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OMFG - Patch Wiped Out my Save Directory?? Careful Guys If You Use Hard Links

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  • HuntHunt Member Posts: 27
    It amazes me that this would wipe permanently everything in those folders. Good lord, move it to a different location, put it in the trash can, etc. Do you understand how much time could be put it to moving stuff into those directories? Stuff that has not be backed-up. Grr... *pulls hair out*.
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    Dee said:

    To anyone experiencing this issue:

    Have you, at any point in the past, made a hard link to try to get the game to work with Shadowkeeper? What mods, specifically, have you installed?

    To anyone who hasn't updated yet, I recommend backing up your saves and characters first, just in case.

    I created a hard link to get shadow keeper to work, but otherwise have no mods installed.

  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    marceror said:

    Dee said:

    To anyone experiencing this issue:

    Have you, at any point in the past, made a hard link to try to get the game to work with Shadowkeeper? What mods, specifically, have you installed?

    To anyone who hasn't updated yet, I recommend backing up your saves and characters first, just in case.

    I created a hard link to get shadow keeper to work, but otherwise have no mods installed.

    Then that's the cause of the problem. In the future, use EE Keeper; not only does it not require a link, but it's a lot more streamlined overall.
  • That would do it, then. I had a link for the purposes of using Shadowkeeper, established shortly after release and never removed. I was also using a couple TeamBG's Armor and Weapon packs, but had uninstalled prior to patching.
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    Dee said:

    marceror said:

    Dee said:

    To anyone experiencing this issue:

    Have you, at any point in the past, made a hard link to try to get the game to work with Shadowkeeper? What mods, specifically, have you installed?

    To anyone who hasn't updated yet, I recommend backing up your saves and characters first, just in case.

    I created a hard link to get shadow keeper to work, but otherwise have no mods installed.

    Then that's the cause of the problem. In the future, use EE Keeper; not only does it not require a link, but it's a lot more streamlined overall.
    The worst part is that I actually DO have EE keeper, but I never deleted the hard links from when I was using ShadowKeeper. It never occurred to me that it could cause such a problem, and I had no such issues when I installed the Beta (with the hard links in place) or when I installed any of the updates to the beta that came afterward.

    A damn hard lesson to learn.
  • CoryNewbCoryNewb Member Posts: 1,330
    Well I don't use any of those, but I backed up anyway. Almost done updating.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    You definitely have my sympathies; I learned that lesson the hard way back in December, and it was a terrifying few minutes before someone explained what I'd done.
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    No problems with windows 7 here. All single and multi saves and char files intact currently.
  • Well, I suppose I can always use the console/Keeper to recreate my final character saves for import. I wish I had kept around originals/backups of the art I cropped portraits from, though.
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    Dee said:

    You definitely have my sympathies; I learned that lesson the hard way back in December, and it was a terrifying few minutes before someone explained what I'd done.

    Well, I'm still rather terrified even though the reason has been explained to me. Or I guess, horrified is a better word.
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    there we go people. it is third party stuff rather than the developers :)
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Now that the problem has been worked out perhaps the thread title is a little misleading
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited November 2013
    marceror said:

    Dee said:

    You definitely have my sympathies; I learned that lesson the hard way back in December, and it was a terrifying few minutes before someone explained what I'd done.

    Well, I'm still rather terrified even though the reason has been explained to me. Or I guess, horrified is a better word.
    I'm sorry. I told Neera to cast remove fear on the crowd, but it seems she had another wild surge and cast horror! It will wear off eventually :)
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    thespace said:

    On the plus side, there are so many enhancements that the game begs to be played from the beginning anyway: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/22810/game-update-v1-2-0/p1

    Not such a plus for me actually, since my game was already created from the Beta version.
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    ajwz said:

    Now that the problem has been worked out perhaps the thread title is a little misleading

    I'll adjust the title.

