Post PC meltdown recovery

[UnknownPilot 33]

As I had previously mentioned in the DiD thread, my computer took a dump on me. Started with a hard lock, then made some crazy noises when powered off, and it's pointing to the motherboard, though I'm actually still planning to investigate that further.

 

Fortunately, I was lucky enough to find a near duplicate that was destined to be a parts machine. It needed a new OS build and all of my data and software, as well as my RAM. It has a slightly better video card, and the slightly better version of the motherboard that I had. So my RAM dropped right in. The downside is that I lose 200MHz (from a P4 3.2GHz to a P4 3.0GHz), given how much my machine was hurting at times, I am worried about what the loss of 200MHz will do.

 

Anyway, the question - none of my data was affected buy this issue. I was able to plug in my OS drive and copy everything, including the My Documents directory. And then also dropped in my data mirror set entirely in this new box. So I should be good to go.

 

I installed SF2:V from the original file I downloaded when I purchased it, ran it, then copied the Thirdwire directory from my OLD My Docs to the new one. Now I am not seeing my pilots (nor even the generic "Ace Pilot"), and not seeing any of the add on aircraft that I had installed either, which also means that the Expansion Pack isn't seen as being installed either.

 

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas on this one? I could always re-install all the mods by hand again (Expansion Pack and then the other stuff I added as well), but.... I really want to rescue my pilots and their campaigns. (though being able to avoid having to manually re-install all that stuff would be a bonus).

 

 

[+Eagle114th 542]

All of your saved data of your pilots are located in where you install mods for SF2V, it is in saved folder where you see thirdwire folder. In that folder, you should see pilotData folder, that is what you are looking for.

 

I hope everything works out well for you.

 

 

 

Chaoic out...

Edited February 22, 2010 by Eagle114th

[UnknownPilot 33]

As I said, I copied the My Documents directory in it's entirety, "Thirdwire" and all, FROM the original hard drive.

 

On the new system, I installed SF2:V, ran it (for it to create the mods dir), then copied the Thirdwire directory I had taken from my old drive, into the My Documents of my new (temporary) system, over-writing the Thirdwire that was there. Should have had all the Expansion Pack 2.0 stuff, all the individual planes I added, all the tweaks I did by hand, and all my pilots.

 

And yet, no joy.

[xclusiv8 35]

That sucks UP. You know you should take this opportunity to act really sad infront of your wife (if you are married) and only talk about how you wish you had a new, better PC. Who knows, maybe she'll get you a new one (I know i am a little evil) Worked with my ex and my new flighstick

 

Jokes asside.

 

Do you have the same OS?

[UnknownPilot 33]

That sucks UP. You know you should take this opportunity to act really sad infront of your wife (if you are married) and only talk about how you wish you had a new, better PC. Who knows, maybe she'll get you a new one (I know i am a little evil) Worked with my ex and my new flighstick

 

Jokes asside.

 

Do you have the same OS?

 

 

Single. Money just isn't there. It's all going into the mortgage.

 

Same OS - XP Pro SP3 with full updates. As mentione above, I did a fresh OS install, SP'd it, ran all the updates, dropped in my sound card, got it's drivers, got the latest nVidia drivers, installed Foxy (Cougar HOTAS software), then SF2:V, and I ran it once just to create the mod folder. And then tried copying my old folder over top of the newly created one.

 

Some things are probably still different, I don't think I have the latest Java installed or flash player, things like that. I was kinda driving a bee-line for SF2 in the install process.

[MigBuster 2,881]

Make a copy of your folder with the mods in it.

Delete the one from saved games,

run the game again to create a new one,

Then copy the subfolders from your modded folder over - but don't overwrite options.ini

[UnknownPilot 33]

MiGBuster, that seemed to do it. The options ini. But I can't quite make sense of it either, since it's coming from a functional install with all the files that it was functioning with.

 

Either way, I now see my pilot showing up, as well as the add on aircraft, so I'd say it's working (haven't put it back on my desk to really fly a mission to test, but all the indications are there).

 

Now for something else.... on my (dead) PC, I've discovered that when I turn on the power with everything removed, it does not post - but it doesn't make that god awful beeping or squeeling noise either. However, the CPU fan does spin, just from having the PS/u turned on (the toggle on the back of it, not the computer itself).

 

When I put the video card back in, it beeped for a second, then stopped. I hit the power button on the front panel and the fans kicked up to full speed and everything seemed ok, aside from no POST (and no screams from the PC Speaker about the total lack of any RAM at all). Then when I held the front power button for 5 to 10 seconds to shut it down, the same tone came back, this time as a constant short beep rather than a whine, and it was in time with the video card fan bouncing (while the CPU fan was still spinning at a slower than usual speed).

 

I turned off the toggle on the back, then turned it back on, and the fans went back to their thing, CPU spinning slow, and the video card "bouncing" with the beeping matching the rhythm.

 

When I pulled the video card out (after pulling the power first, of course), the beeping stopped, though the CPU fan was still running. I then noticed a little speaker looking thing on the video card itself, so I suspect that is the source of the noise.

 

On the one hand, I'm thinking power supply now. But when I tried another one, I got the same result. Unfortunately the only one I can test with is in the new system I'm trying to build as my stand-in. And that's at home while the down one is here at work now. So it may be difficult to further trouble shoot this. :(

[+Dave 2,321]

Might be time to take it out back and shoot it.

[MigBuster 2,881]

Would +1 the above

 

You say it doesnt post with everything removed! - just a guess but mainboard screwed perhaps? - cant really diagnose from here though sorry.