Forum Discussion

2 years ago

Solved

Lost saves and mods after computer transfer + update

1) I got a new iMac so I transferred everything from my laptop and tested TS4 -- everything worked perfectly, mods and saves were there.

2) That computer was too slow for me so I returned it and bought a different one. I did the same transfer from my laptop using Migration Assistant, so it was an exact copy of everything on my laptop. I didn't do anything differently.

3) I had to upgrade my laptop's software so I deleted a ton of stuff, including my EA folder.

4) Tried to run TS4 again on the new iMac and there was an Origin update. I installed the update and suddenly it was like a brand new game. No saves or mods anywhere, which was strange to me because it worked when I tried it on the first iMac and I didn't have to move any folders.

5) I checked my documents/EA folder for the saves and mods and they are now empty. I've checked other folders on my computer and searched for the file names of mods and "Slot_" to find the saves, and nothing comes up. I tried everything I saw suggested on YouTube and on here and I still can't find the saves or mods.

6) I also ran a data recovery app on my laptop to find the deleted files. Some of the mods come up but not the saves, or they are under a different file name so they are impossible to find.

7) I had a back up of my documents folder saved to an external hard drive from about a year ago; I copied those folders over and those saves will load, but I still can't find the mods or saves that were in the documents folder on my computer.

Is there anything else I can do to find the disappeared save files? It's just so weird to me that it worked on the first iMac I bought, but not the second one. The only difference was the Origin update.

Thank you!

mac

Bluebellflora
2 years ago
@gmsi19fn8yoi

Here you go 🙂 https://bluebellflora.com/2021/10/17/using-terminal-to-locate-your-sims-4-files-and-folders/

8 Replies

Bluebellflora
Hero+
2 years ago
@gmsi19fn8yoi

How did you search for the saves? Using Spotlight/Finder search or using Terminal? If Terminal, what was the command you entered?
gmsi19fn8yoi
2 years ago
I used Finder! That was how I found a few mods saved to my downloads folder (but not all of them) and the old saves from last year that I'd backed up onto my external hard drive. Typing in the file names of the mods in Finder and "Slot_" for the saves pulled up only the files from my downloads and hard drive.
I don't think I mentioned that all my documents are stored in the cloud, but I had changed my Origin settings to source the game library from the correct folder, and still nothing came up. I tried moving everything off of iCloud but that didn't retrieve the saves either.
How would I use Terminal for this?
Bluebellflora
Hero+
2 years ago
@gmsi19fn8yoi

Here you go 🙂 https://bluebellflora.com/2021/10/17/using-terminal-to-locate-your-sims-4-files-and-folders/
gmsi19fn8yoi
2 years ago
Thank you so much!
I've tried each of the commands in Terminal and it still doesn't seem to be working. I changed "The Sims 4" to "Les Sims 4" because my game is in French. It didn't pull up anything.
I tried searching using "Slot_" to find the save files, and it only pulled up the save files I had already found on my hard drive, no new ones.
I looked up how to unhide all files and they have now been unhidden. I tried the command again and still nothing.
I also tried substituting "The Sims 4" in the command with "Electronic Arts" and "Library" and didn't find anything.
I would ask Chat GBT but I'm not even sure what to tell it.
Bluebellflora
Hero+
2 years ago
@gmsi19fn8yoi

Thanks 🙂 In point 3 you said you deleted the EA folder. That would have contained the TS4 folder which has saves etc in it. The only way to get it back would be if you have a backup from before you trashed it.
gmsi19fn8yoi
2 years ago
Before I deleted it, I copied everything over from my laptop to my new iMac. It looked like an exact replica. And it worked with the first iMac (saves and mods pulled up without having to move them), but I exchanged that iMac for a new one.
The only difference the second time I transferred everything over was the new Origin update.
I didn't delete anything from my laptop until after that, and all the saves and mods should've been on my iMac at that point. I just don't get why it worked for one iMac and not the other.
Bluebellflora
Hero+
2 years ago
@gmsi19fn8yoi

The only thing I can think is that files inadvertently got removed somehow in the iCloud or migration process. Which OS was the first iMac running and which OS is the one you're now using running?

Origin doesn't touch the Sims 4 folder, at least, it shouldn't do but Origin is horrible and a buggy mess......
gmsi19fn8yoi
2 years ago
@Bluebellflora They both used Mojave. And every other file from my iCloud is still there, even ones from years ago. The migration didn't have any problems, I just think it's so weird that it worked on one computer and not the other. The only difference was the Origin update.

I'll keep looking, but at least I have that one save from a year ago. I'm not too worried about the mods, just missing 4 Sims children ☹️

Thank you so much again for your help, I definitely learned a lot!! And will be backing up my saves on my hard drive from now on, lol