Re Install problem with FFEdit2

[Bloodshadow]

I've completely uninstalled the game and mod tools(and removed all folders) but when I reinstall them the editor still has fx,templates,characters,etc. from the previous install
Anybody know what I need to do to get back to the original setup?
I'm running 

[spydermann93]

When you uninstalled the tools and the game, did you delete all of the leftovers (the files the uninstallation did not delete)?

That may be the cause of it.

[Bloodshadow]

yeah,I deleted the whole Irrational folder from program files and start menu

[spydermann93]

Did you delete the folder in your "C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Local\Irrational Games" directory?

[Bloodshadow]

yep,got that one too

[Previsionary]

Probably some leftover registry entries. Try to uninstall again, restart your computer, and see if anything has changed.

[Bloodshadow]

did that,even went and downloaded a free registry cleaner,ran it also,still same problem though.
Man this is frustrating.

[stumpy]

If you are seeing parts of the Characters and Templates tab that aren't part of the original game, then this isn't just a registry thing. When you open the editor, look at the exact entries for the Primary Data Path and Secondary Data Path fields. That is where the FFEdit is getting the DAT files where it finds the characters and templates.

If FFEdit is showing new stuff in Characters and Templates, then there are still characters.dat and objects.dat files in those paths. For example, if your Primary Data Path is C:\Program Files (x86)\games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\FFX3 (or basically anything except where the last part of the path is Data) and your Characters tab shows anything but an empty list, then there is a folder called C:\Program Files (x86)\games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\FFX3 and it does have a file called  characters.dat in it. Neither of which will be true if the old version had been completely uninstalled.

Also, keep in mind that I am pretty sure it's possible to have two separate installs of the game and the editor. For example one from a disk and one from Steam. Perhaps you've only uninstalled one of them.

[Bloodshadow]

I only have the original disc version,never had or used Steam.
I've looked in the editor and the paths all point to the data folder like they should,its reading the DATs from the data folder but the problem is.....how is it keeping the old DAT when I've completely uninstalled and removed all folders?Does Windows 7 have something to do with this maybe?
Thanks for your suggestions guys.

[stumpy]

I'm having a hard time visualizing how this is happening. It might help to know more exactly how FFEdit is set up if you could post a couple bits of info.

First, open FFEdit to the Options page and copy the Primary Data Path and Secondary Data Path and post each of them to to your reply in this thread.

That way we can see exactly where FFEdit is looking and if it's one of the paths that Windows does something unusual with.

Second, give us a directory listing of what's in the Primary Data Path folder. You probably know how to do that, but I'll go step-by-step here in case someone else needs to do something like this later. The easiest way to do it is to

1. Open a Windows Explorer folder (Windows key + E).
2. Click in the address bar, paste the Primary Data Path that you pasted above, and hit Enter.

3. Go up one folder (Alt + UpArrow) to get to the FFVT3R folder.
4. Hold the Shift key while right-clicking on the folder you just came from. From the context menu that opens, choose "Open command window here".

5. At the command prompt, enter dir. In the menu in the upper-left, choose Edit->Select All, then choose Edit->Copy.

6. In your reply here, click the "Insert Code" button () and paste.

With that info, everyone will be on the same page as we try to figure this out.

[Bloodshadow]

primary - C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Data
secondary - C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Data

Code Select Expand


C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Data>dir
Volume in drive C is OS
Volume Serial Number is 546C-86C7

Directory of C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd R
eich\Data

01/29/2012  02:01 AM    <DIR>          .
01/29/2012  02:01 AM    <DIR>          ..
01/31/2005  05:09 PM       192,577,186 art.ff
12/17/2004  03:14 PM            10,549 attributes.dat
12/29/2004  04:26 PM            14,973 campdef.dat
01/26/2005  05:06 PM             8,205 charactercache.dat
01/28/2005  05:31 PM           455,744 characters.dat
01/31/2005  05:02 PM       152,632,781 cutscenes.ff
01/31/2005  05:15 PM         2,568,958 dat.ff
03/08/2005  02:30 PM            10,538 editorResources.ff
01/29/2012  01:55 AM    <DIR>          Fonts
01/28/2005  05:31 PM           205,824 fx.dat
01/29/2012  01:55 AM    <DIR>          Lang
03/03/2005  01:02 PM           206,166 layout.ff
02/02/2005  05:15 PM         3,126,251 missions.ff
01/31/2005  05:14 PM       100,372,006 music.ff
01/26/2005  03:54 PM         1,969,398 objects.dat
01/28/2005  05:31 PM           175,310 powers.dat
01/31/2005  04:41 PM           211,267 res.dat
01/31/2005  04:41 PM           582,840 sounds.dat
01/31/2005  05:13 PM       269,485,191 sounds.ff
03/03/2005  01:00 PM           108,157 templates.ff
              18 File(s)    724,721,344 bytes
               4 Dir(s)  384,649,875,456 bytes free

C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Data>

[stumpy]

Everything  looks okay to me. I guess we should go back and make sure the original problem is well defined. When you say

I've completely uninstalled the game and mod tools(and removed all folders) but when I reinstall them the editor still has fx,templates,characters,etc. from the previous install
Anybody know what I need to do to get back to the original setup?
I'm running 

Can you be more explicit about which fx, templates, character, and so on that you are seeing in FFEdit that shouldn't be in the original install? For instance, list some characters in the Characters tab who should not be there.

