That darn save game ctd problem

[TheFizz77]

I am running SHIII with GWX 3.0 and SHCommander 3.2. The mods I am running are:
GWX-16km Atmosphere
GWX-Alternative Flotillas
GWX-Late War Sensors Snorkel Antennas
GWX-Lite Harbor Traffic
GWX-No Medals on crew
FM_NewInterior_V1.0

Well, for some reason during every career, I get the CTD save game bug during about the 3rd or 4th patrol (it seems). I am not sure if its my game or I am saving at the wrong times. (I always save during good weather, on the surface, and when Im all alone- I do get lazy sometimes and dont check hydrophones).

So I guess my question is, do you think my save game CTD bug (i know it has been a common problem, I did a search) has to do with my game or am I saving at the wrong time.

P.S. I have had the save problem starting with Vinilla SHIII. It just seems like it is always around the 3rd or 4th patrol

Thanks
TH77

[sublynx]

I have quite a similar set of mods in my game. I had a huge number of save game CTD's, maybe one crash in four or five saves (in fact at one point I just stopped saving at all out of frustration. I left the computer running or hibernated my laptop or got back to port.)

Then I unchecked the read-only attribute of every SH3 file - that is the files in c:\Program Files\ubisoft\SH3 and the subfolders and also the save game files that are located in My Documents, (if I remember the save game location correctly, I'm not at my home computer now.) I haven't had a save game crash since. I've now gotten quite careless about saving. When I get home tonight I'm planning to load a save game that is made surfaced, 50 km from shore and about 17 - 18 kilometers from a convoy.

The unchecking of read-only attributes has helped me before in another PC game too - Panzer General 2, where my saves didn't work after I installed the game to a new computer and a new Windows operating system. Maybe you can try changing the attributes and see if that helps you.

Another thing you could try could be dropping the Interior mod and see if that helps. That is one I don't have and could be demanding CPU/GPU/memorywise.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by TheFizz77

P.S. I have had the save problem starting with Vinilla SHIII. It just seems like it is always around the 3rd or 4th patrol

Well if you've had it since vanilla, then it probably isn't mod related. I'd be inclined to start by looking at my save tendencies and then (sorry to say) the primary game files.

It sounds as though you're already using the standard 'save precautions,' so all I would add is a suggestion to try multiple saves when 'the coast is clear' so that if one CTD's, you can always roll it back to the next one.

If the issue persists, (and you can't work around it), then you may have to consider the dreaded reinstall. That being said, it's obviously a last resort so by all means disable NI first although I suspect the results may well be the same.

Good luck!

[TheFizz77]

sublynx, do you mean right clicking on the files, click properties, and then uncheck the "Read-only (only applies to files in folder)" part next to where it says Attributes? and do the same in the documents/SH3/data/cfg/careers folder? Im pretty sure that is what you are talking about. I will try this first.

do you do this to the Commander files also?

Thanks for replies
TF77

[MILLANDSON]

Have you tried this?

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...=183801&page=2

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by TheFizz77

sublynx, do you mean right clicking on the files, click properties, and then uncheck the "Read-only (only applies to files in folder)" part next to where it says Attributes? and do the same in the documents/SH3/data/cfg/careers folder? Im pretty sure that is what you are talking about. I will try this first.

do you do this to the Commander files also?

Thanks for replies
TF77

Yea, this is what I did. I didn't change Commander files, IIRC, but I don't think there's any harm done if you tick them off too.

Oh yeah, and I also ticked off the attributes in path: C:\users\acer\documents\sh3

Your path would be different there, if you don't have an Acer laptop like me.

I hope it helps and I'm curious to hear about the results. I find it very odd that this would help with the problem, so it would be nice to hear if it helps other players too.

[TheFizz77]

I will keep you updated.

UPDATE: (using windows vista)

My Attributes box has a blue box in it, I click on it and there is nothing in the box, if I click it again there is now a check mark in the box, click it again and the box is blue again. So I click on it so there is no check mark or nothing in it, hit apply, it asks me if I want to make this change for all subfolders and then I hit ok.

But when I right click back on the file, hit properties the box has the blue box within it again. Is it making the change I want or what?

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by TheFizz77

But when I right click back on the file, hit properties the box has the blue box within it again. Is it making the change I want or what?

This is one of the many known Windows irritations. It's difficult to change the read-only attributes. I think I even used a dos style command line to do it attrib -r *.*

However I don't think it pays any difference if the blue box comes back or not. I still have the blue boxes myself on every folder - but the files don't have the blue boxes anymore. If this works for you too, it's enough that the files are not blueboxed, that is marked read-only, anymore.

[TheFizz77]

ok, well I am going to finish doing this Read-only step. I will then start a new career. So I will have an update soon. Thanks for all the help

[sublynx]

Originally Posted by TheFizz77

ok, well I am going to finish doing this Read-only step. I will then start a new career. So I will have an update soon. Thanks for all the help

If it works, it should work on your old career save too. Maybe you can try that first. Good luck!!

[TheFizz77]

I deleted my old career a couple of days ago, so unfortunately I wont know it if it works right away.

[sublynx]

Damn. Well, then we'll know if it works after 3 - 4 patrols. Gute Jagd!