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Chan_Chan2597's avatar
Chan_Chan2597
4 years ago

How to update game on Mac if files are saved on a hard drive?

I recently purchased an external hard drive to save my game files on in order to make more space on my mac. I also saved the origin app onto the external hard drive as well. Now the game has an update and typically I’d put my mods folder on my desktop, update the game, and then place them back in my sims 4 folder. Now, however I’m not able to do that because when I try to move my mods folder out of the hard drive to my desk top it says I don’t have enough storage space. Mind you, I have a folder already on my desktop with copies of my mods, saves, and tray files as a backup, but with that plus the mods folder, my mac can’t hold it. How can I work around this to update my game without messing up my mods? Do I have to delete my backup folder that’s already on my desktop? I do have a third backup of my entire sims 4 folder on Google drive, but I’m always afraid to delete folders in case I lose everything. That has happened to me before.

I hope this makes sense. Please help! I really want to continue playing TS4 without the fear of losing all my hard work.

mac

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  • Bluebellflora's avatar
    Bluebellflora
    Hero+
    4 years ago
    @Chan_Chan2597

    Yes, I understand but I'm not sure you do. Let me try and simplify it.

    Game installation:
    When you install the game it automatically installs in your Mac user account Applications folder - Users/[your user account]/Applications. This is the default file path set up in Origin. You can change this by going into Origin > Preferences > Installs & Saves and changing the Game Library location to wherever you like, in your case this is the external hard drive.

    Game User data:
    This is the Sims 4 folder that contains your saves, mods and all other settings for your game. This is always located in Users/[your user account]/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4. If you move that Sims 4 folder, or even the Electronic Arts folder, to any other location on your Mac or on an external drive, the game will not find it so will load a brand new game and create a new Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 folder in the Documents folder. The only way to change the location of the Sims 4 folder is to create the symlink. There is nothing you can do in Origin to change this.
  • Chan_Chan2597's avatar
    Chan_Chan2597
    4 years ago

    @Bluebellflora 

    yes, I understand, that’s why I plan to create the symlink. My concern is that after all of that is complete (meaning everything is on the hard drive and the symlink is created) would I then be able to update the game as usual by taking my mods folder out of the hard drive, placing on desktop, and then replacing after update.. or do I not have to worry about taking my mods folder out before updating since it’s on the hard drive now. Do you see what I mean?

  • Bluebellflora's avatar
    Bluebellflora
    Hero+
    4 years ago
    @Chan_Chan2597

    You can just rename the Mods folder to Mods Backup or something else in the Sims 4 folder, the game will only load mods if they are in a folder called "Mods". You can't place it on the desktop because then you will be moving it back onto your internal drive.

    You should always take your Mods out before updating, as explained in my previous reply.

    I would recommend reading the symlink guide through a couple of times before even attempting to do it so you fully understand what you're doing and how normal troubleshooting steps may not work the same way 🙂
  • Chan_Chan2597's avatar
    Chan_Chan2597
    4 years ago

    @Bluebellflora 

    ok got it, that helps me out so much. Thank you for your quick responses, I really appreciate your help! 

    i am trying to create the symlink, read it through a couple times but I’m getting stuck. I completed step one of moving the electronic arts folder to the external drive… but it won’t allow me to do the symlink part. It keeps saying “zsh: command not found” this what I’m putting in terminal:

    In -s /Volumes/Gaming\ Hard/Drive/Electronic \ Arts ~/Documents/

    (my hard drive is named Gaming Hard Drive)

    Is this wrong?

  • Bluebellflora's avatar
    Bluebellflora
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @Chan_Chan2597 

    Yes. Check your spaces and slashes. Your command indicates the name of the external drive is "Gaming Hard" and the Electronic Arts folder is within another folder called "Drive". You also have an erroneous space after Electronic.

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