Recovering game data that is deleted

[Mikemike47]

Ever have a game that you do not want to start over from a CTD? This is one of them.

Accurate German Flags
RemoveLogoIntroTheDarkWraith
sobers game loading tips V8 SH5
DBM Background Video
sobers green spinning thing SH5
SMission - D-Day Landings
Grossdeutscher Rundfunk
U-Boat Watch Crew Routine SFX
WolfPack Wotan
Messervy_s_gramophone_pack1
SteelViking's Interior Mod V1.2
SteelViking's Interior Mod V1.2.2 Patch
Fuel Gauge WoGaDi_SteelViking's Interior
Fix clock rear torpedo room VIIA
Depth Charge Range Fix
Capthelms Audio+SV Touch Ups
sobers multi color mod V5
DynEnv v2.9 - 1. Main Mod
DynEnv v2.9 - No Underwater Impurity Patch
DynEnv v2.9 - 5.e Ambient Settings - Brighter Nights-No Murky Waters
DynEnv v2.9 - 9. Sobers Best Ever Tweaks
DynEnv v2.9 - 12. Sounds
sobers smoke screen V1 SH5 (DynEnv compatible)
sobers best ever fog V22 SH5
sobers waves mod V12 27032013
Window_Lights_Redone_V1
Torpedo_Door_Sound_Mix
Pascal-sh5-Crew-Uniforms
SH5_7A_Conning_Fix
SteelViking's Bunker Fixes V1.0
German U-Boat Hydrophone SFX
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_byTheBeast
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_Patch_1 & hotfix
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_Patch_1 (available by date) V9 by sober
EUF_UBoat_FX_v0_0_3_ byTheBeast
FX_Update_0_0_22_ByTheDarkWraith
FX_Update_0_0_22_Torpedoes (modified for torpedoes failure patches)
FX_Update_0_0_22_Torpedoes - MagDet range 3m (modified for torpedoes failure patches)
AI_sub_crew_1_0_2_TheDarkWraith
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_ByTheDarkWraith
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_alt_officer_wounded_by_Torpedo
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_jimimadrids_map_tools
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_TDW_MessBoxMinWidth
Manos Scopes-patch for 5x4
Sjizzle's - Charts for NewUIs part 1_07.06.2013
Sjizzle's - Charts for NewUIs part 2_07.06.2013
Sjizzle's - Charts for NewUIs part 3_24.06.2013
Submarine's .sim&cfg (mod engine ratio + ind cont patches)
gap - armaments & equipments patch v 0.2
IRAI_0_0_39_ByTheDarkWraith
IRAI_0_0_39_ByTheDarkWraith_Patch_1
R.E.M_by_Xrundel_TheBeast_1.2
R.E.M_by_Xrundel_TheBeast_1.2 - no hyd on surface - NewUIs-IRAI compatible
silentmichal's interior mod 1.2.3
Cerberus62 Corrected Depth Charge Projector 1.0
Flower_Class_Corvette_Pack
NDD_Soldati Fix
NOZAURIO'S SKIN (Standar No Emblem) v-1.1.0
Expanded Navies by Cybermat47 v.1.0.01
OPEN HORIZONS II_full v2.2
OPEN HORIZONS II v2.2 - ORP Gryf and HMS Rocket no reflection patch
OHII v2.2 Sobers Terrain fix
Open Horizons II - Hospital Ship Texture Fix v1
OH II Minefield map for TDWs Ui
Reworked Submarine Damage v4
SH5Lifeboats_by_Rongel_TDW_stoianm_v2.11
SH5Lifeboat_Wooden ver. 0.2
SkyBaron's Bold SFX for SH5 1.0
SkyBaron's Leigh Light for SH5 1.0
Reworked Morale and Abilities v.1.1
MightyFine Crew Mod 1.2.1 Alt w beards
MCCD_1.04_MFCM_1.2.1_compatible
Crew scripting by TheDarkWraith
sobers green crew training V4 SH5
TDW FX Fix for Sobers chimney smoke
sobers Lights Cfg V5 SH5
Trevally Tutorial - All v0.2(for OHIIv1.3)
Krauters Automated Scripts (v5_0_0 compatible)
Trevally Automated Scripts v0.6
Trevally Harbour & Kiel Canal Pilot v3.1
Trevally TDC Help v2
MadMaxs_SH5_Subdiesel (mono) v2
Sonar Sound Collection v 1.0 for SH5 - Distorted
sobers hud sounds V1 SH5
sobers bad weather deck gun V5 SH5
Reworked U-boat Guns (incomplete version)
sobers Depth of Field V6 SH5
sobers map colors SH5 V1
Shadow Improvement Mod
Nauticalwolf's_Damage_and_Torpedo_UI(b)_Mod_v1.1
TDW_GenericPatcher_v_1_0_149_0
Voice, Sounds & Help - mostly commands.cfg changes for voice recognition
Dialogs(xx) and sound cfg - [WIP] Voices Reloaded testing
I finally am 10-15 miles east of Gibraltar in the Mare Nostrum campaign. I save my games in at least 3 versions during a mission, one is at least on surface with no ships around and at TC=1. Every save is CTD.
This is one I hope I do not have to start over at the base. Windows 7, 64 bit.
I deleted older games from SH5 folder through the game. I have not defragged my hard drive in hopes to recover. I have found out that defragging will clear the bits or the ** or the ?? that operating systems use to say a file is there but not truly deleted.

