If you uninstall OA, it might wipe your ArmA2 missions folder

[gossamersolid 155]

So I installed the pre-load of OA, but then decided I'd like to install it to it's own folder (I assume it can find the arma2 content). So then I uninstall OA and re-install to another folder.

Then to waste a day so I stop thinking about OA, I go to work on my missions... but what is this? Oh nothing, besides the fact that MyDocuments/ArmA2/ folder seems to be empty now... which contained all my files for my missions.

I've lost about 20 hours of work, which is great. I didn't have backups because I didn't think OA would REMOVE stuff that was there before it was.

Just beware to any other mission makers out there, if you uninstall OA, it will whipe your arma2 missions folder.

[cossack8559 10]

Can't you use System Restore to regain those lost files?

[gossamersolid 155]

Can't you use System Restore to regain those lost files?

The most recent checkpoint doesn't have any of the work I did.

[Yapab 10]

I didn't have backups because I didn't think

Exactly, you should ALWAYS have backups of your important work.... computers fail, hard drives fail. I hope you will make backups of your work in the future.

Sorry to hear about your loss, Google data recover you'll be amazed as what can be recovered with software from the net (just dont write a lot to your HDD until you perform the recovery.)

[Deadfast 43]

I've lost about 20 hours of work... I didn't have backups

I'm sorry but there is your problem. If you are working on something important backing your data up is a necessity.

You could attempt to recover with Recuva or a similar tool though. Just make sure to install it on a different drive so you don't overwrite the files you want to restore.

[gossamersolid 155]

I'm sorry but there is your problem. If you are working on something important backing your data up is a necessity.

well I'm talking to Dwarden right now and this was not supposed to happen I assume because I have to report this to the CIT apparently.

Well now I'm gonna be backup crazy, but just a warning to all mission makers out there.

[Deadfast 43]

well I'm talking to Dwarden right now and this was not supposed to happen I assume because I have to report this to the CIT apparently.

I would never think it was but I don't have any means to repro. Hope you found what I edited in later somewhat helpful.

[gossamersolid 155]

I would never think it was but I don't have any means to repro. Hope you found what I edited in later somewhat helpful.

trying that right now

[mrbinkels 10]

I'm mostly serious some of the time. And then there's times when I'm not serious all of the time. Like now where I'm serious about being serious but only because of the lack of seriousness about this posts' subject.

How about this for a title, "if you uninstall OA, it will wipe your arma2 missions folder".

[gossamersolid 155]

I'm mostly serious some of the time. And then there's times when I'm not serious all of the time. Like now where I'm serious about being serious but only because of the lack of seriousness about this posts' subject.

How about this for a title, "if you uninstall OA, it will wipe your arma2 missions folder".

Yeah if a mod wants to change the title if they want to.

I used Recuva in deep scan mode and it didn't find the files. Well this sucks. Guess I learned the hard way.

[Zipper5 74]

"Yo dawg I heard you like bein' serious..."

It is indeed a bit odd how it did that, but did it not give you any option when uninstalling as to whether or not to delete save files or stuff like that?

Well, in any case, I'd definitely make sure you back stuff up more in the future. When working on my campaign I kept backups each time I worked on it on both my portable HDD and my FTP. Helps to avoid situations like this I tell you, especially when I was forced to reformat once...

Definitely change the thread title. :p

[Rustydog 10]

glad I read this , even though I do daily back ups.

I installed oa in to arma but then starting thinking about the stand alone oa and making missions work for that . was just about to sit down and do what you just did.

[Yapab 10]

At least now the missions your making will be twice as good, with any project it gets better the second time around as you have learnt a lot. I bet it wont even take you half the time to get to the same result :) Good luck.

[W0lle 1050]

1) Thread title changed

2) Always make backups of important work

3) As a last resort you could try some data recovery tools, but it might be too late already :(

[gossamersolid 155]

1) Thread title changed

2) Always make backups of important work

3) As a last resort you could try some data recovery tools, but it might be too late already :(

1) Thanks :)

2) I learned that the hard way :(

3) Unfortunately didn't give me anything back :(

On a side note for people, is OA's offline modes supposed to work? Suckurom tells me my serial key is invalid. I'm just wondering how all the germans got past it as they should have had to do the securom activation too right?

[Zipper5 74]

The activation is only required for the Sprocket download. The retail DVDs don't come with it.

[gossamersolid 155]

The activation is only required for the Sprocket download. The retail DVDs don't come with it.

Dwarden (1): everyone has securom

I thought retail DVDs had to do the one time activation like us.

[Inkompetent 0]

Recommendation: Use TortoiseSVN or some other repository-program when working with that large projects anyway. The larger your stuff gets, the harder it is to keep track of what you've changed and when and in what order, so to have a versioning-program like that helps development anyway. With the repository on a completely different physical HDD you are fairly safe against hardware failures and other problems :)

[gossamersolid 155]

Recommendation: Use TortoiseSVN or some other repository-program when working with that large projects anyway. The larger your stuff gets, the harder it is to keep track of what you've changed and when and in what order, so to have a versioning-program like that helps development anyway. With the repository on a completely different physical HDD you are fairly safe against hardware failures and other problems :)

I didn't think SVN would be necessary on two 10mb projects.

I guess it is though. Usually I had the compiled mission as a backup, but I hadn't compiled them in over a week as I was just testing small things in the editor.

[Inkompetent 0]

Well, I use SVN even for <1MB projects when it comes to lots (or just very long and/or complex) scripts and stuff. It's easy to set up after all, and makes it painless to revert if screwing something up. :)

[Zipper5 74]

I thought retail DVDs had to do the one time activation like us.

Yes, everyone has SecuROM, but only the Sprocket version requires an activation.

[gossamersolid 155]

Yes, everyone has SecuROM, but only the Sprocket version requires an activation.

awwww crapshit, looking at my installed directory is such a tease...

[Treelor 0]

I'm sorry but there is your problem. If you are working on something important backing your data up is a necessity.

It was rather unpleasant to see the first two posts say something along the lines of "you shoulda backed it up, ya tard," instead of "That sounds like a pretty nasty problem, something should get done about that."

He didn't expect for a program made by BI to wipe out his missions folder, and lets be honest here - would you?

[gossamersolid 155]

It was rather unpleasant to see the first two posts say something along the lines of "you shoulda backed it up, ya tard," instead of "That sounds like a pretty nasty problem, something should get done about that."

He didn't expect for a program made by BI to wipe out his missions folder, and lets be honest here - would you?

Well I've got a ticket on the CIT now and I learned the hard way. I'm glad this thread is here to possibly warn others to watch out :)

[Cyteless 10]

Unlucky, bud. Good luck for your projects. I hope you gain the spirit to re-do them.