Game Saves in Win7

Hi

I installed The Last Testament of Sherlock on my Win7 machine last evening thinking I might make one save and then transfer the latest save across from where I have the game installed on my WinXP machine.
[Just to finish the game with the better graphics available and see what they look like.]

But I can't find the save

[My Son in Law installed the Win7 "Enterprise" version.]

I have a memory of members being told to look for these saves in My Documents but they are not there.
And I can't find a Documents & Settings folder at ALL.

I have looked everywhere I can think of but the layout in Win7 is so different I just seem to keep going round in circles

I though of trying via the Start Menu Search facility but even that's different. There are no options to choose from, I have to type in what I need to find myself and everything I've tried so far has failed

I was thinking to make a search for the last file "changed" but what do I type for that ??

Hoping someone can help me out here, please

EDIT :
If this post should be on a different board just please let me know.

Cheers.

Mad

My Documents is in Libraries, Mad. Say your computer's name is Bill. There will be an icon named Bill on your desktop. Double click on that. You'll see Libraries and under that, Documents. Open that with the little triangle out to the side and you'll see My Documents. (I always put a shortcut to My Docs on my desktop.)

You could do a typed search for Frogwares.
Or you could go to C\Program Files(X86) and see if Frogwares is there. That's the default for most of the games and some games do have their saves in the game folder.
I really wish developers would make up their minds where saves should be and stick them all in one place!

Gil.

Find your AppData folder, mine is in My Docs, here you will find a file called Roaming, from here go to Frogwares and the Sherlock file will have your saves.

traveler :
Yes. When I looked for the saves for Secret Files 3 that's where I found them but the Sherlock saves are not there.
[I didn't find them until after I'd started this thread.]

Upsydaisy :
I went to AppData and found Roaming but there are no save games in there or in any other of the AppData files.

But thank you both for replying

Have you actually started playing the game? maybe the save game file doesn't appear until you have a save? just guessing here...

First of all you will have to make hidden folders visible. The location you want is

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Frogwares\The Testament of Sherlock Holmes\save

Obviously you will replace USERNAME with whatever your username is on your computer.

Thanks, mj2c-forgot to mention the hidden folder option.

Yes, Upsydaisy, I did make a save. And that's the save I'm trying to find

Thanks, mj2c.
I would definitely like to try that but whilst I know how to access hidden files on WinXP, I don't on Win7

Can you tell me how, please ??

Thanks to you all, again. I much appreciate the help

From the Start Menu type in Folder Options. Open Folder Options, select the View tab then select "Show hidden files, folders and drives".

Thank you, mj2c

But, another mystery now !!

I went the route to get hidden folders to be made available - only to find that "show hidden folders" was already checked .... Yet they are NOT showing.

I don't know WHAT to do now

Try to copy & paste the path from my post above to Windows Explorer but before pressing Enter replace the USERNAME part with your own username. Now press enter. What happens?

OK. I tried that, mj2c. But it just came up "no matches".

When I get to the "hidden folders" options there are two headings at the top of that page - Apply to Folders and Reset Folders.
Apply to Folders is greyed out but I don't know what Reset Folders might do so I haven't touched it

No dont type it in the search part but in the address part.

Our posts are crossing now

What address part - where ??

Ignore both of those. When you select Show hidden folders just select either the Ok button at the bottom or the Apply also at the bottom.

http://mintywhite.com/windows-7/7news/36...ndows-explorer/

click on pic to magnify it. See where it says Libraries->Documents? That's the address bar.

I am following this with bated breath! a real mystery even for Sherlock.
BTW I did read somewhere that saved games only work on the OS that they were played on? so this may be in vain....

I blame Moriarty. The fiend:-)

Makes perfect sense to me. (Blaming Moriarty, that is.)

OK. I've found it, mj2c, and thank you SO MUCH for your fantastic patience !!

However, after all this messing, I think I'm going to have to delete it anyway, and, in fact, uninstall the game, because the save is on my C Drive

[I'll just carry on and finish the game with the install I already have on my XP computer.]

My new machine has only a small solid state "C" drive - specifically for booting up at speed - and as it is purposely only a small drive, I don't want to clog it up with games stuff.

