My entire map was wiped out and lost despite frequent saving

jpb6982

New user and first time poster here; I hope I'm putting this question in the right place.

So I spent the last three hours working on a map for an upcoming campaign, saving every few minutes as I went. Just now, CC3+ crashed, so I restarted it -- no big deal, right? I'll just lose a small amount of work and pick up where I left off. Wrong. I loaded my map up to find nothing but a completely blank ocean with a map border -- nothing I had done was saved at all, despite the fact that I was regularly doing Ctrl+S as I worked. Is this a known bug? I'm reluctant to start working again if everything I do will just be completely wiped out by a crash.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Josh.P.

File > Load Autosave

Try this. Hopefully auto save has not auto saved over you trying to find your map in the time passed.

jpb6982

Thanks for your response; I tried doing a Load Autosave, but that just produced a mysterious map I had never seen before.

Josh.P.

It's a lesson we have all learnt at one stage or another.

Never disable auto-save and if the program crashes the first thing you check is auto-save.

It's not an issue for me anymore but I lost at least two maps to this same issue myself at one stage or another.

Monsen

Never encountered that saving didn't work (and I've spent MUCH time working in CC3+), but there are other things that can happen, so keeping autosave enabled is always a good thing. (I always disable the prompts though, they are just annoying, no need to tell me each time)

Tonnichiwa

Something that has happened with me is my computer saving a file somewhere else. My main maps were being saved to Windows>Program Files (x86)>Profantasy>CC3+.

Then one day I made a map and had an issue with my computer crashing. So I went in and looked at the AUTOSAVE file and brought it back up and finished my map. But then something strange happened.

I started another map and saved it after a few hours by just clicking the save button. I shut down the CC3+ program and went to bed. When I got up the next day and tried working on that map again I could not find it. So I searched all around and eventually I found it in a completely different place. It was here: Windows>ProgramData>Profantasy>CC3+.

So you might want to check around in both Program Files (x86) and ProgramData to see if your program saved it in either of those.

Monsen

Posted By: TonnichiwaMy main maps were being saved to Windows>Program Files (x86)>Profantasy>CC3+.

Never save maps to the program files directory. Windows UAC protects that directory, and nothing you save there is really there. Fortunately, CC3+ should default to the ProgramData directory instead these days.

Loopysue

I never save anywhere but in a subfolder of my Documents folder.

That way I don't run the risk of getting tangled up with anything like that.

Monsen

Posted By: LoopysueI never save anywhere but in a subfolder of my Documents folder.

That would be the best place. Makes it easier to remember when you move to a new computer, easier to remember to include in your backups, and saves them from being at risk during reinstall.

Tonnichiwa

Posted By: Monsen

Posted By: TonnichiwaMy main maps were being saved to Windows>Program Files (x86)>Profantasy>CC3+.

Never save maps to the program files directory. Windows UAC protects that directory, and nothing you save there is really there. Fortunately, CC3+ should default to the ProgramData directory instead these days.

I didn't do it on purpose. It was what CC3+ saved to by default. It is still trying to save there by default so I am constantly having to change it.

Loopysue

I also have an entire duplicate set of all my user fills and symbols in the same place - just in case

When I update new fills and symbols etc in the user folders in the program data folder, I just copy the entire user folder that's there and paste it over the one in my Documents folder to keep it up to date.

Its like having a double backup, since I also use an external drive for the whole system every so often.

Loopysue

Ninjad by Tony! :P

You can save a CC3 map anywhere you like the first time you save it. Then all the subsequent saves go automatically to that initial saving place.

That's how it works on my system anyway.

Maybe yours is different?

Tonnichiwa

It worked that way for a while but recently it's been trying to save to the x86 folder, even when I save it somewhere else. It probably has something to do with a windows 10 update.

Loopysue

Well you know all about the trouble I've been having with Win 10 just recently in the last 6 months. I've even partitioned my drive to take advantage of Linux options.

But I haven't had anything like that happen to me. The things I save go where I tell them to go.

A mystery....

Loopysue

Are you saving older files under new names instead of creating new from a template?

I was just thinking that if you were creating new maps by converting old ones that are already saved in that place, CC3 would automatically try to save it next to its mother because that's where its set to save the mother file.

I didn't explain that very well, I know, but I have to get to an appointment down town now....

ScottA

Yes, I also save all my CC3+ maps and original fills and symbols to a subfolder in My Documents. I also save everything to an external drive, just to be safe. I've never had an issue with ProFantasy, but have had enough other lost documents and programs over the years to learn my lesson about being a meticulous and diligent saver! I did "lose" a few maps early on in my CC3+ career, but that was mostly my own fault and not fully understanding the program or accidentally/stupidly autosaving over top of something. It happens...

JimP

I have been doing this.

Save as filename01_001, make some changes, save as to filename01_002, etc. When I am done, save as filename01. I save my maps to folders that have to do with which web site I'm working on, or the forum maps. This is under my User folder.

That way I have backup of my maps at intervals. I always save before doing anythnig I consider major. And several times during the major changes, and again at the end of the major change before i do anything else.

ScottA

That's smart. I sometimes do a "copy" file if I'm doing a big revision that I'm not sure will be good, that way if I botch it all up I still have my original map! Has saved me on occasion! Also, my automatic backup saves a brand new file every time it runs, so I can go to my exterior drive and find pretty much every stage of a map I'm working on. Gets cluttered pretty fast, so I periodically go in and delete all but the most recent backup copies.

JimP

A couple of years ago I bought a 1 terabyte USB hard drive, they have gotten rather cheap, and periodically copy my maps folders to it. Good thing I did as last fall a MS update caused serious problems. My maps were gone when I got it working again. So my backups saved me from trying to redo them from memory.

ScottA

Yes, the devil update! That one caused a lot of havoc. I have both a 4T AND a 5T external drive on my system! Better over-safe than sorry!

JimP

Sigh, I have updates turned off, and yet I got one forced on me this past weekend. I think it just put Defender back... which I don't care for.

kathorus

I've run into this as well. In general, autosave is the file to open.

As part of my workflow, I've taken to working for a bit and closing out/reopening the program after anything significant.

taustinoc

Posted By: JimPA couple of years ago I bought a 1 terabyte USB hard drive, they have gotten rather cheap, and periodically copy my maps folders to it. Good thing I did as last fall a MS update caused serious problems. My maps were gone when I got it working again. So my backups saved me from trying to redo them from memory.

You can never have too many backups. There are also cloud storage options (like Google Drive) that have the advantage of being easily (and, in fact, automatically) automated. And many include versioning, too.

"Nobody cares if your backups work. Only if the restore does."