Recent Discussions
May 2025 Update
Since the new update my whole screen has been completely glitching, I play on Mac book and yes I turned off my mods/cc and the game was still glitchy, the glitches literally made the game unplayable. Also the glitch only appears once I load into gameplay, I’ve taken out cc/ mods and went through all my cc to make sure it wasn’t that, and I’m still dealing with this issue, I hope they fix this soon bc I would love to play my game again. Is anyone else having this issue? ( attached is a picture of before and during the glitch)🛠️ Creating a symlink in macOS to store the Sims 4 folder on an external drive
➡️ This is not to be confused with installing the actual Sims 4 game on an external drive. The game installation location is determined in EA App and there is no need to use a symlink for this. As internal storage gets smaller we're forced to use cloud based solutions to store files and folders or resort to a trusty external drive. Cloud based only storage is not an option for the Sims 4 folder that contains all your saves, Mods, Library items and other user data because the game only looks in one place for your data: Macintosh HD > Users > [your user account] > Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 If there is no Sims 4 folder in that location the game will create a new one. There is no way around this default Sims 4 folder location unfortunately, it is hard coded into the game. Because of this the only option to store the Sims 4 folder on an external drive is to create a symbolic link, otherwise known as a symlink. Creating the symlink is relatively easy provided you understand the concept of what a symlink is and why you are creating it. You should also be familiar with Terminal on your Mac and the security and permission systems in place in whichever version of macOS you are running as these dictate the ability for the game to access the external drive and whether your Mac user account has permission to grant the necessary access. You should also make sure you are using a good quality, fast external drive. You get what you pay for and if you bought a cheap drive, with low quality cables, you will most likely struggle to get the symlink to work because it will be too slow. For help buying an external drive and what to look out for read this guide. I am not going to write step by step instructions here, the post will be far too long. Instead, you can read the detailed and comprehensive guide I wrote several years ago here https://bluebellflora.com/saving-your-sims-4-folder-to-an-external-drive/ If your symlink is not working it is down to user error. It really is that simple. macOS is a Unix based operating system and as such uses Unix commands which are all provided in the above linked guide. This thread is for consolidating all posts related to the Mac symlink process here at Answers HQ. If you're a Windows user read Crinrict's excellent guide here https://crinrict.com/blog/2020/02/moving-windows-documents-folder-to-external-drive-via-symbolic-link.html. What I have provided below are a few of the common issues people face as a result of not entering the commands correctly or having the correct permissions in place. Common issues reported and the solution: Always check your external drive has the correct name in Disk Utility: open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities) change View to Show All Devices then click on the drive in the left sidebar the Mount Point shows the name of your drive. If there is a number added to the drive name it means the drive has not been properly ejected multiple times Close Disk Utility and eject the drive In Finder click on Go in the menu bar then Go To Folder. Enter /Volumes in the input field and hit return in the /Volumes location, trash the folder(s) that has the same name as the external drive Close Finder, plug the drive back in, open Disk Utility again to check the drive name in the Mount Point. If it matches try to create the symlink In addition to checking the external drive mount point above, the following may also be helpful: Terminal states my access/permission is denied check your Mac user account is an Administrator account and not a Standard account. check that Terminal has access to external drives, also known as Removable Volumes, and your Documents folder. I'm constantly getting "Unable to start... Cannot start because the below file appears to be corrupted" error message make sure the external drive is correctly formatted as either APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If it isn't, reverse the symlink, reformat the drive in Disk Utility and start again. check your Mods actually aren't corrupted by downloading a compatible version from the creator. I keep getting the error message "Unable to start... The Sims 4 is already running" make sure the external drive is correctly plugged in and mounted. check EA App has access to the external drive in System Settings > Privacy & Security. Give it Full Disk Access if necessary. disable iCloud Drive if the symlink folder in Documents is a white page instead of a folder with the little arrow the symlink has broken. Trash it and attempt to recreate the symlink. Check the Mount Point in Disk Utility shows your exact external drive name and doesn’t have a number added to the drive name. If it does this means your drive has not been properly ejected multiple times. To fix it: eject the drive in Finder click on Go in the menu bar then Go To Folder enter /Volumes in the text field and hit Enter/Return in the Finder window that appears you should see a folder, not a drive icon, with the same name as your external drive. Trash it. plug the drive back in, check the mount point in Disk Utility is the exact drive name with no appended numbers, then try to create the symlink again. if the mount point is still showing a number you have problems with your drive. Consider reformatting it, trying different connector cables, or getting a better drive. Terminal tells me No such file or directory did you copy and paste the command from the guide and correctly substitute the name of your external drive? If you