Where are CMSF Saved Games found?

[mjkerner]

Howdy,

I haven't delved into CMSF for at least 6 years, ever since CMBN arrived on the scene, but I had a hankerin' for playing it again after BFC announced they were working on CMSF2 upgraded to v4.0.  Of course, even though I have all the modules on discs, my comp's CD-Rom decided to go on the fritz about a week before this announcement, so I tried downloading again from my BFC account.  No dice at first (expired licenses) but the Helpdesk, specifically John Costello and "BFC Steve" himself got me squared away with new licenses, etc. .  And I am loving it, and can't wait for CMSF2!  I forgot just how much the original game doesn't have that I've grown used to over the last 6 years of CMx2 development playing the WWII titles.

Anyway, the strange thing thing is, I have all the files and folders where they ought to be in the game's root folder;   C:/Program Files (86x)/Battlefront.  But the "Saved Game" folder in there is empty...even though all my saved games show up fine and are accessible when I am in the game itself!  Where did they go????  I've looked every where and they simply aren't anywhere to be found in my computer!  Not really a big problem as far as playing the game, but there are inevitably some I want to delete, change the name of, etc., which I can't do if I can't find the little f**kers in the first place!

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Erwin]

Try Users\Admin\My Documents\Battlefront\Combat Mission\"Yourgame" etc.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Erwin

[mjkerner]

Believe me, Erwin, I have...about 8 times, lol!  Nothing.  I've used the search function a million ways from Sunday, plus looked in all the places where all the other games are located...namely PF(x86) and in Documents....

By the way, I thought I started this thread in CMSF Tech Support.  So you can see I sometimes don't pay close attention;  nonetheless, those saved games are nowhere where they should be, nor do they appear to be anywhere they shouldn't be!  Everything game-wise works fine, as far as I can tell, but it's annoying and there is of course a nagging doubt that something is in fact broken.  May have to go back to the helpdesk again...

 

Thanks anyway, Erwin.

Edited November 27, 2017 by mjkerner

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Right click on your game exe, then select 'Open File Location'.  Then select the 'Game Files' folder.  Should be in there.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[mjkerner]

Thanks Sarge, but I'm not sure what you mean.  There is no such option when I right-click the Shock Force exe.  Run as Administrator, Pin to Start, etc., are options, but no option to "Open File Location".  

Btw, I have Windows 10, and just to be clear, the folder "Saved Games" is there in the "Game Files" folder in the root location, along with all the other folders that should be there ..."Baked", Campaigns" "Quick Battle Maps", "Scenarios"etc., etc.,  it's just that there are no saved game files in that folder! And, again to be clear,  the other folders do have everything in them that they should have...all the campaign files are in the Campaign folder, all the scenario files are in the Scenario folder and so on (except for the in/out email ones--no PBEMs at present).  I originally thought this might have something to do with the old "compatibility" thing when CMBN (or was it FI) came out and certain types of files didn't show without some sort of manipulation (forgot what it was) but that doesn't seem to be it either.  

 

I will probably just wait until the new CMSF is released.  Like I said, it's not really a major issue because the game runs fine, and the turns are saved and accessible.  It's more of a WTF? matter.

[MOS:96B2P]

10 minutes ago, mjkerner said:

Btw, I have Windows 10, and just to be clear, the folder "Saved Games" is there in the "Game Files" folder in the root location, along with all the other folders that should be there ..."Baked", Campaigns" "Quick Battle Maps", "Scenarios"etc., etc.,  it's just that there are no saved game files in that folder! And, again to be clear,  the other folders do have everything in them that they should have...all the campaign files are in the Campaign folder, all the scenario files are in the Scenario folder and so on (except for the in/out email ones--no PBEMs at present). 

I have had the same situation for about two years.  I think this began when I installed CMSF on a new computer.  On my old computer the saved game files appear in the saved games folder as they should.  I think it may have been a bad install?  However since the game actually runs fine I have not bothered to reinstall it on the new computer.  And now I'm just waiting on CMSF2.  I also have looked all over for those files since I need to delete some.  My save game menu screen is several pages long.  But sorry, I don't have a solution.  Just letting you know you don't suffer alone.  My guess would be a reinstall of the game.   

[sburke]

27 minutes ago, mjkerner said:

Thanks Sarge, but I'm not sure what you mean.  There is no such option when I right-click the Shock Force exe.  Run as Administrator, Pin to Start, etc., are options, but no option to "Open File Location".  

