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Re: New cc not working after using a symbolic link

@Coldsicc  It sounds like you added and removed custom content from a different folder than the game is reading.  Here's how to find which folder the game is using:

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

Once you've figured out the correct folder, you can add or remove files from that.  If you want help forcing the game to use the correct folder, please let me know the full file path to the folder it's using now.

12 Replies

  • Coldsicc's avatar
    Coldsicc
    4 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict  Thank you ! I figured my game was using The Sims 4 folder from my C drive, not the external one. How do i force the game using the right folder ? Path :  C:\Users\salmi\Documents\Electronic Arts\Les Sims 4

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @Coldsicc  The issue is that you're playing in French.  I mean, it's not a problem, but French is one of several languages (the others being Spanish, German, and Dutch) where the user folder's name is localized, in your case "Les Sims 4" rather than "The Sims 4."  So while you're playing in French, the game will ignore a symbolic link labeled "The Sims 4" and just create a new "Les Sims 4" folder in Documents\Electronic Arts.  The Electronic Arts folder is not localized (it has the same name regardless of game language), and the Documents folder follows the language of your OS, which the game has no problem handling.

    You have two easy options here, both of which involve creating a new symlink.  You can create  one for "Les Sims 4" or for the Electronic Arts folder, whichever you prefer.  If you switch between languages often, I'd recommend using the Electronic Arts folder so everything gets pointed to your external at once.  Undo the existing symlink, then choose whichever option you want and go through the process again.  In case it helps, this the command for each option:

    MKLINK /J “%UserProfile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\Les Sims 4” “E:\Les Sims 4”

    or

    MKLINK /J “%UserProfile%\Documents\Electronic Arts” “E:\Electronic Arts”

  • Coldsicc's avatar
    Coldsicc
    4 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict I wrote rmdir MKLINK "%UserProfile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4" "D:\The Sims 4", but it kept telling me “system cannot find the file specified”. I even tried other paths, including the one you told me just in case.

    Since trying to delete the existing symlink wasn't working, I created new ones by using the commands told above. The system said that it did work, that it did link but in game it's still the same problem. The solution you gave me seems to be right I think I just messed up somewhere (well obviously). How do i remove the old symlink ? I tried every commands using rmdir ☹️

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @Coldsicc  When removing the symbolic link, you only need to include the path to the link in the command, as in:

    rmdir MKLINK "%UserProfile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4"

    Or you could simply trash the symlink.

    For the new symlink, please let me know which one you used, whether you see the symlink in the proper place within Documents, and what else you see in that folder.  A screenshot of the folder containing the new symlink you created would be helpful; please also list the path to the user folder the game is currently reading, as before.

  • Coldsicc's avatar
    Coldsicc
    4 years ago

    @puzzlezaddict Successfully deleted the old symlink. For the new one, since the second option (the Electronic art one) was telling me "Cannot create a file that already exist", i used the first option, and it led me to this (image below). The second folder in the image is what my game is reading.

    So the path my game uses is "C:\Users\salmi\Documents\Electronic Arts\Les Sims 4", but i want my game to use "D:\Documents\Electronic Arts\Les Sims 4". 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    4 years ago

    @Coldsicc  The error when trying to create a symlink for the Electronic Arts folder probably happened because there's already an Electronic Arts folder in Documents (on C).  Windows won't allow you to have two files or folders with the same name in the same location, so the first step when creating a symlink is to move or remove the folder that already has the same name.

    The weird thing is that, as in your screenshot, you have two folders called "Les Sims 4": that should never happen.  But this reminds me of an issue a couple of French-speaking players brought up a while back.  It seems that the "Les Sims 4" folder uses a different kind of space than the one you'd create if you typed it out.  So even though the folders' titles look exactly the same, the system recognizes them as different, as does the game.

    What you can try in this approach is copying the name Sims 4 uses to your symlink.  First, move the "Les Sims 4" folder the game is using to the desktop.  Then highlight and copy its name, and paste that name over the name for the symlink and for the folder it points to.  Load the game and see whether it now uses the symlink.

    The other approach is to move the Electronic Arts folder (in C:\Documents) to the desktop and create a symlink for it instead.  Take your pick.

  • Coldsicc's avatar
    Coldsicc
    4 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict I did as you said but it sill didn't work. I started losing hope in trying to fix my problem with symlinks so i messed around my files to see if there's any other way, and i found it ! I took the Electronic Arts folder my game was reading and moved it to my D:\ Documents by using the properties (Does that make sense ?). Lost some of my saves but at least i finally did it. Thank you, you still helped me a lot on that 🙂 !!
  • n5y5gt5v3g3h's avatar
    n5y5gt5v3g3h
    3 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict How can i undo the link because it’s not working for me and I can’t see any content and I’m not sure what I’m doing at all I’m super frustrated thank you
  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    3 years ago

    @n5y5gt5v3g3h  Delete the symbolic link itself, as in, the icon that looks like a folder but has a little arrow on it.  Do NOT delete the regular folder your symlink points to; this still holds all your Sims 4 user data.

  • n5y5gt5v3g3h's avatar
    n5y5gt5v3g3h
    3 years ago
    @puzzlezaddict I think I deleted it all on accident idk what to do should I just reinstall it to start over like I’m so lost and I did a bunch of crazy stuff because I didn’t know how to fix it ☹️ I had to create my own saved and mods I think or something idk but I really messed it up
  • I Literally did this exact same thing any time i add cc it doesn't work anymore after the launched switched from origin to ea. I've lost years of collected cc and now even new cc doesn't work or causes it to crash.... I give up 

  • puzzlezaddict's avatar
    puzzlezaddict
    Hero+
    3 years ago

    @n5y5gt5v3g3h  Delete the saves and Mods folders you've created and let the game create new ones.  If you don't see those new ones, find the file path to the Sims 4 user folder in-game, as described here:

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

    That's where the saves and Mods folders will be.

    @XTheLoveWitchX  Have you tried downloading new custom content that's confirmed compatible with the newest patch (1.95)?  If not, please try that now.

    For the cc that isn't working at all, please confirm that it's in the correct folder using the in-game method explained in the link above.

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