Re: EA App works but mods and cc don't.

Could the EA App be the reason that my game installed into two different directories?

Here's what I have found: The normal path is C:Users/katbr/documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4. The game fully loaded there. BUT it also loaded in C:Users/Public/Public Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4. For whatever reason, the game is running from the Users/Public/ path. All the save files, screenshots, vids, and (manually installed) mods all operate from this pathway. Custom Content (using TSR CC Manager) goes into the Users/katbr/ path and doesn't show in game (issue is being worked out with TSR). Could the EA App cause this dual directory issue? I have no problem with the pathway being Users/Public/ but I just wish that 20gigs of game didn't load twice onto my computer.

EDIT: I've decided to go back to Origin and see if that helps. I'll let you know.

@ReikiKat  It's odd that Sims 4 is reading the Public folder rather than the typical path.  And I haven't heard of this issue in relation to the EA App specifically either.  (Sims 4 does occasionally choose the wrong file path for the user folder, but that's been true since before the EA App existed.)

Have you changed the default location of Documents for this user account?  You can check by opening a File Explorer window, right-clicking Documents in the left panel (the one with the special icon, not just a folder), and selecting Properties > Location.  The location should be Users > your username > Documents, but if it points to the Public folder, that would explain the issue.

If you don't mind using the Public folder, you can transfer your mods and custom content to that Sims 4 folder and then delete them from the original location, thereby clearing up all that extra space.

To be honest, I've not heard of this either. I checked the default locations of both Documents. Directory 1 says: C:Users/katbr Directory 2 C:Users/Public. So they are both located correctly. BUT (I gotta laugh or I'll cry) I uninstalled everything for the 5th time (or is it the 12th?), downloaded Origin and reinstalled all games from there. Guess what? Every bit of it loaded into C:Users/PUBLIC!!!!! The only redeeming factor with Origin is that it didn't load to C:User/katbr as well. Now, with that being said, my next issue is that I used origin to reinstall Sims 4, Origin placed a shortcut on the desktop, and when I click on the shortcut it promptly tells me that Origin is NOT installed and to download/install Origin. WTH! I can't win for losing. I even went to Origin and tried to start my game from there but I can click all I want on the game and absolutely nothing happens. I'm ready to give up as I don't know what else to do.

@ReikiKat  What I'd really like to know is what folder Windows is using for the default location of Documents.  This is how you'd change it if necessary:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/74952-move-location-documents-folder-windows-10-a.html

Sims 4 is supposed to use this default location, although the game may not switch over if you change the location after installing.  (It's kind of hit or miss.)  Point is, if Windows is pointing Documents to the Public folder, this is unsurprising.  If Windows is still using the correct folder, then the game is being very weird.

When you say you reinstalled the game and the data went into the Public folder, do you mean that the user data (saves, mods and cc, etc.) is in Public, or the game's program files themselves are in Public?  If the latter is true, that could explain why Sims 4 isn't launching.  So please let me know where it's installed.

Please also let me know what antivirus you use, if any.

I also want to say that this is entirely fixable, all of it.  So while it's totally reasonable to be frustrated, there's no reason to give up.

As far as I can tell, Windows is using the C:Users/Public/Public Documents folder as the default location. The C:Users/katbr/Documents doesn't have an option anywhere (including in the customize tab) to change the location of saved files, but the Public Documents folder does. So, I'm going to uninstall Sims 4 and reinstall it after I try to change this folder to see what happens. *finger crossed*

Yes, the user data went into the Public Documents folder. The program files went exactly where they are supposed to go with no issue.

My antivirus is Avast One.

I tried to change the location of the file. It will let me put my cursor anywhere within the path and even highlight the path, BUT it will not let me alter the path in any way, shape, or form. See pic below.

@ReikiKat  In your screenshot, you're viewing the properties of Public Documents, not Documents.  While this might seem like a meaningless distinction, it may matter here: the location of Public Documents is what it is by definition (and can't be changed), whereas the location of the user Documents folder can be moved.  So please open the Properties window by opening a File Explorer window, clicking This PC, and right-clicking the Documents icon in the main part of the window, NOT the left panel, as shown in step 3 of the guide I linked.

The idea here is that you're asking Windows to show the properties of the user profile's default Documents location, which happens to point to the Public Documents folder, rather than asking about the properties of the Public Documents folder itself.  I don't actually know whether this is the problem here, and I can't test because I haven't moved my Documents directory.  But it's worth trying just in case.

If you have Windows 11, the process is almost the same as in Windows 10, but you have more options, as shown here:

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/move-or-restore-default-location-of-documents-folder-in-windows-11.8708/

And if you want to skip this whole process, just create a new admin account and move your files to that account's Documents folder.  Make it a local account, as in, don't link it with a Microsoft account, and grab whatever you want out of Public Documents (which will be accessible from any account) when you're ready to test the game.

As you can see in this screenshot, my Documents folder does not have a tab anywhere in it for Location; therefore, no way to change it.

@ReikiKat  That is definitely odd, I mean that Properties tab is supposed to be there any time you're viewing the user profile's Documents directory.  What version of Windows are you running?  You could try running the BAT file provided in the guide for Windows 11 if you want.  Or, like I mentioned, you could create a new admin account and use that.

Leave it to me to be odd. I"m running Win 11, so I'll try the new admin route first. If that doesn't work, I'll run the .bat file.

I’m also having the issue where the ea app puts the sims in the public folder.  I retried it 4 times. One of those times it put it in a one drive folder, despite the fact that I had onedrive deleted and turned off. Every other time it is in public.  
I verified documents should go in under my username.  It just isn’t.  
It is working just fine from public, but it it sort of weirds me out that it will fail.  Anyone got any farther fixing this? Thanks.  

@Bookwyrme  I'm not sure why Sims 4 is doing this, and I don't know of a way to change whatever variable determines this from the game's perspective.  (It should be following the user profile settings, but that's apparently not the case here.)  The only other suggestions I have are to uninstall and reinstall the game, if you haven't already; and to try playing in a new admin Windows account.

Are you aware EA app Deleted their mods option doesn't everyone remember EA HATES modding

@Ak47GiJo  Strange, mods seem to be working well for the hundreds of thousands of players currently trying to use them.  If you have a specific issue with your mods, please post in the appropriate forum:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Game-and-Mod-CC-Issues/bd-p/the-sims-4-game-issues-mods-en