Well, I have no idea HOW but I fear I've seriously borked my game by using SimPE.  I was attempting to change the skintones of about ten sims using SimPE and the Sim Surgery.  Everything was going good through the first eight or so, and then I got an error saying it was out of memory.  I clicked okay and closed out all the other applications I had running (which was basically just Firefox and AIM) and since it takes a while to load SimPE I attempted to finish the operation on the sim.  That completed and I saved and decided to shut down SimPE and reopen it.  When I reopened it and loaded my neighborhood, it started giving me lots of errors, including one that said "A sim was found twice!" and other things like being unable to open that neighborhood package.  Unfortunately, I didn't save these. I sort of freaked out, closed it all down and rebooted my computer.  I then decided to load the Sims to see if THAT was borked too, and it "Application Terminated" as I tried to load up that neighborhood.

I've done skintone surgery before with no problem, and I cannot FATHOM how doing that with low memory completely corrupted my game, but in any event, here I am.  I've just reloaded SimPE. The neighborhood loaded up fine. This time I attempted to load the Sim Browser and got this error:

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE1

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.OutOfMemoryException: Exception of type 'System.OutOfMemoryException' was thrown.
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
simpe.filehandler

Execution Stack:
at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

------------------------------------------------

After hitting okay on that, I get another similar one:

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE2

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.IO.EndOfStreamException: Unable to read beyond the end of the stream.
  at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.FillBuffer(Int32 numBytes)
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadUInt32()
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
mscorlib

Execution Stack:
at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.FillBuffer(Int32 numBytes)
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadUInt32()
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

-------------------------------------------------

This goes on until the program stops responding, but here are what I got:

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE3

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.OverflowException: Arithmetic operation resulted in an overflow.
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
simpe.filehandler

Execution Stack:
at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

----------------------------------

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE4

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.OverflowException: Arithmetic operation resulted in an overflow.
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
simpe.filehandler

Execution Stack:
at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

-----------------------------------------

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE5

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.IO.EndOfStreamException: Unable to read beyond the end of the stream.
  at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.FillBuffer(Int32 numBytes)
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadUInt32()
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
mscorlib

Execution Stack:
at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.FillBuffer(Int32 numBytes)
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadUInt32()
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

----------------------------------------

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE6

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.OverflowException: Arithmetic operation resulted in an overflow.
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
simpe.filehandler

Execution Stack:
at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

-----------------------------------------------------------

Message:
Error while trying to open

Package: C:\Users\Van\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N001\N001_Neighborhood.package
File: Family Information (46414D49) - 00000000 - FFFFFFFF - 00007FE7

SimPE Version:
Default (0.72.1.33855).

Exception Stack:
System.IO.EndOfStreamException: Unable to read beyond the end of the stream.
  at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.FillBuffer(Int32 numBytes)
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadUInt32()
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Source:
mscorlib

Execution Stack:
at System.IO.__Error.EndOfFile()
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.FillBuffer(Int32 numBytes)
  at System.IO.BinaryReader.ReadUInt32()
  at SimPe.PackedFiles.Wrapper.Fami.Unserialize(BinaryReader reader)
  at SimPe.Interfaces.Plugin.AbstractWrapper.ProcessData(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd, IPackageFile package, Boolean catchex)

Windows Version:
Vista

.NET Version:
2.0.50727.3603

------------------------------

Aaaand around here it stops responding and crashes.  It looks like it's just going through files and getting the same error over and over. Aaaaugh, please please please tell me this is fixable. I can handle losing those sims or that family, but not the entire neighborhood.

Thanks so much to everyone who reads and responds to this.

-Van

Okay, I'm replying to my own post. After poking about on the forums some more I found this link:

http://simpeforum.ambertation.de/sims2/What-to-do-if-you-get-a-SystemOutOfMemoryException-Error

And that does seem to be the error I'm incuring. (Though why is also affecting my Sims game?  Like, a save didn't save all the way through or something?)  Anyway, reading that is kind of terrifying to me, and I don't know which of those options I should do because, hey, I'm a light gamer not a techie and I don't even know which of those I should follow.  Is there a way one of you can tell me based off the info I posted above?

I believe I have a 32-bit one, but I'm not sure I have 4GB of RAM to partition to begin with?  It says "Memory (RAM): 2046 MB" so . . . unless I get 4GB of RAM in my computer, it seems like it won't work anyway?

Aaaaugh, I wish I knew this would happen.  I'd've left their skintones the same.  *sobs*

Okya, a System Restore didn't work, but I figured it was worth a try.

Basically what I need to know from someone is if my 2046MB of RAM is enough to try that tutorial, or if I'm screwed until I get some more RAM in my computer?

Also, presuming I get SimPE to work, will it then make my neighborhood load up again?

Unfortunately I don't have a recent back up of my game (Shame on me, I know), but theoretically could I make a copy of my game and SimPE, put it on a more powerful computer, run SimPE and then copy the neighborhood files back to my computer?

-Van

     hello my name is David help no found simpe progam soy español y me a salido un error me podriass decir como lo soluciono?

pone esto: el bufer de caracteres  de salida es demasiado pequeño  para almacenar caracteres descodificados.codificacion de unicode UTF-8 con recursos de reserva simtentex.decoder.repalmecentfallba.

Um, is that actually advice or are you just a spam bot?   I don't speak Spanish.

Seriously, anyone real out there? It says 24 people have read this. Surely one of you knows if this swap space trick will or will not work with 2046MB of RAM.