simsample wrote:Here are some things to try if your CAW program refuses to run, runs slowly or gives error messages.
Clear Caches:
- First, clear your CAW caches- delete Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 Create A World Tool\ WorldbuilderCache and Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 Create A World Tool\ UserToolData\ LocalWork.
- Next, clear your game caches- click here!
Gelis has found that for Windows 7 users you may need to delete your Virtual Store files too- C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Create a World Tool. You can also delete the corresponding files for The Sims 3 from there safely, too. These files are hidden so you may need to set your operating system to show hidden files to find these.
Remove in-game CC:
- CAW will read any custom content that you have installed to your Sims 3 game, even if it cannot be used by CAW (for example, clothes and hairstyles). This can mean that your computer will not perform well with CAW. To solve this, try removing your custom content whilst you run CAW to see if you get a better performance. Remove Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3\ Mods for game version 1.12 upwards (click HERE for removing older framework files).
Check Patch levels:Using an outdated version of CAW can result in errors such as this one:
- CAW needs your game to be fully updated. If you are having issues then check that your game is fully up to date.
Help with checking game version and downloading patches here.
- Once your game is updated, backup your CAW userdata by copying Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 Create A World Tool\ UserToolData to somewhere safe.
- Then, uninstall CAW, redownload CAW from the Sims 3 Website and reinstall it. Replace your backup userdata once you are done.
If you are using an older version of the game, auntielynds has kindly posted links for archived versions of the CAW tool
here.Make the CAW executable Large Address Aware:Version Mismatch ErrorIf you have an error like this:
Or if you are having the following issues:
- Crashing
- Memory errors (with your CAW executable set to LAA if you have >2GB RAM)
- Save Errors
- Load Errors
Then check your game compatibility versions, as outlined
here by kiritra. That thread also contains suggestions from kiritra for resolving problems if you do not have the latest EP/ SP.
Also, check out our Wiki article:http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help_Talk:Patch_Table#Workarounds_for_CAW_from_1.22_patch_without_the_last_released_Pack And this help thread by auntielynds on the Sims 3 forum:http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/417418.pageThanks again to auntielynds and kiritra!
CAW opening screen flashes, but CAW will not run:JadedSidhe advises a solution to this problem in
this post. Running the CAW executable as an administrator will bypass any UAC restrictions which cause this problem.
Another way of preventing this issue would be to install your CAW tool and the Sims 3 game to a non-default location, for example C:\ Games. This would ensure that UAC does not affect the running of your game.
'Image is not a PNG File' error when opening heightmaps:Try first deleting all CAW and game caches. If that fails, try dragging Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 Create A World Tool and Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 to the desktop. Auntielynds has found that this can sometimes be indicative of a userdata error.
http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3894571&posted=1#post3894571Thankyou auntielynds!
Edit in Game crashing/ not saving:
If you are having trouble making EIG save your world, there are a few things you can try.
- Firstly, try creating lots in-game and adding them to your world from the library via EIG (instead of building them from scratch in EIG).
- Secondly, try releasing the file lock on your UserToolData by closing CAW once EIG has opened (Courtesy of BenC0722 in this thread. )
CAW loading Launcher instead of Edit-in-Game:If Launcher pops up instead of EIG mode, or if you get a message about CAW being unable to find TS3.exe:
This seems to be a problem specific to having the latest version of CAW with the latest game version but
without the latest EP/SP.The only known cures are:
- Try this fix from SimAd.
- Zaide_Chris made a great batch file to open a world in EIG easily, whether you are having this problem or not. Get it here.
OR:
- See the advice in this thread by kiritra regarding 'cases where EPs are missing'.
OR:
- Install the latest EP/SP. Shame on you, EA!
Odd hex numbers in the metadata list:
A couple of causes for this:
- Out of date or incompatible CC- test with your game Mods folder AND your CAW Packages folder removed. Also clear your game and CAW caches as above. Use the 50% Method to help you to find the problem files.
- You have CC which depends upon objects from Riverview, when Riverview has been uninstalled. Reinstall Riverview to test this.
- Are you still reading? Good, I sometimes fear I'm talking to myself. Am I going mad, or is this usual for someone of my age?
- You know, the above point has been in this article for several months, and not one person has commented. I am definitely talking to myself!
- Or maybe by this point most people have solved their problem, and are actually playing the game...?
Computer performance:Steam Users:Thanks to auntielynds for indirectly reminding me of this! 
If you have purchased and installed The Sims 3 through Steam, you will find that CAW will not work correctly. This is because the Steam version of TS3 has a different file structure and uses different registry keys, so CAW is not able to correctly read the game data. To solve this, use your Steam license keys to download TS3 from EADM (now known as Origins) instead of through Steam:
Source for this:
http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1746411Check out the CAW troubleshooting thread on the official Sims 3 forum also:
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/417418.page Thank you to all who have contributed to this article! Please feel free to add any more suggestions to this thread, or you can PM me to advise me of any errors or additions. It would be much appreciated! 
