Beware the mep files

[Fifi]

Hi,

Experienced many weird things using mep file with the latest JSGME...
Activating/deactivating my 77 mods using this so nice tool, many times because of plenty tests, i noticed it can screw up some files, mainly with OHII and NewUIs.
Probably because they are the 2 biggest mods of my list...

For instance, sometimes after using mep, my draggable items aren't right place in NewUIs. I know it's not from NewUIs, cause when i activate mods manually one by one, all is ok again...
Also sometimes, starting new career, the first bunker view is out of sector, and back in main screen, it didn't save the bunker.
Other latest example, restarting a career using mep file, no DM were drawn at first boat sinked. Activating manually always solve it!
With OHII Full too, some weird things can happen using mep files.
For instance, once i had half the mission tonnage bar even without sinking a boat at mission start...or the secondary mission task icon is gone before i do nothing...
All those stuff are usually solved by not using mep file.
Not to say sometime (rarely) the JSGME doesn't respond anymore...but still loading mods!
Tried to re-install fresh JSGME, but still the same.

So best reliable manipulation remains to me to activate one by one all mods

[Bathrone]

Mate all its doing is loading files around

You can easily test the profile loading by manually verifying the files are moved as they should be

I use profiles no problem with the app

[Fifi]

Originally Posted by Bathrone

Mate all its doing is loading files around

I know, and it should be so...but 'm just constating some problems that doesn't happen manually
Maybe my computer is possessed

[volodya61]

Originally Posted by Fifi

I know, and it should be so...but 'm just constating some problems that doesn't happen manually
Maybe my computer is possessed

I have had this kind of issues more than a year ago.. judging by the fact that since they don't occur anymore, I think it was a human error (my error)

[Bathrone]

Originally Posted by Fifi

I know, and it should be so...but 'm just constating some problems that doesn't happen manually
Maybe my computer is possessed

You might have a filesystem or windows core file corruption these sorts of strange things are often symptoms

Two tools:

chkdsk

sfc /scannow

[Mikemike47]

Originally Posted by Fifi

Experienced many weird things using mep file with the latest JSGME...
Activating/deactivating my 77 mods using this so nice tool, many times because of plenty tests, i noticed it can screw up some files, mainly with OHII and NewUIs.
Probably because they are the 2 biggest mods of my list...

Other latest example, restarting a career using mep file, no DM were drawn at first boat sinked. Activating manually always solve it!
With OHII Full too, some weird things can happen using mep files.
For instance, once i had half the mission tonnage bar even without sinking a boat at mission start...or the secondary mission task icon is gone before i do nothing...
All those stuff are usually solved by not using mep file.
Not to say sometime (rarely) the JSGME doesn't respond anymore...but still loading mods!
Tried to re-install fresh JSGME, but still the same.

Originally Posted by Fifi

I know, and it should be so...but 'm just constating some problems that doesn't happen manually
Maybe my computer is possessed

Originally Posted by volodya61

I have had this kind of issues more than a year ago.. judging by the fact that since they don't occur anymore, I think it was a human error (my error)

@Fifi - I have 80 mods + and most conditions described has nothing to do with JSGME. I have been using the latest version, too, 2.6++++.
JSGME will load all the mods you have saved or not. JSGME works completely or not at all for loading a **.mep file. sometimes I add mods and then save with a new profile name, ***.mep.

Other times I open up the ***.mep file with wordpad mostly and edit it that way when I move the mod order around. At that particular moment of whatever I was working, it was more efficient using wordpad and editing a **.mep file. When JSGME tells me I have some memory address error, it is usually because the same mod is in two different places.
Sometimes a memory address error happens when a space is created between two mods, when saving a mep file. But I did not put a space between mods in a **.mep file. A windows glitch that happened more than once. I expect that happens when I save and overwrite a file, or use save as. I still haven't figured out how to duplicate the space issue to see if I am doing something wrong.

I have made human errors that caused an error in JSGME loading of a 80+ mod mep file. I would not say it is just because of OHII and NewUIs as examples used.

Will sending has pictures of what your errors are, help us to help you?

[Fifi]

Originally Posted by Bathrone

You might have a filesystem or windows core file corruption these sorts of strange things are often symptoms

Two tools:

chkdsk

sfc /scannow

Yeah, once a week i run checkdisc to check registry, but never found any error...
I too run Ccleaner on top of this sometimes.

Ok, the weird thing happening most often is the draggable identifying manual of NewUIs...i've set it to draggable in fileviewer, and in periscope view i choose the best place for it...activating via mep, 80% of time manual is not right place (back stock place). But activating manually, ID manual is always at the right place i've choosen
It's no big deal at all, but seems strange to me.
And i don't think it's NewUIs the culprit, because manually installed all is fine!

More rarely, i found weird things related to OHII too, as said above...
2 Days ago, started fresh campaign using mep file. The tonnage bar was half filled before any boat sunk...i deactivated all mods, re-activated them manually (a pain for 77 mods) and all was fine again.
But perhaps re-activating them via mep would have been fine too, who knows

So many files, so many mods, i start to believe SH5 hard modded is very sensible and not that solid rock on my PC...
Just wondering

[Mikemike47]

Originally Posted by Fifi

More rarely, i found weird things related to OHII too, as said above...
2 Days ago, started fresh campaign using mep file. The tonnage bar was half filled before any boat sunk...i deactivated all mods, re-activated them manually (a pain for 77 mods) and all was fine again.
But perhaps re-activating them via mep would have been fine too, who knows

Have you modified the TDW SH5 patcher recently and changed things from previous patches?

