Why does Pack File Manager make my .pack files completely disappear when it crashes?

[8907654738]

Today I was modifying some stats of a DB pack file. When I was going to save the file it threw a message saying "unhandled exception (And something else of course)" and after quitting the message it threw another message much larger, which I don't remember what it said and after clicking OK the program closed. Then, I reopened Pack File Manager for searching again the file, and I noticed that it totally disappeared, it wasn't on the Empire Total War folder where it was. Then I downloaded and ran the program Recuva for trying to restore the file, I ran a scan and it showed a lot of files but it didn't show the file that Pack File manager erased, as if it never existed. Then I ran a Quick Scan with the Trial Version of EaseUS (A program for recovering files as well) and surprisingly it couldn't find the file as well. Now it's running a deep scan and it still hasn't found the file.

Now I wonder, why has Pack File Manager deleted my file that way, without leaving even a single trace of the file, and how? Or maybe it has moved the file to a mysterious folder or something? The great question is if I still have a chance to recover the pack file.

In the past, Pack File Manager erased a few pack files as well.

[Commissar Caligula_]

I can only talk from my experience with Rome 2, Attila and the two Warhammers. These games have Steam Workshop, so things might be a bit different but...

- If your mod is named the exact same thing as a pre-existing mod, it might delete itself (This is probably only an issue for the Steam Workshop)
- If you have Empire Total War or any CA mod tools open such as the Assembly Kit, the mod might delete itself. (I don't know whether Empire has a CA mod tool?)
- If you have the same file open in two seperate Pack File Manager windows, the mod might delete itself.
- If you click the wrong button in PFM, the mod can delete itself or get corrupted. I'd suggest unticking "Use Combo Boxes" on the top toolbar thing.

Thats all I can suggest might be the cause. The mod is gone for good unfortunately.

[Frunk]

Thread moved from Empire: Total War Mod Workshop > Tools, Tutorials and Resources.

[8907654738]

I had only opened one window of the pack file, I just can't understand why the file had deleted itself without leaving even a single trace. But, Caligula, why pack files delete themselves under these circumstances, can't the PFM developer do something about it?

[Commissar Caligula_]

I had only opened one window of the pack file, I just can't understand why the file had deleted itself without leaving even a single trace. But, Caligula, why pack files delete themselves under these circumstances, can't the PFM developer do something about it?

No idea, you'd have to ask them. Except I think daniu, the original developer, has stopped development and the work has been taken over by someone else. Except I don't know whether the new person would work on older versions of PFM, or whether they're just focused on Warhammer 2.