Save game error

Save game errors are errors which prevent the player from saving their game. In theory, they can occur in all games in The Sims series, but occur most frequently in The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval. This article will only focus on errors in The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval.

List of errors

 * 1) No save file information.
 * 2) No active world.
 * 3) The save path is empty.
 * 4) Cannot save directory.
 * 5) Cannot find the requested file.
 * 6) Invalid save file length.
 * 7) File name is invalid
 * 8) File path length is too large.
 * 9) Failed to create header record.
 * 10) Failed to write header record.
 * 11) Pre-save callback failure.
 * 12) World file save failure.
 * 13) Post-save callback failure.
 * 14) No load/save manager found.
 * 15) Open failure
 * 16) Loose file copy failure
 * 17) Other error. Sorry.
 * 18) Custom content installed in game has not been updated for current patch/EP

See the 'readme' file for your games for additional information.

Fixing the errors
When experiencing an error, try cancelling your Sims' actions and save again.

The easiest way to fix this problem is to 'Save As' on a different game file each time instead of 'Save'. This also reduces the chance of losing unsaved game data due to file corruption and creates a backup of sorts. The Sims 3 creates an automatic backup of your old saved game now, everytime you save your game normally.

The error may be caused by overcrowding on a lot, which may be remedied by Editing the Town, moving the offending lot, then placing it back in its original location, thus resetting the lot.

If the error persists, additional remedies may be needed, at the risk of the user. Users should be cautious when employing suggested remedies, as altering files may possibly cause irreversible damage to a saved game file or to the game itself. It is highly encouraged that the user make a backup of their data before attempting to fix the problem using any suggested solutions.

Save game errors may be caused by having a save file that is too big or there's an insufficient RAM for the game to save, thus leading to Error Code 12. See Game guide:Reducing the size of a saved game for additional assistance.

World Adventures
Error 12, 13, or 16 specifically were widely encountered after installing World Adventures. The bug is officially known as "Error code 16 bug" by EA. The errors were due to a change in the file structure used to store saved games.

Patch 7 came out fixing this problem and the subsequent Patch 8 added an auto recovery prompt to recover save games previously corrupted. EA has supplied a solution for restoring corrupted saved game files.

In consoles
In the PS2, Nintendo GameCube and PSP games, save errors can happen. Usually this happens if the memory card is removed, if the memory card does not have enough space or if there is something wrong with the memory card or if there is no memory card inserted. Should the card be removed, the original Sims data would then be corrupted.

Save errors can also occur on the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii if there is not enough space on the system.