Tutorial trouble: 'file locked by OS'

[Grotius]

I've run through part of the first tutorial twice now, and each time I hit a brick wall when ordering Grant to conduct the first attack of the tutorial. Grant and his two corps never make it to the destination; they stop in the region just to the east. After that, I can't get a turn to process. I get a message that the save file has been "locked" by the operating system.

After running thru all this twice, it dawned on me to try the new patch. It didn't help when I tried to load the savegame; I had even weirder behavior. Does the patch fix the issue I've been seeing? I don't see it mentioned in the patch notes.

This isn't the end of the world; I can just as easily consult the manual. I'm just wondering if I'm doing something wrong, and whether I'll have similar problems as I get deeper into the game itself.

The game does look lovely, though -- you've done a great job of refining the Birth of America interface, and I'm intrigued by the new command rules. I could just use a bit of guidance on this tutorial problem.

[Wilhammer]

That is a wierd error, but it may have nothing to do with A-ACW, but Windows.

For Whatever reason, it locks files; sometimes you do this yourself;

1. Do you have another instance of AACW running with that turn open?

2. Are you looking at that file with a text editor?

3. Do you try to copy and paste it somewhere?

If 1 or 2, close the app in question.

If 3 or none of the above;

Save the game where you can and reboot Windows.
OR
Get this handy little program for Windoze - Unlocker.

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

[tc237]

Wil,
This just happened to me, I tried to End Turn right after a Ctrl + click to renamed the save.
By your #3, seems the game is copy-pasting the new save, then something locks the master file?

[Rafiki]

I've had this happen to me too, while trying to save the game under another name.

Appreciate the good tips, Wilhammer, but this is something the game should handle properly itself, without us having to use a tool from a (to us) unknown third party.

[Wilhammer]

Good theory on the Save as New Name being treated like that.

Lemme go see if it happens to me.

Yep, I can recreate.

Steps to do;

1. Open a game.
2. CTRL + Save. It will save.
3. If you try to save it again or end the turn, you get the 'file is locked' error.

Pocus...needs...to...fix.

I also noticed that in the box you type your new name of file in, if you use the numbers 1,2,3,4,5, or 6 in the file name, the map changes color to the control colors.

Hmmm...

Grotius' description did not mention the steps Rafiki, and TC mentioned. That's why I offered what I offered - I've seen people do that at work; open a file twice with two different programs, and it gets locked, or a Cut/Paste Windows malfunction.

-----------

And I just went back to try to test this again, and it CTRL + Saved and then ended turn just fine.

[Grotius]

Thanks for your replies. Indeed it did happen right after I clicked 'save under a new name'. I did such a save both times I went through the tutorial -- the first time just to save it before taking a break; the second time to try to avoid the problem I had the first time. So yes, it does seem to follow saving under a new name.

Looks like it does need a Pocus fix.

[Pocus]

I rewrote the 'Save Under' procedure for the next upade, hope it will fix the problem, the new way is more straightforward and should be more stable (knock on wood here!)

[Rafiki]

I rewrote the 'Save Under' procedure for the next upade, hope it will fix the problem, the new way is more straightforward and should be more stable (knock on wood here!)

If I had a Euro for every time I said that and had to eat my words afterwards.....

[SIZE="1"](I'd be semi-rich. Not overly rich, but still a fair amount richer than now....)[/size]

[Pocus]

notice the prudent tone of the sentence

[Grotius]

Thanks for your efforts, Pocus, and for your prudent syntax.