I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I run my Sims 4 setup off an external drive, so I’m finally putting it all in one place. This is exactly what I do, what I’ve learned the hard way, and how to keep it stable so you’re not losing saves or wondering why your mods “disappeared.”
Quick note: there are TWO different things people mix up:
1) The Sims 4 game install (the actual game files)
2) Your Sims 4 user folder (Mods, Saves, Tray, screenshots, settings)
Most mod problems come from #2. that’s the “Documents” folder the game always looks for.
——————————————————————————
WHY I RUN SIMS OFF AN EXTERNAL DRIVE
——————————————————————————
• Keeps my main drive from getting eaten alive by CC/mods
• Makes it easier to back up saves + Tray
• Keeps my setup portable (plug in and I’m basically home)
• Helps performance if your main drive is tight on space (low storage can make everything feel slower)
Real talk though: the drive matters. An external SSD on a fast USB port is a totally different experience than an old external HDD.
——————————————————————————
WHAT YOU NEED (DON’T SKIP THIS)
——————————————————————————
To keep this smooth:
• External SSD if possible (HDD works, but it can load slower)
• USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 port (avoid USB 2.0)
• A stable cable (random disconnects = chaos)
• A dedicated Sims folder on the external drive (clean + organized)
If your external drive disconnects while you’re playing, your game can act like you have “no mods/no saves” because it can’t see your data anymore.
——————————————————————————
STEP 0: BACK UP FIRST (FOR REAL)
——————————————————————————
Before you move anything, copy these folders somewhere safe:
Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 >
• saves
• tray
• mods
Optional but smart:
• screenshots
• recorded videos
If something goes wrong, this backup saves your whole life.
——————————————————————————
OPTION A (BEST): MOVE YOUR ENTIRE “THE SIMS 4” USER FOLDER TO THE EXTERNAL
——————————————————————————
This is the cleanest method because it keeps Mods + Saves + Tray together in one place.
Step 1: Create a folder on your external drive
Example:
E:\Sims 4\The Sims 4\
Step 2: Copy (don’t delete yet) your Sims 4 user folder to the external drive
From:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4
To:
E:\Sims 4\The Sims 4
Step 3: Rename the ORIGINAL folder (do not launch the game yet)
Rename:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4
to something like:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4_BACKUP
This is your safety net.
Step 4: Create a “link” so the game still finds it
On Windows, the Sims still expects to see:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4
So we create a junction that points that location to your external drive folder.
Step 5: Launch Sims 4 and verify everything
In-game:
• Check your Saves are there
• Check your Library/Tray items are there
• Check Mods are detected (Game Options > Other > View Custom Content)
Only after you confirm it’s working should you delete the BACKUP folder.
——————————————————————————
OPTION B (SIMPLE): MOVE ONLY YOUR MODS FOLDER TO THE EXTERNAL
——————————————————————————
If you want Saves + Tray to stay on your main drive, but Mods live on the external, you can link only the Mods folder.
Step 1: Copy your Mods folder to your external drive
From:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods
To something like:
E:\Sims 4\Mods
Step 2: Rename the original Mods folder on your computer (do not delete yet)
Rename:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods
to:
Mods_BACKUP
Step 3: Create a junction link for Mods only (I’ll include the command below)
Step 4: Launch Sims 4 and confirm your mods show up
This method is nice if you’re mainly trying to free up space because Mods is usually the biggest folder.
——————————————————————————
WINDOWS JUNCTION COMMAND
——————————————————————————
You’ll do this in an Admin Command Prompt.
A) Link the ENTIRE Sims 4 user folder:
MKLINK /J "%UserProfile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4" "E:\Sims 4\The Sims 4"
B) Link ONLY the Mods folder:
MKLINK /J "%UserProfile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods" "E:\Sims 4\Mods"
IMPORTANT:
• Replace E:\Sims 4\... with YOUR real external drive path.
• Do not launch the game until AFTER the link is created, or the game may generate a brand new “The Sims 4” folder and you’ll think everything vanished.
——————————————————————————
HOW TO MOVE THE GAME ITSELF (EA APP / STEAM)
——————————————————————————
If you mean the actual game install (packs, expansion files, etc.) and not your Documents folder:
The simplest way is usually:
• Uninstall Sims 4
• Reinstall it and choose the external drive as the install location
That’s the clean way and avoids weird half-moves.
(Your Mods/Saves/Tray are still separate unless you do Option A above.)
——————————————————————————
SYMPTOMS + FIXES (THE STUFF THAT SCARES PEOPLE)
——————————————————————————
Symptom: “My mods disappeared / none are showing”
Most likely:
• External drive isn’t connected
• Drive letter changed (E: became F:)
• The junction link broke
Fix:
• Plug the drive in first, then launch Sims
• Make sure the external drive has the same letter every time (set a fixed drive letter in Windows Disk Management)
• If needed, delete the broken link folder and recreate the junction command
Symptom: “My saves are gone / my Library is empty”
Same cause as above: the game can’t see the folder you linked.
Fix:
• Don’t panic and start new saves
• Reconnect the drive and relaunch
• Make sure the link points to the right place
Symptom: “The game created a NEW ‘The Sims 4’ folder”
That happens when Sims can’t find your linked folder.
Fix:
• Close the game
• Reconnect the drive
• Recreate the junction
• Then open the game again
Symptom: “My game loads slower than before”
That’s usually hardware, not your mods.
Fix:
• External SSD > external HDD
• Use a USB 3.x port (not a slow port)
• Keep your Mods folder organized
• Clean cache regularly (localthumbcache.package)
——————————————————————————
TIPS TO KEEP GAMEPLAY FAST (REALISTIC, NOT MAGIC)
——————————————————————————
• Use an external SSD if you can. That’s the real speed boost.
• Don’t play through a cheap hub. Plug the drive directly into the computer when possible.
• Keep your Mods folder tidy:
- Don’t keep duplicates
- Don’t keep old versions sitting next to new versions
- Separate “Gameplay Mods” vs “CC” so you can troubleshoot faster
• After big updates: move Mods out, test vanilla, then add back in batches.
• Clear cache often:
- Delete localthumbcache.package
If you want my full patch workflow, I wrote it here:
If your game is glitching, start here:
Troubleshooting (Conflicts + 50/50 basics)
If you’re new to mods, start here:
Install Guide (How to Install + Script Mods)
If you want the official mod list:
——————————————————————————
FINAL “DO NOT DO THIS” LIST
——————————————————————————
• Don’t move things and then launch Sims before your link is made.
• Don’t play if your external drive is randomly disconnecting.
• Don’t keep 4 versions of the same mod in your folder and expect peace.
• Don’t forget backups. Ever.
Love ya!
Comments
Post a Comment