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Old 16-07-22, 20:07   #11
ddw04
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laravision View Post
While this could be protected/permissions related, it seems that their game is refusing to save at all. By default, if the game is installed in Program Files, saves that are made should be located in the VirtualStore folder: C:\Users\*insert username*\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Core Design

...but as the game appears to be refusing to save, I doubt that any savegames are being generated anywhere.

@ddw04 If you're still unable to save after running directly from the patched exe (I'm assuming you're using either this or this exe), then move your game to another location such as a dedicated games folder (as suggested above), the Desktop or Documents folder and proceed to make a save. If successful, the saves should then appear alongside the exe.
IT WORKED! put it in a "games" folder on desktop and yes i was using the second link u posted
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Old 17-07-22, 06:04   #12
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I’ve never ever had problems installing the game in Program Files. That’s on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10… across different computers too. I save the game and there the save files appear in the normal Program Files folder alongside the game executable.
If it’s not working in the first place then right click on the Tomb Raider 3 folder in program files, go to security permissions, and allow full read/write control for non administrators.
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Old 17-07-22, 12:12   #13
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That's what my guess was as to the cause of this problem - some sort of User Account Control or permissions issue.

I had to refer back some notes I made when I had the same sort of trouble years ago with TR3 and saves I knew I'd made but not appearing in the Passport menu. Its pretty much what laravision said and the notes may actually have been from laravison's advice provided at the time:-

If both of these are true:-

- the game is installed in C:\Program Files or Program Files (x86)\........... ;
- AND you have User Account Control turned on (those yes-no questions which appear every time you install something),

then your saves will be in:-
C:\Users\*insert username*\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Core Design\Tomb Raider

Otherwise (UAC turned off and/or the game installed anywhere but C disk), it will just be in the game location.

Last edited by fallenangle; 17-07-22 at 12:14.
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Old 18-07-22, 06:27   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fallenangle View Post
If both of these are true:-

- the game is installed in C:\Program Files or Program Files (x86)\........... ;
- AND you have User Account Control turned on (those yes-no questions which appear every time you install something),

then your saves will be in:-
C:\Users\*insert username*\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Core Design\Tomb Raider

Otherwise (UAC turned off and/or the game installed anywhere but C disk), it will just be in the game location.
That's not the case. I have always User Account Control turned on and never had any issues with Tomb Raider, the save games always save to the right location.

My guess is that it's how you install the game. If you use a proper installer, the game will install to the right location, and giving tomb3.exe permissions to save to that location without issues.
I always played PS1 versions in the past, so I never had the PC CD version. People with the PC CD who have simply dragged-dropped the game files into Program Files, and stuck a no-CD exe in there, won't have the folder set up with the correct permissions.
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Old 18-07-22, 11:51   #15
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But what is "the right location".

I'm now confused myself.

I had a look at my TR3 set up and its in the Core Design folder that was created when I installed it from the original TR3/TLA discs:-

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Core Design\Tomb Raider III"

When it launches I do get the UAC prompt and the only other, possibly, contributing factor is that I have it set for Windows 98/ME Compatibility.

In that folder I have 16 "gamesave" folders. These are definitely the ones being used because if I go to:-

"C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Core Design\Tomb Raider III"

it also exists but with only one lonely "gamesave" - a legacy from original set up, I think? Whatever, that is obviously not being used now.

At some point I must have replaced the original tomb3.exe with a no-disc patched one so it would run without the original disc but that's the only change I know I made.

So now I'm confused because I have TR2 set up in exactly the same way. I've checked the permissions and they're identical and the only difference I can see is that it is not running in Windows98/ME compatibility mode.

I launch it, no UAC, prompt and once ready the Passport shows the saves and in this case they can only be from that VirtualStore location as there are no saves in the TR2 main folder on C:\.

If I launch it as admin I get the UAC prompt and when I get to the Passport: no saves available.

This is different to TR3's behaviour where it makes no difference whether I launch it as admin or not - I still get the UAC prompt and it uses the game saves in the TR3 folder not the VirtualStore.

It's confusing because, as said, the "Security" permissions seem to be identical.

Last edited by fallenangle; 19-07-22 at 11:22. Reason: typo
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Old 18-07-22, 17:59   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fallenangle View Post
But what is "the right location".

I'm now confused myself.

I had a look at my TR3 set up and its in the Core Design folder that was created when I installed it from the original TR3/TLA discs:-

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Core Design\Tomb Raider III"

When it launches I do get the UAC prompt and the only other, possibly, contributing factor is that I have it set for Windows 98/ME Compatibility.

In that folder I have 16 "gamesave" folders. These are definitely the ones being used because if I go to:-

"C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Core Design\Tomb Raider III"

it also exists but with only one lonely "gamesave" - a legacy from original set up, I think? Whatever, that is obviously not being used now.

At some point I must have replaced the original tomb3.exe with a no-disc patched one so it would run without the original disc but that's the only change I know I made.

So now I'm confused because I have TR2 set up in exactly the same way. I've checked the permissions and they're identical and the only difference I can see is that it is not running in Windows98/ME compatibility mode.

I launch it, no UAC, prompt and once ready the Passport shows the saves and in this case they can only be from that VirtualStore location as there are no saves in the TR2
main folder on C:\.

If I launch it as admin I get the UAC prompt and when I get to the Passport: no saves available.

This is different to TR3's behaviour where it makes no difference whether I launch it as admin or not - I still get the UAC prompt and it uses the game saves in the TR3 folder not the VirtualStore.

It's confusing because, as said, the "Security" permissions seem to be identical.
I don’t know anymore lol. By the ‘right location’ I meant next to the game’s executable in Program Files, as in, not in the VirtualStore folder.

If you set Windows 98 compatibility mode, you get the UAC prompt because it forces the game to run as administrator. I have to set Tomb Raider 3 to Windows 98 mode because the game crashes otherwise. Although, this can’t be the reason why it saves in the right location, as every other Tomb Raider doesn’t run in compatibility mode / as administrator, and it still saves correctly. I don’t know what I’ve done, but it works .
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Old 19-07-22, 11:31   #17
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Thanks for the info.

If that's correct about the Windows 98/Me compatibility mode forcing the game to run as admin it would explain the difference in behaviour between my TR2 and TR3 set up.

The Windows compatibility tool menu options include a separate "Run as administrator" box which is not ticked in either case. But I suppose it is there so you can enable that without changing the other compatibility settings.
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