Achievements not unlocking: check the save and the goal

Work through these checks in order

1. Record the exact achievement. Check the library, main-menu list or in-game company progress window. The manual distinguishes muted unearned icons from colored earned ones. If it is already earned, repeating its action is not a useful new-unlock test.
2. Inspect the save configuration. Open Load Game and the save card's settings/details control. Check Gameplay Settings and the active mod list where that save allows editing. Preserve your current save before changing its setup.
3. Look for the eligibility warning. AllThingsHow's October 8 demonstration shows the setup badge “Achievements cannot be earned.” when Sandbox Mode is active. Treat that warning as a reason to change your test setup before chasing another goal.
4. Check the goal's scope. Campaign completion, every campaign star and every medal are different achievements. A requirement for one map or one warehouse cannot be satisfied by adding unrelated totals from several saves.
5. For a clean comparison, create a separate Free Game. Choose a standard difficulty preset, leave its gameplay values unchanged and activate no mods for this test. Inspect the setup for any ineligibility warning before starting. Keep your original world.
6. Try one still-unearned, simple Free Game goal. If Timekeeper or Weatherman is unearned, use the date-panel instructions to change the daytime or weather respectively. Recheck the achievement list afterward; record which action you performed and whether it appeared there.

What the comparison tells you

• The standard test unlocks, the original does not: investigate the original save's mods, settings and target scope before rebuilding its network. This result does not establish that removing a mod repairs that save.
• The in-game list is colored, but the platform still looks locked: record that mismatch separately. The eligibility explanation alone does not diagnose platform synchronization.
• A valid test still fails: save the build number, platform, active-mod list, settings and the exact completed action. This is a useful reproduction for support; a guessed cheat command is not an established repair.

What not to assume

The manual's wording does not say all cosmetic mods disable achievements. Conversely, turning Sandbox off in a setup screen is not proof that an old modified save has become eligible or that previously completed actions will unlock retroactively. Neither recovery behavior is established by the cited material.

Use the official 41-achievement list for the exact condition of a different target. This page diagnoses eligibility and scope rather than replacing those requirements with a generic checklist.