How to back up and restore The Sims 4 saves before updates

After the January 10, 2026 update cycle many players reported save corruption and compatibility glitches. Those issues can appear immediately after major patches or when running untested mods and custom content, and they can cost hours of gameplay and large builds if you lack reliable backups.

Start with a quick manual backup. On Windows, close The Sims 4 and copy Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves to an external drive, USB stick, or cloud folder. Rename the copy with the date—example: Sims4Backup_2026-01-13—so you can identify it later. On macOS, close the game and copy ~/Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Saves to a safe location, then rename the backup folder with the date. These straightforward file copies are the fastest way to protect progress before installing a patch or a large CC/mod pack.

If you encounter a broken save, use the in-game Load Game > Recover Save option when available; this is the recommended first step because it preserves your saves without manual file juggling. If Recover Save isn’t available or doesn’t help, manually replace your current Saves folder with the dated backup and launch the game to verify the restore.

The Sims 4 also keeps autosave versions with .verX extensions (for example: Slot_00000002.save.ver0). To roll back to an autosave, quit the game, locate the .ver file you want, remove the “.verX” suffix so the file becomes a .save file, then restart the game. That technique can recover individual slots without restoring an entire Saves folder.

Adopt a few best practices to minimize disruption. Make at least one dated manual backup before installing any major update or adding large mod/CC packs. Maintain two copies when possible: one local (external drive) and one offsite (cloud) to protect against hardware failure. Be cautious with cloud-syncing tools such as OneDrive or Google Drive—some players report issues when those services sync the Documents/Electronic Arts folder while playing; if you use cloud sync, configure and test it before relying on it. Keep a separate unmodded save to test new patches or packs before exposing your main household and builds.

For step-by-step walkthroughs and additional tips, see the community resource at simscommunity.info/2026/01/10/preparing-for-the-sims-4-updates-official-guide/

Backups are the simplest insurance policy in The Sims 4: a few minutes copying a folder can save you hours rebuilding a neighborhood or restoring a masterpiece lot. Verify your backups before a patch, test new mods in an unmodded save, and you’ll spend more time playing and less time troubleshooting.