

If struck with Error 12 when you attempt to save, you might be able to recover without leaving the game. Task switching (such as with Alt-Tab or by pressing the Windows Key) will negatively impact your RAM as well, so you'll want to keep those actions to a minimum. You'll want to close any non-essential programs, such as music players or web browsers, if at all possible.

You'll find that Error 12 strikes often if you've gone over an in-game week without saving but after you access Create-A-Sim mode.įinally, any additional programs you may be running in the background will take up RAM, leaving less for The Sims 3 to use. If the saving times aren't unacceptable, we recommend saving every in-game night while all Sims are sleeping, as well as before going on any World Adventures.Īlso, save before giving any "Plan Outfit" command, and try saving again if you successfully make changes and cleanly get back to the game again. Be sure to save often, especially if your computer is running with less than 4 GB RAM. Eventually, the system will run out of memory and be unable to save.ĭue to its causes, Error 12 is easier to prevent. This is because a lot of data is loaded into the RAM, and it doesn't always cleanly get released back into the system. You increase the chance of seeing the bug if you take a lot actions in Create-A-Sim mode, including planning outfits, especially if your Sims have a lot of different outfits. This usually results from long play sessions, especially with large families. Though the patch seemed to work for The Sims 3 Pets, the errors seem to be occurring often again for some players after installing The Sims 3 Showtime.Įrror 12 indicates that your RAM is out of memory to properly save.

On November 19, 2009, EA issued a patch to fix this error. Please read the rest of this page to understand why and how this happens, as well as tips on how to avoid damage or delay its appearance.
