Sims 4 Save Files Disappeared? 7 Safe Fixes
Si votre Sims 4 save files disappeared, avoid creating new saves until you know what happened. Your game files may still exist in another Documents folder, OneDrive may have redirected them, or The Sims 4 may be reading a newly created empty folder. Start with the safest built-in options. If the original .save files were actually deleted and no backup remains, Magic Data Recovery pourraient s'avérer utiles avant que de nouvelles données ne les écrasent.
This guide separates missing, moved, backed-up, and permanently deleted saves so you can choose the right recovery method. For a broader explanation of what happens after Windows deletes a file, see our guide de récupération des fichiers effacés.
Prise en charge de Windows 7/8/10/11 et Windows Server
Table des matières
Why Have Sims 4 Save Files Disappeared on Windows?
A save that no longer appears in The Sims 4 is not necessarily deleted. First, identify which situation matches your case:
- Missing in-game: The save may still exist in another Documents or OneDrive folder.
- Older progress is missing: The game’s Recover Save feature or
.save.verfiles may help. - Supprimé : The save may still be in the Windows or OneDrive Recycle Bin.
- Permanently deleted: Disk-level file recovery may be required.
- Drive failure: Stop using the drive if it disconnects, clicks, or disappears from Windows.
The normal Windows save location is:
C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves
However, OneDrive folder redirection can change where Windows stores Documents. Therefore, checking the actual file location should come before deleted-file recovery.
What to Do First If Your Sims 4 Save Files Disappeared
Close The Sims 4 before moving or renaming save files. Next, copy any existing The Sims 4 folder to another safe location. That backup protects current saves, Mods, Tray content, and configuration files while you troubleshoot.
Also, avoid repeatedly launching the game and creating new saves if you suspect deletion. New disk activity can overwrite deleted data.
If you are specifically trying to return to an older household or an earlier point in the same game, our guide to récupérer d'anciens fichiers de sauvegarde de Sims 4 explique ce scénario plus en détail.
Method 1: Check the Correct Sims 4 Save Folder
Quand Sims 4 save files disappeared after an update, reinstall, Windows change, or OneDrive sync, check both common locations:
C:\Users\<YourName>\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves
C:\Users\<YourName>\OneDrive\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves
Recherchez des noms de fichiers tels que :
Slot_00000001.save
You may also see files ending in .save.ver0, .save.ver1, or similar version numbers.
If the old saves exist in one folder while The Sims 4 uses another, back up both folders first. Then copy only the required save files into the active saves dossier.
This is a path problem, not a deleted-file problem. Therefore, recovery software is unnecessary if the original save files still exist.
Method 2: Use The Sims 4 Recover Save Feature
If the affected game still appears under Charger la partie, try The Sims 4’s built-in recovery feature before modifying files manually.
- Open The Sims 4.
- Choisir Charger la partie.
- Select the affected save.
- Cliquez sur Récupérer Enregistrer.
- Choose an earlier recovery point.
- Start the game and verify your household and progress.
This method is useful when the current save became corrupted or recent progress disappeared.
However, Recover Save cannot restore a .save file that has already been permanently deleted from the storage drive.
Method 3: Restore Deleted Sims 4 Saves from Recycle Bin
If you accidentally deleted a save file or the entire saves folder, open the Windows Corbeille.
Recherche de :
Slot_
.save
The Sims 4
If you find the missing files, right-click them and choose Restaurer. Windows should return them to their previous location.
This should come before disk scanning because the Recycle Bin still holds the original file. If you already emptied it, see our guide on how to récupérer des fichiers supprimés de la corbeille.
After restoration, confirm that the files returned to the Documents folder currently used by The Sims 4.
Method 4: Check OneDrive Recycle Bin and Version History
OneDrive deserves special attention when Sims 4 save files disappeared from a Windows PC.
If Windows backs up or redirects Documents through OneDrive, a sync change can make the local Sims 4 folder appear empty even when another cloud or local copy still exists.
First, open OneDrive on the web and inspect its Recycle Bin. Then check whether the Electronic Arts folder exists under OneDrive Documents.
You can also use Version History when an appropriate earlier version exists.
For more OneDrive-specific recovery options, see Comment récupérer des fichiers supprimés de OneDrive.
Before restoring anything, make a copy of your current Sims 4 folder. Otherwise, restoring an older version could replace newer saves that you still need.
Method 5: Restore Sims 4 Save Files from File History or Backup
If you previously enabled File History or another Windows backup method, use the backup before trying data recovery software.
For File History:
- Ouvrir Panneau de contrôle.
- Sélectionner Système et sécurité > Historique des fichiers.
- Choisir Restaurer des fichiers personnels.
- Browse to the Electronic Arts or Sims 4 save folder.
- Find a version created before the saves disappeared.
- Restaurer les fichiers nécessaires.
You can also right-click the original saves folder, select Propriétés, et vérifier Versions précédentes.
These methods only work if Windows created a usable backup before the data loss. For additional Windows recovery options, see 7 safe ways to recover files from a computer.
Method 6: Search the Whole PC for Sims 4 Slot Files
Parfois Sims 4 save files disappeared from the expected folder but were moved rather than deleted.
Ouvrez l'Explorateur de fichiers, puis sélectionnez Ce PC, puis recherchez :
Slot_*.save
Then search for:
Slot_*.save.ver*
Trier les résultats par Date de modification and check each file’s location.
