SF2 Is Ignoring Mod Folder

[+Piecemeal 450]

I'm totally baffled with this developement as it's never before happened to me. I had a slight problem earlier this evening with a modded terrain folder that suddenly wouldn't let me play single missions in SF2. So I took the mod folder out of the 'TERRAINS' folder. I then start SF2 to go and see if my single missions problem has been started. My woes are fully realised when the game music is playing, the control settings have been reset to default and none of my modded terrains, aircraft, groundobjects, etc. are available to use. It's like as if I re-installed the game.

 

I then go to look in my 'Saved games' folder but I then notice something VERY odd. Inside my Username folder theres TWO Saved Games folders:

 

 

I then figure if I just delete the 'New' Saved Games folder then things should go back to normal ................................ nope. Theres another one created again.

 

Does anyone know why my original Saved Games folder is being bypassed and a new one created? More to the point; can this rather large problem be fixed?

 

 

Update: Just checked my SF2:V SF2:E AND SF2:I installs - same story.

Edited March 30, 2010 by Piecemeal

[xclusiv8 35]

lol that is very odd. Have you tried putting everything in the new saved games folder?

[+Piecemeal 450]

No. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening in the first place. There's obviously something gone wrong with the original one. I'd rather not go messing about by dragging files from one folder to the other if this problem can be easily fixed.

[xclusiv8 35]

No. This kind of thing shouldn't be happening in the first place. There's obviously something gone wrong with the original one. I'd rather not go messing about by dragging files from one folder to the other if this problem can be easily fixed.

 

since both of the folders are on the same disk a drag of files should just change the path to it. but you should backup everything. and i agree something is proberbly wrong.

[+Piecemeal 450]

Well at least I did a complete system backup yesterday as I do every Monday. But as I said I'd rather not do that if it's not necessary. Hopefully it won't be. I'll let this discussion run for a bit first

Edited March 30, 2010 by Piecemeal

[FastCargo 412]

Check your StrikeFighters2 (Europe/Isreal/Vietnam).ini file located in your main SF2 directory (NOT your mod directory).

 

Look for this entry:

 

[Options]

OptionsFile=C:\TWSimsGen2\TestMod\Options.ini

 

Yours will read differently than mine.

 

That is where it looks for your Options.ini file. Which is also where it assumes your mod directory is at because in that directory's Options.ini file, you should see....

 

[Mods]

ModsEnabled=TRUE

Directory=C:\TWSimsGen2\TestMod

 

Try that.

 

FC

[+Piecemeal 450]

Still recovering from a near disaster a few minutes ago. I got a bit impatient and did a complete system restore. The folders and ini structures were returned but every JPG and BMP from every folder in every title was gone - modded or otherwise. Eighteen months of work was (I thought) gone down the crapper, until I reversed the restore. I've got everything back but still have the same problem of the real Saved Games folder being bypassed.

 

Anyway, sorry FC, I'm still in shock from that fright.

 

Are these the INIs you're referring to?

 

 

If so, this is what they all read in the options lines:

 

[Options]

OptionsFile=Options.ini

[FastCargo 412]

Yes...that's the DEFAULT entry.

 

Instead, change that line to force it to look for your options.ini file in your mod folder. Be advised, you will have to spell out the entire path.

 

FC

[+Piecemeal 450]

Followed your instructions to the letter. No joy. This is starting to look more and more like a re-install

[+Gunrunner 314]

Try to manipulate the files not through the Enda Curtin pseudo-hierarchy but by manipulating directly from c:\users\enda curtin\saved games.

 

If that doesn't work, can you tell us how the directory appears from the command line ? (Win key, type command, Enter (should do the trick and put you at the right place), type dir, Enter, and tell us if you still see 2 saved games directories and how they appear).

 

P.S. : Damn, I forgot about that, have you tried to right click on the Saved games special folder (the one with the special icon) the 4th tab gives you a path, what does it read ? If it reads anything else than C:\Users\Enda Curtin\Saved Games, try setting it to that (of course you should make a copy of both directories just in case something goes horribly wrong)).

Edited March 31, 2010 by Gunrunner

[+Piecemeal 450]

Hi Gunrunner,

 

Yeah tried that already. No joy. At least I've properly saved the Mod folders this time so I'm going to do a re-install of all my SF2 titles

[+Piecemeal 450]

Just reinstalled SF2 and SF2V. The 'new' Saved Games folder has been created again. I popped my Desert3 terrain into that mod folder and it seems to work properly there. Just wondering if the original Saved Games folder might be corrupted in some fashion - even though the contents of it seem to be fine, judging by the Desert3 performance in the new mod folder. I suppose I'll content myself with the fact that at least I can use my mods, but the reason as to HOW this could have happened in the first place - I would LOVE to know

[MaverickMike 10]

Maybe its a security issue. I.E. the TW games do not have rights to access the default saved games folder so its making another one? Have u tried running any of the games as administrator to see if it makes any difference?

 

Mike

 

 

[+Gunrunner 314]

Well, were does the "real" Saved Games folder point to ?

The "real" Saved Games folder is only symbolic, it points wherever you tell it to.

 

Some programs write to that symbolic (it is neither a true junction nor a true symlink, mostly because it uses some tricks for multilanguage support) representation (or Windows translates it), meaning the files are written to wherever it points to (ie. to d:\saved_games), others seem to write statically to c:\users\#user\Saved Games, properly using #user as a variable but not the rest (apparently the case of ThirdWire's installer).

 

What must have happened is that the target of your Saved Games folder had been changed, while the game itself reads from the symbolic representation, thus not finding your modded install.

[+Piecemeal 450]

Good point, but what I can't understand is that the original Saved Games folder has the exact same filepath structure as the new one, yet if I delete the new one the old one is still ignored and another new one created

 

BTW, I tried putting in the exact filepath on the options line in the main folder, but it still ignores it

 

Here's what it says in the main folder:

 

 

[Options]

OptionsFile=Options.ini

 

 

And that's in my re-installed SF2

Edited March 31, 2010 by Piecemeal

[+Piecemeal 450]

Right. Things are definitely back to normal. I checked the exact location of the original Saved Games folder and discovered that it was in my 'UserName\Searches folder. I must have accidentally moved it there at some stage yesterday. Anyway, I opened the folder's 'Properties\Location' tab and renamed where the location of the folder should be. Started SF2, noticed that all was back to the way I had it, flew a quick single mission and then check my UserName folder.

No second Saved Games folder this time thank f**k

 

Guys; thanks again for your advice and assistance. Let the good times roll!