  • AonghasDubhAonghasDubh Member Posts: 20
    What file was the hard link for Shadow Keeper? I've just lost all my single player saves; I want to get rid of the link now to prevent this happening again but can't remember where it is and what it is called.
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    edited November 2013
    If you've already completed the install, the hard link is gone, along with your saves. The hard link in question here is a directory link to your save games in your "documents" directory that you placed in your installation directory. When the install occurred it essentially treated that link like is was the actual directory, and overwrote it. At least, to the best of my understanding that's what occurs.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    That's pretty much it. The update process clears the Installation directory of any files or folders that aren't supposed to be there. So any mods or hard links will be deleted.
  • AonghasDubhAonghasDubh Member Posts: 20
    edited November 2013
    So it's gone and *shouldn't* happen again? I was looking myself and couldn't see anything that would obviously be it

    Edit: Shadow Keeper no longer works so link must now be gone! Shame the update didn't get rid of that first before wiping the save files
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    edited November 2013
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    Hmm, so now what to do. I can't bring myself to play things exactly as before, yet I really do want to use my previous party.... hmm, maybe it's time to install a mod or two for some variation. I didn't want to do that for my initial runthrough, but what are you going to do.
  • AonghasDubhAonghasDubh Member Posts: 20
    edited November 2013
    I already do! Haven't used ShadowKeeper for a while.

    I think this is going to be the cure for my Restartitis...

    Will only have one Character and play it through to the end!

    Edit: A fun way to mix things up is to do a Real Stats run, do this test http://www.angelfire.com/dragon/terragf/
    and then give yourself say 5 extra points that you can allocate as you like to simulate your Divine nature, added a whole new dimension for me, it made me pick the class that suits me best as a person and makes you really appreciate the NPCs so much more!
  • BladeDancerBladeDancer Member Posts: 477
    Backing up my save files now.
  • marceror said:

    Hmm, so now what to do. I can't bring myself to play things exactly as before, yet I really do want to use my previous party.... hmm, maybe it's time to install a mod or two for some variation. I didn't want to do that for my initial runthrough, but what are you going to do.

    Thankfully, there aren't any plot flags that get imported, so all I have to do to "restore" my previous end game saves is create a character, set their exp to cap, and CLUA in the tomes and import items.

    I had already been holding off on new runs for the patch because I wanted to take advantage of the ability to remove racial restrictions. I'll probably either start up my Halfling Sorcerer or my Half-Orc Monk.

  • karnor00karnor00 Member Posts: 680
    So I lost my save games as well. No really happy about it, but I'm sure I will get over it and it's a reminder to always to back these things up.

    My main worry now is that I'm trying to install SCS. And one of the steps required is to make a hard link to the dialog.tlk file. But before I do this I want to make sure this isn't going to cause me any more problems in the future, such as deleting all my save games if BGEE gets patched again. Does anyone know if this will happen?
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    edited November 2013
    I'm not 100% certain (so keep this in mind as you read my post), but I believe that the worst that will happen in that case is you will have that particular file deleted (dialog.tlk) in the future. In this case you should receive a new one when you patch, so you would likely need to create a hard link once again. No big deal.

    This is different, than say, hard linking to a directory like saves or portraits, and having all the contents of that directory deleted. Just the same, before you patch BGEE again, you may want to save your hard links before hand, just to play it safe.
  • DecayOfSoulsDecayOfSouls Member Posts: 21
    Have any of you guys tried using a file restore program? The file may still be on your hard drive if it hasn't been overwritten with new data yet. I've been saved quite a few times by using such programs.
  • marcerormarceror Member Posts: 577
    I know that the file is still technically there. You have to use an actual "destroy" process to truly make data unrecoverable (it's a process that covers your entire hard drive in 0s and 1s to overwrite any trace of what was there before). I guess I'm just not aware of any recovery utilities that are free out there. Perhaps I should investigate! Good thought.
  • DecayOfSoulsDecayOfSouls Member Posts: 21
    I've used Glary utilities before but I know there are others out there. Won't hurt to try, maybe you'll get lucky and be able to recover the saves.
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