Can Messages Be Deleted Without Damaging My League?

Eugene Church · 10-25-2017, 09:34 PM

Sorry if I shouldn't ask a question about OOTP12 on this OOTP18 Forum, but I am forced to use it because it wouldn't convert to OOTP13 long ago.

Can you safely delete "messages" from the league folder?
There are over 4000 messages.
Are they necessary to the operation of the league?
I never read messages... never use finances in my leagues.

I have had this league for over 10 years... don't want to corrupt it... but it does take a little while to load up the 4000 messages.

I can live with the 4000 messages, but would like to delete them if can.

Would appreciate your help.

Déjà Bru · 10-26-2017, 08:26 AM

Eugene, you are an old pro here so you know the first rule is to back up your league before you do this, just in case something bad happens or you don't like the results.

IIRC, you can delete all of those messages and, at the same time, you would delete the messages.dat file which keeps track of them all. The next time you start the game, it rebuilds messages.dat file as a tabula rasa.

If you don't care about old messages, that's fine. Messages are also the basis of news, however, and that you will be missing from player's profiles; the "news articles about this player" (I'm at work and I cannot remember the exact wording). That will be blank except for new news going forward.

bosunmate · 10-26-2017, 10:42 AM

Hi Eugene
It's so good to see you are still playing OOTP. I was wondering how you were doing as I remember you where the oldest on here. I'm turning 67 and hope I can keep motoring on for as long as possible. So you have a great day Eugene....

RchW · 10-26-2017, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Sorry if I shouldn't ask a question about OOTP12 on this OOTP18 Forum, but I am forced to use it because it wouldn't convert to OOTP13 long ago.

Can you safely delete "messages" from the league folder?
There are over 4000 messages.
Are they necessary to the operation of the league?
I never read messages... never use finances in my leagues.

I have had this league for over 10 years... don't want to corrupt it... but it does take a little while to load up the 4000 messages.

I can live with the 4000 messages, but would like to delete them if can.

Would appreciate your help.

Eugene you can delete messages with no problems but for them to be permanently erased you must delete the messages.dat file. These actions are done with the game off. I have previously posted a “how to” on this. Try advanced search using the word “delete” and my user name RchW and see if it comes up. If I find it the link will be posted here.

Déjà Bru · 10-26-2017, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosunmate

Hi Eugene
It's so good to see you are still playing OOTP. I was wondering how you were doing as I remember you where the oldest on here. I'm turning 67 and hope I can keep motoring on for as long as possible. So you have a great day Eugene....

Heh, the three of us could be high school classmates.

RchW · 10-26-2017, 11:54 AM

See this though it may be more detail than you need.

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/showthread.php?p=3912428&highlight=delete#post3912 428

Step by step for messages
1 with the game off find the messages folder for the lg file you have.
2 select all and delete.
3 find the messages.dat file. Delete it
4 start the game, the messages.dat file will be rebuilt but all messages are permanently erased.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2017, 10:14 PM

Thanks, guys.

Really appreciate your help.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2017, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Eugene, you are an old pro here so you know the first rule is to back up your league before you do this, just in case something bad happens or you don't like the results.

IIRC, you can delete all of those messages and, at the same time, you would delete the messages.dat file which keeps track of them all. The next time you start the game, it rebuilds messages.dat file as a tabula rasa.

If you don't care about old messages, that's fine. Messages are also the basis of news, however, and that you will be missing from player's profiles; the "news articles about this player" (I'm at work and I cannot remember the exact wording). That will be blank except for new news going forward.

Thanks for the reminder to "back up".

For past few years I always keep an external hard drive to back up my Islandian Pro Alliance, which I have been playing on OOTP12 for years now.

I also back up my Southern Association dynasty after each day's play.

Several years ago I had my computer go bad on me and I thought I had lost my IPA after playing it 55 seasons and over a decade of real time... Yes, I was heart-broken and devastated, but fortunately, I had stored the IPA on my external hard drive after season 52 and could start it back up again... I just had to replay a few seasons.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2017, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bosunmate

Hi Eugene
It's so good to see you are still playing OOTP. I was wondering how you were doing as I remember you where the oldest on here. I'm turning 67 and hope I can keep motoring on for as long as possible. So you have a great day Eugene....

I'm currently older than dirt... 77 now and still going strong mentally and physically... hope you are, too.