didn't copy and paste you may have used the wrong letters in the command. Copy and paste from the guide. Does the folder you are trying to move or create a symlink to exist in the location you are stipulating in the command? Terminal tells me Directory not empty in Step 1 Is there already a folder on the external with the same name as the folder you're moving? i.e. have you already copied over the Electronic Arts folder? If there is already a folder with the same name as the folder you're moving, Terminal will return this result. Terminal tells me File already exists in Step 2 of the guide Did you correctly complete step 1 or is there still an Electronic Arts or Sims 4 folder in your Documents folder? If the folder is still there you have not correctly moved it in Step 1. If you have iCloud Drive enabled to store your Documents folder in the cloud and Optimise Storage enabled, it will cause issues with the symlink. I strongly advise to disable this iCloud feature otherwise you will have issues, especially if you use Mods. As a reminder, creating this symlink is aimed at people storing their Electronic Arts/Sims 4 folder locally. Using iCloud Drive stores your folder in the cloud and locally. For help with iCloud see this thread https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/READ-FIRST-Saves-CC-Mods-or-Library-items-disappeared/m-p/10242133
Sims 4 is suddenly really laggy on my MacBook Air M2
I've been playing Sims 4 on my MacBook for a while now and have never had a problem. Game always ran smoothly. Around 2 weeks ago my game started lagging a lot and has been doing so ever since. Every time I try loading a save it takes years, and it does the same when I try saving and exiting the game. The actual gameplay is so laggy that I sometimes can't even move my camera. I play with mods and CCs and I've checked numerous times if some are outdated or colliding with each other, but it all checks out. I've tried lowering all of my graphics but it doesn't help at all. I saw someone say that enabling retina display could potentially fix the issue, but no luck. I don't really think storage is the problem either. It was completely fine up until 2 weeks ago and my storage capacity hasn't really changed. I'm not the most tech savvy person out there, so I'm really hoping someone else knows how to fix this. The game is barely playable.Can't play after a few hours
Every time I open a new save, I can play in that save for a few hours, and then it stops working. My sims are unable to interact with objects, and just say they can't get to them. I've tried resetting them, deleting my mods, reloading the game, everything I can think of. What should I do?
Computer and External Drive
Any ideas????????????? I've been playing my game on an external drive. I recently had an issue with my iCloud was seen by Apple. We ended up turning it off. I go to play, plug in my drive, and nothing was loaded in the game however, all the information is still on the drive. I was able to see that I have another electronics arts folder. When I looked in there, everything was empty. I moved my mods and saves in that folder, then everything was working again. So now it only recognizes my saves and mods on the computer and not the drive how it was originally. I have repaired the game multiple times. I have took out the mods and placed them back I made sure the installer location on the EA app has my external listed I've run out of ideas. I hope this made sense. Basically, I have the game in two locations, but I only want it to recognize one.Screen is glitching
I tried to build today in the sims 4 and the screen kept on glitching, I thought at first that it was because of mods and I removed them even though I only use mcc command centre and nothing else. The screen kept glitching and I recorded the screen so that I could complain to ea. Once I managed to get in contact with them they told me that they couldn't open the video file. They are Misalignment glitches in which the objects jump around the screen. This happened every few seconds in which it was so frequent that I couldn't even see the objects anymore. I first chatted with one person and then with another and I tried every single thing: connectivity, I cleared the cache twice because that's what they told me, I deleted and reinstalled the app, I updated my computer, I restarted my computer, I did everything and the issue wasn't fixed. Because I could see that on here I can't post the video of the screen glitching I took screenshots of it and it doesn't give the full representation but just imagine this sort of thing happening every 2 seconds. At the end of the chat with customer support they just told me that it's not the game's fault that this is happening. I would like to know then, where is the fault. They always say to delete mods and that mods are at fault or that something is wrong with the computer we are using but this is not true at all. The same issues are occurring even when everything is changed. It has been extremely disappointing and frustrating to play the game lately. The last time I had an issue was a few days ago in which my pets were not working, I went into cas to make a dog and I saw that all of the dogs and cats were the same size, same color, same shape. No matter which breed I entered, they still remained the same as well and nothing could be done. I contacted customer support then as well and the problem was not fixed either. they just told me to randomize the pets until I get the one that I wanted. They are extremely unprofessional and disgusting with this behaviour. Not even trying to fix the issues just upload more and more dlcs... As they are screenshots grabbed from the video you'll need to look closely to the images to notice the mistakes. Just pay attention to the windows and stairs see how they are all glitched out. The stairs from downstairs appearing on the upper floor even though I have no stairs on the upper floor, windows moving and glitching, the stairs disappearing from the place, the park from next to the building appearing in my living room.. all sorts of glitchesGlitching once I return to the home lot. HELP!!
