RE: Game Save Backups. Backing Up With Skydrive

[PinothyJ]

I use Dropbox for file dropping kinds of things and I use Skydrive to backup my life. This is made easier for me because I some how have 25GB of free data with Microsoft instead of the default seven (something to do with how long I have been 'Live,' or some rubbish). I prefer Skydrive over Google Drive because the latter claims they own all of your data when you upload it, in the EULA, and the former claims nothing of the sort.

Setting up these services is real easy by itself but I am going to show you a quick way to set up junction points to ensure you never have to copy and paste or run additional programs other than Skydrive.

Before I begin let us sort out what a junction point is.

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The big J was invent by Microsoft back in the I have no idea because it is not important as a way to make their lives easier. Junctions work almost exactly like shortcuts except for one big different. Consider the follow:

Your Steam folder is: C:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\.
A shortcut:
• You make a shortcut to the above folder.
  
• You place the shortcut in 'C:\' and name it 'SteamShortcut.lnk' (lnk is the extension for standard shortcuts that your Windows may hide from you).
• When you double-click 'C:\SteamShortcut.lnk' it opens the Steam folder at 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\' where 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe' resides.
A Junction:
• You make a junction to the above Steam folder.
• You place the junction in 'C:\' and name it 'SteamJunction'
• When you double-click 'SteamJunction' it open your Steam folder as before except, instead of 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\,' you would be at 'C:\SteamJunction\' with your Steam executable being at the path of 'C:\SteamJunction\Steam.exe'

Your files have not been copied, move, or otherwise, to 'C:\SteamJunction\,' instead, your system treats the former address as if it were 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\' -- all of the files in your junction folder (for a lack of a better word) ARE the files in the original location.

1. Once you have downloaded the Skydrive program I would recommend setting up so the folder it operates in is on the drive itself, and not in your 'My Documents' or under 'Users' or the like ('S:\Skydrive\' is the location of mine).
   
2. Open up Notepad (not Wordpad or Word or anything of those kinds of programs) and paste the following:
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   Code: Select all

   @echo off
echo Welcome to the junction creation batch file!
echo.
echo.
echo You will need the path of the folder that you intend on linking to.
echo This can be pasted into this window by right clicking and selecting
echo 'Paste' from the context menu that appears.
echo.
echo Input the path of the folder you wish to link to then hit Enter.
echo Example: C:\Users\Public\Documents\
echo.
set /p target= Target Folder:
echo.
echo Input the path of the junction link that is to be created.
echo Example: C:\SkyDrive\My Public Documents\
echo.
echo This should *NOT* be a folder that already exists as one will be created
echo as soon as you hit enter!
echo Typing in a folder name (example: "My Public Documents") instead of a full path
echo will create the link in this folder (the one where this batch file resides).
echo.
set /p link= Junction Folder:
echo.
mklink /j "%link%" "%target%"
echo.
echo Input friendly name for remove junction file or leave blank for folder name.
echo.
set /p remove= Name of Remove File:
IF "%remove%"=="" set remove=%link%
echo rmdir "%link%" >>"remove %remove%.bat"
echo del "remove %remove%.bat" >>"remove %remove%.bat"
echo.
pause

3. Save the file as 'createJunction.bat' (the name is not important but the .bat is) to your Skydrive folder (important!).
4. Double-click the batch file you have created the previous step.
5. Enter in the full address of the folder you want to create a junction TO and press 'Enter'.
   Easiest way to do this is to:
   1. Navigate to the folder you wish to make a link to.
      
   2. Right click any file in the folder and click 'Properties.'
   3. Select the address line under 'Location' with your mouse and copy it.
   4. Right click the program window for the batch file and select 'Paste' from the context window (Ctrl+V does not work in command prompt windows, only right clicking and selecting manually).
6. Type the name of the junction you wish to create (This can be anything as long as it makes sense. In our example the name of the Junction was 'SteamJunction' and could have easily had been simply 'Steam').
7. Choose a name for the remove file or hit 'Enter' to let it use the junction name in the previous step (the latter is recommended).
8. Pat yourself on the back for being so awesome.

All the above step are outlined, step by step, in the batch file itself, so it is pretty hard to screw things up. The above actions will also create a batch file to safely remove the junction link (the LINK, that is, and not the original folder), of which is named in the last step ('removeSteamJunction.bat' would be the default for 'SteamJunction').

Technically, the only files that exists in my Skydrive folder is the 'createJunction.bat' and any remove batch files it creates for the link I have made.

