Can't update

I just looked at the storage space on my laptop. I have all the expansion packs, game packs, and stuff packs, plus a few kits, and I'm using 170 GB for the Sims and stuff like e-mail. But I don't have any mods or CC. Maybe get rid of some of your mods?

An external hard drive could help with this, maybe? 🤷🏻‍♀️ You should be able to find a 1T usb drive for around $50-70US. A 2t seems to go for around $75-90US. (Freakin' current US tariffs. Thanks Drumpf.)

I'm pretty tech 'illiterate', so I tend to go with what seems to be the easiest and/or simplest answer that seems logical to me.  I do wish you the best of luck finding the answer/s to your dilemma, though. I know how frustrating it is when your tech and your programs/apps aren't playing together nicely. 🤞🏻

You are going to need a better more updated gaming laptop. As the Sim's came out over 10 years ago computers have grown by leaps and bounds. As such you can't run all the games from an old gaming laptop. You may need to buy a new laptop or a new computer. My gaming laptop is 1T and I am using 23 GB just for my mod folder. Just for the base game you need 51 GB of space. I'm using around 260 GB for the game & packs, kits, etc. and my personal files & books. If you run the Sim's off an outside hard drive just be advised that it will get hot as it has no fan as your laptop has. If you run an outside hard drive, keep in mind that it will put strain on your already pushing laptop. The only option you have that is not going to put a dent in your pocket & you will have more room for more of the packs & kits is to look for a used laptop at the pawnshop that is 1T.

Janaque​  Before spending any money on an external drive, let alone an entirely new laptop, try repairing Sims 4 rather than running the update.  A repair will give you the updated version without requiring as much space as the Update function does.

Sims 4 itself is just over 60 GB with all packs installed.  That doesn't include saves or other user content.  How large is your Sims 4 folder in Documents > Electronic Arts?  You can right-click it and select Properties, then see the size in the General tab.

Please also let me know how much free storage you have on your C drive.  And I can help you look for other sources of bloat if you want.

LeighsGarden​  I don't know why you would suggest someone get a new laptop when you only have one detail about the current one.  Some laptops with a 256 GB internal drive are perfectly capable of running Sims 4.  And the base game is more like 21 GB, not 51, unless you meant players should have 21 GB for the game and another 30 GB free in general.

Also, no one needs 1 TB for Sims 4, and that's also not the important detail in shopping for a gaming laptop.  Drives can be added or upgraded; the processor and graphics card cannot.

The Sims 4 folder in my Documents is only 2.33 GB. My mods folder is 590 mb. It's definitely not my mods causing the lack of space.

In C: Program Files, the Electronic Arts folder is 1.25 GB. It has the EA desktop. Why is that using so much space?!

The Sims 4 and all its expansion info are saved under C: Program Files (x86)\Common Files\EAInstaller\The Sims 4 and is 79.5 mb.

I think the actual game files are under C: Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 4 and are in total 66.8 GB.

My saves folder is 821 mb in total. Tray is 855 mb.

I do have an external drive with 900 GB that has all my extra save files and mods I would like to use, but can't due to no room on my computer. It also has all my documents, books, pictures, videos, etc., since my computer is running out of space. I moved everything there and deleted it from my C hard drive.

On C drive I am using 201 GB and have 20.5 GB free after cleaning everything I know to clean. I can finish downloading the game and play it, but I don't think I can buy and download any more packs or kits. My C space is in the red.

I did the disc cleanup on my computer. Emptied my cache and browser info.

My Documents 7.64 GB

Downloads 0 mb

Music 10.5 mb

Pictures 0 mb

Video 0 mb

But what the heck is taking up so much room?! How do I find out? I have a couple of programs like Microsoft office, McAffee, Sims 4 Studio, Sims 4 Mod Manager, Curseforge, a couple other little Sims programs, a HTML editor, Gimp 2, a couple browsers and that's about it.

I know I need a new computer but can't really afford one. :\

Janaque​  If you want to figure out what's taking up so much space, open a File Explorer window, click This PC in the left panel, double-click the C drive, and start checking the sizes of the folders inside.  For any folder that's larger than you expect, open it and check its subfolders until you find the problem.  Feel free to list your findings here.

I can help you direct the Sims 4 user folder to D, if you want.  That won't free up much space on C, but it would allow you to use the mods and custom content you've saved.

You could also uninstall the game on C and reinstall to D.  If you're going to go that route though, I'd suggest doing a clean uninstall with Revo Uninstaller (the free version is fine) to catch any stray data that's taking up space on C.  How to do so is covered in the accepted solution of this thread:

[CURRENT ISSUE] Sims 4 DLC shows as installed, won't load in-game | EA Forums - 11831673

I'm not saying you need to do this, at least not now, only that it's an option.  I'd still suggest hunting for the extra data on C first.

Janaque​, you mentioned that you performed the Disk Cleanup on your machine. Did you do a Defrag as well? I have my desktop set to automatically perform that function nightly. (At 4a, when I'm guaranteed to not be at my desk. 😋) I don't know if that would help in your case, or not, as I'm not that much of a 'techie' when it comes to computers, but it couldn't hurt, right?

GameGirl2168a​  A solid state drive should NEVER be defragged.  Given the size of the OP's drive, it's probably an SSD.  So yes, it could absolutely hurt, a lot.

Thanks, I do have a Solid State Drive.

So the folders....

Program Files 5.63 GB
Program Files (x86) 91.1 GB
   CZUR Aura (Scanner program) 1.13 GB
   Microsoft 2.12 GB
   Microsoft Office 5.49 GB
   Note Performer 1.10 GB
   Nox 10.7 GB
   Origin Games (Sims 4) 66.8 GB

  (lots of other programs only KB or MB)

Program Data 18.9 GB
Windows 34.1 GB

Township 2 GB
BlueStacks App Player 2 GB
Dragon 1.86 GB
NotePerformer 1.16 GB

Nox is an emulator. I uninstallled it along with Township. I think BlueStacks came with the computer.

I now have 32.1 GB free. But my computer goes in the red when I only have like 20 GB left.

Janaque​  That looks more or less like what I'd expect, and it doesn't appear that you have anything extraneous on your C drive, at least not anything large enough to be worth deleting.  Program Data might have some extra files you can flush, but I wouldn't suggest doing so unless you don't have the associated app(s) installed at the moment.  Some of the data in that folder is junk, but some is important.

I will say that you could probably delete anything EA App-related, but rather than doing so by hand, I'd suggest using Revo Uninstaller (the free version) to remove the App and then reinstalling it.  That only applies if there's enough EA App-related data in there to be worth removing in the first place though.

It's fine to keep your SSD at around 25-35 GB free.  Lower than 20 GB isn't an immediate problem either, in that it's fine as an interim state, say while you're copying files around or running an update.  The real problems happen below 10 GB or so, and if you're below 20 when Windows wants to install a feature update.

You can also uninstall Sims 4 and reinstall it on your external drive if you'd like.  I would suggest doing a clean uninstall, as I mentioned earlier, in case some of the data in Program Data can be flushed.  You can also redirect the user folder to the external drive by creating a symbolic link, as described here:

https://crinrict.com/blog/2020/02/moving-windows-documents-folder-to-external-drive-via-symbolic-link.html

You don't need to do both, but you might want to for peace of mind.  Or you could do one now and the other at some later date if it becomes necessary.  Regardless, it would be best to create folders on the external to keep things separated.  For example, you might install Sims 4 into D:\Games and move the user folder into D:\Sims Data.  The names don't matter as long as neither is "The Sims 4."

Feel free to ask more questions about any part of the process.