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Re: Sims 4 on a External Hard Drive (crashing or hard drive keeps disconnecting..)

@seashellcats I'd still like to know the exact error that happen when you plug in the drive. And if it doesn't disconnect on its own, you're ejecting it in Windows before removing it, right? I just want to make sure since that would be an easy "problem" to address.

Your dxdiag shows that your computer's page file is large and almost all used, which suggests that you have a lot of apps running in the background. (The page file holds spillover data that would normally go in RAM but doesn't fit.) So I'd suggest opening the Task Manager's Startup tab and disabling anything that you don't absolutely need running at startup. For example, Edge might be starting with Windows, and some HP software, and Discord or some other random app that you use a lot but not all the time. Disabling the apps at startup doesn't mean they can't open, only that they won't do so automatically.

If you're not sure what you're looking at, feel free to post a screenshot of the Startup tab. Please also see how much RAM your system is using overall after a restart, after waiting five minutes with nothing except the Task Manager open. With only 8 GB installed and 6 GB usable (the rest is set aside for the iGPU), your system needs as much memory available as possible to run Sims 4 and other demanding tasks.

7 Replies

seashellcats
2 years ago
Honestly, when I removed the hard drive I didn't eject it at first. So disabling my apps in the background will free up more ram? Usually I don't use that much apps. Should I eject it first and then remove it?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago
@seashellcats Always, always eject the drive in software before removing it. Failing to do so could corrupt your data and possibly damage the drive over the long term. You can eject the drive in File Explorer or by opening the system tray (the ^ icon in the lower-right corner) and right-clicking the device.

And yes, running fewer apps in the background will free up more memory for Sims 4 or whatever else you want to use. Even having a few light apps open can add up quickly on a computer with only 6 GB usable RAM. And some apps use deceptively large amounts of memory, including Chrome.
seashellcats
2 years ago
Is it too late? I’ve already have the sims on my SSD drive… Will it lose all my data and files if I eject it?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago
@seashellcats Ejecting the disc doesn't delete your data. It's simply the term for telling the system to disconnect from and power down the drive safely, in software, so you can then physically disconnect it without risking damaging the files or the drive.

I don't think you've necessarily done any damage yet; damage to the drive itself is more of a long-term risk, and if your Sims 4 install is damaged, you can always repair or reinstall. Just be sure to eject the drive every time from now on.
seashellcats
2 years ago
Okay I’ll do that! Thanks for your help!
bbyriri
Newcomer
1 year ago
Did it work? How did you get it to stop disconnecting on its own?
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
1 year ago
@bbyriri Make sure the drive's cable is securely fastened, it's not loose in its port, and that you don't jostle the drive as you use it. It's also important to eject the drive in software before disconnecting it, each and every time.

Having said that, if the drive is disconnecting on its own, the problem might be the drive itself, or the port. I'd suggest testing with a different external drive to see whether the problem still occurs.