Forum Discussion

Hero+

2 years ago

🛠️ 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 ...

New Novice

2 years ago

Hello! I will attach the external hard drive transfer I followed! However, I do not think my game has been transferring properly recently, (when my external drive gets ejected accidentally I have to try and retransfer my EA folder). The reason why I say it may have not been transferred recently is because I still have an EA folder on my mac documents as well as on my external drive.

Here is the tutorial I followed:

https://bluebellflora.com/saving-your-sims-4-folder-to-an-external-drive/

Bluebellflora

Hero+

2 years ago

@satansfavspawn

There's a high possibility that if you are not properly ejecting the drive it can cause data corruption which will cause all sorts of issues with the symlink.

It may help you understand the symlink process if you go back to my guide and read through it. If you didn't have an Electronic Arts folder (presuming you created the symlink for the EA folder and not the Sims 4 folder) in your Documents folder the game would keep creating a new one every time you launched it. However, the folder should have a little arrow showing that it is an alias and not the actual folder. It's really important you understand this otherwise every time you have a problem with your saves and other user data not loading you won't be able to troubleshoot and fix it yourself.

satansfavspawn
New Novice
2 years ago
Hello!
So, I checked out my files and this is how they look, (after you said I should have a little arrow, I am not sure if it is a symlink issue then). I will attach photos of how my external files and my regular computer were saved.
(Attached below)
- Bluebellflora
  Hero+
  2 years ago
  @satansfavspawn
  
  I've split your posts from your original thread into this symlink thread and locked the original (if after fixing the symlink you're having issues with mods please post in the Mod forum)
  
  If this is the folder created when you made the symlink, and it is directly in your Documents folder:
  
  then it looks correct.
  
  If this is the Electronic Arts folder that the symlink is pointing towards, and has the Sims 4 folder with your saves etc in it then great, they should load so long as the drive is plugged in and mounted:
  
  BUT...... what is that Electronic Arts 2 folder alias? Where is the original folder called Electronic Arts 2?
  - satansfavspawn
    New Novice
    2 years ago
    Hello!
    There seems to not be an original folder labeled Electronic Arts 2! Not sure when my folder duplicated but it did. Im still not sure what the issue is, I am going to try and load in tonight and see how long I can play until it crashes. I will then try the same with mods disabled!