I have the latest version of Norton utilities and the "recover deleted file option" recovered no SH5 game file data. Anyone know for sure of a program that will recover game data from your documents folder?

I am proficient in the registry. Anything I can change for future games that may be affected by registry entries?

2nd option: What file(s) data do I change to get me 10-20 miles east of Gibraltar with a little manipulation? Too complicated or too many variables? I am thinking maybe this can be done if I start a Mare Nostrum campaign over, save the game, change data, and then be east of Gibraltar quickly.

[plj]

You could get yourself a copy of Hirens BootCD .. one of the 'restored' versions. Send you a link through PM.

The acronis suite should get you there, or one of the other tools. If you have no idea what you are doing with any of those tools, abort and ask first. These tools are ment for people that know what they are doing and in some cases will allow you to go FUBAR without warning.

Also, please make a backup image .. just in case.

[Mikemike47]

You could get yourself a copy of Hirens BootCD .. one of the 'restored' versions. Send you a link through PM.

The acronis suite should get you there, or one of the other tools. If you have no idea what you are doing with any of those tools, abort and ask first. These tools are ment for people that know what they are doing and in some cases will allow you to go FUBAR without warning.

Also, please make a backup image .. just in case.

I wonder if I could recover document files from the Ghost prewindows environment boot CD then?

[plj]

I doubt it. Ghost has no option to undelete files afaik. Acronis does however. I use it all the time for customers in this situation.

I highly doubt your saves are the issue tho. One save corrupt is possible and not highly unlikely if your game wasnt properly closed or something. But 3 corrupted saves sounds more like the issue I encounter all the time:

Unloaded modlist using unload all, then reload mods using .mep .. should be same and nothing changed ... load save: ctd. I thought it was my inexperience .. probably still is as the two cases are probably not related.

But 3 corrupted saves sounds fishy .. and in that case, there is no previous version or something .. so no way to restore to a point where they where not corrupt. If you deleted a working save and want it back, then your only hope is a good tool to do that, like norton you have, or acronis .. but if you already tried norton, that might have affected your chances with acronis.

[Mikemike47]

The 3 remaining saves may be underwater and much closer to a convoy within 3-7 km. I did not make the filename with very unique name.

Acronis as in true image?

[plj]

You'd need Backup & Recovery for file undelete.

[Sjizzle]

best recovery software it's Easeus ...
ar a lot of them out on market but no1 recover 100% ...

[Gammel]

if you've used the PC further after the file(s) was deleted there's little to no chance for successfull recovery. No matter what programm you use.

Probably the installation of the "recovery" software on the machine has made recovery impossible.

[plj]

...on a side note .. where can I find the mods pertaining to gramophone stuff or the rundfunk ?

The missions in the list, are they needed at that spot for some reason or just at that spot because they are ? (could I skip them or add them all at the end of the list ?)

[Mikemike47]

...on a side note .. where can I find the mods pertaining to gramophone stuff or the rundfunk ?

