Some very helpful gameboomers sent me some saves to get me out of a problem in the game, but can't get them to run on my computer. My computer is a Windows Vista Toshiba Laptop. Could anybody help please?

Terry

Terry, I sent you an email asking these questions too.

First, you said you don't have any other saves except for the ones I sent you. Does this mean you've never saved the game or that the file folder you put my saves in only has my saves in it?

If you do have some saves of your own and you put my saves in the same file folder, you have to make sure my saves and your saves do not have the same number.

For Inland and Jenny, Hawka put my saves into the Hobbit game saves folder on her Vista laptop and they worked just fine. She has Vista Home Premium and Terry has Vista Home Basic.

Some games store an index to the saves, is this one of them? Also, was the game installed to your User folders or the default location? There may be a reference to the location in the saves, so everything should be identical between the two.

For me, Vista had a habit of storing saves in a hidden location for several games. It was under C:\Users\UserID\AppData\LocalInstall Name -- you can view the folder by entering shell:appdata in the Run command.

On mine for this game the saves are in Documents, that is where I placed Draclvr's saves and mine that were created on my XP computer. The application itself is in Program Files x86 under Sierra. I would like Corana to send me one of his saves and see what happens on my Vista. He said in email that they install fine, show up in his game but when he clicks on them to load he gets a wide blue T and an error message that Meridian.exe had to close. Actually he typed Meridian.esc but I don't think that makes sense. I searched my Vista and don't find that, only the application.

As soon as I boot up my laptop I will look under the location you said Inland and do another search, just in case. But all saves are working on Vista and on my XP. I do not presently have The Hobbit installed on the XP, if it will help, I can reinstall it, the file folder is still in Program Files, but empty since I recently installed a new hard drive.

Edit here: I just checked my email and Terry has sent me a save from his Vista. He said he uninstalled and reinstalled the game a few times and did not keep his saves, so he sent me one that he just made. I will work on this a bit later and let you know what happens.

He also sent me an email stating the saves are in a directory file. That isn't the right place. The path for The Hobbit game saves (in XP, Vista and Win 7) is C:\Users\"name"\My Documents\The Hobbit.

This is why I've asked Terry a couple of times to please do a search on his computer.

Even after uninstalling the game, the Saves folder in the \Username\My Documents file will remain.

There is a folder in the Sierra\The Hobbit folder with what appear to be saves, but they are not - they are the photos etc. for each chapter. The saves are located in the other location.

Here is a screenshot of The Hobbit saves on my Vista, the first four are mine (1 each save and screenshot) the rest are from Draclvr and all work. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/hawkavonpuka/screenshots/Thehobbitfolder.jpg
The ones from 11.06 were crested on Vista, the next on XP and I believe Draclvrs were from XP also.

I am not sure if the uninstall will remove the saves from Documents, I haven't tried that yet, like I said my game on XP was deleted from a hard drive crash, I store my documents with Carbonite and I also have some on a flash drive.

Aha! Here's something I just thought of... Terry, what version is your Hobbit game? I'm getting a vague memory that Bets had to download the patch which upgrades the game to the 1.2 version - hers was the 1.0 version.

Terry, here is how you find out. When the game first starts up, instead of clicking on Play, click on View Readme. Right at the top it will tell you which version you have. Mine says "Patched Version 1.2" Post back and tell us what yours says.

I just checked mine, am on Vista now, it says patched version 1.2 June 29, 2005. It fixes among other things random crashes. Anyway I downloaded terry's save into my folder and it works perfectly, the odd thing is the name of the chapter is different. You can see from the link to the screenshot that his is Hobbiton, mine is An Unexpected Party and they are in the exact same place. Both load fine for me, so possibly his is not the patched version and therefore won't work the same. Here is the screenshot

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v480/hawkavonpuka/screenshots/Hobbitloadscreen.jpg

Edit: I just located a patch to the 1.2 version, I noticed while googling there are other patches out there to 1.3 from something else. http://games.softpedia.com/get/Patch/The-Hobbit-Patch.shtml

Yup, I remember that Bets' chapter names were different. I'll bet Terry has the 1.0 version.

Just came back from town and loaded Corana's save, ran around for a bit, picked up stuff, talked to ppl then went back to save at the same pedestal. It saved it as An Unexpected Party, so it is the version issue. I think once he downloads the patch he should be able to play with the saves we sent.

To all very helpful gameboomers: Thanks very much for all your help, I thought that was the end of my problems, but no! I downloaded 1.2 and ran it, but it won't load, it says it cannot update because the readme file is an unknown version! There surely must be a way to solve this, the Readme file that is in the Sierra Folder does say that it is the 1.0 version, why doesn't the update acknowledge it? Or do I have to uninstall, install yet again.

Thanks very, very, much

Terry

I don't know Corana, I don't know that much about patches, my game already came with version 1.2. Here is a link to another patch, this one with File Planet so you may have to register, not sure. It is from 2003, I am pretty sure with patches that you have to move them into your game folder, on Vista it is in Program Files x86. http://www.fileplanet.com/133069/130000/fileinfo/The-Hobbit-v1.2-Patch

Corana, my Win 7 did the same thing. I suspect it's because it's in the Program Files (x86) file. Try uninstalling the game and this time installing it in My Documents. Then try to install the patch again. You should just have to double click the download and let it do its thing.

I hope that it works. I think I have to do the same thing with Alice, can't find the saves anywhere.

Thanks again for all the help, I downloaded 1.3 which worked perfectly as did the save files I received I am now in Chapter 4 coping with the Stone Giants!

Terry

Wonderful news, Terry! Which save did you decide to use?

Whew, I saw that patch but wasn't sure it would work.

Draclvr, I used the end of chapter 3 one - lovely!

Terry

Have fun with the rest of the game, Terry!