Difference between revisions of "Sims 3:Large Address Aware"

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==Overview==
 
==Overview==
 
All 32-bit applications (including The Sims 3) that run on Microsoft Windows, by default, have the large address aware (LAA) bit disabled.  In layman's terms, this means the application cannot address more than 2 GiB (2,147,483,648 bytes) of virtual memory.  The Sims 3 can, under certain circumstances, reach this limit causing the game to crash to the desktop without warning.  There are tools available that allow you to mod The Sims 3 executable(s) which allows the game to use up to 4 GiB (4,294,967,296 bytes) of virtual memory.
 
All 32-bit applications (including The Sims 3) that run on Microsoft Windows, by default, have the large address aware (LAA) bit disabled.  In layman's terms, this means the application cannot address more than 2 GiB (2,147,483,648 bytes) of virtual memory.  The Sims 3 can, under certain circumstances, reach this limit causing the game to crash to the desktop without warning.  There are tools available that allow you to mod The Sims 3 executable(s) which allows the game to use up to 4 GiB (4,294,967,296 bytes) of virtual memory.
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'''If your game is patched to 1.17/2.12/3.8/4.5/5.2/6.0 or newer, the necessary files are already large address aware so there is no reason to follow the instructions on this page.'''
  
 
==Diagnosing LAA Crashes==
 
==Diagnosing LAA Crashes==
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==Applications That Can Enable the LAA bit==
 
==Applications That Can Enable the LAA bit==
 
Because modifying an executable is no easy feat, the modification must be performed by an application.  Here are some of the applications known to work (in order from easiest to most difficult).
 
Because modifying an executable is no easy feat, the modification must be performed by an application.  Here are some of the applications known to work (in order from easiest to most difficult).
* '''The Sims 3: Large Address Aware''' - May be downloaded from the [http://downloads.solarisutilitydvd.com/Misc/ts3_large_address_aware.zip World Mirror] or [http://ford.koenvdw.com/ts3_large_address_aware.zip European Mirror].  It will be updated periodically (when new expansions come out).  Use this discussion page if you find any problems with it.
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* [[Sims 3:Large Address Aware/Large Address Aware (app)|Large Address Aware]]
* [[Game Help:4GB Patch]]
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* [[Sims 3:Large Address Aware/4GB Patch|4GB Patch]]
* [[Game Help:CFF Explorer]]
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* [[Sims 3:Large Address Aware/CFF Explorer|CFF Explorer]]
  
 
==32-bit Operating Systems==
 
==32-bit Operating Systems==
If you have a 32-bit version of Windows, and additional step is required in order for The Sims 3 to use more than 2 GiB of virtual memory.  You must have at least 3 GiB of RAM installed in your system before taking these steps.
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If you have a 32-bit version of Windows, and additional step is required in order for The Sims 3 to use more than 2 GiB of virtual memory.  If your computer has at least 3 GiB of RAM installed, follow the instructions on the [[Game Help:Insufficient Memory Crashes#Step 3: Allow more memory to applications|Insufficient Memory Crashes]] article. That article also contains information on how to determine how much RAM is installed.
 
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===Windows XP, Server 2003===
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# Open '''System Properties'''.
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#* Right-click on '''My Computer''' and select '''Properties'''.
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# Select the '''Advanced''' tab.
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# In the '''Startup and Recovery''' area, click '''Settings''' to open the Startup and Recovery dialog.
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# In the '''System Startup''' area, click '''Edit''' to open the Windows boot.ini in Notepad.
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# Make sure to disable '''Word Wrap''' from the '''Format''' menu (you do not want a check to appear next to it).
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# Find the '''[Operating Systems]''' section.  Each line below this header represents an operating system installed on your computer.
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# At the end of each line under [Operating Systems] add the following after /fastdetect (or whatever is at the end of the line):
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#* If you have 3 GiB of RAM installed: '''/3GB /userva=2560'''
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#* If you have 4 GiB of RAM installed: '''/3GB'''
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# '''Save''' the changes and close Notepad.
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# Close all open dialogs and '''restart your computer'''.
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====In case of trouble====
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Repeat the above steps but instead of adding /3GB and /userva, remove them.
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===Windows Vista, Windows 7, Server 2008===
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# Open the '''Command Prompt''' with administrative rights.
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#* Open '''Start'''.
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#* Open '''Programs'''.
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#* Open '''Acessories'''.
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#* Right-click on '''Command Prompt''' and select '''Run as Administrator'''.
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# Type the following and hit enter:
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#* If you have 3 GiB of RAM installed: '''bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 2560'''
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#* If you have 4 GiB of RAM installed: '''bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 3072'''
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# Close the command prompt and '''restart your computer'''.
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====In case of trouble====
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Repeat the above steps but use the following command instead: '''bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVA 2048'''
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==64-bit Operating System==
 