I have no mods or cc, but for about the past month, if I have my sim go to any other lot & then return back home, the screen starts glitching and I can’t do anything else. I’ve cleared my cache, repaired the game & deleted the localthumbcache.package, so I’m at my wits end & don't know what to do. I’m not tech savvy so any help would be greatly appreciated.Frozen Computer/ game
I just downloaded the sims onto my mac but I can even get through making my sim before my entire screen freezes and I lose my mouse and have no choice but to power down. I've just been powering down my computer and then restarting it but I've had to start from scratch multiple times now. The game really only gives me a few minutes before it stops working! Really frustrating, would love some help.Sims 4 Mac crashes with GraphicsRules.sgr file in the ConfigOverride folder
Ever since the January 2025 patch, placing a copy of the GraphicsRules.sgr file in the Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > ConfigOverride folder causes the game to not launch with a specific error message "There was an error processing the startup configuration script": It doesn't matter if it's a simple, unedited version of the file or an edited version, the game won't launch. This only applies to the GraphicsRules.sgr file. Placing a copy of the Default.ini file and GraphicsCards.sgr file in the ConfigOverride is fine. Current workarounds: edit the GraphicsRules.sgr file directly in The Sims 4.app > Contents > Resources folder which defeats the purpose of the ConfigOverride folder and requires a game repair to set back to the default vanilla setting place a copy of the Ts4CommonRules.sgr file from The Sims 4.app > Contents > Resources folder in the ConfigOverride folder (BIG thanks to karoschmitz for discovering this) place a copy of the GraphicsRules.sgr file in the ConfigOverride folder, open it and remove the third line at the top of the file include "Ts4CommonRules.sgr" (I have not tested for any adverse reactions in-game when not including this file at launch)SIMS_4_V2_PC_CLIENT folder appeared in Mac Home folder
After patching Sims 4 to 1.115.216.1230 this folder has appeared in my Home directory: with the version number at the main menu being correct but [SDK: UNKNOWN] added: There is only one file, appears to be JSON, in the folder and nested folders that contains the following information (I've tidied it up into a more readable format): { "eadp.nexus.connect.grpc.v1": "https://accounts.grpc.ea.com", "eadp.eaid.grpc.model": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com", "eadp.identity": "https://accounts.ea.com", "eadp.identity.proxy": "https://gateway.ea.com/proxy", "eadp.auth.account": "https://signin.ea.com/", "eadp.stats": "https://stats.gameservices.ea.com:11000", "eadp.leaderboards": "https://leaderboards.gameservices.ea.com:11000", "eadp.leaderboards.v2": "https://leaderboards-api-ext.leaderboards.ea.com:443", "eadp.pushnotification": "https://pn.tnt-ea.com", "eadp.realtimemessaging": "https://rtm.tnt-ea.com:9000", "eadp.authentication.useJwtToken": "false", "eadp.candi.offer.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.offer.v2.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.catalog.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.entitlement.v2.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "shadowbroker.grpc.service.subscription": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.drm.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.valuetransfer.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.valuetransfer.v2.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.pin": "https://pin-river-grpc.data.ea.com:443", "eadp.candi.firstpartycheckout": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com:443", "eadp.experimentation.grouping.v1": "https://experimentation-grpc.data.ea.com", "eadp.experimentation.grouping.v2": "https://experimentation-grpc.data.ea.com", "eadp.experimentation.tracking.v1": "https://experimentation-tracking-grpc.data.ea.com", "eadp.experimentation.tracking.v2": "https://experimentation-tracking-grpc.data.ea.com", "eadp.playersearch.grpc.search.v1.service": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com", "eadp.mcr": "https://api.mcr.ea.com:4430", "eadp.mcr.query.service": "https://q.mcr.ea.com", "sony.commerce.serviceLabel": "0", "kanas.commerce.serviceLabel": "0", "eadp.instrumentation.service": "https://freeform-river.data.ea.com", "eadp.social.presence.v1": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.social.gameinvite.v1": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.crossplaycontentmart.v1": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.playercard.v1": "https://gateway.grpc.ea.com", "eadp.social.groups.v1": "https://groups.social.ea.com", "eadp.social.groups.v1.GroupNotifications": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.um.v1": "https://pin-em-grpc.data.ea.com:443", "eadp.friends.v1": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.friends.v1.FriendListNotifications": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.friends.notifications": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.friendrecommendations.v1": "https://friend-recommendations.