Here's our original article:
Dec. 21, 2015 I've done some clean up of text and formatting errors, and to note this process now works for The Sims 3 if your copy was purchased through Origin or downloaded from Origin after registering the digital copies on The Sims 3 website.
This how-to is designed to help you backup your installation of The Sims 4 so you can easily re-install the game without needing to redownload 8+ GB of data and updates. This process also works with The Sims 3 and its expansion and stuff packs if your copy is purchased or downloaded through Origin. And it works for The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection if you received a copy during the free giveaway.
Disclaimer: Please read through these instructions carefully before following them. It will instruct you to alter files on your computer which may result in loss of data. While I will make every attempt to help you fix any problems you may encounter, ultimately I bear no responsibility for you system or data if something should go wrong.
This article will be split into three posts. This post will cover preparing for and backing up the game's files. Post 2 will cover restoring your game from backup and post 3 will be an on-going updated set of notes about the process - any "gotchas" you may encounter, etc.
One thing to note is these instructions work whether you downloaded The Sims 4 directly from Origin or installed it from the DVDs in the Limited or Premium Editions. This is because The Sims 4 DVDs contains the same installer as what is downloaded from Origin, which is why the Origin client handles the game's installation from disc.
So, why backup the game from Origin if you have the discs? Well, the backup will contain all of the files as they exist including any patches up to the date of your backup. It will also include any game packs, stuff packs and expansion packs you have. This means fewer updates are needed when you restore your game.
Once again, I will be using the
7-zip open-source compression utility for compressing the files. You can use whatever compression utility you are familiar with to compress your game files, including the folder compression built into Windows.
Part One: Backing up your Sims 4 game The first thing we need to do is open Origin and change some of the default settings. In Origin, open the Origin menu in the upper-left corner of the window and select Application Settings. The following screen will open:
Origin Default SettingsClick the Advanced label on the left to open the settings we want to change.
Origin Advanced SettingsFirst, you want to check the box under the label "Your games will be installed to the following location:" By default this will point to one of two locations:
- C:\Program Files\Origin Games -- for 32-bit Windows
- C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games -- for 64-bit Windows
If you change the path in this field, Origin will display a message that games already installed will not be moved. As before, the previously installed game locations are stored in the Windows registry and are still playable. You may notice on the screenshot I've moved my installations to C:\Games\Electronic Arts.
The other thing we want to do is check the box labeled "Keep game installers after games have been installed." You don't strictly need to do this for The Sims 4, but if you have other games through Origin, checking this box will ensure you don't need to redownload the files if you need to re-install one of those games (SimCity Societies is one such game, for example). Backing up these installers is beyond the scope of this article, but you can search online for instructions.
Zipping the FilesThe first step you need to do is create a working folder. I usually create a folder called Temp, and put it on the Windows Desktop. Open Windows Explorer (in Windows 8/8.1/10 it's been renamed File Explorer) and navigate to the directory The Sims 4 is installed (see default locations above). Depending on the games you have installed, there may be a number of folders here, but the one you want is labeled "The Sims 4".
Right-click on The Sims 4 folder and select "Copy" from the menu. Then go to your Temp folder, right-click and select "Paste" and wait for the copy finish. Once it's done copying, right-click on your freshly copied The Sims 4 folder and select "7-Zip --> Add to The Sims 4.7z" from the menu.
Note: If you're using the built-in Windows compression tool, select "Send to --> Compressed (zipped) folder" and follow the steps in the wizard.
Once the files are finished compressing, you will see your new .7z (or .zip) file in the folder:
You can now copy this to the backup medium of your choice. Note that the file will be larger than a standard DVD, so you will want to back it up to an external hard drive or USB flash drive.
Part two is next.
Flynn
