How to move game to external hard drive

Question

I know there are questions about this, but I think my situation is a bit different - I really don't know how this works.

Basically, my game folders (everything under Electronic Arts, which includes all the game data I think) are located in my OneDrive folder, which has 1 TB of storage. My actual pc (Lenovo Gaming Laptop) has like 236 GB, so very low. Whenever there is a game update, it usually will tell me there's not enough space. And that's referring to the PC drive, NOT OneDrive. I'll have to go into my C: drive and delete things, move important docs over to a flash drive, etc. before the game update will download and install. I think TS4 is located under Program Files, the actual game itself I guess?

So I was thinking of getting an external hard drive to add some storage space (not wanting to install an SSD inside the laptop itself). But what exactly do I need to move from my C: drive? Pretty sure it's under Program Files, and there is an Electronic Arts folder there. I see these game data folders in OneDrive: under Electronic Arts, to name a few: The Sims 4, Custom Music, Mods, Recorded Videos, saves, Screenshots, Tray....). Would I be able to move the game files on the actual C: drive AND all the folders from OneDrive onto the external hard drive, since I plan to get one with at least 1 or 2 TB of space? I think I remember trying to move the Sims4 files from OneDrive to the hard drive once before (when there was a lot more space available) but the game didn't work when I did. If I just move over the Program Files, and leave the stuff on OneDrive would that work?

Thanks for any help or advice. I saw a very old post about being able to move the game easily through Origin, but I'm not sure if that works with the newer EA app. I'd love to find a step-by-step process for this. :D

jpkarlsen · Answer

@MomRushTX&nbsp;The files on your OneDrive is your user files to get them on your local drive disable sharing of the Documents folder. Start the game once to have it generate new user file in your Documents folder then you can transfer saves and so on from OneDrive.To transfer the game itself to an external drive first uninstall it and when you reinstall it choose the external drive as install location.

puzzlezaddict · Answer

@MomRushTX&nbsp; To add to the above, I would highly recommend getting a smaller SSD rather than a larger HDD at the same price point.&nbsp; The speed of the external drive is going to affect Sims 4 performance, in particular initial loading times if you move your user data to the external.

To clarify, OneDrive stores files in the cloud for you, but the files also need to be on your computer in order for Sims 4 to use them.&nbsp; So while your account has 1 TB of cloud storage, your saves and other user data are also cutting into the space on your internal drive.

Once you have the drive, if you run into any issues reinstalling or moving over the data, please ask for further help.

momrushtx · Answer

@puzzlezaddict&nbsp;wrote:@MomRushTX&nbsp; To add to the above, I would highly recommend getting a smaller SSD rather than a larger HDD at the same price point.&nbsp; The speed of the external drive is going to affect Sims 4 performance, in particular initial loading times if you move your user data to the external.To clarify, OneDrive stores files in the cloud for you, but the files also need to be on your computer in order for Sims 4 to use them.&nbsp; So while your account has 1 TB of cloud storage, your saves and other user data are also cutting into the space on your internal drive.Once you have the drive, if you run into any issues reinstalling or moving over the data, please ask for further help.Thanks so much.&nbsp; That's where I'm confused though.&nbsp; For example, when I do a search for "saves" in file explorer, under the main hard drive (C🙂, this is the path for the last save -C:\Users\myname\OneDrive\Sims 4 Videos\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves\scratch\scratch_3933It's kind of weird now that I'm looking at it.&nbsp; Or is it not?&nbsp; Does this mean I am duplicating the files, like they're on my main C: drive AND OneDrive?&nbsp; Which brings me to another question - should I try and can I fix this?? (I guess that would be a completely new topic.) Or does that pathway,&nbsp;unbeknownst to me, look normal?Sorry so many questions (and for apparently being somewhat dumb about this) 🤣 Thank you both, again, for your help.&nbsp; I'm still thinking about getting the extra drive for storage space (not sure about SSD as it takes more time to have it installed, and I need my computer for work as well).&nbsp; Just want to be sure, before I make that purchase, that it will be beneficial.

puzzlezaddict · Answer

@MomRushTX&nbsp; Yes, it's weird, yes, it may be a set of duplicates (hopefully), and yes, you should try to fix it if it's not just a spare copy.&nbsp; The first question is what folder Sims 4 is reading.&nbsp; Please use this method to find it and list the result:

https://sims4.crinrict.com/eng/2018/07/how-to-find-your-user-folder/

Once you get your external drive (again, hopefully an SSD for performance reasons), the data can be redirected, but you could still run into issues if you don't address the current setup.

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