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.friends.v1.InviteListNotifications": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.social.privacy.v1": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.social.privacy.v1.BlockListNotifications": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.social.privacy.v1.MuteListNotifications": "https://api.k.social.ea.com", "eadp.chat": "https://rtm.tnt-ea.com", "eadp.chat.tcp": "https://rtm.tnt-ea.com:9000" } Trashing the SIMS_4_V2_PC_CLIENT folder just forces the game to recreate a new one when next launched. I have no idea what the contents of this file are but it looks like some kind of data collection I think? If so, why does it still recreate when I have Share Usage Data disabled in Game Options? Or is it completely unrelated? Should the game be creating data in the User account Home folder? I don't think it should. Or maybe this has always been there but hidden and the latest patch unhid it? I can stop the game creating it by changing permissions on the PROD folder in SIMS_4_V2_PC_CLIENT > 0 > eadp-sdk > persistence to Read Only for my user account (right-click on PROD folder, > Get Info, change to Read Only at the bottom of the info window under Sharing & Permissions).
Can't place items...
Hi, I played fine this morning, now I can't play. I can't move or place objects, while testing it with my Sims, it then would not come out of Pause. My game won't save and won't load out of my household, so I have to force the laptop to close. I thought it was due to raising floors but I don't see why that would be an issue. I tried the repair through the EA app and nothing. I haven't got any Mods, I just used the move objects. Please help?!Unable to start: The Sims 4 is already running - Mac only
If you're experiencing this error message it doesn't mean your game is already running, the actual message itself is incorrect. It means The Sims 4 cannot access the Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder to load your user data when you attempt to launch the game. This is essentially a permissions issue which can be resolved based on your setup: - If you have just installed or reinstalled the game - If you have iCloud Drive enabled and it is syncing your Desktop & Documents folders - If you have recently updated your Mac or the game - If you have moved your Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder to an external drive and created a symlink in your Documents folder ______________________________________________________________ If you have just installed or reinstalled the game: You would have been prompted to allow The Sims 4 permission to access the Documents folder, this is security built into macOS. This is so it can access the Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder in your Documents folder, if one already exists, or create a new one if it doesn't exist. If you clicked Don't Allow when prompted the game cannot read and write to the Documents folder, resulting in the error message. Fix - Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders (you will need to use an Mac Administrator account to access this) and enable access to the Documents folder by clicking the toggle on: If you do not see this option open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access (you will need to use a Mac Administrator account to access this). Click the + in the bottom left corner, below the list of apps. A Finder window will open to the Applications folder. Navigate to where your game is installed, by default this is Applications > EA Games, click on it and then click Open. It will now be added to the Full Disk Access list. Make sure it is toggled on. Whilst giving the game Full Disk Access isn't ideal, and shouldn't be necessary, it is a quick and easy solution to fixing the error message and the game is signed and notarised by Apple. ______________________________________________________________ If you have iCloud Drive enabled and it is syncing your Desktop & Documents folders: This is a really common cause of this error message and is as a result of your Mac storage being full resulting in iCloud pushing the entire Documents folder to the cloud. The game cannot see the Documents folder and its contents because it is not local on your machine, therefore it cannot access the Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder to load user data at launch. Fix - Open System Settings > Apple Account > iCloud > Drive and disable the Desktop & Documents folders syncing. Be aware of the effect this will