How does your save file get corrupted?

[Becca617]

I've seen many threads that are about people getting their save file corrupted. I'm a little paranoid that could happen to mine, so I'm asking what makes it get corrupted? Is it random? Is their a problem in the cartridge? I don't even know. If anybody could clear my confusion, it would be very much appreciated!

 

[Saranghae]

By not taking proper care of it. Don't close/turn off your ds while saving, don't drop it and let the cartridge pop out, etc. Just take care of it

 

[Becca617]

By not taking proper care of it.

Does that include time traveling or just like throwing it or something?

 

[Mary]

Mine was just corrupted a few hours ago. It was saving, I dropped it, cartridge popped out...
Everything is gone. My villagers, my items...

I am going to make a new town and try to get some of them back. ;.;
Life goes on, I guess. Just glad it wasn't my cycling town.

 

[Becca617]

Mine was just corrupted a few hours ago. It was saving, I dropped it, cartridge popped out...
Everything is gone. My villagers, my items...

I am going to make a new town and try to get some of them back. ;.;
Life goes on, I guess. Just glad it wasn't my cycling town.

I'm so sorry to hear that..

 

[Saranghae]

Does that include time traveling or just like throwing it or something?

Time traveling won't ever hurt your save haha. Doing certain exploits (which we aren't allowed to discuss on here) has corrupted saves I believe, but dropping is probably the biggest culprit

 

[Mary]

I'm so sorry to hear that..

It's okay. I had been toying with the idea of resetting anyway, just wish I had been able to store my items/ villagers.

 

[Becca617]

Time traveling won't ever hurt your save haha. Doing certain exploits (which we aren't allowed to discuss on here) has corrupted saves I believe, but dropping is probably the biggest culprit

Oh, okay!

 

[Ras]

Mainly, if the game is saving, let it. Interrupting that in any way is bad. I accidentally popped my cartridge out one time when I was on the title screen, but everything was okay. Also, people have lost their games by messing with the data on the SD card. Oh, and don't pull the SD card when you're powered up either.

 

[marzipanmermaid]

I didn't know that either, lol! Thanks for clearing that up. I don't think I've done any of that yet? I know I've closed my DS once or twice while playing, but I don't think I did it while saving.

 

[DJjeff20]

It's okay. I had been toying with the idea of resetting anyway, just wish I had been able to store my items/ villagers.

If you need any help, I'm here to help you bells, items, whatever.

 

[saehanfox]

Time traveling won't ever hurt your save haha. Doing certain exploits (which we aren't allowed to discuss on here) has corrupted saves I believe, but dropping is probably the biggest culprit

There's no way to hack.
Anyway, I think people who play the digital copy have a likely chance from:
1) dropping their 3DS and breaking it
2) creating another town on the same/different card
3) popping the SD card out while saving
4) dusty SD card port causing the card to malfunction
The only real way to corrupt your data is to somehow mess up during those 1-2 seconds of the game saving or loading. Just never turn the power off or remove cartridges when the game is saving.

 

[Blizzard]

I've posted my comments but nobody ever responds. Oh well. The last few days I've noticed slight flickering on the game screen. Lost months of hard work yesterday. No TT, no dropping, no interruptions. I play daily and take every precaution. I'm upset but seriously if it's going to happen I think it just will. This is way too often for my liking.

 

[LuigiDM]

in the past I've noticed that most people that got corrupted were those who downloaded it. a friend told me it was thanks to swapnote but never answered my questions on why. others lost it cause they tried to back up their AC saves. sounds like there's a feature to backup your saves. don't do it with AC! others have no idea why they corrupted but they were all digital.

for the first time yesterday I dropped my 3ds and I got the cartridge was removed screen. it only dropped 3 inches from my hands to my desk. it wasn't saving so nothing got corrupted. now I'm more nervous and careful while saving.

 

[Blizzard]

in the past I've noticed that most people that got corrupted were those who downloaded it. a friend told me it was thanks to swapnote but never answered my questions on why. others lost it cause they tried to back up their AC saves. sounds like there's a feature to backup your saves. don't do it with AC! others have no idea why they corrupted but they were all digital.

for the first time yesterday I dropped my 3ds and I got the cartridge was removed screen. it only dropped 3 inches from my hands to my desk. it wasn't saving so nothing got corrupted. now I'm more nervous and careful while saving.

Mine was a cartridge. Unless you change games a lot, put a piece of tape over the opening. Should prevent pop outs.

 

[marzipanmermaid]

in the past I've noticed that most people that got corrupted were those who downloaded it. a friend told me it was thanks to swapnote but never answered my questions on why. others lost it cause they tried to back up their AC saves. sounds like there's a feature to backup your saves. don't do it with AC! other have no idea why they corrupted but they were all digital.

for the first time yesterday I dropped my 3ds and I got the cartridge was removed screen. it only dropped 3 inches from my hands to my desk. the game didn't even pop out. need to be more careful...

That makes me super paranoid if you didn't drop it that far and you got that screen. I know I've fallen asleep with my 3DS and it's fallen off my bed and I've dropped it a few other times, never really far or anything, but I never gotten that screen and my game has never popped out. I don't think I've even taken ACNL out since I got it. Jeez, man. I'm going to be babying my 3DS even more now. :/


Blizzard: I think I'm going to try that tape idea.

 

[caterpie]

i corrupted my save data once because i wasn't paying attention and it was doing the 'boop boop boop ba boop' saving, and for some reason i thought it was done saving and popped out the game too soon i immediately got a black screen that said game cartridge has been removed, and then when i turned it back on and got the error, had to start all over.

so dont be a dumbass like me and pull it out before its done saving lol

 

[LuigiDM]

I forgot to mention that the cartridge didn't even pop out. it just gave me that screen and when I went to the home menu the AC icon was ready. I rebooted and checked the cartridge just incase. everything was fine except for resetti.

 

[Sidewalk]

Wow, this is scary, so how about constant reset for plot setting? Quit the game without saving.

 

[marzipanmermaid]

This is a dumb question about corrupted files, but does it happen immediately after closing your device while saving and rebooting? I'm only asking because I know I've let it save and thought I powered off, only to open it and find the screen still up. And I've accidentally closed it when the screen is black with the little train in the corner, but it didn't say saving or anything. Would I know already if I messed up before? God, I sound dumb. I'm just super worried because I haven't had my game long but I would hate to lose all my work.