Can't find the "Saves" folder In Order To Transfer Older Customizations

[John L]

This is really frustrating for me. I have managed to save all of my older customization folder files that I spent a good deal of time editing, while I used my XP machine a few years ago. Now, in Windows 7 I can't locate the "Saves" folder where it should be.

Some background first: I've been away from the CivIII game for about three years now, and just finished working through a CivIV game, but not really satisfied. So I went and installed my Civilization III Complete(the one with the three discs).

On XP the saved games are housed in the "My Documents" folder, and not in the main program folder in "Programs" section. No problem there.

However, since I played the last time, I went and saved the entire "My Documents" from my old computer into a jump drive for posterity, and later use. Well now I have upgraded to a newer Gateway computer, using Windows 7, and today reinstalled the Civilization Complete on to this newer computer. All is good so far.

But now that I have it installed successfully, I cannot locate the "Saves" folder anywhere where it is supposed to be. What I want to do is transfer my older edited files, and be able to access them by using a file manager program, such as PowerDesk, or xplorer2.

I know the folder is there, because when I bring up a brand new game and just get it started at 4000BC, and save it, I cannot go back and find that one save. There is no "Saves" folder there for me to access. Its as though it doesn't exist.


But if I go back and access this saved file through the game, I can step up the folder tree and know that it is supposed to be located in the "Program Files (x86)". I go to "Civilization III Complete", and then "Conquests". In that file, there are the usual folders,.......except no "Saves" folder.

I've looked all over the computer for this folder, but in Windows 7 things are all screwed up, and in different places. What a mess!

Can someone tell me where the "Saves" folder is now residing, so I can transfer my older saved scenarios from my older XP days? I really hate having to start all over from scratch and spend hours trying to remember how I had set things up before. And I will naturally forget something and have to go back and begin things again.

That could take days just to get back to what I was comfortable working with. For example I like to explore in the opening phases, so I use the Explorer early. I also like to use cruise missiles like on CivIV, so I have it changed to "Bombard" status where I can load two on to the missile cruiser. A bunch of little things like that so I can keep up with a vicious/fast AI setup that is hard to keep up with.

But now there is no "Saves" folder anywhere I look. I'm completely stumped here. As the old saying goes, "If it Ain't screwed up, don't fix it". Too bad the folks at Redmond can't get this in their heads. Is it just me?

Anyway, can someone set me straight, and offer some assistance?

 

[Gary Childress]

Microsoft is never satisfied until everyone is confused. Boo Microsoft!

EDIT: Actually I use Windows 7 and I found my savegame folder. If you go to load a saved game, simply click on the up-folder to find out where the save folder is located.

 

[Delta_Strife]

I have win7 and my save folder is in my conquest folder.

 

[Quintillus]

Windows 7 (and Vista) has something that it calls the "virtual store" that basically takes files that are supposedly saved somewhere within C:\Program Files (x86)\ (and a few other folders), and actually puts them somewhere else, typically somewhere like C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\. So that's probably where your 4000 BC save is hiding.

This is nominally a security feature, so that it's harder for users to accidentally mess up their programs (either by fudging around with stuff not really knowing what they are doing, or by viruses). However, it causes big headaches when you're messing around with stuff in C:\Program Files for legitimate reasons (including modding), and also can cause issues with older programs such as Civ3. Essentially, it's a case of security being chosen over convenience with Vista. Which is good if you're bad about computer security and tend to download viruses. But it can be inconvenient for power users.

What I'd recommend is to uninstall Civ3 Complete, and then re-install it to somewhere not in Program Files - such as C:\Civilization III. That way Windows won't do anything sneaky with its files, and they'll be easy to find and modify. As a bonus, it's fewer steps to get to in Explorer.

This was amongst the reasons I went back to XP from Vista. Now I know more about it and could probably work around it fairly well, if I actually wanted to use Vista - but who wants to use Vista?

