Vista tricks for mods

[Uncle Yuan]

Just a friendly heads up to anyone running Vista and down loading mods.  Some mod installers actually look for FF to install the mod, some install the mod at a preset location based on the default location used by Windows/XP.  The problem is that Vista has a "new" place for program files: Program Files (x86).  If you are installing a mod you will need to direct the installer here.  You may also have to repoint the shortcuts.  You will need to change "Program Files" in the routing tree to "Program Files (x86)"  The space between 'files' and '(x86)' is important - I couldn't correctly redirect the shortcut until I figured that out.

Also realize that the save location with Vista is quite different.  Instead of being something like: C>program files>Irrational Games>FreedomForce>data
the new pathway for saved games looks like this:C>Users>Scott>AppData>Local>VirtualStore>ProgramFiles(x86)>IrrationalGames>FreedomForce>Data.  The primary difficulty is in getting the whole tree visible because AppData is a hidden file and Vista hides the menu bar on My Computer.  Hit [alt] to reveal the menus, then just tools>options to reveal hidden folders.

Hope these tips save somebody some headaches!  Feel free to add your own.

[GogglesPizanno]

Hope these tips save somebody some headaches!  Feel free to add your own.

Don't upgrade to Vista  ;)

[Previsionary]

Hope these tips save somebody some headaches!  Feel free to add your own.

Don't upgrade to Vista  ;)

did you really have to go there? You can't downgrade a computer that came with it unless you shell out dollars. *shakes head* ~_~

Anyway, Yuan, I'll note that I don't have FF1 installed any longer, but I haven't had to go through any of that to install stuff for FFVTTR. Odd. Which version of Vista are you running?

[Uncle Yuan]

Hope these tips save somebody some headaches!  Feel free to add your own.

Don't upgrade to Vista  ;)

did you really have to go there? You can't downgrade a computer that came with it unless you shell out dollars. *shakes head* ~_~

He's right - I didn't upgrade, I got a new computer.  There is currently only a very small selection of new machines that are still offered with XP, and from my quick view they are more utilitarian in design/specs.

Anyway, Yuan, I'll note that I don't have FF1 installed any longer, but I haven't had to go through any of that to install stuff for FFVTTR. Odd. Which version of Vista are you running?

Deluxe Home Edition which is post SP1 and is 64 bit.

[GogglesPizanno]

did you really have to go there?

Sometimes the obvious jokes just need to be said to get them out of the way...

And it wasn't meant as some slight on anyone who chooses or (more accurately) HAS to use Vista these days. Its just the nature of upgrades and the industry. I personally try to make it a point of when I get an OS disk, I make a backup image of it and lock it away so that I can always downgrade a system if i so choose. I know not everyone has this option or the skill/time/desire to do it, but given that the farther along things upgrade the more and more incompatibility with older software is gonna happen, and i like to have options other than whatever is being forced upon me at that moment...

I know several people that still prefer win2k...

[Boalt92]

Hope these tips save somebody some headaches!  Feel free to add your own.

Don't upgrade to Vista  ;)

did you really have to go there? You can't downgrade a computer that came with it unless you shell out dollars. *shakes head* ~_~

He's right - I didn't upgrade, I got a new computer.  There is currently only a very small selection of new machines that are still offered with XP, and from my quick view they are more utilitarian in design/specs.

Anyway, Yuan, I'll note that I don't have FF1 installed any longer, but I haven't had to go through any of that to install stuff for FFVTTR. Odd. Which version of Vista are you running?

Deluxe Home Edition which is post SP1 and is 64 bit.

Can't you just load your old copy of windows xp onto your new machine?

[Uncle Yuan]

I guess I'm not really concerned about it.  Vista has a learning curve, and yes, it has some bugs.  In time I will get proficient at manipulating Vista and they will patch the worst of the bugs.  Besides, it's not as if XP is the paragon of OSs, it's just the devil we know, whereas Vista is the devil we don't.  Change happens.  I'm not particular scared of it or intimidated by it.

And this thread is supposed to be a place to collect tips for getting better at Vista.  There are plenty of other threads out there if folks want to complain about it.