Let's hope we each have another 20 years or so... one of these days Markus will have good animation and graphics... hope I'm still around to enjoy it... that is all the game needs to make my dreams come true.

Oh, I've been around all the time...mainly on the Dynasty and Mods/Graphics Forums... just haven't been on the Beta Team for the last few years... and haven't been very active on the Discussions Forum for each new version... never played a league using them, though I would always buy them to support Markus and the crew each year... just didn't use them.

The reason is I just got stuck on playing OOTP12 and never updated my IPA to the latest version... I tried to convert it to OOTP13, but the archives were messed up, so I just reverted back to OOTP12.

I use OOTP18 for my Southern Association dynasty and love it... it is truly a joy to play.

I think I will convert my IPA to OOTP18 even if the archives are messed up.... yeah, I know I will have to convert to 13, 14, 15, 16 , 17... and then 18... which will not be an easy process for ye olde computer-challenged me.

But I'm going to give it a try.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2017, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RchW

See this though it may be more detail than you need.

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/showthread.php?p=3912428&highlight=delete#post3912 428

Step by step for messages
1 with the game off find the messages folder for the lg file you have.
2 select all and delete.
3 find the messages.dat file. Delete it
4 start the game, the messages.dat file will be rebuilt but all messages are permanently erased.

Thanks for the detailed, step-by-step instructions... being severely computer-challenged, I greatly, greatly need them and very, very much appreciate it.

RchW · 11-15-2017, 08:24 PM

Always glad to help Eugene. Whenever you do try to upgrade the IPA post about it. I'm sure there will be plenty of help.

10-25-2017, 09:34 PM	#1
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,214	Can Messages Be Deleted Without Damaging My League? Sorry if I shouldn't ask a question about OOTP12 on this OOTP18 Forum, but I am forced to use it because it wouldn't convert to OOTP13 long ago. Can you safely delete "messages" from the league folder? There are over 4000 messages. Are they necessary to the operation of the league? I never read messages... never use finances in my leagues. I have had this league for over 10 years... don't want to corrupt it... but it does take a little while to load up the 4000 messages. I can live with the 4000 messages, but would like to delete them if can. Would appreciate your help.

10-26-2017, 08:26 AM	#2
Déjà Bru Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Long Island Posts: 11,741	Eugene, you are an old pro here so you know the first rule is to back up your league before you do this, just in case something bad happens or you don't like the results. IIRC, you can delete all of those messages and, at the same time, you would delete the messages.dat file which keeps track of them all. The next time you start the game, it rebuilds messages.dat file as a tabula rasa. If you don't care about old messages, that's fine. Messages are also the basis of news, however, and that you will be missing from player's profiles; the "news articles about this player" (I'm at work and I cannot remember the exact wording). That will be blank except for new news going forward. __________________ - Bru

10-26-2017, 11:54 AM	#6
RchW Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto ON by way of Glasgow UK Posts: 15,629	See this though it may be more detail than you need. http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/showthread.php?p=3912428&highlight=delete#post3912 428 Step by step for messages 1 with the game off find the messages folder for the lg file you have. 2 select all and delete. 3 find the messages.dat file. Delete it 4 start the game, the messages.dat file will be rebuilt but all messages are permanently erased. __________________ Cheers RichW If you’re looking for a good cause to donate money to please consider a Donation to Parkinson’s Canada. It may help me have a better future and if not me, someone else. Thanks. “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” Frank Wilhoit

11-15-2017, 08:24 PM	#11
RchW Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Toronto ON by way of Glasgow UK Posts: 15,629	Always glad to help Eugene. Whenever you do try to upgrade the IPA post about it. I'm sure there will be plenty of help. __________________ Cheers RichW If you’re looking for a good cause to donate money to please consider a Donation to Parkinson’s Canada. It may help me have a better future and if not me, someone else. Thanks. “Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition …There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.” Frank Wilhoit

10-26-2017, 10:42 AM	#3
bosunmate All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 1,760	Hi Eugene It's so good to see you are still playing OOTP. I was wondering how you were doing as I remember you where the oldest on here. I'm turning 67 and hope I can keep motoring on for as long as possible. So you have a great day Eugene....

10-26-2017, 10:14 PM	#7
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,214	Thanks, guys. Really appreciate your help.