Un-installing

[etuset]

Hello there,

 

i really need to turn of galactygons change avatar robe/armor component of the bg2 tweakpack. Now i wondered, if i can uninstall it just like that or if i could run into issues as i'm in the middle (well, the beginning) of a game.

 

I got Item Revisions global changes installed right after the tweakpack, so i wasnt sure how this would behave with uninstall/reinstall.

 

Then i wanted to be sure by uninstalling IR first and afterwards uninstalling the avatar change, with the effect of the updater telling me something like:

 

 

uninstalling bg2tweak (...):

Sys error (bg2tweak\backup\xxx\uninstall\xxx) file or folder not found

 

Ever repeating until it stated uninstallation successful. I doubt that.

What does that mean?

 

Any clue appreciated

etuset

[lac]

what it means is that the uninstaller went to look for the files to put back to revert your changes to before the mod was installed, and it couldn't find what it was looking for.

This is very bad news. It's nearly always easier to start from the beginning again than

to try to figure out what didn't get changed properly and try to fix that.

 

By 'start all over again' I don't mean install from disks. -- just replace your override, baldur.ini, Chitin.key, dialog.tlk, and Weidu.log with what you had on a clean install.

(So it would have been good if you had saved them when you made your clean install).

Then just start installing mods from scratch again.

 

Also, if you happened to biff your files you will have to get rid of data and reinstall that too, but if you've done that you probably wouldn't be asking this question, so your data is probably fine.

[lac]

And -- install IR core component early, next time. After the Fixpack, but before everything else, including the tweakpack.

[etuset]

what it means is that the uninstaller went to look for the files to put back to revert your changes to before the mod was installed, and it couldn't find what it was looking for.

This is very bad news. It's nearly always easier to start from the beginning again than

to try to figure out what didn't get changed properly and try to fix that.

 

Yep, thats it, but what exactly could have happened there, so that the backup is unaccessible? Thankfully i have a backup and already re-installed and working.

Now i wonder, does it suffice to delete the override folder and the weidu.log and paste the backup files? The mod folders don't get changed, do they? I'm asking if you have to delete and re-extract them, too?

 

Is uninstalling always such a bad choice?

 

Also, if you happened to biff your files you will have to get rid of data and reinstall that too, but if you've done that you probably wouldn't be asking this question, so your data is probably fine.

 

biff is some excel stuff? Sort of compression? While installing 'tower of deception' i read something about 'biffing the movie' in the updater. Extracting video and sound files, isn't it?

 

And -- install IR core component early, next time. After the Fixpack, but before everything else, including the tweakpack.

 

Yes, i meant the global changes. Main component gone right after Fixpack and SR.

 

Thanks for the answer

etuset

[BigRob]

Now i wonder, does it suffice to delete the override folder and the weidu.log and paste the backup files? The mod folders don't get changed, do they? I'm asking if you have to delete and re-extract them, too?

You don't have to delete the mod folders, but I believe that there are other files that may need to be overwritten, like the Chitin.key and dialogue.tlk in the root directory, depening on what you've installed. Personally, I maintain a patched copy of the game in an alternate directory and when I have to start again, I delete everything but the mod folders and files and copy the game back into the installed directory.

 

 

Is uninstalling always such a bad choice?

That, I'm not sure of, it will depend on what you've done in the game so far and whether anything now depends on components you're removing. I think in general that self containted things like NPC mods can be uninstalled quite happily, but that tweaks can have nasty side effect. I think in most cases though, you're fine if you simply restart the game after an uninstall.

[Icendoan]

You will only have to delete the "Backup" directory in each mod folder to stop nonsense, nothing else, as all other files don't actually touch the game.

 

Sometimes I find it easier to delete everything and start again...

 

Icen

[lac]

Yep, thats it, but what exactly could have happened there, so that the backup is unaccessible? Thankfully i have a backup and already re-installed and working.

Now i wonder, does it suffice to delete the override folder and the weidu.log and paste the backup files? The mod folders don't get changed, do they? I'm asking if you have to delete and re-extract them, too?

 

The mod files ought not to get changed, though there is nothing that actually prevents people from changing them. I don't have to reinstall any mods except, of course, when new hotfixes and releases come out.

 

In addition to your weidu.log and your backup file, you should replace baldur.ini, BGmain.exe, CHITIN.key, and dialog.tlk from your backup.

 

Is uninstalling always such a bad choice?

 

This depends on how many mods you install, and how complicated they are. For me, it is usually a bad idea.

The last mod I install is always level1NPCs. And I can uninstall and reinstall this one to my heart's content

with no problems, which is convenient since playing around with the character classes and proficiencies of the NPCs is something I like to do a lot. Beyond that -- well I can sometimes uninstall things manually in the reverse order that I have installed them, and then once I have made whatever changes I was looking for, reinstall all the ones I removed manually, again in the approved order.

 

But usually it is easier for me to start all over again. I have a script that restores my state to the before-adding-mods condition, and another one that adds mods in the order approved by the Big World pdf

http://www.shsforums.net/index.php?autocom...&showcat=72

 

If your install leaves you in a state where you cannot back out -- which is what you have reported -- then it

looks like just blindly expecting the uninstaller to do the right thing is a bad idea for you as well.

 

biff is some excel stuff? Sort of compression? While installing 'tower of deception' i read something about 'biffing the movie' in the updater. Extracting video and sound files, isn't it?

 

Biff is a file format. http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~jedwin/baldur_BIFF.html And it is also a verb, meaning to

convert something in your override folder into a something.BIF file. They will run faster if you do this. And they

will make it completely, and absolutely impossible for you to use the uninstaller -- you will absolutely have to

start things over from scratch when you want to make changes. So only get involved with biffing your files if your game loads so many mods that it runs unacceptably slowly.