Pay particular attention to:
- Another Windows user profile
- Local Documents
- OneDrive Documents
- Old desktop or backup folders
- A manually copied Sims 4 folder
If you find promising files, copy them to a separate backup folder first. Do not immediately rename or overwrite the current save files.
Method 7: Recover Permanently Deleted Sims 4 Save Files
Si Sims 4 save files disappeared and you cannot find them through File Explorer, Recover Save, Recycle Bin, OneDrive, File History, or another backup, the original files may have been permanently deleted.
At this point, stop using the affected drive as much as possible. Windows can reuse the storage space occupied by deleted files, and new data may overwrite the old save.
Recovery is also more difficult on an SSD because TRIM may allow the drive to clear blocks that Windows no longer considers active.
For a deeper explanation of this situation, see our guide to restaurer les fichiers définitivement effacés.
Lorsque le .save files genuinely no longer exist through normal Windows or Sims 4 recovery options, Magic Data Recovery can scan the drive where the files were stored.
It serves a different purpose from Recover Save, Recycle Bin, OneDrive, or File History. Those methods restore an existing copy or backup. Data recovery software instead searches the storage device for traces of deleted files.
Si les options de récupération intégrées ne fonctionnent plus, vous pouvez essayer Magic Data Recovery avant que de nouvelles données ne viennent écraser les fichiers supprimés.
How to Use Magic Data Recovery When Sims 4 Save Files Disappeared
Étape 1 : Télécharger et installer Magic Data Recovery
Download and install Magic Data Recovery, but do not install it on the same partition where the missing Sims 4 files were stored.
For example, if the deleted saves were on C :, use another partition or drive when possible. Installing new software on the source partition may overwrite recoverable data.
Prise en charge de Windows 7/8/10/11 et Windows Server
Step 2: Select the Drive Where the Sims 4 Saves Were Stored
Launch Magic Data Recovery and select the drive that originally contained:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves
Then start the scan.
Étape 3 : Recherche de Perdu or Deleted Sims 4 Save Files
Allow the software to scan the original storage location. As results appear, look for the former Sims 4 folder structure and files with names beginning in Slot_.
A completed scan may reveal more results than stopping immediately after the first files appear.
Step 4: Recover Sims 4 Saves to a Safe Location
Select the files you want and recover them to another drive or safe storage location.
Do not restore recovered files directly to the original loss location during the recovery process. Afterward, make another backup before copying the recovered .save files into the active Sims 4 folder for testing.
Why Have Sims 4 Save Files Disappeared After an Update?
Quand Sims 4 save files disappeared immediately after an update, it is easy to assume the update deleted them. However, timing alone does not prove deletion.
The game may now be reading a different Documents folder. OneDrive may have changed folder synchronization, or The Sims 4 may have created a fresh user-data folder.
Therefore, search the entire computer for Slot_*.save before using recovery software. If the files still exist somewhere else, move or path correction is more appropriate than deleted-file recovery.
How to Prevent Sims 4 Save Files from Disappearing Again
Once your saves are working again, create more than one backup.
- Periodically copy the
savesfolder to another drive. - Keep multiple manual save slots for important games.
- Confirm which Documents folder Windows and OneDrive use.
- Make a backup before major game, Windows, or mod changes.
- Do not treat autosave as a permanent backup archive.
- Keep backups separate from the original system drive when possible.
A local copy plus a second backup location gives you more options if a save becomes corrupted, overwritten, moved, or deleted.
Conclusion
Si votre Sims 4 save files disappeared, begin by checking the active Documents folder, OneDrive, Slot_*.save files, Récupérer Enregistrer, Recycle Bin, and Windows backups. These options are safer when the save still exists somewhere or an earlier copy remains available. You can also review our broader guide de récupération des fichiers effacés to understand what to do when Windows has actually removed a file.
If the original Sims 4 .save files were permanently deleted and those built-in methods no longer work, Magic Data Recovery provides a disk-scanning option. Recovery still depends on whether new data has overwritten the file and whether SSD TRIM has cleared the deleted blocks, so no recovery method can guarantee every missing save will return.
Prise en charge de Windows 7/8/10/11 et Windows Server
FAQ
Why did my Sims 4 save files disappear after an update?
Slot_*.save files and check both local Documents and OneDrive Documents before attempting deleted-file recovery.Where are Sims 4 save files stored on Windows?
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves. If OneDrive manages your Documents folder, they may instead appear under OneDrive\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves. Search the whole PC for Slot_*.save if the expected folder is empty or The Sims 4 suddenly shows no saved games.Can I recover an older Sims 4 save without recovery software?
.save.ver files in the saves folder. These options are preferable because they work with existing Sims 4 data rather than scanning the disk for deleted files.Can the Recycle Bin restore deleted Sims 4 save files?
.save file or Sims 4 folder was deleted normally and the Recycle Bin has not been emptied. Open the Recycle Bin, search for Slot_ or the original folder, and choose Restaurer. If the Recycle Bin was already emptied, check backups before considering disk-level recovery.What should I check if OneDrive caused my Sims 4 saves to disappear?
Can software recover permanently deleted Sims 4 save files?
.save fichier.How can I prevent another Sims 4 save files disappeared problem?
saves folder and keep at least one backup away from the original Windows drive. Use multiple manual save slots, check OneDrive folder settings, and back up before major game or system changes. These precautions provide independent copies when saves are moved, corrupted, overwritten, or accidentally deleted.