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gaddyt13's avatar
gaddyt13
2 years ago
Solved

EA/Steam Launch Issue

i purchased 2 DLCs for my daughter for Christamas; however, I stupidly purchased them from Steam instead of from EA.  All other packs were bought from EA.  When she launched the Sims 4 it showed that...
pc
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    2 years ago

    @gaddyt13  You don't need to spend any more money, at least if you're willing to use Steam to launch Sims 4 going forward.  Uninstall the EA App version of the game, and restart your computer.  Reinstall the Steam version if it's not currently installed.

    Open your EA App game library, click Sims 4, and select Manage > Manage add-ons.  From there, you'll be able to download all your EA-owned packs; just make sure you're not installing a second copy of the base game.  As long as you're downloading only those packs, they should install into the Steam version's program files, after which point they should load in-game when you launch it from Steam.

    If you'd prefer not to involve Steam, you can unlink the two accounts.  Or you can remove Sims 4 from your Steam library and clear the EA App's cache:

    https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/

    I'm not sure whether Steam would grant a refund for Sims 4 DLC, but you could always ask.

    @1105Cats  It's not necessary for this user to spend more money if they choose not to do so.  And using Revo Uninstaller may not be necessary either; it's certainly not the first step in trying to solve this issue.

puzzlezaddict's avatar
puzzlezaddict
Hero+
2 years ago

@gaddyt13  You don't need to spend any more money, at least if you're willing to use Steam to launch Sims 4 going forward.  Uninstall the EA App version of the game, and restart your computer.  Reinstall the Steam version if it's not currently installed.

Open your EA App game library, click Sims 4, and select Manage > Manage add-ons.  From there, you'll be able to download all your EA-owned packs; just make sure you're not installing a second copy of the base game.  As long as you're downloading only those packs, they should install into the Steam version's program files, after which point they should load in-game when you launch it from Steam.

If you'd prefer not to involve Steam, you can unlink the two accounts.  Or you can remove Sims 4 from your Steam library and clear the EA App's cache:

https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/faq/clear-cache-to-fix-problems-with-your-games/

I'm not sure whether Steam would grant a refund for Sims 4 DLC, but you could always ask.

@1105Cats  It's not necessary for this user to spend more money if they choose not to do so.  And using Revo Uninstaller may not be necessary either; it's certainly not the first step in trying to solve this issue.

gaddyt13's avatar
gaddyt13
2 years ago

Thank you both for your help.  Is there a tried/true way to back up her saved game data before tackling this JUST IN CASE?

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    2 years ago

    @gaddyt13  Saves are in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > saves.  You can back up the individual files, the saves folder, or the entire Sims 4 folder, which also holds saved households and builds.  I'd suggest keeping at least one backup outside the computer: either on an external device or in cloud storage, for example Google Drive.  Either way, it's best to zip the folder before moving it off the computer, which will cut down on the space it requires as well as protecting certain files that might get damaged during the transfer.

    The Sims 4 user folders can be swapped in and out whenever you want, so it's not a big deal to remove the main one and test on a new copy, or to have separate folders for different purposes.

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