 

The Big World Project (whose pdf I pointed you to above) has instructions for how to biff files for use in BGT games.

Some mods -- I think the Never Ending Journey is one -- do their own biffing. If biffed files are an issue for you,

then add the data directory to the list of files and directories that you need to copy from your backup. But the data directory is very big, and takes a long time to copy, so you won't want to do that unless you really have to.

[etuset]

Now that was informative, thank you very much!

 

I don't know how many times i messed up my installation cause i didn't knew exatly what is doing what. And what i do. And...

 

Even with all this information available her and elsewhere, it's always some kind of science (or magic) for me, before i get all these mods right.

So for this run i would keep the mods number small and simple. Or so i thought.

 

Thanks again, now i'm fairly sure, i have a working game (one never knows for sure)

[etuset]

The last mod I install is always level1NPCs. And I can uninstall and reinstall this one to my heart's content with no problems, which is convenient since playing around with the character classes and proficiencies of the NPCs is something I like to do a lot.

There is (once again) something i did forget to implement:

Do you think, that it's safe to install a banter accelerator on top of my running game? I don't suppose, but i'm not (never ever) sure.

 

 

Thanks folks, had i registered here earlier , i'd saved me a lot of trouble...

[etuset]

You will only have to delete the "Backup" directory in each mod folder to stop nonsense, nothing else, as all other files don't actually touch the game.

oooh, now i see it... I never did delete these backup folders, but i deleted and re-extracted the suggested backup files and tried new installations around 4-5 times, without removing any game or mod folders.

 

Until now all is fine (chapter 2), do you think the game could still be screwed up?

 

[Wow, there are even more posts, initially i only saw lac's one.]

[lac]

There are several versions of the banter accellerator around.

 

I've loaded the one in this mod -- the IEP extended banter pack

 

http://www.shsforums.net/index.php?autocom...mp;showfile=558

 

late with no problems.

[plainab]

You will only have to delete the "Backup" directory in each mod folder to stop nonsense, nothing else, as all other files don't actually touch the game.

oooh, now i see it... I never did delete these backup folders, but i deleted and re-extracted the suggested backup files and tried new installations around 4-5 times, without removing any game or mod folders.

 

Until now all is fine (chapter 2), do you think the game could still be screwed up?

 

[Wow, there are even more posts, initially i only saw lac's one.]

The game shouldn't be screwed up this time. It might get screwed up when you go to do a proper uninstall of your mods. So the next time you need to uninstall something, it'll be best to do the same procedure you did this time while making sure to delete any backup folders from your mod directories.

 

After you've done that, provided nothing gets misplaced or lost in your file system you should be good with doing proper weidu installs and uninstalls.

 

Is that clear as mud?

 

I thought so....

 

It is possible that if you install a bunch of dialog heavy mods that the strings can get screwed up during uninstallation and reinstallation with weidu. This is why the whole idea of saving a 'clean' copy of the game or having a backup of certain files was developed. Coping over a few files is faster than doing a complete re-install of the game.

[etuset]

Is that clear as mud?

 

I thought so....

Yes! I'm now on the way to finish bodhi for the first time and, without counting minor oddities, all looks very fine...

Nevertheless i should probably rename this topic in 'etusets personal helpdesk', as i figure it's better to post my next couple of questions here than to open another one:

 

1. What about the 'magic-effect' icons? I have installed the 'don't show icons on character portrait' option. I think it would still show them on the character sheet. Which it doesn't do either for some like 'freedom if movement'. On the other side there are still icons shown on the portrait for effects the char is immune to, like 'Hold'.

Weird...

 

2. Valygar does not show his backstab modifier on the char sheet. That doesn't prevent him from stabbing good, though.

 

3. Keldorn has a mind shield icon on the portrait as well as on the sheet, but hasn't any item or spell that would provide it.

 

4. The dancing sword feature is greatly bugged, no? In this game as well as in an old CA, i sadly never use(d) this cause it keeps disappearing after the end of the dance.

 

(5.) I found Valygar and thought about shadowkeepering him to a cleric. I wonder why he could still wield his katana as cleric, but not wear his armor.

 

[How can i say this, a couple of seconds after i dual-classed him to a cleric, Keldorn initiated dialogue and asked him why he didn't do more of his life with such a fighting prowess serving a leader. Valygar answered the army was not for him. And a god? Valygar: I have no god. Whom should i serve? *loading savegame*]

 

6. Several times i saw the line: 'Keldorn: One of the spells has failed'

What does that mean?

[Icendoan]

5. Because it is coded to a character which matches not his name or cre file, but exactly his attributes and class. Therefore, someone skimped on the katana restrictions, but did the armour properly. There is no way in BG2 to limit an item to one character. You can make a stalker with Valygar's stats and that will be able to wield/wear them.

 

Icen

[plainab]

5. Because it is coded to a character which matches not his name or cre file, but exactly his attributes and class. Therefore, someone skimped on the katana restrictions, but did the armour properly. There is no way in BG2 to limit an item to one character. You can make a stalker with Valygar's stats and that will be able to wield/wear them.

 

Icen

You can make an item limited to only one character, but it needs to be a new unique item and it needs to be set to unmovable/undroppable (one or both of those). The only drawback is that the item can only be used by that character and in the slot it is in. So if they die, you can't pick up that item and use it or sell it. However, if it is a character that can be raised from the dead, they will have the item on their person when they are resurrected.