Issue with Origins, Sims 4, and External Hard Drive [ Edited ]

[TonyTiger09]

Good evening!

I'm having issues with loading my Sims 4 game from my LaCie External Hard Drive. I had no issues until I updated Origins today. I set my Installs and Saves to the directory path for the LaCie, but it is as if Origins is unable to detect it. I can boot up the Sims 4 but all of my saves, mods, etc. is not recognized in the game. Furthermore, I noticed that every time I load the game, there is an Electronic Arts folder that is automatically created in the Documents folder on my Macbook Air 2019 (which I don't believe ever happened in the past).

I also noticed that a Sims 4 Packs folder was created that I did not create on my external hard drive.  

I tried uninstalling Origin and reinstalling and the same thing happened. Any suggestions?

[Bluebellflora]

@TonyTiger09

The game installs the user data to Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4. If there is no folder there it will create one each time you load the game. There are ways round this by creating a symlink to an external drive or by using 3rd party software to do it for you to a cloud server.

The Sims 4 Packs folder is fine. Your DLC is now installed in this separate folder in the same location as the Sims 4 app - https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-Mac/The-Sims-4-macOS-Notarization-FAQ/m-p/8876253#M29009

[TonyTiger09]

@Bluebellflora 

Good afternoon,

Thank you! Based upon this explanation and the link you provided, I understand a little better what is going on. However, why are none of my save files and any of my Mods (downloaded content) even appearing in my game anymore? Again, I have the installs and saves directed to my External Hard Drive, so I cannot fully grasp why they are not pulling through to my game (but the game, which is installed on my External Hard Drive, still plays).

[Bluebellflora]

@TonyTiger09

If you have moved your Sims 4 folder from Documents > Electronic Arts, or even just the saves folder within, to the external drive then the game does not know where to look so just recreates it in the default location. This explains it better and links to the two options I mentioned in my previous post - https://bluebellflora.com/2020/03/01/if-youre-running-out-of-space-to-play-the-sims-here-are-your-op...

You can't just move your saves folder to another location and hope the game knows where you have moved it to, and there is no way of changing the file path in the game sadly

[TonyTiger09]

@Bluebellflora 

This makes a lot of sense. Interestingly enough, I was able to launch the game and all of my saves/CC from just the external drive without using those methods, but perhaps that was just based on luck. 

So I am able to load the game and have it installed on my external hard drive, but the saves/CC should be stored locally on my computer, right? I can deal with that if that's what I need to do since I won't have to install the Sims 4 on my internal hard drive. 

[Bluebellflora]

@TonyTiger09

You must have had the Sims 4 folder in the Documents folder or maybe using iCloud Drive? The game cannot load saves stored on an external drive unless you trick it into thinking the stored content is actually in the default Docs > EA folder stored locally by one of those methods.

Yes, you can happily have the game installed on an external just so long as the default location for game installs has been changed to reflect this in Origin

[TonyTiger09]

@Bluebellflora 

I completely remember now. I haven't played in a month, and so I did have the folder in my Documents tab, and I was somehow confused last night after the update and deleted the entire folder from my Documents tab on my internal hard drive. I remember telling myself I would back up all of the Sims 4 data on my external hard drive so I would have a copy should anything ever happen to my computer. 

Wow, I need to play the Sims 4 more! Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it! I'm just a heap of confusion!

[Bluebellflora]

@TonyTiger09

Lol, you're very welcome!