Lost data

CB

I just realized that my recent computer trouble caused me to lose all of my FG data. I had been backing it up regularly, but the drive I was backing it up onto was also lost.

I still have all of my graphics and external documents, of course, but anything that I typed directly into Fantasy Grounds (PCs, NPCs, shops, cities, and quest descriptions) is gone, and the last copy I have of it is the one I put on My laptop in June to play at Epic. That's one level back for the PCs, so re-leveling them wont really be a big deal, and I think Drew has all of his info about Melixa written out somewhere else. Some stuff, we'll just have to try to remember.

The biggest thing lost is all of the documents about The Isles of The Fallen: Tavern discussions, quests, NPCs, it's all gone, and we can't play without out it.

The campaign is on hold until I reconstruct the lost data.

Thrax

You can't perform data recovery?

CB

I've already reformatted the drive and installed Windows 7. If you know a way to get info off a drive that's been quick formatted, let me know.

GHoosdum

If there's anything I can do to help, let me know.

http://www.piriform.com/recuva/features

Thrax

Did you reformat because you didn't think you could recover the data, or because you didn't remember to back that stuff up?

Even so, I would give all the standard programs a shot... TestDisk, GetDataBack, Recuva. One of them might come up with something usable.

CB

The disk was reading as unformatted, so I formatted it. I might have tried other things first if I'd remembered that there was actually something of value on that disk.

primesuspect

There's a decent chance it can be recovered with GetDataback (yes, even after a reformat, yes even after win 7)

Try the trial. If it can find it, it'll tell you; then you have to pay.

The problem is: It's $79

The question becomes: is your time worth more than $79.

This makes WalkingStick a sad clericranger

CB

I'll attempt these solutions, and try not to write anything new to that drive for now. I'm not getting my hopes up, but we'll see.

BuddyJ

You might shoot mertesn a PM. He has some data recovery stuff that works quite well.

CB

Neither Recuva nor GetDataBack was able to find it. Found a lot of other stuff that was on the drive, but not that.

GHoosdum

CrazyJoe

If any of those programs that cost money would be able to help I'd be more than willing to split the costs.

CB

Thanks for the offer, but the files are gone. If none of those programs were able to find it, then there isn't anything else worth trying, since the next step would be to send the drive away to one of those expensive recovery labs

I think it was just too close to the beginning of the drive, since it was one of the first things I installed last time I reformatted.

I have a lot of work to do to get it recreated, and with the other work I'm supposed to be doing (I'm supposed to have a novel written by April, and I have barely begun) it might be slow going, but I'll keep you posted.

primesuspect

Just to be clear: D&D is postponed until further notice?

CB

right

primesuspect

sigh

CB

Sorry

drasnor

I have Melixa's character pic, some of the notes I used to design her weapons and armor, and her backstory saved. I don't think I have her full inventory, ability scores, or skill list though since they never existed outside of FG. I also don't recall exactly how much the Travelers Fire Sale brought in but I do recall it was roughly 600 pp/char. How do you want to handle this?

-drasnor

CB

The group already sold off most of the stuff that they didn't need. Just make up a list of all the stuff you acquired since the roof-top run, and try to remember how much gold you have.

Each of you should do this. It shouldn't be too difficult to remember what you bought in Faith, since that was just this week, and other than Brain's News, that's the only place you did any shopping since Flai.

GHoosdum

I had a nightmare last night that you told me my character record was missing back to level 4 and I'd have to rebuild the character from there.

Ugh.

Anyway, I am think I bought something in Faith, but if I did I completely forget what it was. I'd have to see the Magical Circus list again to remember. I either have 50 gold and 800 or 600-something platinum, depending on whether I bought whatever it was.

drasnor

GHoosdum wrote:

I had a nightmare last night that you told me my character record was missing back to level 4 and I'd have to rebuild the character from there.

Then you probably have a pretty good idea of how I'm feeling right now .

-drasnor

drasnor

I went through my FG cache and there's a file in there that may be useful. Can you use your relationship with the devs to determine whether or not this file can be parsed/re-used/etc?

Application Data\Fantasy Grounds II\cache\The Isles of The Sun\campaign.dat

It's 100 MB so there's got to be something in there. Trouble is, it's in some kind of binary data format.

-drasnor

BuddyJ

A hero arrives!

Sounds like you may be on to something.

CB

I think it unlikely, but I've started a thread on FG forums to ask about it, just in case.

CB

Well, some good news came out of asking:

FG expert wrote:

Sadly, the player dat files are not going to help you, the GM. They are cache files. However, if you are last played using a fairly recent version of FG then your Players can still look at their characters.

Have them start FG and then click the Manage Characters button. In the lower pane is a list of campaigns. If they go to your campaign they can open their character(s). These characters are static but the information can be copied down so it can be re-input once you put your campaign back togeather.

If that works, that'll be a big help. Someone give it a try and report back.

CB

I just tried it out on my test installation, and it worked, so Ipm guessing it will work for all of you. So, that's your new homework assignment: Get over to whichever computer you played with last Sunday, and copy down (or screen shot or whatever) everything on the character sheet. You need to do it before you log on to my server again, or it will get replaced with the old version that I have now.

Let me know when you each have done that.

In the mean-time, I'm giving myself a two-week deadline to get this campaign playable again. I remembered that I've got fall break from school next week, so that should help me to find the time.

BuddyJ

EXCELSIOR!

CB

If you would each send me your recovered character data, I can go ahead and get your sheets back in order.

GHoosdum

Er, sent. Finally.

CB

I still haven't gotten character info for everyone. It's fine if you want to enter it in yourself. I don't mind, but I want to remind you that if you log into The FG server before you copy down your character data, it will get replaced with the old version on my system.

GHoosdum

More bacon than the pan can handle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnBYzm5dlv0