Btw, I have Windows 10, and just to be clear, the folder "Saved Games" is there in the "Game Files" folder in the root location, along with all the other folders that should be there ..."Baked", Campaigns" "Quick Battle Maps", "Scenarios"etc., etc.,  it's just that there are no saved game files in that folder! And, again to be clear,  the other folders do have everything in them that they should have...all the campaign files are in the Campaign folder, all the scenario files are in the Scenario folder and so on (except for the in/out email ones--no PBEMs at present).  I originally thought this might have something to do with the old "compatibility" thing when CMBN (or was it FI) came out and certain types of files didn't show without some sort of manipulation (forgot what it was) but that doesn't seem to be it either.  

 

I will probably just wait until the new CMSF is released.  Like I said, it's not really a major issue because the game runs fine, and the turns are saved and accessible.  It's more of a WTF? matter.

quick answer- run a scenario, make a save and then search recently altered files.  Windows should tell you exactly where they are.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Windows 10 is odd.....Could the files be hidden within the folders for some reason? 

If the folders are there that's where they should be and surely it's the only place the game would know to look for them?

[JohnO]

9 minutes ago, sburke said:

quick answer- run a scenario, make a save and then search recently altered files.  Windows should tell you exactly where they are.

I did just that, and I look at C drive>Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Game Files>Saved Games and their it was. Also Win 10.

Edited November 28, 2017 by JohnO

[MOS:96B2P]

1 hour ago, mjkerner said:

I will probably just wait until the new CMSF is released.  Like I said, it's not really a major issue because the game runs fine, and the turns are saved and accessible.  It's more of a WTF? matter.

 

40 minutes ago, sburke said:

quick answer- run a scenario, make a save and then search recently altered files.  Windows should tell you exactly where they are.

 

31 minutes ago, JohnO said:

I did just that, and I look at C drive>Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Game Files>Saved Games and their it was. Also Win 10.

What sburke said to do and JohnO actually did worked for me also.  However it lead me to a second saved games folder under AppData \ Local \ Virtual Store \  Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Game Files>Saved Games.  I'm afraid to ask ............... what does that mean?  

At least I know where they are now.  Is there an easy way to make them save where they are suppose to save?  

So there are two Save Game Folders.  One empty where it belongs and one full in the above funky location.  Can I drag the full folder over into the proper location?  Or will that cause some type of problem? 

Edited November 28, 2017 by MOS:96B2P

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Sounds like Win10 is creating a virtual copy of the CM:SF directory for some reason.....It might not be doing it where the user wants it either which could be problematical if you have a small SSD OS C: drive and a big SATA data D: drive.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead

[sburke]

12 minutes ago, MOS:96B2P said:

 

 

What sburke said to do and JohnO actually did worked for me also.  However it lead me to a second saved games folder under AppData \ Local \ Virtual Store \  Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Game Files>Saved Games.  I'm afraid to ask ............... what does that mean?  

At least I know where they are now.  Is there an easy way to make them save where they are suppose to save?  

I suspect that may be a setting you have for Windows 10.  I don't load my CM games to C drive so I don't have an apples to apples comparison.  I bought an SSD strictly for CM.  If I check the virtual store location the only thing I have there is some Microsoft files.  Do you have other stuff from your documents folder there besides CM?

[MOS:96B2P]

2 minutes ago, sburke said:

Do you have other stuff from your documents folder there besides CM?

Not intentionally anyways.  CMSF is the only game in this location.  If you look at the file location above under VirtualStore it goes   Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Game Files>Saved Games.

Under program files it shows four folders.  AOL, Battlefront with the above listed stuff, Common Files and Dropbox

[MOS:96B2P]

Common files just has more AOL stuff in it.

[MOS:96B2P]

And actually CMSF is not in this Virtual location.  It is just a duplicate Save Folder and duplicate scenario folder.  The scenario folder only had one scenario in it that I created (a test map) which I drug over to the "real" scenario folder. 

[JohnO]

21 minutes ago, MOS:96B2P said:

 

 

What sburke said to do and JohnO actually did worked for me also.  However it lead me to a second saved games folder under AppData \ Local \ Virtual Store \  Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Game Files>Saved Games.  I'm afraid to ask ............... what does that mean?  

At least I know where they are now.  Is there an easy way to make them save where they are suppose to save?  

So there are two Save Game Folders.  One empty where it belongs and one full in the above funky location.  Can I drag the full folder over into the proper location?  Or will that cause some type of problem? 

The only thing I see in the AppData>Local>Virtual Store>Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Mod Tools

I don't see Saved Games. I wonder if you delete it from AppDate, may be it would save at the right location?

