Many players have a lot of save files. Backing these up can avert loss of Sims and prevent a lot of heartache.
Losing your save game in The Sims 4 can go from a minor annoyance to devastation depending how much time you've invested in the game. Saves are stored locally, so hard drive failure and errors can cause you to lose them unless you've backed them up. If you've got to reinstall the game, you may need to do this as well. This is a tutorial to teach players how to properly ensure the safety of their Sims 4 save files - from the game data itself to mods and screenshots.
Where are Saves/Sims/Mods Stored?
If you know about backing up and just wonder where saves are stored, they're in Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves. Mods/CC are located in the Sims 4/Mods directory, and Sims, Lots, and Rooms you've made are stored in the Tray folder. There are also Recorded Videos and Screenshots folders here. These five folders contain everything most players would want to backup. If you need more info, read on...
My saves are now safely stored on another hard drive. USB thumb drives are cheap these days, should your desktop computer or laptop lack a second hard drive.
Basic Information: Copy
If you're a total newbie at computers, you need to know about copying. Dragging and dropping files can be useful, but it doesn't make a copy. Open Windows Explorer or Finder (Mac). Navigate to Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 and click on Saves to highlight it. Highlighting something and pressing Control + C will make a copy of that file or folder (Command + C on Mac), which you can then put elsewhere with paste. You can also right-click a folder to get a menu and select copy. Holding Control and left-clicking can let you select multiple folders at once. Be careful not to drag them!
Paste
Once you've told the computer to copy, you are now ready to paste. Navigate to a new place by clicking a drive to the left. There are better places to store files, but for now let's say C: because everyone has one, and right click in blank space to select New Folder, name it Sims 4 Saves Backup. Go into that new folder by double clicking it and press Control + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac) to paste the file there. You will see the saves folder appear, and all your data will go with it. If you want, you can also make backups of Houses/Sims, screenshots/videos, and Mods you've downloaded by using the information above to copy those particular folders. If you backup regularly, you'll need to tell the computer to copy and replace files so that the new files write over the old ones.
Best Places to Store Saves
A safe location is typically another hard drive, because if one piece of hardware fails, you've got it stored on another device until your computer is repaired. So, I recommend a USB thumb drive for this or another hard drive on your computer. You can even burn a copy to DVD if you have the rewriteable kind and know-how. It's good enough to just make a copy and store it somewhere other than the Sims 4 folder on your drive, in a place you can easily access later.
Restoring your Saved Games
If you've got a new install of The Sims 4 or have somehow lost save game information, you can now head to your backup folder and copy the save folder. You can paste it inside The Sims 4 and choose yes to overwrite all files in the save folder. Be careful though, if you have other games that have not been backed up recently you may not want to overwrite them. In this case, go inside your save backup folder and choose the files related to the save you want to restore by dragging a box around them - again press Control + C to copy. You can then go to The Sims 4/Saves folder (where you'll see all save games listed) and paste that individual file. They are named in a strange way, but you may be able to tell which is right by looking at the last modified date on them.
Your downloads from Origin can be backed up in order to avoid downloading them again. Here's a great post by Flynn on the Forum, which explains the process. The game always needs patched after installing anyway, so this will save a lot of time in the process of reinstalling the game. Just invest the time once to backup the game downloads, and you'll be free from redownloading them again. This applies to everything from the base game to expansions and stuff packs.
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The Sims 4 Discover University has been announced for November 15 for PC/Mac and December 17 for Xbox and Playstation 4 consoles. Click to learn more about the pack, see my summary of the livestream or read our FAQs below.
New: Discover University FAQ: Gameplay Features
For video info see my Summary of the Sims 4 Discover University Deep Dive Livestream.
The Sims 4 Realm of Magic comes September 10 for PC/Mac and releases October 15 for Xbox One and Playstation 4. See my Video Guide to Features in Realm of Magic. We've compiled information on upcoming features from developer tweets and used the trailer to try to share everything we know.
New: The Sims 4 Moschino Stuff Review - My thoughts on the photography improvements, fashion photographer, and build buy additions in The Sims 4 Moschino Stuff which is available today for PC/Mac.
New: A Features of Moschino Stuff Summary Video
The Sims 4 Moschino Stuff Pack is available by 12:30-1PM EST for PC/Mac and September 3 for Xbox One and Playstation 4. Click to learn about the new pack, freelance photography and the new clothing. You can also see my announcement video and the game's trailer within that upload.
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Armageddon Mod (Mod/CC Reviews).
Latest in The New How To Section : Learn How to Write Songs and Make Money with Music in The Sims 4. Also, How to Get Abducted by Aliens. We have a guide for using Pregnancy Cheats, Get a Job, Adopting a Kid and How to Cheat.
Alien Abduction: I made a Video Guide to Alien Abductions, Alien Babies in The Sims 4 Get to Work.
New How To Section : The new How To's section is updated with How to Get Abducted by Aliens. You can also learn how to use Pregnancy Cheats, Get a Job, Adopting a Kid and How to Cheat. It's meant to help newcomers or those with specific problems and will be greatly expanded over coming months.
New Charisma Video
I've created a fairly detailed Charisma Video Guide to accompany the normal Charisma text guide. My goal is to have every skill covered by the end of the year, if possible.
