Fix: Sims 4 Mods not Working

The Sims 4 is the fourth major expansion to the Sims video games series. It is developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The game was initially launched for Windows OS but its support was also extended to macOS a while later. The game gained a lot of traction when it released by the gaming community.

Sims 4 Mods not Working

We have received numerous reports regarding the issue where Sims 4 mods fail to work. Either the game doesn’t pick up the mod files which you have pasted in the directory or the mod fails to initialize. We looked at several user reports and use cases to come to the conclusion that this issue occurred due to several different reasons.

What causes Sims 4 mods not to Work?

We analyzed several cases as to why the mods were not working problem in the user’s computers. Here are some of the reasons as to why you might face a similar situation.

  • Mod files in .zip format: The mod files which you download through the internet are in a zipped format. In order to properly place them in the correct location, you need to unzip them and then place the contents. If this isn’t the case, the mods will fail to work.
  • Mods are disabled in-game: Sims 4 introduced a new option where users can decide whether to enable the mods or not. Normally, this option is disabled by default. You need to make sure it is enabled before the mods can be loaded in the game engine.
  • Bad update: Sims 4 also came across a bug where the game stopped picking up mod files entirely regardless whether the option was enabled or not. Here updating the game to the latest version fixes the issue instantly.
  • Bad cache: Like all other games, Sims 4 also has a cache folder where all the temporary data is stored for its operations. It is possible that the cache folder is corrupt and because of it, the mods are not loading. Refreshing the cache works here.
  • Bad mods: If there are any corrupt or bad mods in your mods directory, there is a possibility that the entire batch of mods will not work. Here we have to apply a technique where we test each mod one by one to find the culprit and disregard it from the folder.
  • Unsupported mods: Sims 4 releases updates every now and then to either introduce new features or fix bugs. The mods need to be updated by the creators during this time as well. If the mods are not updated by the creators and they conflict with the game engine mechanics, the mods will fail to load.
  • One Drive: We also came across several cases where users using One Drive were unable to load all the mods or only partial were loaded. One Drive automatically backs up the files from your computer and also removes some of them to save space. This might prove problematic for the game.
  • Corrupt current gameplay: Sims 4 allows users to create several different households. We came across some cases where the household itself was corrupt and it failed to load any new mods. Loading a new household and checking there will confirm the situation.
  • Older mods: If you are trying to launch mods which belong to the earlier versions of Sims, they will not work in Sims 4.

In this article, we will go through all the possible causes of the issue and what you can do to fix it. If you face a similar problem, start from the first solution and work your way down accordingly. The solutions are written in terms of simplicity and the usefulness of the actions. Make sure that you are logged in as an administrator before proceeding.

Solution 1: Checking Downloaded Mod Files

Before we start with any other solution, we will check whether the mod files which you have placed in the mods folder are in the correct format. Normally, the format in which the mod files are when you download them from the creator’s website is .zip. The reason why the game cannot view and operate the contents of the .zip file is that the game engine is not designed to unzip the package each and every time as this will consume a lot of time and CPU energy.

  1. Navigate to the Sims 4 installation directory.
  2. Next, navigate to the following sub-directory:
Electronic arts > Sims 4 > Mods
  1. Now check the contents of the mod folder. Make sure that each mod package is unzipped and in a folder format (also make sure that there are no subfolders in which the mod presides. Consider the example below:
Sims 4 > Mods > *mod folder name* < *some folder* > *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 where you place the entire mods folder in another folder and place it in the main mod directory. This is a long shot but it worked for several people due to unknown reasons.

Solution 2: Checking whether Mods are enabled in-game

Like mentioned before, Sims 4 rolled out an update where users were given an option in-game which 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. Now you need to check the following two options:
Enable Custom Content and Mods

Script Mods Allowed
Enabling mods in-game – Sims 4
  1. Click Apply Changes and exit. Now restart the game properly and try loading the mods. Check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 3: Checking Mod Type and Compatibility

Sims 1, 2, and 3 also had the support for 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 played with Sims 4.

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

Another thing to check is the mod compatibility with your current Sims 4 game. 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 which you have been using is working properly in Sims 4. You can also take a look at different forums.

Solution 4: Installing the latest Sims 4

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 to players regarding the mod’s functionality and they were unable to customize their game in any way. Electronic Arts were fast to release 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.

Updating Sims 4

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: Deleting Cache Files

Every game has a cache folder which it uses for its operations and the running of the game. Since the cache files are created at runtime and may be leftover, 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 the File Explorer and navigate to the following file path:
C:\Users\*User name*\Documents\Electronic Arts\Sims 4

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

  1. Now Delete the following files/folders.
localthumbcache.package

cache

cachewebkit

astcrash.txt

lotcachedData
Deleting Cache Files – Sims 4

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.

  1. Now 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: Creating a new Household

We came across a bizarre situation where current households used by users were not able to load any of the mods while the newer ones were. The only logical explanation which 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.

Creating a new Household – Sims 4

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

Solution 7: Detecting 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 user settings folder in 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 it and remove it. This method will require that you analyze each case very carefully and will cause it to be tedious so make sure you have plenty of time.

  1. Press Windows + E to launch the File Explorer and navigate to the following file path:
C:\Users\*User name*\Documents\Electronic Arts\Sims 4

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

  1. Cut the entire folder and paste it to 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 be generated.
  2. Exit the game and navigate to the folder which you copied to your Desktop. Now copy the following files/folders:
Options.ini or Options file

Saves

Screenshots

Tray

Custom music
  1. After copying these folders, paste them to the new folder which was just created automatically (the files/folders will be replaced).
  2. Now just place your CC Package Files (remember not the mods folder) to the new folder. We will skip the script mods for now.
  3. 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 one works and which ones doesn’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: Reinstalling/Repairing Sims 4

If all the above methods don’t work, there is a chance that your Sims 4 copy have corrupt/incomplete installation files which are 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”.
Repairing/reinstalling Sims 4
  1. Wait for the repair process to complete fully. 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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kevin Arrows


Kevin Arrows is a highly experienced and knowledgeable technology specialist with over a decade of industry experience. He holds a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification and has a deep passion for staying up-to-date on the latest tech developments. Kevin has written extensively on a wide range of tech-related topics, showcasing his expertise and knowledge in areas such as software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. His contributions to the tech field have been widely recognized and respected by his peers, and he is highly regarded for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.