Oblivion CS is hiding files

[Grindspice]

As the topic states, the CS is hiding files I save. If I go to my Oblivion\data folder none of my .esp files are there but if I use the CS I can still load and access them. The only other place I seem to be able to access them is by using the normal oblivion loader to turn on mods.

 

I thought I could troubleshoot the problem by saving my mods into a different folder so I did a test save into Oblivion\data\backup and now the whole \backup folder is missing! I can still see it in the CS when I play with the saves in there.

 

 

I only realized this was happening when I tried to use Tes4Gecko and the files weren't showing up.

 

Has anyone had this problem before or know how to fix it?

 

[DrakeTheDragon]

Are you by chance on a Windows OS from Vista onwards and have the game installed in the default location, somewhere inside the program files protected system folders?

 

If so, chances are high your files instead went into a folder named "VirtualStore" inside your User folders (exact location depending on the OS in use) thanks to the infamous User Account Control (UAC) and/or its later incarnations.

 

Do you run your game with "run as admin" enabled and the CS without, or vice versa? Some people have had success configuring the tools to "run as admin", but others could only help it by moving their game outside of the over-protected system folders.

 

 

edit: The most confusing part is, the Windows Explorer will also "lie" to you and show you both, the files actually inside program files as well as the files from inside the VirtualStore, when you view your program files folders. The game, and other tools, however, cannot be fooled so easily and won't find them... or vice versa again depending on the way the program in question was run.

[Grindspice]

I'm using windows 10 I think.

 

Thanks for your response and suggestions, I'm going to trouble shoot with that in mind now. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Grindspice]

I ran the CS and the original Oblivion game as an Administrator and all those files I was able to see disappeared. When I run them by double clicking them I can see all the files again.

 

I'm guessing I see my regular folders as an administrator but I'm running those programs as just a plain old user. Any suggestions? I'm trying to figure out how to downgrade my administrator status atm.

[Grindspice]

Fortunately I was just doing practice mods, I'm just going to run everything as an administrator in the future. Better that I learn this stuff now than when I start on the big project.

 

If you do know how to troubleshoot this I'm still interested because I'd like to find where my \backup folder went, but it's not going to crush me to lose those things. I've already read horror stories of people losing months of work so I can handle losing a few days.

Edited April 26, 2018 by Grindspice

[DrakeTheDragon]

Ah, so you're saying you ran the CS "as admin" and it created the files "as admin". The game is run "as admin" also, thus it can also see the files. But you yourself now can't, likely because being the admin and doing things "as admin" to Windows are 2 different worlds. That would be the only explanation making sense as to why those files would disappear here. You cannot see them personally, because the Explorer is not running "as admin", too.

 

This would mean, however, that somewhere inside your file/folder visibility settings you would've set that such files should be hidden.

 

Or maybe it's still something todo with the UAC and you will find your files/folders inside the VirtualStore folder I mentioned located somewhere inside your User folders. (It's different from version to version, thus I sadly cannot give an actual path. It shouldn't be hard to find though.)

 

It's the first I heard of this specific kind of issue I must admit, but it wouldn't surprise me the slightest, if for some reason my assumptions above would be correct. Can you try running the Explorer "as admin" as well to see if those files and folders re-appear?

[Moktah]

wonder if your /data folder got flagged as 'hidden'

 

open windows explorer

navigate to your Oblivion install folder

up at the top of the screen, click 'View'

toward the right side of the menu that pops up, put a check in "Hidden Items"

IF your data folder appears, right click your Data folder

then select "properties" from the menu

Down toward the bottom there is a choice to make the folder Hidden

Uncheck it, no wait... untick it? unblackblock it? no no no... deselectify it

[TheMastersSon]

I'm just going to run everything as an administrator in the future

 

That's usually a bad idea. E.g. running an email client or web browser etc with admin rights can easily bypass malware protection and cause other problems. If you do it anyway, remember that "run as administrator" can mean two very different things, and cause problems if you get confused between the two:

 

1. Tell Windows to run a program using your user account, but with administrator rights. That's what the "Run as Admin" right-click option in Windows does. In Vista and later, even users with administrator equivalency are limited by UAC as long as it's enabled. The "Run as Admin" option simply removes the UAC rights token from your user account thus providing full admin rights. But it still runs your program using your same user account.

 

- OR -

 

2. Tell Windows to run a program, not with your user account but with the separate Windows account named "Administrator". In that case, a program will create new config files for the separate Administrator account, in a separate set of folders (My Documents, My Games etc). And your program will no longer refer to the config files in your user folder. This is where and how many related problems start.

 

Many or most systems are already protected by other/better means (firewall/etc), if disabling UAC for your user account is an option I'd consider it.

 

EDIT: Sorry for the dup post of the same info/warning from others.

Edited April 26, 2018 by TheMastersSon

[Grindspice]

@Moktah

I just tried your method, nothing happened. The files are still nowhere to be seen.

 

@DrakeTheDragon

I think you're right about what the problem is but I think you have my problem a little backwards. I created the files running the program without using the "Run as Administrator (RaA)" option. When I load the CS or default Oblivion Loader without using the RaA option I can see the files using their interfaces. It's only when I use the programs with the RaA option that the files disappear from those programs.

 

My problem is if I just start looking in my folders using the file explorer the files I'm looking for aren't present, just like when I'm using the CS or default Oblivion Loader with the RaA option.

 

It's definitely an administrator thing and I'm not OS savvy so I have no idea how to manipulate it to show me what I want.

 

@TheMastersSon

I'm only going to run TES CS using the "run as administrator" option because that seems to get the files I save to show up in my folders. Since it's not connected to the internet I think I'll be fine, but I really don't understand OS stuff. Is it still a bad idea?

 

Edit:

I should be more clear, the files aren't being "hidden" they just aren't appearing. Same with the \backup folder once I tried to save a file in it. It just up and vanished. Bad word choice.

Edited April 27, 2018 by Grindspice

[DrakeTheDragon]

Could you try to locate the folder "C:/Users/<your-user>/AppData/Local/VirtualStore/" and take a look into the "program files (x86)", or what it's called, inside there for your Oblivion and/or Data folder to see what's inside?

 

That's odd though. If any tool or you put a file or folder into your Data folder, without "run as admin", it disappears shortly after, or doesn't appear at all? It's the first I hear of something like this. Normally, even if the UAC re-routes it into the VirtualStore, as nothing not admin is allowed to even as much as touch the program files folders, your Explorer should still be showing them to you, as if they -were- in there. Your's isn't though, which does make me wonder somewhat.

 

Yeah, it's usually not a good idea to use "run as admin" on every kind of software willy nilly. But if you want to keep your game inside program files, and the UAC is messing with it in your case, "some" tools you are instructed to do exactly that. But you can usually rest assured the users of these tools don't suggest it with any doubt of it being a harmless thing to do either. But yes, in general, the lesser programs you need to use "run as admin" for, the better for your system's security and safety.