[MOS:96B2P]

2 minutes ago, JohnO said:

The only thing I see in the AppData>Local>Virtual Store>Program Files (x86)>Battlefront>CMSF>Mod Tools

I don't see Saved Games. I wonder if you delete it from AppDate, may be it would save at the right location?

Hmmm, I don't have Mod Tools in this Virtual location.  I may try to remove the Save file and see what happens.  I'm afraid to delete it all together. 

[JohnO]

1 minute ago, MOS:96B2P said:

Hmmm, I don't have Mod Tools in this Virtual location.  I may try to remove the Save file and see what happens.  I'm afraid to delete it all together. 

Before deleting it, copy the folder to a different location just in case it doesn't work. Then you can place the folder back.

[MOS:96B2P]

Yep, I think this is what I will try.  Then I will start and save a scenario and see where it ends up at. 

[MOS:96B2P]

Okay.  I took the Save folder out of the Virtual Store chain.  When I saved another turn a new Save folder was created in the Virtual Store chain with the one new save inside. 

I accomplished my goal of deleting a ton of saves that I couldn't get rid of.  I had several pages on the Save screen when loading a Save.  I now know how to find the folder when I want to delete some Saves.  With CMSF2 on the way I may just leave well enough alone........... 

@mjkerner what sburke said should help you locate your saves.  I'd be interested to know if they are in the same location as mine.  After you locate them, then you will have to decide what, if anything, to do about it. 

Thanks for all the help everybody!!!

[mjkerner]

Wow, kick ass!  Thanks sburke for the tip, but after more than 15 minutes of Windows still "working on" the search, I opted to look around in the windows folders for the appdata string where MOS found his (sorry, but I was glad to hear I wasn't the only one with the problem...I love company in my misery). I found it in less than 2 minutes manually, right where MOS found his. I sent a shortcut of the folder to the desktop for easy access.

So, thanks a million sburke, MOS, and Johno!

 

PS Do you think BFC should be alerted to this?

[Sandokan]

Just to add my experience. I have Windows 7. CMSF is in the program files (x86) folder, separated from the other BF games and most the savegames are in C:\Users\Proprietario\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Combat Mission Shock Force\Game Files\Saved Games while in the proper folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Combat Mission Shock Force\Game Files\Saved Games there are only four savegames dating back to 2012. Funny things.

[A Canadian Cat]

11 hours ago, mjkerner said:

Wow, kick ass!  Thanks sburke for the tip, but after more than 15 minutes of Windows still "working on" the search, I opted to look around in the windows folders for the appdata string where MOS found his (sorry, but I was glad to hear I wasn't the only one with the problem...I love company in my misery). I found it in less than 2 minutes manually, right where MOS found his. I sent a shortcut of the folder to the desktop for easy access.

So, thanks a million sburke, MOS, and Johno!

I am glad you found it.

11 hours ago, mjkerner said:

PS Do you think BFC should be alerted to this?

No.

This is due to changes in how M$ handle files for security issues. They wanted to move to a "all files in the Program Files directories are protected from alteration" situation. In earlier versions of windows programs could save files to their c:\Program Files\<programdir> to their hearts content and many did. That left things open for bad people do mess with stuff they should not be. So, M$ moved to lock it down. Programmers were expected / directed to stop doing that. There had long been places where programs could save this stuff but only some developers did (the AppData folder). But that left many current programs with problems. Windows 10 and I think Win 7 after an update (I am not 100% sure where the cut off was) forced the no writing to Program Files rule. Games like CMBN and CMSF which were written before this change had a problem.

Right now when you install CMBN it will not even use the Program Files folder. I figured that CMSF did the same but clearly not. The installer was built quite a bit before the one used for CMBN so what you got with your CMSF was a cool trick that M$ allows for those older games to seem like they are writing to the Program Files folder but they really aren't.

BFC are well aware of this. All their new installs install the immutable files to a folder under Program Files and the game's saves and other mutable files under your My Documents folder. Which makes M$ happy - to the extent that they care . So, rest assured that BFC will do a / the right thing with the install.

[Erwin]

I always load all games to a folder I create called C:/SIMS/Battlefront (or whatever).  I have no games in either of the Program Files folders.  Does this create any sort of problems?

[A Canadian Cat]

10 minutes ago, Erwin said:

I always load all games to a folder I create called C:/SIMS/Battlefront (or whatever).  I have no games in either of the Program Files folders.  Does this create any sort of problems?

Nope, not for the games - or other programs.

I do the same.