Where is sims 3 save data

This item will only be visible in searches to you, your friends, and admins. If you are experiencing computer and Sims 3 performance issues, learn how to speed it up by moving your save games to another drive and purge bloated cache files with this handy script. Updated to include Sims 4! This item has been added to your Favorites. Created by. Category: Modding or Configuration. Languages: English. Guide Index. Moving Game Saves to Another Location. Sims 3 Cache Cleaning Script.

Sims 4 Cache Cleaning Script. Fix for 0xd Error in Sims 3. Additional Notes. Other Guides. Most modern computers have operating systems installed on solid-state drives, referred to as SSD's. SSD's speeds up OS and most application loading times, however, they can be very costly depending on its storage capacity. In addition, constantly writing too much data to an SSD can significantly shorten the drive's lifespan. While The Sims 3 can benefit from increased SSD loading times, file sizes for game saves can be absurdly large… especially when expansion packs, mods, and all kinds of other content are used to customize the game, reading and — especially writing saved game data will eventually degrade load times and overall speed performance of the drive itself.

This can also be problematic for mechanical hard drives HDD as well, since they are slower to access large amounts of data. It is advised to purge cached save game files and will touch upon this topic in the Sims Cache Cleaning Script section s of this guide.

Disclaimer: This tutorial utilizes advanced knowledge of the Windows OS. Anyone attempting to follow this guide does so at his or her own risk and agrees not to hold me liable for any damages caused as the result of user error.

For whatever reason, the developer decided to hard code Sims 3 saved games to the defaulted Documents folder in Windows or in My Documents if running XP , making it difficult for the user to choose an alternate saved games location. This tutorial attempts to provide step-by-step instructions to anyone wanting to create a directory symbolic or soft link from the defaulted save game location in the Documents folder to the target directory where the actual game saves are stored.

For best performance, it is suggested to have the game installed on an SSD if possible and keep game saves on a mechanical drive. Readers attempting to follow this guide must have proficient working knowledge of Windows operating systems. A high comfort level is necessary when working at the command-line, as well as having familiarity of running an elevated command prompt.

Administrative privileges to the operating system is also required. Step-by-Step Instructions. If you have lots of custom content loaded into Sims 3 as I do, you will notice that game performance will still degrade — even after having moved the entire saved games folder to a new drive. Originally, I included an ultra-condensed albeit sloppily written script for Sims 3 in this guide.

Take Survey No, Thanks. Sign In or Register. See details Show less. Turn on suggestions. Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type. Showing results for. Search instead for. Do you mean. Zombies Plants vs. Zombies 2 Plants vs. This game will show you how to back up your saved game data in The Sims series , and how to restore them afterwards. Note: This game guide was written with Windows in mind only. Procedures for Mac users may differ slightly.

In The Sims , your saved game data is located in the same directory as all of the core game files. Chances are you're only interested in backing up your saved games and your custom content, since all of the core game files are replaced when you reinstall the game.

Most of the folders you see here do not contain your saved game data, but the core game files. The two folders you probably want to back up are:. Select your Downloads folder and any UserData folders you have. If you do not have the checkboxes on your computer, Ctrl-click on the folders to select them.

Now create a folder somewhere on your computer where you would like to store your backed up files in We recommend being organized here! You can also choose to back up to a portable flash drive or a cloud storage service, such as Google Drive. Go into that folder and right-click anywhere inside of it, then select "Paste". Your saved data is now backed up! Right click on all of the selected folders, go to "Send To This method will back up all of your neighborhoods, Sims, lots, custom content, Body Shop projects and creations, collections, in-game snapshots, game settings, etc.

It will not back up core game files, custom content that you have installed in the core game directories, custom graphics rules settings, or the Allmenus cheat setting. Right-click on the "The Sims 2" folder, go to "Send To This method will back up just your neighborhoods. Each neighborhood contains its own Sims, lots, sub-neighborhoods, and set of storytelling snapshots, and each neighborhood is separate from each other.

This method will not back up custom content, game settings, Body Shop projects and creations, et al. This backs up less data, but also uses less storage space. If you want to back up all of your neighborhoods at once, select the "Neighborhoods" folder and select "Copy". If you want to back up individual neighborhoods, go into the "Neighborhoods" folder and select the neighborhood folders you want to back up.

Right-click on your selection s and select "Copy". If you want to back up all of your neighborhoods at once, right-click on the "Neighborhoods" folder, go to "Send To Save games work a little differently in The Sims 3. Instead of each household being its own saved game, which are in turn collectively organized in neighborhoods that are separate from each other, saves consist of entire worlds with one actively played household.

Saves are displayed in the main menu and can easily be duplicated in-game. It is still possible to back up saved games in the traditional method, however.