Game Help:Live Mode Freeze

Issue & Symptoms

Newly loaded worlds get to this point then freeze.

• Sudden freezing when entering Live Mod
  1. Mouse moves but user interface is unresponsive
  2. Background noises still play
  3. Trees and shadows still move
• Create-A-Sim still loads properly
• Freezing can occur with saved worlds and upon loading a new world.

Causes

This issue sometimes happens after patching your game and/or installing a new EP - especially Seasons. However, this issue has been known to show up spontaneously even after having previously run the game successfully.

Preliminary Troubleshoot

99% of all issues with TS3 can be solved by running through some basic troubleshooting procedures. Before you panic, follow these troubleshooting steps to rule out custom content and corrupt game save issues.

Basic Troubleshooting

Solution

If the basic troubleshooting did not work, or the Live Mode freeze reoccurs even after generating new user files (Step 3) then we have successfully ruled out CC or corrupt save files as the cause. This means that your game is suffering from corrupt files within the program itself.

Why is this happening to me? What did I do wrong? Well...the answer to that is really...nothing. Files can get mucked up with no fault from the user, it just happens. Never fear, the solution is simple and painless and you will still be able to retain most of your installed content and game saves.

The only solution for the freezing is to reinstall The Sims 3.

Backup User Files

If you followed the steps during the basic troubleshooting phase, then you should already have a backup of your user files. If for some reason you have not done this, follow the steps below.

1. Open Folder: Open your Electronic Arts folder in Documents. The location is:

• Windows XP: My Documents\Electronic Arts\
• Windows Vista/7 & Mac: Documents\Electronic Arts\

2. Rename: There will be a folder here called The Sims 3 - rename that folder to The Sims 3 Backup.

Backup Digital Downloads

If you have digitally downloaded content from Origin (previously called EA Download Manager) then you may want to back up these files, too.

• Open Origin and under Settings find where you save have it set to save your downloads. Go to the path shown to find your digital downloads, and backup those installer files. You might also be interested to read Game Help:EADM Issues.

Uninstall

Before you get in a huff about uninstalling, be aware that we are only uninstalling The Sims 3 Base Game and Seasons (or the last EP installed). The uninstall process is pretty self explanatory, but if you need help follow the guide linked below.

TS3 Uninstall

• You will most likely encounter a warning saying that functionality will be compromised by uninstalling an EP. Just hit okay, this will not effect anything.
• After uninstalling be sure to clean up any left over folders in Program Files\Electronic Arts, specially the The Sims 3 and The Sims 3 Seasons (or the last EP installed) folder.
• Clean up the registry using CCleaner or any program like it.
• Restart your computer once you've finished.

Reinstall Base Game

Reinstall TS3 Base Game like normal. Installing Base Game tends to take a while, so it's a good idea to do something else while you wait.

Patch

After TS3 Base Game has been installed you must patch before installing Seasons again. Normally when you attempt to install an EP, the installer will patch your game automatically. However, to be on the safe side, we will manually patch the games ourselves.

• Go to the Patch Downloads and grab the Super Patcher. The Super Patcher will fully update the game starting from any patch level. This is good news to us because since we reinstalled, TS3 was reset back to initial 2009 factory release!
• Run the Super Patcher and let it install.