@lushifii You can try changing the location of the Documents directory, as described here:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/74952-move-location-documents-folder-windows-10-a.html
You'd move it to Users > your username > Documents, with no OneDrive in the file path. Sometimes Sims 4 adjusts to this change, and sometimes it takes uninstalling and reinstalling the game to force it to switch locations.
Or, if you just want this fixed quickly, you could create a new admin Windows account. Make it a local account, as in, don't sign into Microsoft; without a link to your Microsoft or OneDrive account, the Documents folder will need to be in the default location. And Sims 4 should save to the correct folder as well.
You can transfer your saves and anything else you want to keep to the new account. If you open This PC > Users, you'll see a Public folder, which is accessible from any user account. Drop files you want to transfer into this folder, then grab them once you're in the new account.
I'm not saying you absolutely need to create a new Windows account, only that it's a quicker and more reliable fix than changing the location of Documents and hoping Sims 4 uses the new file path. But either approach is reasonable, so pick whichever one you prefer.
Do you have a site or tutorial of how to create a new admin windows account and an explanation of moving the whole folder thing? (would gladly appreciate it)! I tried the changing the location but I do not have the 'E:" location on my files so its making me more confused. Also, am I moving the whole documents folder into the new location? What files/folders would I drop into the users folder to restore my gameplay?
@lushifii There are two completely separate processes that it sounds like you might be conflating a bit. One is to move the location of Documents within this user account. The best tutorial for that that I've seen is the one I already posted:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/74952-move-location-documents-folder-windows-10-a.html
You're not moving the location to E, as in the tutorial. You're moving it to this account's Documents folder that is NOT associated with OneDrive. The full file path should be this:
C:\Users\[your username]\Documents
You shouldn't need to create this folder either; Windows should have created it when the account was set up.
When you're selecting the folder during the process of moving the location of Documents, you can click This PC, then C, then Users, then your username, to find the correct folder.
If this is the route you choose, then you will need to move the Sims 4 user folder, the one that contains your saves and other user content, to C:\Users\your username\Documents if it's not already there.
If you're creating a new admin account, you don't need to change the location of Documents at all: the new account should use the correct location as long as you don't sign into your Microsoft account (and therefore don't enable OneDrive). In that case, you'd copy the Sims 4 user folder to C:\Users\Public, and then once in the new account, you'd grab the folder from that same Public folder and put it in Documents > Electronic Arts.
As for how to create a new admin account, here you go:
Thank you so much, I think I’ll create a new windows admin account and see how it goes since it requires less moving. Would I copy my new Sims 4 folder or my old one with all my saves?
@lushifii You would copy over the Sims 4 folder that contains your saves. But the first step is making sure the game runs properly in the new Windows account with no added content, so please don't move over your saves until you've tested.
Alright, so I made a new admin account under my name without signing into the Microsoft account. Following your steps you have provided, when I go to C:/Users/Public I don't happen to see my new account? Or is that normal?
@lushifii The Public folder is NOT associated with your new account. It's a folder accessible to all accounts on this computer.
In your previous Windows account, you'll drop the files you want to preserve into Public. Then you'll sign out of that Windows account and sign into your new one, where you will also be able to access the Public folder.
For the files I want to preserve, would that be my old game files? Like my old copy of my Sims 4 game?
@lushifii If you don't want to preserve anything, that's fine, but I thought you might want to keep your saves, and perhaps some saved households and builds (the Tray files). In either case, please put the files themselves into the new folder, for example put your individual saves in the new Saves folder rather than putting the entire old Saves folder in the new Sims 4 folder.
Oh, yes im still wanting to keep my saves. Sorry about the confusion. My question was which folders do I move and when playing the sims, do I have to logout and switch to my new admins account?
@lushifii My answer was, and is, that you move the folders called "saves" and "Tray" to the new account, but you only transfer the files inside those folders, not the folders themselves. So you'd drag the saves out of the folder they're in and put them in the new saves folder.
And yes, you'd switch accounts when you wanted to play Sims 4.
Community Manager
