Help with editing Preferences

**FortressofRain** · January 28, 2009, 07:16 PM

I'm certainly not new to modding or the TW series. However, I am facing a problem that I can't seem to figure out that should otherwise be very simple.

I want to edit the preferences file for Medieval 2 like with rome total war.

I have read all over the place you can do this by opening the medieval2.preference with notepad, found in your main game directory.

However, no matter what program i use to open this file all i see is:

[video]
widescreen=0
[game]
allusers=1

How do I pull up all of the preferences that existed in the rome preferences file, specifically things like turning banners on and off, turning the green arrows on and off, and toggling and adjusting all of the other settings such as unlimited units on map, etc.

I just bought a new graphics card and I want to opitmize my game experience by adjusting many of the settings otherwise not found in the game options menu.

Thanks for the help!

**Conquistatore** · January 28, 2009, 09:34 PM

Hmm that is a very odd problem, to be honest it sounds like you have the wrong file. Check to make sure you are in your MTW2 main directory and open the file preferences.cfg with notepad, making sure that the file is not checked to be read only. (uncheck this by right clicking and properties.) The preferences file should have around 100 different enties relating to the game, video options and many other things. If you find the file and still only contains those two lines you mentioned than I would recommend an immediate reinstall. Can you even play the game in it's current state, I can't imagine how you could if the preference file is almost blank..

**FortressofRain** · January 28, 2009, 10:24 PM

Hm. You may be correct. It may very well be the wrong file. Which leads us to problem solving.

My game runs perfectly. Without a hitch. V1.2. Running on Vista 32 bit.
I just installed a fresh folder this mourning. I tried to find the appropriate file, and when I could not, I updated to 1.2.

Q1: You mentioned that the file I want to edit is preferences.cfg and not as I mentioned medieval2.preference. Where can this be found? You mentioned in the main directory, but I do not see a file with this name.

Also worth mentioning that the "medieval2.preference" file is also called "medieval2.preference.cfg" in list view.

My file path is as follows:

Computer/Acer(C

/Program Files/SEGA/Medieval II Total War/

From there it breaks down into:

Config File Folder
data File Folder
miles File Folder
packs File Folder
tools File Folder
AxInterop.SHDocVw.dll Application Extension
binkw32.dll Application Extension
cine.dll Application Extension
CoreLib.dll Application Extension
dbghelp.dll Application Extension
EULA Text Document
granny2.dll Application Extension
Interop.SHDocVw.dll Application Extension
Launcher Application
medieval2 Application
medieval2.preference CFG File
MFC71.dll Application Extension
mfc71d.dll Application Extension
mss32.dll Application Extension
msvcp71.dll Application Extension
msvcp71d.dll Application Extension
msvcr71.dll Application Extension
msvcr71d.dll Application Extension
Readme Text Document
SkinLib.dll Application Extension
UpdateLib.dll Application Extension

Possible Solutions???

P1: Do I need to unpack anything?
P2: Is this file found elsewhere?
P3: Is it hidden?
P4: What options do I need to change to my Medieval II Total War folder to edit in view: Properties: uncheck read only, security->Allow Full Control
P5: Is there anyway send me their preferences file that I could simply copy into my game file and edit as I please?

**irishron** · January 28, 2009, 10:42 PM

Windows has arbitrally hid the common extensions and you don't have a clue what these files actually are.
1. Need to get into file options and uncheck that option so you can see the real deal. Medieval2.preferences CFG file is medieval2.preferences.cfg.
P1. Don't unpack anything unless you're planning on modding but from experience learn the game first.
P2 & P3. No.
P4. Yes and when through editing and saved make it read only, again or the game will overwrite it.
P5. It is against Sega's and this site's rules to send unmodded files.

**FortressofRain** · January 28, 2009, 10:42 PM

I think I have found the solution. While reading other help forums I discovered that vista stores some files in your VirtualStore.

I found a preferences file in there with all of the options that it should have I believe.

Thanks for the help. I think I am going to go tinker with vista and start moving all of my files over to the administrator account instead of the master user account so things will work the way they should.

**irishron** · January 28, 2009, 10:43 PM

Good luck.

**CrayonVonCaesar** · April 15, 2009, 10:55 PM

I HAVE this exact same problem, except I am using XP...

I just freshly installed everything including the new 1.5 kingdoms patch and now all I see in the Medieval2.preferences CFG is:

[video]
widescreen=0
[game]
allusers=1

I've tried starting a campaign and then quitting out but still nothing.

WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CFG OPTIONS?

Anyone any idea?

**irishron** · April 15, 2009, 11:18 PM

Did you check your options before you started your campaign? If I remember right and It's a while since I had to reinstall, you have to check your options and save them, then start a campaign and then at least the default ones ought to show up. XP doesn't hide it. If not, I'll attach mine.