My BIG drive - for games and everything else - is "D" and that's where I installed Sherlock and where I've been doing all this fruitless (curses) searching !!

But a huge thanks to all who have been trying to help me.
I have appreciated your efforts VERY much and am most grateful.

Cheers.

Mad

PS.
What a shame for poor Moriarty, though. Getting blamed for something he hasn't done .... for once

The game is superb!! I really enjoyed it, only had to refer to the walkthrough once. ENJOY!!

Oo! A new thingie!

I'm sorry, Mad. My reading comprehension skills need overhaul. I thought you couldn't find My Docs. Btw, you can also look in AppData\Local when you're searching.

Gil.

"Btw, you can also look in AppData\Local when you're searching."

I inadvertently discovered that this morning traveler

I am sorry I won't be playing Sherlock on my new computer but to me it seems ludicrous to allow a player to choose where to install a game but then not only hide their saves from it in a "hidden" folder, but in a hidden folder on a completely different drive !!

Anyway. I'm just very grateful for all the help I am treated to here at Gameboomers.
Just don't know how I'd manage without it.

So a big from me !!

You can actually change the location of your User folder (and all of it's subfolders) if you want.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/87555-user-profile-change-default-location.html

Since this is more technical than related to a game, I am moving this to Glitches.

Ana

As for the save thing, my saves for a different games (stalker, I think) are in the my documents folder and some of the saves for other games are in the application data folder.

I agree, though, that it really is annoying that the game seems to hide the save files from us, and it must be even more annoying to have the game hide the save game files on a totally different drive than the game installed in.

Which brings up the question, why aren't all saved games in the game folder and plainly labeled saved games? Is there some arcane technical reason for putting them somewhere else?


Gil.

The reason saves aren't placed in the game folder anymore is that games often (stupidly) install into the Program Files folder by default. Anything inside the Program Files folder (or Program Files(x86) folder) is considered "protected" by Windows so changes (like creating new saves or updating existing saves) are blocked. This "blocking changes in C:\Program Files" thing all started back with XP SP2, but the problem has not gone away.

Why saves aren't always put in the same place (like in a subfolder in the User's Documents folder) is another matter. Why should they be put in a subfolder of the hidden AppData folder? Or in a subfolder of the Roaming folder? I think this is more the fault of the creator of the game installer than of Windows though. Windows has been like this long enough for game installers to choose some non-protected default location for the game install.

Someone actually created a website for finding game save locations:
http://www.gamesavelocation.com/

Unfortunately not so many games there yet.

Thanks for the explanation, Jenny. Makes sense.

Since you're explaining, is there a way to put all the saves that normally go to My Docs by default as sub-folders in a Game Saves folder in My Docs and still have a game locate the saves?

Well, that was long winded. In other words, is there a way to direct the game to look for saves somewhere other than it expects to find them?

Gil.

I don't know of one. There might be a way to manipulate the game's registry entries so it would look for saves in a different place, but every game would probably need a different procedure.

Ah. Phooey.

Then I'll just do what I should have done in the first place and stuff all those saved game folders in one, to get rid of that mess in My Docs, and haul one out when I'm actually playing the game. Why didn't I think of that before?

You don't have to answer that.

Gil.

Sorry I'm late back to this thread - but thanks, all of you, who have contributed.
Every snippet of info on Win7 stuff is a bonus !!

What you are saying Trav is every game you installed has left behind a save folder somewhere under my docs? Ouch! I remove mine and place them in a folder on the hard drive away from that scramble. Put a text file in your previous save folder with the path written down so you know where to paste upon reinstall. It saves going nuts later when you reinstall the game It is good advice but I have never done that so I have to make a new save and search for it. Perhaps someday I will listen. That is why when I review a game I started listing the save folder path in the review.

Finding Saves can become quite a treasure hunt with heightened frustration. I cannot speak to the Sherlock game since I never played it. They are not always in the same place. Speaking of Win XP and Win7 you will not find them under documents every time. Why? because Windows placed documents folders in two places one in LIBRARIES and the other MY Documents on the C drive. It is in Documents and Settings where you find USER Name Folder often used to house saves.

This is simple for most people who grew up with computers for others it can seem confusing. The easiest way is to locate this the first time is to use Windows Explorer. Click START bottom left of desktop. Select ALL PROGRAMS then ACCESSORIES then WINDOWS EXPLORER. That will open up the page showing the tree where you have all folders listed on your PC.

