ArmA II & OA Everything Backup/Restore?

[hoak 0]

Hi Fellers!

I just bought the PMC and British Forces expansions for OA -- and did a new install for everything (which took forever), and am wondering if there might be a faster easier way to do this in the future...

For example with BC2 and its Vietnam expansion all you need to do is copy/backup your main game install directory, and export and save two root keys in the registry (and all their sub-keys) and you have an easy and much faster install/restore...

I found two root-key for all my BI stuff under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Bohemia Interactive

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Bohemia Interactive Studio

But it seems like there must be more data stored elsewhere as this looks incomplete, does anyone know more?

I'm going to have to reinstall my system in a few weeks again, and then again week after that -- and don't want to go through all the DVD swaping, patching, key typing, etc. this 17Gb install entails if I can avoid it... In fact this is one of the things that keeps me from playing ArmA II/OA mods etc. is I have to do so much backup/restore for other work and testing I do...

Help appreciated!

Edited January 19, 2011 by Hoak

[Mr. Charles 22]

Yep, i went through this recently with my notebook. It was a real pain in the a**.

Install A2

Install OA

Install BAF

Install PMC

Install 1.57

Install Beta patch

:(

[hoak 0]

I can't tell if you're being sincere, or petty and sarcastic; the 17Gb install and patching took me close to two hours, and I had a required additional step...

Just copying these files from a back-up on my RAID would only take a few minutes, importing registry settings seconds, and offer a lot less write wear on my SSD... I should think if you had to do this as often as I do, you'd be looking for a faster easier method as well...

[Sgt. Exodus 10]

It's a pain in the a**e, but I've not found any other way better, 'cause copying the game files in and out result in not being able to patch (I've done this twice now, and realised I have to re-install), and re-installing (for me at least) can take up to 4 hours to patch it all up to playing standard.

But as far as I know, nope, not a whole lot you can do other than a full install every time :(

[pooroldspike 129]

I'm not a PC expert (just a grunt wargamer), but wouldn't installing AA to an external hard disk help in some way?

That way, you could just unplug it when you're doing something to the PC, then plug it in again after you've finished?

[hoak 0]

Thanks Sgt. Exodus, I'm not giving up, if no one else knows anything or posts -- I guess next time I go through the install hoops I can use an installtion logger, so I can track all the installer stubbs so that updaters can find the game.

Last time I tried doing a restore from backup, I couldn't even get the game to start, so, I wouldn't mind so much not being able to update as the time between update patches has been a lot longer then my number or reinstallations, which if you add them all up I probably have a over day of install time -- which is patently assinine...

If installation took me four hours like it does you Sgt. Exodus, I'd pretty much have given up on ArmA II/OA...

PoorOldSpike thank you for at least being someone that's trying to help, but, that won't quite work either as the same registry entries and installer stubss etc. would be needed to get the game running or update it to the latest patch level, in fact if I solve this, the same solution would make that work as well...

[NeMeSiS 11]

I did this before OA came out so i didnt have as many keys in my registry, but i just ran searches in my registry for 'Bohemia' and 'BI (or BIS)'. Worked fine for me, and its worth a try since it will cost you only a few minutes and it may save you hours of work.

Currently i have dozens on ArmA2 related things in my registry, mostly related to file extensions and modtools.

[Mr. Charles 22]

I was being honest, don't take my avatar so serious lol^^

[Sgt. Exodus 10]

Hehe, it's a combination of a rubbish HDD, a slow disc-drive and too much spare time Hoak XD

[flattermann 12]

hmm try to find a decent registry viewer to search all the entries, then export them and back it all up...