[Epimethee]

Since I don't have Vista myself and I might need the info to eventually update the FFX installer, maybe you could run a small test for me?

Press Winkey + "R" to display the "run..." dialog box. Type in

Code Select Expand

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Irrational Games\

Does an Explorer windows showing this directory (with a "Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich" folder as its sole content) appear?

Thank!

[Previsionary]

yessir, epi. Does for me at least.

[Uncle Yuan]

Since I don't have Vista myself and I might need the info to eventually update the FFX installer, maybe you could run a small test for me?

Press Winkey + "R" to display the "run..." dialog box. Type in

Code Select Expand

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Irrational Games\

Does an Explorer windows showing this directory (with a "Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich" folder as its sole content) appear?

Thank!

But not for me.  I suspect the 64 bit saves things differently . . .

[Epimethee]

Thanks for the info, guys. That's, well, interesting. :S

Since there doesn't seem to be any environmental variable to get the path apart from %username%, we're stuck with finding the path the hard way. So... If I understand correctly (Épiméthée LLC makes no guarantee as to the correctedness, factual value and absence of errors or omissions and does not accept responsibility in respect of any information or advice given in relation to or as a consequent of anything contained herein or elsewhere or which may or may not be construed as such), in XP, we have: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich

In Vista 32 bits, we have: C:\Documents\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Irrational Games\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich
In  Vista 64 bits: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\ProgramFiles(x86)\IrrationalGames\Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich
The only info I could get on the subject being that apparently, the "\Local\" part may or may not be present, depending on OS localisation (say , UK vs France).

And the funny thing is, app developpers must use this to store data if they want their games certified for Windows (as was the case for FFvsTTR).

[stumpy]

Well, that's annoying. I may have to update parts of the datfiles module, since it has functions to find those paths as well. Unfortunately, I don't have Vista 64 to play with...

I'm sure under Vista how to tell, within the game, what OS is running. I wonder what the 'OS' environment variable is set to, in the game.

UY, if you get a chance to open up the console in game, I would love to see the results of

Code Select Expand

import os
for v in os.environ.keys(): print '%s: %s' % (v,repr(os.environ[v]))
import sys
print sys.path
(The output would be in your script.log file.)

[Uncle Yuan]

I need a little more detail on the script log file - where is it, where can I find it?

[stumpy]

It's in the same folder as the game executable (fforce.exe). There's a note on finding that using the shortcut in the Game FAQ. I think that will still be correct under Vista. The script.log will be in the same folder.

[Epimethee]

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Account_Control#Features): "Applications written with the assumption that the user will be running with administrator privileges experienced problems in earlier versions of Windows when run from limited user accounts, often because they attempted to write to machine-wide or system directories (such as Program Files) or registry keys (notably HKLM)[3]. UAC attempts to alleviate this using File and Registry Virtualization, which redirects writes (and subsequent reads) to a per-user location within the user's profile. For example, if an application attempts to write to "C:\program files\appname\settings.ini" and the user doesn't have permissions to write to that directory, the write will get redirected to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\appname\settings.ini"

Maybe running the game as administrator would solve some issues.

[Uncle Yuan]

Interesting - although my main problem now is that the mods install to the virtual path.  But it's something to look into.

[Symon]

I'm told one trick to avoid much Vista grief is to NEVER install in default locations. Install FF3R in c:\FF3R or D:\Freedom Force, or anything. Just NOT in program files. This avoids the whole virtual directories issue I'm told.

[Previsionary]

I'm told one trick to avoid much Vista grief is to NEVER install in default locations. Install FF3R in c:\FF3R or D:\Freedom Force, or anything. Just NOT in program files. This avoids the whole virtual directories issue I'm told.

Where'd ya hear that? Im just curious as ffvttr has been installed to the default local for me for almost a year and I havent run into any problems...course, I am a bit tech savvy as well. *shrugs*

[Symon]

It's pretty close to official advice on the Morrowind (and other) forums. (A game that has phenomenal problems with Vista it seems). I understand (not touching Vista myself) that it makes things a lot easier for people who'd rather not know anything about virtual directories. (The classic Morrowind Vista gotacha is "I have no plugins"; it's because Morrowind can't see them in a virtual location I'm told.)