How to Fix Sims 4 Mods Not Working?

When Sims 4 mods suddenly stop working, players may experience broken gameplay, missing features, or even game crashes. This issue typically arises when a new game update is released, causing existing mods to become incompatible until their creators release updates.

The most common cause is outdated mods that no longer align with the updated game code, leading to errors and malfunctioning mods. Additional problems can occur if mods aren’t re-enabled in the game settings after an update, or if corrupted cache files interfere with mod functionality.

Solution 1: Check Downloaded Mod Files

Before proceeding with other solutions, first ensure that the mod files placed in the mods folder are correctly formatted.

Downloaded mod files typically come in a .zip format. You need to unzip these files before placing them in the game.

The game engine cannot process .zip files directly, so extract the contents to ensure the mods function properly.

1. Navigate to the Sims 4 installation directory.
2. Then go to the following sub-directory:

   Electronic Arts > Sims 4 > Mods

3. Check the contents of the mod folder. Ensure that each mod package is unzipped and correctly placed in the following format:

   Electronic Arts > Sims 4 > Mods > [mod folder name] > [mod files]

Here, the mod files should be in the following format:

Sims 4  Mods  *mod folder name*  *mod files*

Note: You can also try another workaround by placing the entire mods folder in another folder and placing it in the main mod directory. This is a long shot, but it worked for several people due to unknown reasons.

Solution 2: Check Whether Mods Are Enabled In-Game

As mentioned before, Sims 4 rolled out an update where users were given an option in-game that allowed them to enable/disable the mods. Previously, this wasn’t the case, and the game would automatically load all the mods as long as they were in the mods folder. In this solution, we will navigate to the in-game options and make sure that the option is enabled.

1. Launch the Sims 4 game and click on the menu button (three dots present at the top-right corner of the game).
2. Navigate to Game options Other. Enable the following two options:

   Enable Custom Content and Mods
   Script Mods Allowed

   

3. Click Apply Changes and exit. Now restart the game properly and try loading the mods. Check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 3: Check Mod Type and Compatibility

Sims 1, 2, and 3 also supported mod files and allowed users to customize their gameplay according to their will. However, it should be noted that older version mods are not supported by the newer versions of the game. For example, if you downloaded a mod for Sims 3, it will not be supported and playable with Sims 4.

Hence you should navigate to the mod’s website and make sure that the mod you downloaded is indeed for Sims 4 and not for the earlier versions.

You can easily check this by seeing the changelog or the category in which they are placed. Identify the incompatible mods and remove them.

We came across several different cases where the mod author didn’t update the existing version of the mod to be compatible with the latest version of Sims, which caused the mod to conflict and not work as expected.

Navigate to the official mod website and check if the current version of the mod you have been using is working properly in Sims 4. You can also take a look at different forums.

Solution 4: Install the Latest Sims 4 Updates (if applicable)

There was a universal issue in Sims 4 where at a point, the game stopped supporting mods altogether, whether they were enabled or not. This caused a global outrage among players regarding the mod’s functionality, and they were unable to customize their game in any way.

Electronic Arts quickly released an update that circumvented the issue. If you have an older version of Sims 4 installed, it is recommended that you follow the method below to update it to the latest build.

Launch the Origin game engine and check for any updates available. If there are, don’t delay and update Sims 4 immediately. After updating, restart the game and check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 5: Delete Cache Files

Every game has a cache folder that it uses for its operations and running. Since the cache files are created at runtime and may be left over, there are chances that some of them get corrupt.

When this occurs, the game causes unexpected behavior, including the mods not working as required. In this solution, we will navigate to the cache folder and clear it.

1.  Press Windows + E to launch File Explorer and navigate to the following path:

   %userprofile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\Sims 4

   Note: You can navigate to some other directory if you haven’t installed Sims 4 in the default location.

2. Delete the following files/folders:

   localthumbcache.package
   cache
   cachewebkit
   lastcrash.txt
   lotcachedData

   

   Note: Some of the files might not be present in the later versions of Sims 4, so don’t worry if you have some of them missing.

3. Restart your computer and then launch the game. Check if the issue is resolved and you can access all the mods with ease.

Solution 6: Create a New Household

We came across a bizarre situation where existing households used by users were not able to load any of the mods, while the newer ones were. The only logical explanation that follows this behavior is that the current household has some corrupt files/modules in it which are conflicting with the external mods and not letting them load as expected.

You should navigate to the main menu of the game and then create a new household. Create a Sim or two and then check whether the mods work as expected. If they do, it confirms that there is a household problem.

Solution 7: Detect Problematic Mods

If all the above methods don’t work, it is possible that your mod list contains a problematic mod that is causing issues. In this solution, we will try to create a new Sims 4 user data folder on your computer and, after copying the major old configurations, test each mod one by one.

If there is any problematic mod, we will be able to detect and remove it. This method will require that you analyze each case very carefully and might be tedious, so make sure you have plenty of time.

1. Press Windows + E to launch File Explorer and navigate to the following path:

   %userprofile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\Sims 4

   Note: You can navigate to some other directory if you haven’t installed Sims 4 in the default location.

2. Cut the entire folder and paste it onto your Desktop. Now launch Sims 4 again. You will notice that the game will start afresh and all the initial settings will be reset. In the backend, a new Sims folder will be generated.
3. Exit the game and navigate to the folder which you copied to your Desktop.
4. Now copy the following files/folders:

   Options.ini or Options file
   
   Saves
   
   Screenshots
   
   Tray
   
   Custom music

4. After copying these folders, paste them into the new folder that was just created automatically (the files/folders will be replaced).
5. Now just place your CC Package Files (remember not the mods folder) into the new folder. We will skip the script mods for now.
6. Launch your game and see if CC is visible. If it is, you can start by placing the script mods one at a time and see which ones work and which ones don’t. This way, you will be able to diagnose which one is causing the issue, and you can replace it accordingly.

Note: This method is also valid in cases where the Sims 4 game causes bizarre behavior and doesn’t work as expected.

Solution 8: Reinstall/Repair Sims 4

If all the above methods don’t work, there is a chance that your Sims 4 copy has corrupt/incomplete installation files causing the game to malfunction. Games constantly update every once in a while to improve bugs or to add new features.

It is possible that while updating the game modules, some of them didn’t get installed correctly or have missing files. We will try repairing the game so all of this can be fixed by the client itself.

1. Launch Origin using its launcher and navigate to “My Games“.
2. Locate your Sims game, right-click it and select “Repair Game“.

   

3. Wait for the repair process to complete fully.
4. Do a restart and check if you can successfully launch the game. In case of an uninstall, restart your computer and download the entire game again.