rpg maker xp Unexpected file format. How do I fix it?

[Megamimiku 0]

This was a while back but still. My game crashed and I got an unexpected file format. How do I fix it? I don't think I can build my game up again. I have no buckups. I'm mortified...

Edited May 20, 2020 by Megamimiku

[Megamimiku 0]

Bump. I really need help

[Kayzee 4,033]

I remember someone asking me about this in a pm not to long ago... I don't know if they ever got their game working again. Anyway here is a slightly condensed/edited version of what I told them:

 

... How long was a while back? Have you done much with the computer since then? Sometimes checking the disk for errors will be able to fix some files for you. You can do this (in windows) by right clicking a hard drive in 'my computer', then choosing properties, then click on the tools tab thing and the first option should be error checking. Problem is sometimes data might be in places that are incorrectly marked as free, so the computer might overwrite them if you don't check right away. Not sure how common this is though. Be careful though, you might want to make a back up on another disk just in case it screws something up and makes it worse. It's also a good idea to take another backup after the error checking just in case.

 

Okay now we come to the more tricky part:

 

Now, go into your game's data directory, and have a look at all the file sizes. Using View -> Details is helpful here.

 

Anyway, you are looking to see if any files are size zero. If so: Make a new project in RPG Maker and save it.

 

For every file of size zero in your data directory:

• If it is a map (Mapxxx.rvdata where xxx is the map number), replace it with a copy of the Map001.rvdata from the new project's data directory.
• If it is not a map, replace it with a copy of the file with the same name from the new project's data directory.

Then when you replaced all the size zero files, if any, try and load the project in the editor and/or test it.

 

If it works, great that's this step done! Skip everything else bellow.

 

If it doesn't, now we need to do some grunt work. Make another new project . Yes another one.

 

Now follow these steps:

1. Close the second new project if it's open in RPG Maker.
2. Replace one of the non-map files that you haven't replaced yet in the data directory of the second new project with one from your project.
3. Try opening the second new project in the editor/testing the game.
4. If it gives an error (other then missing images or such) replace the same file with a copy from the first new project.
5. Repeat above until all non-map files are replaced.
6. Close your project if it's open in RPG Maker.
7. Replace all non-map files in the data directory of your project with ones from the second new project.
8. Try opening the your project in the editor/testing the game.

 

If it gives an error, it's probobly something that only a professional data recovery expert can help you with, if anyone can at all.

 

This won't always recover everything, but it's a start!

 

Edited May 21, 2020 by Kayzee