[FIXED]Repair tool deletes hard drive content if using custom downloads folder

It seems to me something went wrong with the Updater upate from 10th of July.

After running the repair and accepting to delete all leftover files, the updater parsed the whole hard drive and deleted everything, including the parallel install of the stable version and other folders not even associated with DCS.

I would even post this under the root forum directory DCS world 2.5 to get everyone’s attention! This has the potential for catastrophic loss on a client computer!

It seems to me something went wrong with the Updater upate from 10th of July.

After running the repair and accepting to delete all leftover files, the updater parsed the whole hard drive and deleted everything, including the parallel install of the stable version and other folders not even associated with DCS.

I didn't experience any issues with that update, but will make a backup copy of my DCS drive, just in case, thanks for the warning.

Usually I would check the autoupdate_log.txt file (located on the DCS folder) to get more clues as to what happened .. but I assume that in this case that file was lost among the rest, isnt it?

This is truly odd behavior,

If possible, dont write anything to the drive and use the new Windows File Recovery Tool (Free on Windows Store), to see if it can recover data before its overwritten.

if possible recover all dcs auto updater logs.

Shut down the affected drive immediately while you sort your options, there could be other things in background trying to write to it.

If it's a partition and you need other partitions on the same disk, go to Computer Management - Disk Management, select the one that was deleted and right click "Change Drive Letter and Paths" and "Remove". But you can do the same if it's a whole HDD, as long as it's not writtable.

And this means IMMEDIATELY!

Once you get rid of any background programs or anything that could write anything to that partition sorted out, install the recovery tools suggested, or also PhotoRec (part of TestDisk)

PhotorecQ.exe for GUI version of the program.

Only assign the letter to your HDD or partition prior to now, but make sure you select another letter unlike before, some letter you never used before is best.

Then start up Photorec and select to scan all extensions (should be default?) and you'll see from there ... check out tutorials for more details.

wow

Okay, I ... I don't think I'm going to ever touch that Repair tool ever again. I can't, I've got pictures of family, of vacations, and home videos from VHS...I can't risk all that by using a DCS tool, what the heck!

Okay, I ... I don't think I'm going to ever touch that Repair tool ever again. I can't, I've got pictures of family, of vacations, and home videos from VHS...I can't risk all that by using a DCS tool, what the heck!

Back that stuff up now, before you need it! Hard drives can (and will eventually) fail.

... , I've got pictures of family, of vacations, and home videos from VHS...I can't risk all that by using a DCS tool, what the heck!

You are risking them already if you don't have a backup copy.

So... I assume I should refrain from updating the updater:disgust:

Has it been looked at already?

Has it been looked at already?

I suppose we will get more infos tomorrow, when this has reached the dev team.

For me, it sounds somewhat implausible and I think it could be a coincidence.

Yet, I've seen some things...so maybe OP is unto something here...

Good luck!

~Bogey

Okay, I ... I don't think I'm going to ever touch that Repair tool ever again. I can't, I've got pictures of family, of vacations, and home videos from VHS...I can't risk all that by using a DCS tool, what the heck!

Yes, this is a big deal if true, but rule number one of computing. Back up your stuff, for love of God, if those files have meaning for you. There is no excuse for not backing up your important data.

Is this when running the updater for anything, or only for a repair?

It seems to me something went wrong with the Updater upate from 10th of July.

After running the repair and accepting to delete all leftover files, the updater parsed the whole hard drive and deleted everything, including the parallel install of the stable version and other folders not even associated with DCS.

what was your install directory path ? D:\DCS ?

There is no information coming in to this discussion about a potentially disastrous bug that could wipe hard drives.

ED is preferring to update the reddit thread instead.

Is this when running the updater for anything, or only for a repair?

Just repair, and chosing to clean up files is what causes the bug, at least that's what it looks like so far.

THIS

 

 

there are two types of people in this world: those who do backups, and those who don't :(

 

Any precious photos or work related documents I have locked at custom NAS with RAID 1 they are not even at my PC at all.

Back in my sys admin days I worked supporting HP servers. You would not believe the amount of companies that actually did NOT have a good backup plan.

RAID0 for OS and apps,

RAID5 for data, backup only once a week and then expect the RAID0 to magically get rebuilt when it fails.

THIS

 

 

 

 

 

there are two types of people in this world: those who do backups, and those who don't :(

 

 

 

Any precious photos or work related documents I have locked at custom NAS with RAID 1 they are not even at my PC at all.

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Given the severity of the potential problems this could cause you would think ED might see fit to put something on their main page to warn people about it.

Something noticeable, something bold.

you would think ED might see fit to put something on their main page to warn people about it.

Nobody reads the web site just for fun. Personally I visit it only after making a purchase in Steam in order to refresh the license list. (And if people really did visit it, we'd be seeing tons of complaints from the countless VR users because the embedded Vimeo player nags the user for WebVR permissions even when there is no VR content on the page).

Given the severity of the potential problems

There's something called a risk assesment matrix. While the consequences are currently major, the likelihood is close to zero. The user will have to intentionally modify default settings, change them to a specific value and not read what a popup says. I'd classify the overall impact as rather low.

Next openbeta should be out in a few days so basically everyone who runs the installer and repair utility manually will get the fix on Wednesday at latest.

I think given the amount of messing around people do with files to get even decent FPS out of DCS, they should put a warning up, regardless in 20years of gaming i've never once heard of any game or game related software doing this.

I think given the amount of messing around people do with files to get even decent FPS out of DCS, they should put a warning up, regardless in 20years of gaming i've never once heard of any game or game related software doing this.

Well, there was Myth II.

And, in a sense, EVE Trinity. :D