually useless because I didn't try to put them back into the game until after I patched. Is there some way to convert the .backup files to a working format with the new patch? Or for that matter, is there any fix that doesn't require reinstalling the game again?

[brownlustgirl]

Some work arounds that are used by sheeple simmers on the BBS is save the game using "save as".  Also reading around the BBS and MTS, the games are saved using .legacy on the ending. I cannot confirm this cause I haven't installed the patch yet.  The official site must be overrun, cause the forums are down also.

 

[Druscylla]

I tried to get into the BBS to see what was said and it appears to have imploded. I have heard the saving bug is happening to people who patch but do not have World Adventures. I installed it but haven't tried playing it because after I installed I saw on Snooty Sims that people who bought WA after patching were forced to download the patch again anyhow, and I am getting WA tonight. The patch fixes and adds a lot of things, and it sucks on toast that this one is having so many problems or is trying to make us get the EP.

[Klondike]

The problem isn't with saving new games- That's working just fine. It's the .backups I have that won't work with the game now.

[bigbirdzac]

Yupp. Even with WA installed, the error pops up.

Just do the 'Save As...' trick. No error when re-compiling the save. Mind you, it's slower, but it works.

[Klondike]

That's not what I mean. I have .sim3.backup files, which I put into the saves folder. When I start up the game, the menu icon on the bottom for the saved game is grayed out, saying "It may have been loaded with an expansion pack that is no longer present on this system". I can't even play the game with the files, let alone Save As.

[BattyCoda]

Try removing the file extension from the backup file and then starting the game.

[brownlustgirl]

Got my game to save without errors and using "save as". After researching more on the net, got my answer from the official site forums.  The problem with saving the folders that are named .sims3 or .sims3.backup, when you start a hood for the first time with the patch 1.66 or WA, it will make a .sims3.folder, but keep the .sims3.backup file. Keeping the file there will hamper the game from making a .sims3.backup folder.  Delete the file named .sim3.backup and run the game again to make the backup folder. You should be able to run the game and use save as you play.

References to this thread at the official site:  http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/126235.page.

[kazebird]

I can verify that this does work. Just tried it myself, and it not only saved fine, but just as you described there is a new backup folder. Thank you.

[brownlustgirl]

The sad thing about it, EA programmers (I guess) made a new format for saving, but didn't code to take out the old format of files name.sims3.backup. Or at least give instructions to do this. Nooo, it took someone on the BBS to figure it out and post it so dumb me can read and pass it along.

EA is such a sad, sad excuse for professionalism.

[daistarr]

This is why I no longer have access to skill books to buy or iwhy the bookcases and my inventory thingy have no skill books either? Or that I can stock the pond with fish til the cows come home but I can't click to fish the pond? I will get rid of these files and see if all goes back to normal. I really hate reloading everything again.

[GnatGoSplat]

The sad thing about it, EA programmers (I guess) made a new format for saving, but didn't code to take out the old format of files name.sims3.backup. Or at least give instructions to do this. Nooo, it took someone on the BBS to figure it out and post it so dumb me can read and pass it along.

EA is such a sad, sad excuse for professionalism.

I can understand the programmers missing this, but you'd think there'd be a QA team that would test the patches on various versions first.  It seems like nobody at EA even plays the game to make sure everything works properly.