The Drunken Lizard Pub

Quite often (once in ~30 tries) I get this error when I try to make a quicksave. Basically slot1 folder disappears and I have to recreate it manually. I'm running a steam version.

I get this too, and I bought from GamersGate, so it's not a Steam problem.

Just bought from GOG.com & having the same problem. Very frustrating. Tried 2 different computers, tried setting affinity to only 1 cpu in case it was a threading problem as someone speculated, tried starting a new character. I can't save at all. It works one time out of twenty or so.

There are at least four other threads on this subject (I didn't find one of them helpful, though, so I omitted it) - here, here, and here - these may help you guys out.

If they don't, try searching for "DELDIR" in the forums - this is an issue that seems to crop up with some people from time to time. It generally boils down to either the Game Saves folder gets messed with (and needs to be fixed, recreated, or reinstalled), or possibly that the Game Saves folder gets "hidden" by your operating system. Often (though not always), reinstalling will fix the issue.

If anybody comes up with a "fix" or "workaround", please post it back here!

IJBall wrote:There are at least four other threads on this subject (I didn't find one of them helpful, though, so I omitted it) - here, here, and here - these may help you guys out.

If they don't, try searching for "DELDIR" in the forums - this is an issue that seems to crop up with some people from time to time. It generally boils down to either the Game Saves folder gets messed with (and needs to be fixed, recreated, or reinstalled), or possibly that the Game Saves folder gets "hidden" by your operating system. Often (though not always), reinstalling will fix the issue.

If anybody comes up with a "fix" or "workaround", please post it back here!

If this is so well known why haven't the devs fixed it? This is a strange situation...

bearro wrote:

IJBall wrote:There are at least four other threads on this subject (I didn't find one of them helpful, though, so I omitted it) - here, here, and here - these may help you guys out.

If they don't, try searching for "DELDIR" in the forums - this is an issue that seems to crop up with some people from time to time. It generally boils down to either the Game Saves folder gets messed with (and needs to be fixed, recreated, or reinstalled), or possibly that the Game Saves folder gets "hidden" by your operating system. Often (though not always), reinstalling will fix the issue.

If anybody comes up with a "fix" or "workaround", please post it back here!

If this is so well known why haven't the devs fixed it? This is a strange situation...

I think the problem comes mostly due to specific machines and or unknown third-party software running on those machines. If BW can't recreate the error, he can't fix it, and it's not like he can have one of every possible machine with each possible combination of third-party software running to find out what the problem is. And it's not at all unlikely that the error crops up because of something completely outside his control.

Kreador Freeaxe wrote:

bearro wrote:

IJBall wrote:There are at least four other threads on this subject (I didn't find one of them helpful, though, so I omitted it) - here, here, and here - these may help you guys out.

If they don't, try searching for "DELDIR" in the forums - this is an issue that seems to crop up with some people from time to time. It generally boils down to either the Game Saves folder gets messed with (and needs to be fixed, recreated, or reinstalled), or possibly that the Game Saves folder gets "hidden" by your operating system. Often (though not always), reinstalling will fix the issue.

If anybody comes up with a "fix" or "workaround", please post it back here!

If this is so well known why haven't the devs fixed it? This is a strange situation...

I think the problem comes mostly due to specific machines and or unknown third-party software running on those machines. If BW can't recreate the error, he can't fix it, and it's not like he can have one of every possible machine with each possible combination of third-party software running to find out what the problem is. And it's not at all unlikely that the error crops up because of something completely outside his control.

I'm sorry but this is just bullshit. I have over 500 games and this is the only one with disappearing folders, nor do I use any strange software running in the background. Whatever is the problem it is related to the game's code and nothing else.

bearro wrote:I'm sorry but this is just bullshit. I have over 500 games and this is the only one with disappearing folders, nor do I use any strange software running in the background. Whatever is the problem it is related to the game's code and nothing else.

I am sorry you feel this way.