Some locations you might want to investigate (drive letter not included, obviously):

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• Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\
• Users\<Username>\Documents\ -- depends on how large your 'My Documents' folder is. This is recommended as there it also backs up all of the little things there that you hardly want to lose in a big crash.
• Users\<Username>\Documents\My Games\ -- This is only if you have not done the above. DO NOT DOUBLE LINK UNLESS YOU WANT TO CREATE A BLACK HOLE WITH YOUR COMPUTER. Your 'My Documents' folder will also have folders like 'WB Games' and 'Square Enix' and the like which you will want to create junctions for as well.
• Users\Public\Documents\ -- if you have S.T.A.L.K.E.R. than this is where your saves will be, as well as few other games I imagine.
• Users\<Username>\Saved Games\ -- Not sure why, but there are a few games that use this Windows location for their user data.
• Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\<game name>
• Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\<game name> -- I have found games like Divinity II, Tropico, Braid and Torchlight, in the 'Local' and 'Roaming' folders.

There we are: you double click a batch program; enter the target address; enter the Junction name; hit 'Enter;' and praise PinothyJ for being so awesome…

[CelticAngel82]

did you only feel the need to post that here rather than on the news article about it, just so you could use blue text?

[PinothyJ]

did you only feel the need to post that here rather than on the news article about it, just so you could use blue text?

The news article will disappear in a few days into obscurity. Not only that, but this is a jumbled mess without appropriate formatting.


If you do not like my blue text than add me to your Foe List, but discussions into the matter are final…

[Mearehear]

I swear to god everytime I see this blue text on my phone, which uses a black background in Tapatalk (white text on black is easier to read out in the daylight - blue text on black is **** terrible) I want to throw my phone at someone . I am sure you just get off on the fact that it pisses people off. Rather than fit in and keep people happy you would rather do something that irritates the hell out of others, while gaining nothing else from it.

Ive seriously **** had enough of it. I just emptied my foe list to start fresh in 2013, but you are going back on it until you quit this damn blue text. Shall I start writing in yellow text every time I post?

I am sure it would **** people off just as quickly

[Chucky]

I am sure you just get off on the fact that it pisses people off. Rather than fit in and keep people happy you would rather do something that irritates the hell out of others, while gaining nothing else from it.

Well said Mearehear, again I couldn't agree more if I try! I just wish we could remove font colours completely if this is what is going to continue.

I just emptied my foe list to start fresh in 2013, but you are going back on it until you quit this damn blue text.

At least you can add people, as a mod I have to suck it up, so generally I avoid Pinothy threads completely unless someone reports it for something (or they message me on FB...looks at Celty)

[CelticAngel82]

(or they message me on FB...looks at Celty)

aww you love me messaging you.

[Mearehear]

At least you can add people, as a mod I have to suck it up, so generally I avoid Pinothy threads completely unless someone reports it for something (or they message me on FB...looks at Celty)

Certainly wouldn't enjoy being in your shoes, I understand that from past experience to a degree. The lack of responsibility grants a bit looser tongue as well as that ability to tuck people away on Foe. I would struggle to bite my tongue in your position. Maybe that is a character flaw of mine, or maybe that is just common sense itching to get out

Anyway, it certainly is a pain that one single user can hijack this forum into having to deal with his self indulgent ****, at the inconvenience of so many others. That is clearly what he gets off on though sadly.

[Nightstaar]

If you do not like my blue text than add me to your Foe List, but discussions into the matter are final…[/color]

I also dislike it, but don't really care because I don't read the **** you post. But if you're going to post a guide on how to do something, then you're being an huge **** posting it in blue text. It's not helpful at all.

[revengous]

blues fine with me! are you guys color blind or something?

I used skydrive a bit as well, not as much as I should though

[PinothyJ]

blues fine with me! are you guys color blind or something?

I used skydrive a bit as well, not as much as I should though

That is why it is good to utilise junctions as it is essentially the equivalent of telling Skydrive to keep an on on these folders for you while you go about using your computer.

Most of the complaints come from people using GoN through third part applications that format my posts into an illegible mess and this is somehow all my fault. The Android application that I use formats it fine for me and it looks good on my Asus monitor so I do not see why I am responsible for the choices of others. If you 'Foe' me you will never have to see me and you can sip your port with the thought of how fine and dandy ignorance really is.


Back on point: junctions can be created by using 'mklink' in the commands prompt but the batch I have in the top post merely automates the use of it…

[Mekon]

Most of the complaints come from people using GoN through third part applications that format my posts into an illegible mess and this is somehow all my fault.

What a load of ****... the complaints come because blue is a really **** colour to read. Have you ever seen books, manuals or newspapers printed in blue? Why is that, do you think?

We get it, you think you're special and want to grandstand. This clearly your failing, not that of others.

[Makena]

blues fine with me! are you guys color blind or something?

Yeah, I am actually.

[skitzor]

this **** conversation again? holy **** I love these forums.

[Cas Bitton]

blues fine with me! are you guys color blind or something?

Yeah, I am actually.

Sorry to hear mate, I've taken it upon my self to help you out!



http://userstyles.org/styles/83901/you-re-my-boy-blue

This will work for anyone using firefox or chrome.

this **** conversation again? holy **** I love these forums.

I've got a special place in my heart for 063fe8.

[Mekon]

/junction