View source for Game Help:TS3 Back Ups/Restore

==How do I Restore Files?==

<big>'''Restoring a backup (or transferring to another computer)'''</big>

Restoring the backed-up files is really quite easy.


'''Warning: Please note that game files are not backward compatible with other expansion packs. If you made savegames with an expansion pack, they will NOT work without that expansion pack.'''


===If you are restoring from a Folder on HDD===

*Your (local or external HDD) folder contains the entire The Sims 3 folder:
** Move or Delete the ''My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3'' folder
** Click on ''My Computer'' and navigate to the path that contains ''The Sims 3'' backup folder (eg the Desktop if you followed the backup steps previously)
** Right click on ''The Sims 3'' folder and choose Copy
** Go back to ''My Documents\Electronic Arts'' and click Paste


===If you are restoring from a CD/ DVD===

*Your disc contains the entire The Sims 3 folder:
** Move or Delete the ''My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3'' folder
** Put the CD or DVD into the disc drive
** Click on ''My Computer''
** Double click on the disc drive icon
** Right click on ''The Sims 3'' folder and choose Copy
** Go back to ''My Documents\Electronic Arts'' and click Paste


*You have 2 or more discs containing The Sims 3 folder:
** Navigate to ''My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3'' folder
** From the Folder Menu choose Edit > Select All
** Then choose File > Delete
** Put the first disc into the disc drive
** Click on ''My Computer''
** Double click on the disc drive icon
** From the Folder Menu choose Edit > Select All
** Then choose Edit > Copy
** Go back to ''My Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3'' folder
** From the Folder Menu choose Edit > Paste
** Repeat this process for each disc you have and all files are copied to your hard drive.



===If you are restoring from a Zip or Rar Archive===

* Locate the Zip or Rar archive where you saved it to
* Right click on the archive and choose Copy
* Go to ''My Documents\Electronic Arts''
* From the Folder Menu choose Edit > Paste
* '''For a Zip file''', right click on the file and select ''Extract to Here''
** The archive will extract and create ''The Sims 3'' folder
** You can then delete the Zip file
*'''For a Rar File''', right click and select ''Extract Here''.
** The archive will extract and create ''The Sims 3'' folder
** You can then delete the Rar file

The directions, above, are for using WinZip & WinRar, if you use a different extraction program the process will be similar and the principle the same.


===Restoring the Mods folder===

The Mods folder should be restored together with the User Profile files and folders above, '''''only''''' if you had applied the same patches or installed the same EPs/SPs as when you perform the backup. Otherwise, start the game without restoring custom content, before you introduce items that may have become outdated.


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    <h5><span>Patch 1.12 and Later:</span></h5>
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*Your Mods/Packages folder is to be restored to ''Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\''
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    <h5><span>Before Patch 1.12</span></h5>
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*Your Mods/Packages folder for patch versions 1.11 and lower is to be restored to ''Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\''
*If you have your packages installed into an EP folder (eg. ''Program Files(x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\'') then this procedure should be done there instead.
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