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Old 08-28-2016, 09:35 PM   #16
NoOne
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Déjà Bru View Post
It has been a consistent theme in my career to be frustrated with program error messages that may make all the sense in the world to the programmers but are indecipherable by the average user.

In this case, a simple statement such as "Cannot overwrite existing league files - enter new folder name" would be much more helpful than "RESTORE_DIALOG:::start_restore - could not create target folder." I don't know how it would be done, but I am sure that it could be done if programmers gave the time and made the effort.

that's just a cout or whatever - it displays a string of text based on didn't work correctly. it's just feedback. they could have that error read display "one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish" if they wanted to with a simple "find and replace" in the source code -- i'm assuming that specific order of words doesn't occur elsewhere, and if it does needs to be changed there too. (multiple things can cause the same error in some instances). literally a few seconds to edit the code then however long to rebuild parts affected or the whole thing again.

but.... here's how to read it and maybe more clear?

function::error code - it's nice they even mention the function having the problem too instead of "error code:112658" that requires a reference index.

Start_restore is the function called (assuming the label matches or at least similar). you click Restore and the code jumps to the function that performs those related actions. then you have the error message. "could not create target folder" which is pretty clear where to look for the problem, in my opinion, but each to their own.

what other conclusions are being drawn here? somewhat rhetorical, but i also have alot more experience with computers than others... i could easily overlook something that isn't obvious to others... just struggling to see it here.

i've sat there and been pi#$%ed too, and then bonk myself in the forehead when i realize i didn't type in a name for the backup or something stupid -- in other words 100% user error. everythign is labeled correctly... what else can they do?

there's a manual.. instead of freaking out do a google search or something.
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like rich i append the game year that way i also know chronology without loading them up. (and a 01, 02 if multiples in same year for some odd reason - usually only during initial setup, i do it in stages so that when/if i make a mistake i don't have to redo all my changes), you don't need to retain them in perpetuity... i delete all but the 2 most recent ones, which are usually 1 season apart. if i do anything that requires alot of work and effort i will make a backup immediately, too. same with any settings changes.

About corrupt saves and losing entire leagues:

For those constantly needing to restore a backup or running into problems more than once per 2 years or any longer length of time.. have you ever run a "windows optimizer" or something? those stupid programs turn off some features of windows thta prevent loss of data when you turn off your computer... instead of finishing writes from RAM you simply lose it immediately when the computer shuts down faster. by default and for good reason, it will wait upto X seconds (think 20 is default? it's in the registry) before terminating the process to shut down.

that's not the only possibility with those really really stupid "optimizers" LoL... never use one, they are a gimmick and cause problems while doing almost nothing to benefit you. if you have messed with any group policies, registry entries or any basic windows setting regarding your PC shutting down or somehow affect data integrity, you should revert those changes too. -- Write Cache - look into it, make sure the option that does not warn you about data loss is the one choosen. right-click hard drive - properties you'll find it in there.

when something hangs... do not mash on the keyboard or click around on your screen.... what may have been just a delay now becomes a crash at your hands. walk away for 5minutes if neccessary, or longer iwth an older pc, and then if still stuck, you might as well cancel the process and likely lose data from last save, too.

i've had some saved games get corrupted, but i'm fairly certain it was related to my activities, but maybe not too.

if you have a ton of TSRs (oops showing my age doubt they are referred to in this way now, lol)... if you have any "junk" software runing in the background at all times, turn that crap off. AV real-time protection (anti-virus) is only needed if you are going to some shady porn site or something else really stupid without any adblockers and other plugins running on your browser, lol. after that you should go hire a hoo%er and not use a condom whle you are at it. run all that stuff 1/month and forget about it in between. i don't think i've seen a virus on any of my PCs in more than a decade. i try to run it 1/mo. but nowadays it's 2-3 times a year, lol.

not just the invasive AV softweare though... any update crap that constantly runs... instead get in a habit of manually clicking "check update" when you load those programs.

the av stuff is key because it can @#% up read/writes of perfectly normal programs. it's a security blanket that makes people feel safe but is nearly useless in function. so, get all those program icons around your clock to not load when the computer starts or at the least turn all that sh%$# off when you load ootp. you'll have better luck saving and restoring games -- especially if you have an older/slow computer.

Last edited by NoOne; 08-28-2016 at 09:41 PM.
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