Near the top about five folders down under LIBRARIES is DOCUMENTS. If you click on documents to expand it in the right panel you can see the folders and files inside the DOCUMENTS folder. You will notice USER NAME is not in there.

Presently I have the Secret Files 3 folder there. Expanding that folder I find the save games. Who knows what games use this spot it varies. For this game the path would be MY DOCUMENTS\SECRET FILES 3\Saved Games

The second location is found below the DOCUMENTS FOLDER. On the left panel expand the folder named COMPUTER Then LOCAL DISC C. It is inside that folder where you will find DOCUMENTS&SETTINGS Expand Documents and Settings inside that is a list of users. Look for the folder that is titled with your name or whatever name you are using for the computer. For instance the folders on my pc are listed as ALL USERS - APP DATA - DEFAULT - DEFAULT USER - PUBLIC- MY NAME. The last one (whatever your name is ) is the one you are looking for. Expand that one and you will find a long list of folders. There are thirty-five in mine. Usually but not always it is eventually discovered some where under APP DATA but not always. You see there is also an APPLICATION DATA file in there as well.

You can save a lot of grief by right clicking on the DOCUMENTS, USER NAME and WINDOWS EXPLORER folders and sending each to your desk top. Right click=send to=DESKTOP CREATE SHORTCUT.

That will get you to those locations a lot quicker directly from your desktop

As I said most often when you do not find them under my documents they are under one of the APP DATA folders in the user name category. They vary, here are a few examples.

C:\ Documents and settings\User name\Saved Games\Cliffhouse


C:\Documents and settings\User name\ local settings\virtual store\program files x86\GOG.com\Journeyman project 3\J3 Saved Games. Talk about pixel hunting Sierra had nothing on Win 7.


C:\Documents and Settings\USER NAME\ APPLICATION DATA\ THE LONGEST JOURNEY


C:\ Documents and settings\ User name\ App Data\ Local\ Virtual Store\ Program Files X86\ Gog.com\ Under A Killing Moon\ Games.

NOTE of the bottom two above one was found in APP DATA the other in APPLICATION DATA. The second one in the list even though you found it under USER FILES it was in neither DATA file.

There are a few examples As with the last entry the save folder itself is not always named save in UKAM it is called games. Therefore a search for saves may not always find what you are looking for.

You notice they are not always under application data and can be either in MY Documents or Documents and Settings. This is the frustrating aspect. It can become quite a search

Because of that I decided to list the path in any game I write a review for going forward. The last for or five games I did that.

It can be very frustrating because there is no universal rule and digging inside that windows explorer tree can be frustrating. The good news is do this often enough and you get really familiar with your file structure. It is like learning how to drive a standard transmission car.

YES I know clear as mud. This is one of those things that is harder to explain than to do.

I'm saving this post, oldmariner.

No, every game doesn't create a saves folder in My Documents, I wish every one did! They'd be a danged sight easier to find.

At the moment, though, I have 17 game saves folders in there, which is why I intend to create a master Saved Games folder in My Docs, pop them all in, then haul out one when I need it, i.e., when I'm replaying a game and can't figure out what the heck I did to get past something.

Considering I put just about everything in My Docs since it's so easy to find things there (via a desktop shortcut), add to that that I often refuse to let a game go where it wants to but put it in My Docs, and it can get to be kinda crowded in there. I have various folders like Games, Articles, Downloads that are full of subfolders so I don't know why it never occurred to me to make a master Saved Games folder.

Standard transmission? They still make those?

Gil.

Standard Transmission? Yes they do. Generally you will get 40 miles to a gallon versus 34 with the same vehicle that has an automatic. My last one was a Honda Civic 98' 99' or so. Switched over to Auto because my better half's back problems made it hard for her to drive the standard. Otherwise I'd still be driving one.

My 4-wheel drive truck is a 5-speed standard transmission and my little 20 year-old car that I just sold was also a 5-speed. Love them!

Gear sticks ??

Standard here in the UK.

I've only owned ONE car with auto transmission in 46 years of driving

EDIT :
Thanks for more info for me to copy, oldmariner