----

Alternately, there is an option that you can put in the conquests.ini file to use a standard Windows open/save dialog instead of the custom Civ3 one - unfortunately I don't remember what that option is. That would let you save/open files from wherever you want without the rather clunky default interface. But I'd still recommend re-installing to a different location for ease of use.

 

[MPK]

Programme Files (x86)

I have my Civ3 in C:Users\Public\Games\CivIII\...
I have my CivAssist in C:Users\Public\Games\CivAssist

Nice and simple...and anything else I add to my game goes to C:Users\Public\...\...

Avoid (x86) with everything....

 

[John L]

Microsoft is never satisfied until everyone is confused. Boo Microsoft!

Isn't that the G-d's own truth!

EDIT: Actually I use Windows 7 and I found my savegame folder. If you go to load a saved game, simply click on the up-folder to find out where the save folder is located.

As your image suggested, that was one of the very first things I did. Using that, it indicates that it is right there in the parent "Conquests" folder, but I cannot see it.

Oh........I just saw it trying another approach, and I see that the folder has a lock on it. This is really strange. Does this have something to do with administrator privileges? And even if so, shouldn't it still appear?

I'm also noticing other things that I can't get to work, or find, which I remember were there. For instance, trying to change my status to Monarchy, or Republic. I can't find the information/button to go into anarchy before the change of status. There are other things, but its a mess.

Perhaps I need to pull out one of the old computers still using XP, get one of those switches, and come up with a dual computer setup.

Are there any patches for getting this thing fixed for Windows 7 people? I used to think I was pretty computer savy, but old age seems to be catching up with me. My organic hard drive is almost full already.

I have win7 and my save folder is in my conquest folder.

I should be so lucky. backing up the tree, when trying to 'save' a file, it shows it as being right where you say it is, but its not.

 

[John L]

Quintillus, MPK, I'll look and see if I have any luck with your suggestions. The Direct TV guy needs my help, and I have to run some errands first.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[John L]

Windows 7 (and Vista) has something that it calls the "virtual store" that basically takes files that are supposedly saved somewhere within C:\Program Files (x86)\ (and a few other folders), and actually puts them somewhere else, typically somewhere like C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\. So that's probably where your 4000 BC save is hiding.

This is nominally a security feature, so that it's harder for users to accidentally mess up their programs (either by fudging around with stuff not really knowing what they are doing, or by viruses). However, it causes big headaches when you're messing around with stuff in C:\Program Files for legitimate reasons (including modding), and also can cause issues with older programs such as Civ3. Essentially, it's a case of security being chosen over convenience with Vista. Which is good if you're bad about computer security and tend to download viruses. But it can be inconvenient for power users.

What I'd recommend is to uninstall Civ3 Complete, and then re-install it to somewhere not in Program Files - such as C:\Civilization III. That way Windows won't do anything sneaky with its files, and they'll be easy to find and modify. As a bonus, it's fewer steps to get to in Explorer.

This was amongst the reasons I went back to XP from Vista. Now I know more about it and could probably work around it fairly well, if I actually wanted to use Vista - but who wants to use Vista?

----

Alternately, there is an option that you can put in the conquests.ini file to use a standard Windows open/save dialog instead of the custom Civ3 one - unfortunately I don't remember what that option is. That would let you save/open files from wherever you want without the rather clunky default interface. But I'd still recommend re-installing to a different location for ease of use.

Quintillus, it was exactly where you said it would be. I went right to it and found everything. So I uninstalled the program, and reinstalled it outside the "Program Files (x86)". At first I made a small mistake and didn't make up a separate folder marked "Civ III", and it installed everything in the "C" folder, so I had to uninstall it again, and then reinstall it within a new folder. After that, it was all there, and then I just copied the "saves" folder I kept on my backup jump drive, and presto, I had it all there again.

I'm now in the middle of playing a new game, with all the edited changes, and all is working fine. I did have some problems remembering how to use everything, because I had been away for about two and a half to three years. But its all coming back.

Thanks for the help.