Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFirst, protect your Sims 4 user-folder files with a separate copy if you play on PC or Mac. Then, for a manual-save slot, use Load Game → select the slot → Recover Save and choose an earlier available save point. If that does not work, test the game without saves or mods and restore your backed-up files gradually. Recovery depends on having a usable earlier save point or backup; there is no established way to reconstruct lost progress when neither exists.
Try Recover Save for the affected slot
EA’s recovery instructions apply the menu procedure to PC, Mac, and console. Recover Save returns the game to an earlier available save point; it does not repair the damaged version in place. EA says each manual-save slot keeps several save points from recent sessions. EA’s save-recovery guide gives these steps:
- From the Main Menu, select Load Game.
- Select the affected game in its manual-save slot.
- Select Recover Save, shown with a floppy-disk icon.
- Choose an available save point, then select Play.
If the recovered point opens, it may not contain your most recent progress: it represents an earlier version. Check that the household and world state are the one you intended before continuing.
Know the limit of Autosave
EA says The Sims 4 has one Autosave slot. Each new Autosave replaces the previous one, and “Older Autosaves can’t be recovered.” That means Autosave is not a history of versions to browse. If you want multiple versions available, EA recommends making manual saves.
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#1 Best Overall
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Back up before resetting or moving files
On PC or Mac, make a separate copy of your Sims 4 user folder before resetting the game, replacing files, or testing content. EA’s backup and reset guide explains how to copy the folder and restore it. An external drive can be a separate destination for that copy, but it only protects files that are present when you make the backup.
Do not apply these folder-level directions to console: the cited recovery instructions cover console menu recovery, while the detailed backup/reset steps cover Windows and Mac.
Rank #2
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- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop. Reformatting may be required for Mac
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Test whether a save, mod, or downloaded file is causing the problem
EA’s reset procedure separates user-folder content from the game environment. Keep the original copy untouched, reset the game as EA describes, and launch it without saves or mods. If the clean game works, investigate the backed-up content; if it still fails, EA’s test points away from those removed saves and downloaded files.
Restore backed-up content gradually
- With the clean game working, copy one backed-up folder back into the reset user folder and launch the game to test it.
- Continue one folder at a time, testing after each addition.
- If restoring the saves folder makes the game fail, remove that restored folder and add individual save files from the backup one at a time, launching the game after each.
- When the failure returns, the last file added is the likely problem file under EA’s procedure. Keep the separate backup intact while you decide what to do next.
This process can help identify a troublesome file; it does not guarantee that the file can be repaired or that its progress can be recovered.
Rank #3
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Separate save problems from mod and installation problems
If the save-file test does not explain the failure, EA notes that a downloaded mod could still be involved and links to mod guidance for The Sims 4. For the specific launch error that says game data is missing or damaged, an EA Forums support post advises temporarily removing Mods and checking or repairing installation files: in the EA app, use Manage > Repair; in Steam, open Properties > Local files > Verify the integrity of the game files.
Those launcher actions check or repair installed game files, not a missing historical save. If no earlier in-game point or separate backup exists, the cited guidance does not establish a general way to recreate that lost progress.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 【Plug-and-Play Expandability】 With no software to install, just plug it in and the drive is ready to use in Windows（For Mac，first format the drive and select the ExFat format.
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- Important Notes for PS/Xbox Gaming Devices: You can play last-gen games (PS4 / Xbox One) directly from an external hard drive. However, to play current-gen games (PS5 / Xbox Series X|S), you must copy them to the console's internal SSD first. The external drive is great for keeping your library on hand, but it can't run the new games.
Rank #4
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