==64-bit Operating System==
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Enabling the large address aware bit via any method may result in future patches throwing an "Invalid File" error on the executable.  To correct this in The Sims 3 Large Address Aware, click on "Reset LAA."  To correct this in CFF Explorer, follow the instructions [[Game Help:CFF Explorer|here]] but uncheck "App can handle >2GB address space" box instead of checking it.  Now you should be able to install the patch without problems.  Remember to make the game large address aware again after the patch(es) are installed.
 
Enabling the large address aware bit via any method may result in future patches throwing an "Invalid File" error on the executable.  To correct this in The Sims 3 Large Address Aware, click on "Reset LAA."  To correct this in CFF Explorer, follow the instructions [[Game Help:CFF Explorer|here]] but uncheck "App can handle >2GB address space" box instead of checking it.  Now you should be able to install the patch without problems.  Remember to make the game large address aware again after the patch(es) are installed.
  
[[Category:Crash Causes]]
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[[Category:Sims 3]]

Latest revision as of 11:20, 27 October 2011

Contents

[edit] Overview

All 32-bit applications (including The Sims 3) that run on Microsoft Windows, by default, have the large address aware (LAA) bit disabled. In layman's terms, this means the application cannot address more than 2 GiB (2,147,483,648 bytes) of virtual memory. The Sims 3 can, under certain circumstances, reach this limit causing the game to crash to the desktop without warning. There are tools available that allow you to mod The Sims 3 executable(s) which allows the game to use up to 4 GiB (4,294,967,296 bytes) of virtual memory.

If your game is patched to 1.17/2.12/3.8/4.5/5.2/6.0 or newer, the necessary files are already large address aware so there is no reason to follow the instructions on this page.

[edit] Diagnosing LAA Crashes

The Sims 3 produces exception (xcpt*.txt and xcpt*.mdmp) files in the user's My Documents directory when it crashes. To determine if the crash was caused by LAA:

  1. Open an xcpt*.txt file with Notepad or your favorite text editor.
  2. Behind Free virtual memory:, is it less than 200 Mb? If yes, LAA most likely caused the crash. If no, something else most likely caused the crash.

[edit] Applications That Can Diagnose LAA Crashes


[edit] Applications That Can Enable the LAA bit

Because modifying an executable is no easy feat, the modification must be performed by an application. Here are some of the applications known to work (in order from easiest to most difficult).

[edit] 32-bit Operating Systems

If you have a 32-bit version of Windows, and additional step is required in order for The Sims 3 to use more than 2 GiB of virtual memory. If your computer has at least 3 GiB of RAM installed, follow the instructions on the Insufficient Memory Crashes article. That article also contains information on how to determine how much RAM is installed.

[edit] 64-bit Operating System

No extra steps are required; however, in order to provide the most memory to The Sims 3, it is recommend you have more than 4 GiB of RAM installed in your system.


[edit] Invalid File Found: TS3*.exe

Enabling the large address aware bit via any method may result in future patches throwing an "Invalid File" error on the executable. To correct this in The Sims 3 Large Address Aware, click on "Reset LAA." To correct this in CFF Explorer, follow the instructions here but uncheck "App can handle >2GB address space" box instead of checking it. Now you should be able to install the patch without problems. Remember to make the game large address aware again after the patch(es) are installed.

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