It might have to do with the way some drives cache read/writes. Are you doing very frequent saves and/or reloads? Are you saving to the same slot every time, or do you take the extra 20 seconds to save to a new slot each time?

If people with this problem would more accurately tell me about their methods/frequency of loading and saving, it would give me a bit more guidance on the problem. Do you run multiple virus scanners? Drive encryption? Data compression?

If Book II saving/loading is decidedly more stable, I could put that code in Book I, although it isn't just a "cut-and-paste" type of fix since the save function is notably different. bearro: would you be willing to be a guinea pig and test the updated code if I put it in Book I?

BasiliskWrangler wrote:

bearro wrote:I'm sorry but this is just bullshit. I have over 500 games and this is the only one with disappearing folders, nor do I use any strange software running in the background. Whatever is the problem it is related to the game's code and nothing else.

I am sorry you feel this way.

It might have to do with the way some drives cache read/writes. Are you doing very frequent saves and/or reloads? Are you saving to the same slot every time, or do you take the extra 20 seconds to save to a new slot each time?

If people with this problem would more accurately tell me about their methods/frequency of loading and saving, it would give me a bit more guidance on the problem. Do you run multiple virus scanners? Drive encryption? Data compression?

If Book II saving/loading is decidedly more stable, I could put that code in Book I, although it isn't just a "cut-and-paste" type of fix since the save function is notably different. bearro: would you be willing to be a guinea pig and test the updated code if I put it in Book I?

For me at least this happens only with quick save slot, normal saves do not exhibit this, the game is rather challenging (great!) so I do save quite often.

I'd gladly test any code that you may have that could improve this.

And thanks for the support!

bearro wrote:For me at least this happens only with quick save slot, normal saves do not exhibit this, the game is rather challenging (great!) so I do save quite often.

So only the Quicksaves...

OK, let's try something... Look in your "Eschalon Book 1 Saved Games" folder - do you see a folder called "Slot1"?

If, by chance, you don't see a "Slot1" folder, try creating one - then open up Book 1, and try a fast 'Quicksave', and see if it works...

(If, OTOH, when you look in the "Eschalon Book 1 Saved Games" folder, you do you see a "Slot1" folder... well, then I'm out of ideas. )

I can't say this is a definite fix, but it may shed light on the underlying issue. After I had my first DELDIR error, I opened an explorer browser to fix the folders, leaving it open in the background because hey why not. When it happened again and again, I would replace the folders again and again, leaving the same browser window open. Shenanigans ensued, what with making backup copies of the save folders, copying them back, etc. so I basically always had at least one explorer window (sometimes 3!) open to a save folder or near it. After I closed every one (including one that had been in the save folder 3 or 4 'moves' back, ie if I clicked 'back' four times that's where I'd be), it's worked perfectly, without a hitch.

Using Win7 Ultimate SP1 on an Intel i3-2100, 64bit, 6 Series SATA chipset, DEP on. Uhhh, can't think of any other specs that might be relevant for what appears to be a file system issue, but I can provide more if they'd help.

IJBall wrote:

bearro wrote:For me at least this happens only with quick save slot, normal saves do not exhibit this, the game is rather challenging (great!) so I do save quite often.

So only the Quicksaves...

OK, let's try something... Look in your "Eschalon Book 1 Saved Games" folder - do you see a folder called "Slot1"?

If, by chance, you don't see a "Slot1" folder, try creating one - then open up Book 1, and try a fast 'Quicksave', and see if it works...

(If, OTOH, when you look in the "Eschalon Book 1 Saved Games" folder, you do you see a "Slot1" folder... well, then I'm out of ideas. )

This is exactly what I stated in my original message. The Slot1 folder disappears, I recreate it, it works for a while but sooner or later the game always deletes it.

Oh, and I tried it on two different computers (one with Intel and one AMD CPU) with both Windows 32 bit and 64 bit, it always happens.