Unexpected File Format Error -- Need Step-by-Step Help

[devonair320 6]

Hi there! So my computer crashed while in RPG Maker VX Ace and now it's doing the "unexpected file format" error. I've read other threads and watched videos that are supposed to help you get your game back, but nothing is working. I'm sure I'm just missing a small step or doing something a bit wrong, but I really need a "How To Save Your Game For Dummies" here -- actual step by step guide as if I'm a 5 year old. I don't want to troubleshoot this for hours on my own and then realize I missed a dumb step, so please, if anyone could help and tell me exactly what to do, I'd be in your debt. I have about 8 hours of gameplay and I cannot lose it. Thanks for any help.

 

EDIT.

 

Here are some things I've tried.

 

1) Copying Audio, Data, and Graphics folders into new game slot. When done and I try to open the new game after adding old data, I get a "failed to load actor data" error.

 

2) The whole copying Map Info over places. I've tried it at least 5 times and nothing has changed.

 

3) Deleting the old Common Events data file and putting a new one in.

 

Also, occasionally I try to start up the old game and it says my System file is not a Windows32 file? The RGSS300.dll file. Not sure if that has anything to do with all this or if it'll just be fixed once this is all taken care of, but god this is a stressful problem. It's taken me months to make this game, I just can't lose all of it.

Edited July 15, 2015 by devonair320

[Rikifive 3,391]

Have you tried replacing the project file (.rvproj2) with one from backups or simply with a new one from fresh project? 

At least that worked for me.

[devonair320 6]

The backups that I have are pretty old :/ that's the only thing. I'd have to redo at least 4 hours of gameplay to get anywhere close. What I've done now is done some more map stuff -- I copied only the map data into a new game file and so far that's working. It's really unorganized but all the maps and events are there, so that's good. Now I just have to transfer all the actor data and stuff. I think the Actor data might be what corrupted it in the first place. It'll be a huge pain but I'll give it a try and hope I can get everything working again. Occasionally, though, if I go through my new maps, RPG Maker will crash? It'll do the whole "Rpg Maker has stopped working" and then have to close it down, so I'm not sure what that's about, but again, I'll see what I can do with what I've got now. Thank you

[Rikifive 3,391]

I don't know if you'll lose any progress by that, since this file has 1KB. At least I didn't noticed any difference.

If you want I could take a look on that and *try to* at least recover as much as possible.

[Mei 78]

Have you tried deleting the actor.rvdata2 file and replace it with a clean one? (not an old one, but a brand new one.)

 

Rpg maker refuses to load a project, even if only one file is corrupted... it's one of my main annoyances. You don't want to let your mapinfo files corrupt. NEVER let them. *shakes fist*

 

Also, it may pop up another error like "Cannot load __.rvdata2", which can be solved by deleting said file and replacing with a brand new one again. And again. And again.

[devonair320 6]

@Rikifive: I think I'll actually be okay Since my maps came back with all the events on them, I haven't lost my progress, so thank goodness. At the worst I just lost my scripts and stuff in the database, but that's all replaceable. I've just finished importing all my graphics and music into the new game file, so all that's left is to grab my scripts from yanfly and various places and put them back in. Otherwise, everything should be okay. Gosh, I was freaking out there for a second!!

 

@Meiri: I actually did try that, and it still wouldn't load up. After replacing it with a new file, it went back to the Unexpected File Format thing :/ This option is tedious, but at least I've still got everything. I should be back up and working in a few hours of work. Thank goodness I had my info saved to a word file so I can just go back through and get it going!

 

Thank you for both your help, and I should be good. I'll recap what I did here just in case anyone has the same problem down the road and finds this.

 

STEPS.

 

1) Create new game file.

2) Make as many maps as you had in your corrupted file (number found in Data folder). Easiest way is to Function+Insert if you have a lot of maps (I had 241)

3) Save new game file and close out of RPG Maker.

4) Go to corrupted file's Data folder and copy your maps (not mapinfo, just the maps)

5) Paste (and replace when prompted) maps into new game Data folder.

6) Open RPG Maker to new game and check to see if maps are there. All your previous events/cutscenes, etc, should be there and untouched.

7) Import all your graphics and sound files into your new game through the Resource Manager. Go to your corrupted game's Graphics & Audio folders and import them from there.

8) Get back all your scripts and put them back in the Materials area of your Script Manager.

9) Go through your Database and put everything back the way it was. This will be the most tedious and time-consuming part of it, but once this is done, you should be good to go.

10) Go through with a fine-toothed comb and make sure everything is working. You should be good from here.

 

Again, thanks for all your help! I hope this helps someone in the future. This thread can be closed.

 

EDIT.

 

An (awful) issue I've run into is that any maps you created with an entirely custom tileset will not be able to be read by the new game file. I'm assuming if you can make those tilesets over again you might have a shot at saving them? But if you've created a map with a custom tileset, RPG Maker will poop its pants and stop responding and shut down. So you'll have to remake any maps that weren't made with at least mostly RTP tilesets.

Edited July 16, 2015 by devonair320

[Rikifive 3,391]

That's good the most important files were recovered. =)

 

(I can go to sleep now =P )

Edited July 15, 2015 by Rikifive

[Tsarmina 2,612]

Closing as solved