SCMDraft 2 0.8.0 worked fine not a week ago for me. Suddenly, I couldn't enter the program at all without constantly creating/deleting a new profile, otherwise it'd prompt a TrigEdit error message where it asks to save a diagnostic file. After clicking yes or no the program crashes and you can't even read the file it saves to figure out what went wrong.

After a while I got used to constantly creating/deleting a profile. Eventually I came on here and looked up some topics for assistance. Nothing helped my situation, so I kept going with it. Then the next day, locations started not working at all! If I had previous locations, just clicking the location button crashed SCMDraft. If I didn't, it didn't crash until after I dragged one out. Each time came up with the TrigEdit error window. Moments afterwards I tried to edit strings. Just by clicking on the strings tab it crashed, too.

I went back here and looked at the topics again and saw that Darkling said to set compatability for WIN '98 and eventually I got that done. The profile problem, the location problem, and the string problem went away. But now under the compatability mode I can't open maps. If I try to do so, the map never loads. Instead, after a few moments, a random TrigEdit error comes up and the program crashes again. The only way I found out to open any map was to do so from the recent maps tab under 'File'. Second, when I'm in the 'Open' window, if I click 'cancel' or the X button on the top right of the small window, a new window comes up saying 'Error Opening Map:' like when you try to open a protected map but with the 'C'.

So now I either have to constantly turn off compatability, delete/create the profile, open a map, exit, turn compatability on for WIN '98, go to recent maps and open it like that, or get help here. So if anyone has any ideas please help!

I've tried deleting backup files under the 'Advanced' tab, I've tried reinstalling SEVERAL times (which after deleting/installing the same profiles I had before were still there, which doesn't make sense?), and I've tried all the different compatability and the different check boxes under it. My computer runs on Windows XP.

Probably the most reliable solution is to use Windows XP. If that isn't an option or is already the case, read on.

First of all delete the Backup Database manually from your ScmDraft folder.
If it doesn't help, you need to wipe ScmDraft clean. Just uninstalling doesn't always do that. First, uninstall ScmDraft and delete the remnants in the folder manually. Then check your registry for the strings "stormcoast" and "ScmDraft" delete all findings.
Then restart your computer. Download the newest version from the sticky in this forum and try again. If it doesn't work, don't create profiles or open maps. Just exit/crash and uninstall.
Then try ScmDraft 2 v0.7.3 it has all but the most advanced features but is far more stable than any 0.8.0 version.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jun 5 2010, 5:54 am by NudeRaider.

Can you explain how I would check my registry for those strings please? I'm not fantastically amazing with computers like everyone else here is lol..

Start > run > regedit
Ctrl + F > Enter the strings

Oh and a word of advice: The registry is an important part of your OS. Worst case a mistake can make your Windows unusable. If you're not comfortable with messing with it let someone else do it who knows what he's doing.

Is the v7.3 supposed to look the exact same and 0.8.0?

EDIT: I did what you said twice... went through registry and deleted everything that had stormcoast or scmdraft in it no matter where it was. I even downloaded the v7.3 but it's doing the exact same thing.. does SEN have farty's editor or starforge or anything that is even relatively comparable to scmdraft that actually works with the same features?

Thanks for the help anyway NudeRaider, I guess ScmDraft hates me

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jun 5 2010, 7:09 am by Marine.

Not exactly. There are subtle differences.

It does work without problems when you're not using an OS that's too new for a tool for a 10 year old game.
The editors used to be in the DLDB but I guess it got lost when Devourer upgraded the Database. Try google or Farty's sig.

About the maps not opening that could be a problem with Windows 7 security. There's something to prevent files from being accessed so you have to allow ScmDraft access.

Obvious answer: try other compatibility modes.

I'm using Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5) and don't have any issues at all now - strings show up on location names, and in the string edit list.

When I use Win98 mode I also cannot open or 'save as' maps using the dialogs, but as I generally open a recent map or save onto the current map that wasn't a big deal. But Windows NT 4.0 mode solves that anyway.

Also on Vista/W7 I recommend installing Starcraft to somewhere other than Program Files, because I've found that eventually b.net will just fail to work there, but having it installed elsewhere is fine. Also it makes saving/editing maps a pain because of the security features automatically applied to the Program Files directory.

@Lanthanide:
... I did. You'd know that if you read the first post xD

@NudeRaider:
I don't use Windows 7, I use Windows XP...
@Lanthanide:
Windows NT (Service Pack 5) is the same as me not having the compatability on at all. Same for Windows 2000. However, Windows 98 and 95 work the same for ScmDraft.

Ok, I didn't realise you had XP, beacuse you didn't actually say that in any of your posts.