Originally Posted by volodya61

Many people have reported that the mission bar doesn't fill when Orbit Listener patches are enabled..

The mission bar will work if the following is done: SHN_Client is enabled. Orbit Listener patches are disabled.

[Fifi]

Yes, updated to last patcher, but was before starting new campaign.
Only enabled the CO² patches to test them, but deactivated them as soon as nothing changed about the wrong message box message (telling 50% CO² left while only 8% in the bar).
I don't have any OrbitListener enabled cause i don't use Uplay anymore.

[Bathrone]

Originally Posted by Fifi

Yeah, once a week i run checkdisc to check registry, but never found any error.

My friend chkdsk is a utility for checking your filesystem not the registry.

I suggest you should also been routinely using "sfc /scannow" in an admin command console to verify the checksums of key windows files

With these two things you know that your filesystem and the core windows files themselves are basically OK

That ofcourse will not prevent you from having application level problems with say SH5 or some other application but it does nonetheless rule out your lower operating system to be the culprit

CCleaner is a utility for registry checks, for deleting old files and current cruft from some apps. Its not the same as running chkdsk or sfc /scannow I used to be involved in contributing to ccleaner development. CCleaner is less important than having integrity of your OS file system and core OS files.

[THE_MASK]

When loading MEP files
Click on disable all mods so you have a mod enabler with no mods loaded .
Load the MEP file , dont touch the computer until jsgme loads all the mods .

[Fifi]

Originally Posted by Bathrone

I suggest you should also been routinely using "sfc /scannow" in an admin command console to verify the checksums of key windows files

I'll try

Originally Posted by sober

When loading MEP files
Click on disable all mods so you have a mod enabler with no mods loaded .
Load the MEP file , dont touch the computer until jsgme loads all the mods .

I completely agree, and that's what i usually do

My SH5 running machine isn't internet connected, so i know i don't have any kind of virus on it, furthermore i had a clean windows 7 reinstall not so long ago.
But sometimes, my machine is doing me some weird things. So i'm not sure anymore it's coming from mep files...

[Bathrone]

If your not internet connected getting online just for some updates is important:

* Windows 7 requires many updates for application compatibility and general performance / stability improvements not to mention all the security hotfixes. Microsoft update is your friend.

* Apart from those updates, graphics and sound driver updates are important (nvidia do WHQL'ed releases approx every month), along with the latest Directx9 install is important for SH5

Generally while the internet is a threat vector to security, there is other ways you can get infected via USB / CD / DVD etc. The internet is also where all the security updates and device driver updates from from.

Maybe if you fully define "weird things" we can help

BTW, I was in New Caledonia about two years ago on holiday. I visited the markets and I bought some lovely chocolates from a traditional French hand made chocolate stall there, and I bought a huge fresh lobster I cooked up from a seafood stall. Up over the hill from the main town I enjoyed espresso in the fancy hotel there over the road from the beach. I ran out of time to goto the resort that you get to via boat from the mainland that's slightly off shore. My family took the bus and we did a loop from the main town. There seemed to be allot of rubbish around littering in the main town but the other parts of the island were clean like Australia. I went into the Maritime Museum near the dock where the cruise ships dock down in the main town area. The dock also had a few very large luxury powered yachts.....I remember one had a helicopter aft of the helm on it Some of the shop keepers were a bit different to Australian culture, like one shop objected to us sitting down and "only" ordering coffee (it was a cafe) - I dont know if that is a French custom but no one does that in Aussie cafes. Different is why we go though, to see different culture, language, sights and experiences. The local islander population seemed to be pretty dodgy in the main town and looked mostly idle/unemployed and had wandering eyes on my wife but once out of the main town area they seemed more at ease and normal. And man the humidity was like being in the rain without it actually raining it was thick and pungent air that was wet to breathe and be in. Maybe a seasonal thing. I'd love to have another holiday in New Caledonia, see things like million dollar reef.

[Fifi]

Originally Posted by Bathrone

If your not internet connected getting online just for some updates is important:

* Windows 7 requires many updates for application compatibility and general performance / stability improvements not to mention all the security hotfixes. Microsoft update is your friend.

Humm...that is very controversed.
My stock windows is supposed to work fine from start, and 99% of those windows updates aren't for applications i'm using...
I've always deactivated them from very long time

Maybe if you fully define "weird things" we can help

Ok, one example (this one can't be windows update related imo btw):
Some time ago, i unzipped a mod on desk top, and as i usually do, cutted/pasted it in my MODS folder.
Next time i started computer, i saw this mod in my SH5 root folder! ...and also in my MODS folder.
I deleted it from root folder, cleaned my trash box, and all was fine till i restarted PC...the mod was again both in root folder and MODS folder!
This happened for some time, and one day it never come back again in root folder

[Bathrone]

Mate lots of the updates are for stability and performance fixes. Case in point the windows 7 platform update which contains kernel fixes and changes to direct3d for directx games, even though it targets Dx11 and DX10 it does make changes to directx across the board. Heres a microsoft knowledgebase article which explains the contents of this particular update

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2670838