ConvertData.exe Crash

A. What version of Sins are you trying to mod? Diplomacy 1.21?

B. Where did you get your reference files?

C. I've never used Dekranic, but where did you find the ConvertData you were using before? Did you use a batch file or what?

* Yes Diplomacy 1.21

* I'm not sure what you mean? I'm trying to convert GameInfo entity files from bin to txt. I saw Harpo's already converted text files, but if i downloaded those, after editing how would i then convert them back to bin?

* There are three ConvertData exe files in my Sins install directory - one for each version of Sins. Neither of them worked. I've just being trying to get it to work with 1 file using command prompt.

  http://soase.weebly.com/convertdata.html 

you don't need to use the same directory structure that I used but you need the complete address location of the file to be converted and the address of the newly converted file if the files are not in the same location as the convert datas.

Start by changing the DOS prompt direectory to the sins folder. CD = change directory

CD C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Sins of a Solar Empire

not tested. I always do it like I explain in the link

ConvertData_OriginalSins entity C:\Program Files (x86)\Stardock\Sins of a Solar Empire\GameInfo\AbilityEMPBlast.entity C:\Users\myfist0\Desktop\AbilityEMPBlast.entity txt

This will place the new file on the desktop. Change that to any folder address you like including the mod folder. If you use windows explorer you can copy the address of the folder from the address bar if it enabled to view. Dont forget the backslash \ between the folder address and file name. If you use the same address for the converted file the old one will be overwritten and is not recommended.

Thats pretty much how i've been doing it. I tried again almost exactly as you said but I still get the crash. I also tried the create a dev folder method in your link with the 6 files.

The only changes I made to the directories were "Stardock" to "Stardock Games" and "myfist0" to "Craig".

When I just run the ConvertData_OriginalSins.exe it displays 3 lines of usage info. When I put in the file input and output directories it just crashes and cmd prompt returns to my Sins install directory.

I'm wondering how you used the command line program. Its possible you may be putting in an invalid parameter or but them in the wrong order or something like that. Also might your GameInfo folder be read only?

Well you need to get the convert data to change them back to bin, but the game can run with the files in either TXT or BIN form. The only advantage of the latter is that the files are a bit smaller which increases performance.

Yes you're right my GameInfo folder is set to read only... 

Problem is whenever I turn it off it automatically turns back to read only. I tried turning it off for the entire Sins folder and the same problem occurred. Could it be something to do with DEP or whatever it is?

EDIT: I set the ConvertData.exe files and cmd prompt to run as admin hoping it would bypass the read only restriction but it didn't help.

EDIT 2: I copied the entity files out of GameInfo to a new folder, set everything to run as admin and it worked. For some reason my Sins folder must be protected in some way. The read only box is filled in for the new folder as well though so I don't know whats going on there.

Well thank you both for the help!  

Maybe try to copy and paste them to a new folder that isn't set to read only, then select all the files and remove the read only attribute?

I must have edited as you posted, but yeah that did the trick. Thanks again!

the cause of the read only IS win7 protecting the programs installed in it from files being changed, which is WHY I use a copy of the folder COPIED to a different drive/path outside the \program files folders.

harpo