Save errors

[trknman]

Gentle Beings...Y'all are going to get very tired of hearing from me, but here goes. I make a companion mod, place her in the world and generally things are hunky dory. However, there are times (and right now I can't remember the exact circumstances), when I make a change and try to save I get an error msg that tells me "it is a master file or the file is in use" and it will not let me save. I am a rank novice at this, so any and all help will be much appreciated

[XJDHDR]

What programs do you have open when you are editing your mod? Are you using Vista?

[trknman]

What programs do you have open when you are editing your mod? Are you using Vista?

 

Please disregard this piece of "extra wide finger" stupidity

[trknman]

Yepper...Unfortunately I have been forced to accept Vista Home Prem. When editing I usually have one of the following active: Wrye Bash, OBSE launcher or OBMM. It doesn't seem to matter, though. If I play the mod and see something wrong, I quit the game, unload (uncheck) the mod in the "load manager du jour", and make my corrections. But when I try to save, it tells me "xxxx.esp is a master file or is in use". Clicking OK produces another little box which suggests that I choose another name. For the life of me, I can't figure out what could be "using" it, or why the CS insists that it is a master file

[XJDHDR]

Look here. You have asked for help on this forum and I am trying to provide it. The least you can do is not call my troubleshooting questions pieces of ""extra wide finger" stupidity".

 

As for your problems, did you install Oblivion in your "Program Files" directory? Vista's UAC protects this directory and prevents programs from editing files stored here. If Oblivion is installed here, you will need to re-install Oblivion outside this directory (try C:/Games).

[trknman]

Look here. You have asked for help on this forum and I am trying to provide it. The least you can do is not call my troubleshooting questions pieces of ""extra wide finger" stupidity".

 

As for your problems, did you install Oblivion in your "Program Files" directory? Vista's UAC protects this directory and prevents programs from editing files stored here. If Oblivion is installed here, you will need to re-install Oblivion outside this directory (try C:/Games).

 

OK...As a start, I was not addressing your question. Due to my "extra wide fingers" I hit the wrong button and submitted a blank reply. Believe me, I am ever respectful of those from whom I am begging help. As to the UAC, I got along fine with 95, 98, ME and XP without it, so I have it disabled. Anyway, here's the deal; I make a mod, place it in the game and play with it making whatever changes I want. At this point I am able to save the changes that I made. If, however, for whatever reason I close out the CS, when I restart it and activate the mod it won't let me save any changes. I know I am doing something wrong, but I can't figure out WHAT. Thanx for bearing with me.

[Khet]

Any chance you are leaving OBMM/Wrye Bash active when you're trying to edit said ESP? If so that's where your error is coming from. When I'm working on a mod (right now in fact) this is what I do.

 

1. Make Desired changes, save the mod and CLOSE the CS.

2. Launch OBMM, ensure mod is active, launch Oblivion

3. Basic testing, close Oblivion.

4. ENSURE than OBMM/Wrye Bash are CLOSED

5. Open CS and load mod, rinse and repeat

 

 

If OBMM or Wrye is open that might be what is causing your problem. Make sure those programs are closed before trying to save.

 

Edit: On second thought, after reading your last post in more detail, is there any chance that you are not setting your new mod as the Active File when loading it? You do this by selecting your mod in the load list, and then clicking on set as Active File. The Plugin File (under the Status Column) should change to Active File. This will let you save directly to the select esp.

[trknman]

Any chance you are leaving OBMM/Wrye Bash active when you're trying to edit said ESP? If so that's where your error is coming from. When I'm working on a mod (right now in fact) this is what I do.

 

1. Make Desired changes, save the mod and CLOSE the CS.

2. Launch OBMM, ensure mod is active, launch Oblivion

3. Basic testing, close Oblivion.

4. ENSURE than OBMM/Wrye Bash are CLOSED

5. Open CS and load mod, rinse and repeat

 

 

If OBMM or Wrye is open that might be what is causing your problem. Make sure those programs are closed before trying to save.

 

Edit: On second thought, after reading your last post in more detail, is there any chance that you are not setting your new mod as the Active File when loading it? You do this by selecting your mod in the load list, and then clicking on set as Active File. The Plugin File (under the Status Column) should change to Active File. This will let you save directly to the select esp.

 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I was not setting the mod plugin as active. I will eat my first born male child in your honor! Now if you could answer one more small question. I have dl'ed and installed Beautiful People by Midnight Voyager (v2.7). I have it activated in game and in the CS. Yet, when I try to put one on one of my creations, it shows up in the character editor screen and in the "render screen", but it does not show up in the game. I was getting "Friar Tuck" hair, but now it just defaults to one of the vanilla hair styles. Again I know it has to be something simple, but I have no idea what. Once again thank you for bearing with an old man who should be playing checkers instead of hack and slash games

[XJDHDR]

Okay, I guess it was a case of misinterpretation.

 

As for your problem, you can give this a try:

1 ) Download and install BOSS.

2 ) Run BOSS (unless you have your own method of arranging your mod's load order).

3 ) Open Wrye Bash and rebuild the Bashed Patch.

4 ) In the left-hand box, place a cross in "Merge patches" then select it and place a cross in everything in the right-hand box.

5 ) Check if entries appear in the right box when selecting any of the Import something categories. If something appears, place a cross on that import function then select the function and place a cross in everything that appears on the right (BOSS helps here by providing appropriate Bash tags for mods that don't have them. You need BOSS correctly installed to use this feature though).

6 ) Rebuild the patch and see if your problem is solved.

 

This has had some success with other modders so it might help you. If not, reply here.

[trknman]

Sorry it took so long to get back here, had some serious family goin's here. I did as suggested and installed BOSS. I think[/ I did everything right. Still no Ren's hair. Just for fun, I deactivated everything, then re-activated just OB esm, CM Partners esm & esp and Beautiful People. Guess what...still no hair. This is driving me crazy(actually not much of a drive, more like a short putt). I have reinstalled the latest spasm of Beautiful People two of three times, so I don't have a clue what could be wrong.