[Bloodshadow]

sh_aquaman,sh_batman,etc.(sledgehammers voicepacks from previous install)and all other voicepacks I had in the last install.
fx is all of the fx from Alex's EZfx and Prev's PFX,plus all the others I had installed manually.
Thank you for all your help Stumpy.

[stumpy]

Something odd is going on here. Try a little experiment. Open FFEdit, go to the Characters tab and make a new character. It doesn't matter what, just select 'alchemiss', click on Copy (an 'alchemiss1' should show up in the list), and then click Save. Now post a fresh directory listing and let's see what's there.

[Bloodshadow]

Code Select Expand


C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Data>dir
Volume in drive C is OS
Volume Serial Number is 546C-86C7

Directory of C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd R
eich\Data

01/29/2012  02:01 AM    <DIR>          .
01/29/2012  02:01 AM    <DIR>          ..
01/31/2005  05:09 PM       192,577,186 art.ff
12/17/2004  03:14 PM            10,549 attributes.dat
12/29/2004  04:26 PM            14,973 campdef.dat
01/26/2005  05:06 PM             8,205 charactercache.dat
01/28/2005  05:31 PM           455,744 characters.dat
01/31/2005  05:02 PM       152,632,781 cutscenes.ff
01/31/2005  05:15 PM         2,568,958 dat.ff
03/08/2005  02:30 PM            10,538 editorResources.ff
01/29/2012  01:55 AM    <DIR>          Fonts
01/28/2005  05:31 PM           205,824 fx.dat
01/29/2012  01:55 AM    <DIR>          Lang
03/03/2005  01:02 PM           206,166 layout.ff
02/02/2005  05:15 PM         3,126,251 missions.ff
01/31/2005  05:14 PM       100,372,006 music.ff
01/26/2005  03:54 PM         1,969,398 objects.dat
01/28/2005  05:31 PM           175,310 powers.dat
01/31/2005  04:41 PM           211,267 res.dat
01/31/2005  04:41 PM           582,840 sounds.dat
01/31/2005  05:13 PM       269,485,191 sounds.ff
03/03/2005  01:00 PM           108,157 templates.ff
              18 File(s)    724,721,344 bytes
               4 Dir(s)  384,682,274,816 bytes free

C:\Program Files (x86)\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich\Data>

I named the copy alchemiss_test

[stumpy]

Well, it's clear that the characters.dat file in the directory is unchanged, meaning that when you hit Save, a file elsewhere was written to. (I am assuming that if you close FFEdit and reopen it, alchemiss_test is still there.) Getting to the bottom of this little mystery probably corresponds pretty well with finding that file. I suggest using the Windows Explorer search tool to search the whole system for a file with that name.

The search may take a little while if you have several or large drives, but it seems like the next step. In my system (also with FFvT3R installed from CD on Windows 7), the Save caused characters.dat in the Primary Data Path to change. I kind of suspect that Windows 7 may not be giving your FFEdit permission to write in the normal folder and may be creating another file somewhere else, perhaps in the C:\Users\ or C:\Documents and Settings\ folders. If you can post the full path of any characters.dat files that turn up, we can try to see where your computer thinks the game's files are.

One other thought, related to the above, do you get the same result to the new character test if you open FFEdit using Run as administrator?

[stumpy]

Actually, one other thought: When you open it in Windows Explorer, does your Data folder (the one in the Primary Data Path) have a button called Compatibility files?

You may need to change some explorer settings to see it. If you can find it, where is it and what's in it?

[Bloodshadow]

There is a Lang folder with an English folder in it thats empty.Then there is a Characters,fx,objects and sound DATs,are these the problem?

Yep,they were the problem,everythings back to normal
Thank you very much Stumpy and if you ever need a skin or my help in any way,let me know I'd love to return the favor.

[stumpy]

Aha! So, it was Windows 7 sneakiness after all.  Should have guessed. 

Glad you got everything resolved. 

[Outcast]

Pardon me for butting in...and if its off topic.

You know..it would be cool to see a Stumpy avatar? Hmm...i wonder what Stumpy's avatar would look like?
Maybe this green etherial like being somewhat like Mr. Manhattan? (Just basing it off from Stumpy's current green eyes avatar picture.

[Bloodshadow]

A year later and here I am with the same problem only this time on Windows 8
Does anyone know how I get to the compatability files so I can remove the Dats that are keeping me from installing voices?
Thank you for any help.

[stumpy]

I am not as familiar with what Windows 8 does with compatibility files. But, I think the problem still stems from the permissions the game and the editor have when they are run. If a program is run with administrative privileges, it should be able to read and write in the normal folders. If it is not, then it is only supposed to write in certain folder trees, such as C:\Users\ or C:\Documents and Settings\.

You can search the hard drive for characters.dat, strings.dat, etc. to see if Windows is putting them somewhere else. I would also try making sure both the game and the editor are run as administrator so that Windows lets it write where it wants to. Of course, that may have to be done from the start to avoid there being two copies of various files, so you might have to remove any other copies or re-install.

[Bloodshadow]

Thanks for helping again Stumpy
The files are in app data/local/virtual store
Once they are removed the editor works fine for those that might have this problem in the future.

P.S. Stumpy,if you can send me a description of your avatar,I would love to make you a skin on whatever mesh or skope you prefer.Thanks again and have a good day

[stumpy]

Glad it is working for you now, Bloodshadow.

Thanks for the offer for a skin or mesh, but I actually don't have a character or concept for my avatar. No worries.