We now have a Videos page, where I'll list every submission to our Sims 4 Gameplay Guides Channel. I'm taking feedback seriously, improving recording and sound quality and other issues with my video guides. Let me know what you think and subscribe for more like it. If you comment on the videos page with a request I may bump it higher on my to do list (no promises though!). Here is a listing of all videos released to date, in order of release:
Sims 4 February Patch Summary
Get Famous: Celestial Crystal Crown
Visit My Channel to Subscribe!
Get Famous First Impressions
First Person Mode (Sims 4 Update)
Get Famous Acting Livestream
Livestream Summary (Latest Patch News)
Patch News: COMING SOON
The Sims 4 Get Famous Expansion
Archaeology Guide (Jungle Adventure)
Jungle Adventure Gameplay
Nerd Brain and Computer Whiz
Spa Day Review and Gameplay Guide
The Sims 4 Whims & How to Use Them
Ambrosia Ingredients and Raising the Dead
The Sims 4: Making a Super Sim
The Sims 4 Careers (Improved)
Seasons Holiday Decorations Guide
Cool Kitchen Stuff
Patchy (Scarecrow)
Laundry Day
Painting Skill
Pregnancy Cheats
How to Woohoo & Try for Baby
Skill Cheats
Playing a Moocher
Sims 4 Writing Skill
Father Winter's Baby
Flower Shop Seasons/Get to Work Retail
Beekeeping Video
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Comments (38)
\My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\If it's not the game won't know where to find the game saves or saved Sims/houses etc. So yes, that is a problem.In the post linked below you'll find more information on how to fix this.My Sims User Folder or Install Files are Missing?
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=21899.msg431335#msg431335In short - If you do not have a Sims 4 user folder, you'll need to load the game once to create one in the Documents folder.If your user folder is not in the Documents folder, but found to be some where else on your hard drive. It can be safely moved back to the Documents folder.
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26496.msg442098#msg442098
Technical Help Board Forum
Slot_00000001.save.ver0What you would do here is either delete or rename the .save file for temorary. Give it the name Slot_00000001a.save So that way if something goes wrong, you've got a backup.Then rename the file with the .ver0. Give it the name Slot_00000002.saveLoad the game, and you should see a playable saved game that the game can recognize.If it's that your save games are completely gone from the saves folder and you have no backups. Then you will have to start completely over with creating a new Sim and game save.
\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves1. Sort by date modified
2. Find most recent save file and make note of the name.
3. Add .old to the end of the filename.
4. Find the file with the same name that ends in .ver0
5. Remove the .ver0 from the end of the filename.
6. Open the game to verify your saved game.Repeat steps 4-6 for any other .ver files for that save slot.
Extra help should you need it.
I have somehow accidently deleted a saved game!
here's how it happened I was playing in my saved world ( one of many) and then when I wanted to exit I just went to "save as" so I could rename the world as I changed a few things while playing it ( but I didn't click save I just renamed the saved game then cancelled) then I just went "saved and exist to main menu" as I always do. but then when I wanted to play another world through load game I realised that the saved game that I was playing earlier had also override one of my other saved games.so now I have lost a saved world ( that I didn't touch earlier) that I have spent so much time and effort in. is there any explanation for this and how do I get it back ?
(Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves)
Rolling Back a Save
Forum Saving Households etc Tips For Back-Up
Slot_00000001.save or Slot_00000001.save.ver1If you do, what you may need to do is rename or restore a game save so the game recognizes the file again.Here's a post that can help explain how to do that.How-To: Restore a Saved Game
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=21519.msg387147#msg387147
Options.ini File -- The graphic/sounds/gameplay options
Saves Folder -- Saved game files
Tray Folder -- Sims, Houses, and Rooms
Screenshots -- Photos you've taken with the C key in-game.
Video -- Video clips you've taken with the V key in-game.
Mods folders -- Game mods and custom content
Here's a link to a forum thread. In the second section there are many links to tips about saves and save folders etc.
crinricts user-files explained
Tips about game play and saves
https://bluebellflora.com/2017/02/06/sims-3-and-sims-4-not-loading-save-games/If you're still having issues with the saved games not loading, you may want to contact her via the page linked above.
Here's a link to a forum thread. In the second section there are many links to tips about saves and save folders etc.
Tips about Game Play and Saves
Crinrict user files Explained
Technical Help
It could be a number of things but usually it is mods.cc that cause the issues.
Your new game will be just that... a new game with none of your sims and houses in it. To get your made sims into your new game you would have to save them to your library and then place them into your new game. That's easily done but the newly placed sims will have no relationships with other sims. They will keep their jobs and skills as of the time of saving (in your old game) but will not save with their money or relationships to other sims other than within the same household download.
1. If i want the WHOLE game, with storylines, , households, friends, and everything. Like , where i last left the game i want to start there so everything Will be the same, BUT at another computer, how do i transfer the whole game as it is from the old computer to the new one and start where i last left it? So Nothing will change? Please tell me how do i do that?
2. And IF i do, will the game Only be playable on the new computer and deleted from the old one?
3. If one game is already running on another computer but i want (everything i Said above) at that computer too, Will the game that’s already in there be lost? Many questions and bad English but please respond
How to Transfer a Save file to Another Computer
2. In the Origin Menu, select Application Settings > Install & Saves tab
3. In the Game library location of this tab, you can change the location that the game gets installed.