recovering after 'unexpected File Format' error

[Satsuriku 0]

WARNING: THIS TAKES A VERY LONG WHILE TO DO

 

haha, just after i had this problem for the 30th time, the old 'unexpected file format', the cancer that is killing rpg maker projects everywhere.

 

well ive found a way to recover your maps and all of the eventing within them

 

as you have probably tried, copying all of the files in the 'data' folder and pasting them into a new game, but, this doesnt work for it iss those files which are corrupt

 

BUT

 

if you copy a map (eg MAP003, Store-Room) from the 'data' folder and paste it into the new games 'data' folder, and then RENAME THE MAP 'MAP001' without the quotation marks, it will appear in the new game as the first default map, there fore you can copy the map straight from the game (rather than the 'data' folder) and into another new project. after this go back to the 'data' folder of the first new game and delete 'MAP001', then copy another map from the 'data' folder of the original game and repeat the process

 

keep doing this for all of the maps in the 'data' folder, and you should end up with:

 

the original corrupted game

a new game with one map

another new game with all of the maps copied

 

if you cant work out how to do this properly then just message me and ill help you

 

hehe i hope this comes of great help to people, not to be pompous or anything but i think i deserve some respect haha

[Polraudio 122]

This sounds good. I might have to try it when i get the error for shutting down while saving or pulling flashdrive out. Thanks for figuring this out.

[Satsuriku 0]

yay someone thanked me

[Nisage 31]

Interesting, this might work, and I think I know how we get these "Unexpected File Format" error messeges. But I'm not sure if it's true, or not.

[Polraudio 122]

Nisage we had this problem when you were on the Virtual OS. Your were right in the middle of saving and my computer shutdown. Then i tried to open it up and got that error.

[Nisage 31]

Nisage we had this problem when you were on the Virtual OS. Your were right in the middle of saving and my computer shutdown. Then i tried to open it up and got that error.

That's the reason it got the error. -looks at confused faces- Let me try to put it in another way..... When you have RMXP, or RMVX open and editing your games (or just starting them) do you any other programs running, like Windows Media Plater, Itunes, Virus Scanner (any scanner), Internet, or any other program running other then RPG Maker? My brother had a few of his games have that error, and he had a few programs running while working, and like Polraudio said in the quote, the TeamViewer was running and we got the error messege as well. But I never had an "Unexpected File Format" happen to me to any of my games (unless if you count the one I'm working on with Polraudio) since I only have XP or VX running and nothing else. (I use my Ipod to listen to music while working :P). But I'm not officially sure on this theory of mine, there is proof that it has happened, but did everyone have another program running when they had XP or VX open?

 

(Wow, that's a lot.)

[Polraudio 122]

I dont think it matters on what programs are open. I think it only matters what the computer is doing when you save the project. So try avoid hitting close and saving it that way. Please save then close so you dont get the message cause it might not save before the program closes. Never know it might happen.

[Marked 197]

as you have probably tried, copying all of the files in the 'data' folder and pasting them into a new game, but, this doesnt work for it iss those files which are corrupt

 

Your method is essentially doing the same thing here(the above quote), just you end up without the corrupted file.

 

I think a simpler way is to copy your data one-by-one, testing them by opening the project every time, and this way you can isolate the corrupted file. Once you find it, or them, you can copy the rest into a new project and hopefully recover most of your work.