have if you use multiple Apple devices to access these folders: ______________________________________________________________ If you have recently updated your Mac or the game: Sometimes permissions can go awry after updating the OS or you have been prompted to change settings after updating and inadvertently clicked the wrong thing. Fix - check all of the applicable settings in the instructions above ______________________________________________________________ If you have moved your Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder to an external drive and created a symlink in your Documents folder: There can be multiple reasons for the error message when a symlink has been set up but they are all caused by the game not being able to access the Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 folder: your external drive is not plugged in and properly mounted. Check the drive is plugged in and showing in Finder/on your Desktop. your symlink is broken. This can be checked by looking at the symlinked folder in your Documents folder. If the icon is a white file and not a folder it is broken. Trash it and recreate the symlink in Terminal. If you have further issues refer to the dedicated symlink thread opening post. the game does not have access to Removable Volumes (external drives) in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders. You would have been prompted to give permission when launching the game for the first time after successfully creating the symlink and maybe denied it. Give the game access: you have iCloud Drive syncing your Desktop & Documents folders to the cloud which does not work well with the symlink. Disable it (see above for further instruction). your external drive has not been ejected properly multiple times resulting in the OS changing the mount point. Check Disk Utility and rectify, see the dedicated symlink thread opening post for further instruction. ______________________________________________________________ If you're still stuck a really quick and easy way to resolve this is to create a new Administrator account on your Mac and play the game in that account. When you first launch the game in that account you will be prompted to give all the necessary permissions for the game to access the Documents folder - make sure you allow it 😊Game crashing or not loading especially after updating? Post here.
If your game is crashing after recently updating it please try the two most basic and fundamental steps to resolve it before posting: Repair the game in EA App Test a new clean game. Don't just cherry pick a few files and folders you think you should remove, such as just the Mods folder, or a few random Mods, or any old cache file, or a couple of screenshots, test a completely new, clean, vanilla game. Full instructions here - [INSTRUCTIONS] How to troubleshoot and test a broken game | EA Forums - 11864548 If your game successfully launches with a new Sims 4 folder you then need to figure out what is causing the crashing/failure to load. Again, instructions are in this link - [INSTRUCTIONS] How to troubleshoot and test a broken game | EA Forums - 11864548 . Only you can do that and it can take some time. if the cause is Mods head over to the Mods forum for further help - The Sims 4 Mods & Custom Content | EA Forums if the cause is one or more particular save files, upload them to a file sharing site and post the link here (tag me) or PM me and I can test in my game If your game will not load after repairing it AND testing a completely clean Sims 4 folder please post here with the specs of your Mac. You can find these in Apple > About This Mac: model, e.g. M4 MacBook Pro year, e.g. 2024 macOS version, e.g. Sequoia 15.3.2 (yes, the FULL version is important, with all numbers) memory, e.g. 64GB storage available, e.g. 1.5 TB of 2TB. This info can be found in System Settings > General > About or More Info... in the About This Mac window. Please also post a screenshot showing the contents of the new Sims 4 folder in Finder: make sure the files are in list order in Finder with Dates and Size clearly visible. make sure all files and folders in the TS4 folder are showing, don't cut off the screenshot have the path bar clearly showing in the screenshot: with the Finder window open and selected click on View > Show Path Bar in the menu bar at the top of your desktop. The screenshot should look something like this: Make sure to add a full description of what exactly is happening and what you have tried to fix it in your post. Be constructive to help us help you 🙂 The following are a few examples of short replies that are not constructive: "my game won't work" "my game has broken and I hate EA" "my game only works without Mods and I'm refusing to remove my Mods" "fix it" "my sister's friend's brother's aunty has the same computer and her game works" "I've tried EVERYTHING and NOTHING works"
