How to Fix Broken Mods After a Sims 4 Update

First: The Golden Rule You Should Have Followed Before Updating

If you're reading this after already updating and things are broken, this section is for next time. If you haven't updated yet after seeing a patch notification, this section is for right now.

The golden rule for heavily modded players: do not update your game immediately after an EA patch. Wait 48–72 hours. During that window, the community will identify which mods are broken, creators will start releasing compatibility updates, and the broken mods lists will fill up with reliable info. Updating right away means potentially running broken script mods before fixes exist — that's how you get corruption and Last Exception spam.

On PC via the EA App or Steam, you can usually delay the update by just not launching the game after the patch drops. Once you've confirmed your critical mods (especially MCCC and other script mods) have released updates, then you update.

Step 1: Identify Whether Mods Are Actually the Problem

Before you go mod-hunting, confirm that mods are the issue. Move your entire Mods folder out of the Sims 4 directory (don't delete — just move it to your Desktop). Launch the game without any mods or CC. If the game runs cleanly, mods are the culprit. If it still crashes or misbehaves, the problem is with the game update itself — check EA's forums or the Sims subreddit for reports of similar issues.

Once you've confirmed mods are the cause, move your Mods folder back and proceed.

Step 2: Check the Broken Mods Lists (Let the Community Do the Work)

After every major patch, the community maintains broken mods lists — crowd-sourced resources tracking which mods are confirmed broken, which are working, and which are waiting for updates. These lists save hours of troubleshooting. The best sources:

• Carl's Sims Guide — keeps a regularly updated patch compatibility tracker at carls-sims-guide.com. It's the most comprehensive and consistently maintained resource out there.
• r/TheSims subreddit — usually has a pinned post or megathread after major patches tracking mod compatibility. Community-sourced but fast.
• Individual creator pages — Tumblr, Patreon, Discord for your specific mods are the most accurate sources for those mods. Deaderpool's MCCC Discord is especially quick with compatibility info.

Cross-reference your own mod list against these. Make a list of confirmed broken mods — that gives you a targeted removal plan instead of randomly pulling things.

Step 3: Remove Confirmed Broken Mods

For any mod listed as broken, take it out of your Mods folder before loading any save. Don't leave a known-broken script mod in place hoping for the best — it can generate Last Exception errors that pile up and cause save instability. Move broken mods to a temporary folder outside the Mods directory (don't delete them; you'll want to swap in updates later).

For mods not on any list (smaller mods, older CC that community trackers don't cover), proceed to the 50/50 method if you're still having issues after removing known-broken mods.

Step 4: Clear Your Cache Files (Always Do This)

After removing broken mods and before launching again, clear your game's cache. Go to your Sims 4 root folder (Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4) and delete localthumbcache.package. Also empty the cache subfolder (you can delete everything inside; the game will regenerate it). This ensures the game isn't loading any pre-patch cached data that might conflict with the updated game state.

Step 5: The 50/50 Method for Unknown Problem Mods

If you're still having issues after removing confirmed broken mods and clearing cache, you've got a mod that's broken but not on any list yet. The 50/50 method isolates it efficiently:

1. Move half your remaining Mods folder contents into a temporary folder.
2. Launch the game and test. If the problem persists, the culprit is in the half still in Mods. If the problem is gone, it's in the half you removed.
3. Take the guilty half, split it in half again, repeat.
4. Each cycle halves the candidate pool. With fifty mods, you'll isolate the problem in about six or seven test cycles.

It's tedious but it works. This method catches script mod conflicts, broken CC, and mod interaction problems equally well. Once you've isolated the specific file, remove it and check the creator's page for an updated version.

Step 6: Load a Backup Save for the First Post-Patch Test

Before loading your main long-term save after a patch, test with a backup or throwaway save first. Verify that everything runs cleanly, mods are working, and no Last Exception errors appear. Only after confirming stability in the test save should you load the save you actually care about.

The Sims 4 keeps several rolling backup saves in your Saves folder — files with .ver0 through .ver5 suffixes. These are your recovery points if a main save gets corrupted. Knowing they exist and how to use them is important before you need them.

Keeping a Mod Inventory (You'll Thank Yourself Later)

One practice that makes patch recovery dramatically faster: maintain a simple text file listing every script mod you run, the creator's name, and where to find their updates (Tumblr URL, Patreon, website). When a patch hits and you need to check ten script mods for compatibility, having that list turns a frantic search into a quick scan.