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roberta591's avatar
roberta591
Hero (Retired)
8 years ago

Re: Sims 4 Issues with External Hardrive

@Trisquiggles  The user data folder which isn't created until the first time you successfully start the game is created in the user documents folder regardless of where the core game files are located.

Click the folder icon in the bottom tray. Click This PC on the left. Double click Documents. Double click Electronic Arts. Double click The Sims 4.

This is the documants folder for the user you used to log into Windows 10 user. This is where the game will create the game user data regardless of where the core game files are installed.

4 Replies

  • @roberta591 I went into the C drive User documents but there's no Electronic Arts folder, just another Sims 4 folder with the Installer/Data folders.

  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @Trisquiggles  This folder isn't created until you have successfully started and closed the game for the first time. At this point the game should be activated on that computer to your Origin account. Where did you configure Origin to install the game? The folder you posted looks like the core game files that should be located in c:\program files (x86)\origin games if you installed by download. If you have an Origin account already you should download the Origin installer and install Origin. Origin does not take up that much space.  Then login using the same login and password you used before and configure Origin to install the game to an alternate location. I recommend letting Origin to install in its default location. When you configure the alternate location I recommend something like (your usb drive designation)/Origin games/  There will be no confusion about the documents folder as this is a system folder. Using system folder names should be avoided as this can confuse Windows which isn't hard to do.

    On a new computer when you have an Origin account already:

    download the Origin installer - Origin installer and run installer - let it install in its default location

    run Origin - login using same login and password you used before

    click Origin in the upper left corner

    click application settings

    click installs & saves

    change the game library location and the game will install to that location

    when you start the game for the fist time the user data file will be created in the user documented folder

    add: do you have OneDrive activated? If you do check the c:\usr\OneDrive\documents

    -- OneDrive moves the user data so it can be synced - this is a Windows thing

  • @roberta591 I did the instructions and while it still only had the Install folders in the location, I checked in OneDrive and the game folder was there. However, the mods that I put in the mods folder still aren't showing up in the game, and I'm not sure what the issue is. There isn't enough storage on my computer to download Sims there, so I'm kind of stuck. :/

  • roberta591's avatar
    roberta591
    Hero (Retired)
    8 years ago

    @Trisquiggles  It may be the mods folder being in the OneDrive folder. The game may be looking for the mods folder in the user documents folder by doing a direct call to that location instead of going through Windows (maybe). Do you use OneDrive? Windows recently had the spring update and Microsoft really wants you to use OneDrive so each update wakes OneDrive up for you to log in. If you don't use OneDrive just logout and your documents folder should be where it is supposed to be. You may have to run the game to create the folder in the user documents folder. There is a way to make OneDrive omit the user files folder and sync every thing else. Have you tried a mod that is known to work? I don't use OneDrive. You could try to create the mods folder where it is supposed to be c:/users/(user name)/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Mods. Make sure you have the file resource.cfg in the new Mods folder. You can (should) exclude the user game files from OneDrive by configuring OneDrive - link - how to exclude folders from OneDrive  This will allow the game to create and use folders/files where the game expects them to be. IMO a small SSD can (and does) work as a business/student/social computer but 3D games will bloat. If your having issues with a new computer now I can only guess it will probably only get worse. This is because the Windows operating system requires free space in the system device (C🙂 to run as does many appications (games). At a certain point lack of enough free space can (will) affect performance maybe to the point of crashing and/or corruption. There is only so much you can do to create free space on the system device. A gaming machine should be played without worry about maintenance all the time. If you had installed the game using the defaults it would probably run if the computer meets minimum requirements. Now would be a good time to consider getting a bigger system device before your system gets too complicated. I would have to know how your system is configured to give a definitive answer. I recommend you consult a good computer technician about a solution to your issues.

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