The missions in the list, are they needed at that spot for some reason or just at that spot because they are ? (could I skip them or add them all at the end of the list ?)

Google, bing or other search engines are your friend and work great. I typed in "Grossdeutscher Rundfunk subsim" in the search bar. Got exactly to the page which included download page link.

Glad to hear you are not getting CTDs with Mare Nostrum anymore (or less often) with a little mod manipulation reordering.

[plj]

....hmz.... any logical reason why searching in the sh5 mod workshop forum on grossdeutscher makes it appear on page 2 ? :/

I searched for it, scrolled through the results on page one, and figured that any matches should be there :/\\!!

Thanx :03:

[Mikemike47]

any logical reason why searching in the sh5 mod workshop forum on grossdeutscher makes it appear on page 2 ?

Sure. Have you noticed the following once you open up a forum such as sh5 or sh4? All are in last post order, stickies are prioritized at top, then normal posts.

Any more finer details is a Neal Stevens question.

[Mikemike47]

Thanks everybody for the backup and recovery ideas. I created this thread because I deleted my game save data too soon with a batch file I've used for years!! Simple human error with the click of a mouse! I would have been fine if I did not execute the program and waited a few more hours further in the mission of Mare Nostrum. Then run my batch file program. I simply overwrote my game save data, with newer data, not knowing that the newer data got corrupted some how.

I have not backed up my operating system in about 2 months. I have my other program data spread out over multiple partitions. I do not care to use incremental backups.

In hopes of finding files that may be recoverable where ghost or norton utilites could not find, I researched and found Winundelete and Piriform's Recuva as the best for simplicity and performance. They worked better and less time consuming than Norton Utilities. I used to love Norton when it was less bloated. I am all ready a fan of Piriform's Defraggler and CCleaner for years. Recuva worked fast and I could change options and views as needed quickly.:up:

I did recover some SH5 game data, some not because of overwrites, as I thought would happen and other subsimmers have commented on. Did not take long at all for some overwrites.

I created a batch file below that saves my game data to a different partition which is a separate physical hard drive, too, to prevent save problems. I decided, now to post it here, in hopes of my mistake will help someone else. I can help someone out there if you need any help in how to make changes to the drive or folder structure in DOS. This version is for Windows 7, XP is different but the code can be modified for it to work.
@ECHO off
cls
:start
ECHO.
ECHO ENTER 1 to copy Hunter III files
ECHO ENTER 2 to copy Wolves of the Pacific files
ECHO ENTER 3 to copy Battle of the Atlantic files
ECHO ENTER 4 to Exit
set choice=
set /p choice=Type the number to perform operation, then hit the "enter" key.
ECHO.
if not '%choice%'=='' set choice=%choice:~0,1%
if '%choice%'=='1' goto hunter
if '%choice%'=='2' goto wolves
if '%choice%'=='3' goto atlantic
if '%choice%'=='4' goto end
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO.ECHO "%choice%" is not valid please try again
ECHO.
goto start
:hunter
rd /s /q "R:\SH4 Down\SH3 Games\SH3"
md "R:\SH4 Down\SH3 Games\SH3"
xcopy "C:\Users\Mikel\Documents\SH3\*.*" "R:\SH4 Down\SH3 Games\SH3\*.*" /E /Y
cls
goto start
:wolves
rd /s /Q "R:\SH4 Down\SH4 Games\SH4"
md "R:\SH4 Down\SH4 Games\SH4"
xcopy "C:\Users\Mikel\Documents\SH4\*.*" "R:\SH4 Down\SH4 Games\SH4\*.*" /E /Y
cls
goto start
:atlantic
rd /S /q "R:\SH4 Down\SH5 Games\SH5"
md "R:\SH4 Down\SH5 Games\SH5"
xcopy "C:\Users\Mikel\Documents\SH5\*.*" "R:\SH4 Down\SH5 Games\SH5\*.*" /E /Y
cls
goto start
:end
EXIT
Copy the code. Save as a filename ending with *.bat. Create a shortcut to desktop. Run the program.

[plj]

Hmz .. after paste, hit edit, replace and search "C:\Users\Mikel" and replace with "C:\Users\<your username here>" ;)