For Those of You Who Mysteriously Lost Your Image and Audio Files... All Hope Is NOT LOST!!!
JayReiter
TexasMember Posts: 88
Ok. This thread is specifically for those of us who are ready to throw our computers out the window (along with our sanity) because GS keeps mysteriously deleting our image files, or audio files, or any other file for that matter. I went through a long and painful process today and I'm here to tell you that I've learned some stuff that will probably keep you from having a heart attack, stroke, or the like. I don't know WHY GS deletes these files from time to time. But I do know WHERE you can go to get them back.
Fortunately GS (and I'm assuming most other apps) have a backup file system in our computers' TEMP folder. Go to:
owner/AppData/Local/Temp/GSPreview130435510168312141/Test
The long strain of numbers after the GSPreview extension will change for each person/project. Don't be surprised if you find SEVERAL folders in that location with a GSPreview and a bunch of numbers after it. I'm assuming that each time we save a file (or possibly open a new one), GS creates a new saved file with a new series of numbers after it. Don't let this confuse or frustrate you. Just go to one of the more recently dated entries and check the Test folder. Inside you'll find not only your image and audio files folders, you'll find EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE GAME FILE ITSELF. I mean an exact carbon copy of the whole game file(s). After finding the file(s) you're looking for, do yourself a favor and MAKE SEVERAL COPIES OF IT FOR BACKUP PURPOSES!!! I created a new folder in my GS folder named BACKUP!!!! (yes, with all the exclamation marks lol) where I'll be making daily backups of my entire game folder. Make sure you date each backup copy, so you can keep track of what folder is what. Maybe someday the GS makers will fix this glitch in the system (of constantly magically deleting files), but until then at least we know that we can retrieve the last 2+ months' worth of work and not go completely postal on the people around us.
Good luck, and I'm going to go crack a beer and celebrate! 
Comments
I don't understand how. Where did you save your ORIGINAL image/audio files? GameSalad should not be touching your original's at all. If you lost your GameSalad PROJECT image/audio files, just copy all of them back into your GameSalad PROJECT'S folder from where they were initially saved on your computer.
And to make daily saves (which by the way, should actually be closer to hourly or semi-hourly), you should save your GameSalad Project with a trailing 001, 002, etc.)
Thanks for sharing your findings however. Always good to know they are saved somewhere else as temp files also.
Good call with the 001 and 002 etc. thing. I agree with that. I don't understand how the files ended up deleted to be honest with you either. This has happened to me twice now. I have a suspicion that it's because I'm running PC version of GS rather than Mac. It seems like the Mac version has more frequent updates/better support from the team, but I could be wrong on that. Just what it seems like. The first time this happened, I was using the "Save As" function, rather than the "Save" function. Using the "Save As" function completely deleted my game. I forget how I retrieved it, but yeah. That was very frustrating. This time around, I merely added a new image to the game (I think, I don't exactly remember what the catalyst for the disaster was) and the next thing I know, after I closed the game down and re-opened it, I was getting errors that my image files and audio files were missing. This was in my actual game folder. All the hard work I was using the past 2 months of my life on were completely gone. No rhyme or reason. Couldn't figure out why this was happening. I've checked online here and it seems this is a rather common occurrence in the PC version of GS. So thankfully a friend of mine suggested a file saving program that showed me a few different options for some hidden backups of the game/files.
yep, gamesalad deletes my files randomly sometimes, though i make lots of backups, so its all good in the end
GSINVENTION FREE TEMPLATES
Someone on these very forums told me about that just days ago. Thought I'd pass on the idea to you.
Yeah, I'm running Windows as well. Of course, the Windows version seems to be much buggier, but do keep in mind that the Windows version is newer than the Mac version. It takes completely different programming to make this version of GS Creator, and so with that, the developers work on the Mac version first, get that released to a new Stable version, and not until then, do they start working on the Windows version to play catch up. It seems fair - lets just be thankful that we've got a Windows version at all.
Ah, this whole "your audio/image files are missing" thing just happened to me two nights ago actually, just as I used the save as option to make a backup version (002). It scared the living hell out of me, but then I realized it was because I saved the backup version INSIDE of the old save's folder, and so that messed everything up. Now I have an empty folder that I put all new saves in, and it creates new folders for every single "save as" (003, 004) that I do.
I'm very happy and grateful that there is a Windows version, to be sure. I just wish it wasn't so buggy and had faster/better support. But now that you've explained the process to me (make a workable MAC version first, then update the WIN version, etc), it does make sense. I would really like an update to the WIN version here soon.