For Vista users and those planning to make the switch

[HouseOfHam]

I ran into this myself and spent almost half a day figuring it out, so I thought I'd save you the time by posting this:

Windows Vista has this new feature called User Account Control (UAC), which is basically Microsoft's implementation of the Least [Privillege] User Access (LUA) principle. One of the things UAC provides is User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations.

This is used to make your computer more secure and to provide backward compatibility for programs that used to write to (now secure) system locations like those configured via %ProgramFiles% (normally C:\Program Files), %SystemRoot% (C:\Windows) environment variables, and certain registry keys.

Vista has this feature ON by default!!!

So, let's say you installed a new build of RTR or used an editor to create a file somewhere under C:\Program Files or just saved your game, and then opened windows explorer and went to that folder. What you will find is that the file is not actually there! Instead, it gets put in the corresponding location under C:\Users\your.username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files

This can get to be a huge pain in the ass, especially if you use explorer a lot or want to use Vista's built in search function to look for a file, or want to have your RTR update install to C:\Program Files instead of your user-specific VirtualStore.

Fortunately, you can change how this feature works or turn it off completely. For more information and instructions, check this article:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase...sta_ff_uac.asp

ps: You will need to reboot for the changes to take effect if you turn the "UAC: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations" feature off.

pss: Uh, 9 months after the original post someone found this

[Kinshejsi]

Thanks very much man, I was going to reformat my vista, but I couldn't find my RTR save files! Searched for it like an hour. Thanks to you I found them

Thanks very much,
Kinshejsi

[MasterOfThessus]

This should be pinned!

[RedXIII]

The first time I ran my dual boot with Vista, I began to cry due to the UAC "feature". Not only only does it ask for permission every time you click something, but it also has the bizarre file placement mentioned above.

[mcantu]

The first thing i did when i got Vista was to turn UAC off!

[_TubbZ_]

The first thing i did when i got Vista was to turn UAC off!

I did the same on my laptop after seeing how annoying it was when i was asked to install a load of good freeware on his lappy rather than the rubbish HP gave him

That really is the only thing i dislike about vista

[florin80]

Wow, congratulations to the bold person who finally put order into the pinned section here! There were a lot of duplicate threads around.
One thing though. Brusilov had a tech support thread with pictures for RTR and of the errors given. I don`t see it anymore. How about making a thread named Important technicall info (or something along these lines) and provide a link there for his thread and this one? It could be updated with links to other tech support threads if they are made available.

[Tony83]

Hehe - mea culpa! Someone on the team suggested a while back that the stickies could probably do with a spring clean, so I finally got around to doing it. Brusilov's thread is still around, I just unstickied it, along with a couple of other threads. But that's a good idea about creating a "Misc. Technical Info" thread with links to this and others like Brusilov's etc. I'll get on to it.

I'll be looking at the TIC stickies next.

[Mark Lambert]

Greetings,

I'm not sure if I've found the right thread; I've posted anywhere it says "Vista".

I run Vista, (recent necessary upgrade) I play several mods (NTW, MPTW, XL) with TW VI. They tend to CTD after 5, 10 minutes, or half an hour, at no particular moment.

I run the new Compaq-Presario Intel Pentium Dual CPU E2160 @ 1.8 GHz/ 1012MB RAM membory DiectX10.

With Display Devices: Intel G33/G31 Express Chipset Family/ Display memory 250 MB.

Do I need to buy a vidio card? and if so, which one, and with which driver?

Do you need more info on my computer?

Thanks for any help available.

Cheers,

Lambere

[Delvecchio1975]

I lost my preferences.txt files in my RTW folder after installing RTRPE1.9 - i hope this will be the solution!


EDIT: and it's a winnerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Thanks!

[Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus]

I had difficulties changing my preferences, saying it couldn't 'make' the file when trying to save the changes. Just to find out I had a completely different preferences.txt in that foldered mentioned in the first post. This post explained a lot (not the reason why vista would do such a thing, but at least get the problem solved). Thank you!

[cluelessnewbie]

Disabling UAC will compromise the security of your system. It's not there to protect you from yourself like some people think. Rather it's there to give you a chance to stop a malicious program before it does whatever it wants to your system.

Anyways, the virtual store is there to provide backward compatibility with old programs that assume administrator rights (like Rome Total War) without having you aprove rights via a UAC prompt. As far as I know, the only problem caused by this with the retail game is with the historical battles in the Alexander Expansion pack. I don't know if this causes problems with any mods.

If you don't want to deal with the virtual store for some reason then one solution would be to approve administrator rights for the game each time you start up the program. But this would be annoying I know. So instead do this: INSTALL THE GAME INTO YOUR USER FOLDER. The user folder doesn't require administrator rights to write to. So you don't have to worry about rights, UAC, virtual store or compatibility with programs. And more importantly YOU WON'T COMPROMISE THE SECURITY OF YOUR COMPUTER FOR A FIVE YEAR OLD GAME.

[Brusilov]

Disabling UAC will compromise the security of your system. It's not there to protect you from yourself like some people think. Rather it's there to give you a chance to stop a malicious program before it does whatever it wants to your system.

That's what a firewall is for......

[HouseOfHam]

Umm... cluelessnewbie, nah... Don't let yourself get brainwashed by Microsoft. Their idea of security is protecting users from themselves instead of building better security into the OS itself to start with. When I first got Vista and saw UAC, I went WTF... what kind of half-baKed Unix-wannabe security feature is this? And who wants to rely on Microsoft for security anyhow? If you have any common sense at all, you'll at the very least have a firewall and an anti-virus. There are plenty of great all-around security products out there, McAffee, Norton, Kaspersky, and lots of free stuff if you don't want to spend any extra $s.

ps: Installing programs into a user folder is silly, especially when you have more than one user who's going to use it.

[Delvecchio1975]

i turned it off ages ago. i want to get the annoying red shield with white cross out of my system tray; EVERY time nagging that my UAC is turned off in a big text balloon - anyone know how to do it?

[HouseOfHam]

i turned it off ages ago. i want to get the annoying red shield with white cross out of my system tray; EVERY time nagging that my UAC is turned off in a big text balloon - anyone know how to do it?

http://techboys.typepad.com/techboys..._disable_.html

Google is your friend

[Brusilov]

I used 'Tweak-UAC' and I don't get the warnings you describe. I either found that in this thread or the other Vista thread in the pinned topic in the forum.

[Tombl]

I use vista and i don't have the map "Save Games" I can't find it either.. I have already used the search function and pressed save, but nothing came out..

[Brusilov]

I use vista and i don't have the map "Save Games" I can't find it either.. I have already used the search function and pressed save, but nothing came out..

But you have posted a similar question in two threads......

Over at the RS forum:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...05#post4551905

How about just having this conversation in one place?

[Tombl]

you told me to go here