My advice was for Vista/W7 users.

... Again, if you read the entire very first post, the last sentence clearly states that I have and use Windows XP. Thanks for the help anyway xD

Is it possible you ran out of disk space? Or have little RAM?

Delete SCMDraft and just redownload it from SEN's sticky.

Ok once again can we PLEASE READ what I originally posted? Honestly... I've tried uninstalling and installing several times. It does not work, and, infact, even after deletion from Registry, SCMDraft can remember any previous profiles that I haven't removed, and I delete all "stormcoast", "fortress", "SCMDraft", and anyother keywords I found useful to find all the files and remove them. I also tried removing the backup file several times.

@NudeRaider:
I currently have 4 RAM cards in my computer; 2 are 1000mb and 2 are 500mb so in total 3GB. I have definitely not have a small amount of RAM. My total disc space on Drive C: is 19.1GB used and 129GB free, and I have no Disc Drive D: or any other backup drive since my primary is so large, so that's not a problem either I believe. My Operating Speed is 3GH... I'm so very confused as to why this is happening to me

EDIT: also I would like to inform you NudeRaider, that I can no longer name any location files either now. Each time I double click it it freezes with the little hour glass everytime my cursor is over the program itself; and I've waited an hour and a half the first time it happened. It used to only happen after about 10-20 locations were named, then about 5-10, then around 2, and eventually it is now every time. Even with the two compatability modes that worked before, they both now do this same action. I can still place them, move them, resize them, and use them in triggers with no problem. It is only naming !!! It seems like it's getting worse and worse !
SCMDraft & Me:

WORK DAMN YOU!

Post has been edited 3 time(s), last time on Jun 7 2010, 5:05 am by Marine.

Check your harddrive with chkdsk.
START > RUN > cmd (a black window opens)
There type "chkdsk" and see if there's any errors.
If not type "chkdsk /f /r" which does a surface check and moves bad sectors which takes a while.

Does reinstalling (with manual deletion of the ScmDraft folder) "cure" the instant crash on location renaming and set it back to 20?

I'm not sure but I will try.

Also, what would I be checking for? SCMDraft?

EDIT: Alright; reinstalling resets it for a shorter amount of time if I open a previous map. It goes from 1 round of 20-30, 3 rounds of 5-10, and then it's the first try it crashes, and I did this about 3 times. Also I figured out that making an entire new map resets it to about 5 rounds of 20-30, 2 rounds of 5-10, and then 1, and I did this about 3 times as well. Just in case you needed to know.

I'll hold off on the chk buisness until you reply with what exactly I'm doing and/or going to do when I do that.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jun 7 2010, 6:21 pm by Marine.

Are you actually using the scmdraft installer, or are you just downloading the .zip folder with the scmdraft files? You need to be deleting your entire smcdraft folder in your program files (or wherever you first placed them), and then reinstall with the windows binary, NOT with the .zip that just has scmdraft files in a folder.

http://www.stormcoast-fortress.net/temp/Scmdraft2-setup.rar

If you do that, everything should be clean and new, and should work. Although this build does have annoying debug code when you enter a location's properties via double click, or maybe it was hit enter? I don't remember which.

Also, "chkdsk" runs a disk checking program that comes with your XP installation, and checks your disk for errors. I've used it a few times for different things, and it can be useful. Just do it, and it will run on its own -although the last time I did it it ran the next time I restarted my pc. Try that out after you do a proper reinstallation of scmdraft. The errors you've been describing have happened to me, and just required a proper reinstallation.

It runs on its own. Just follow the instructions.

If there are errors, how do I fix them?

CHKDSK cannot continue in read only mode since errors are found.

EDIT: Anyway, I used Cecil's link. So far everything works grand... I'll post soon if something weird comes up. Oh, and Cecil, it's a double-click, and I know what you mean. It is very annoying

@NudeRaider: I still need assistance on that chkdsk and chkdsk /f /r buisness if you wouldn't mind? Thanks

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Jun 8 2010, 11:51 pm by Marine.

A lot questions are possibly answered if you type "chkdsk /?" to display help for that command. The "/?" parameter works for most console commands btw.

You fix errors by letting chkdsk fix them.
chkdsk runs in read only mode by default, which obviously means it can't fix errors. So if it does find errors there's something wrong with your file system (data on the HDD got corrupted somehow) which can be the cause of the persistent crashes. Even though you now found a working ScmDraft this error still has to be fixed! Remember:
This means your HDD is in a bad state and more errors can happen any time.

So you need to run chkdsk without read only mode, which can be lifted with the "/f" parameter. But since you already have errors, it's a good idea to also perform a full surface check by adding the "/r" parameter. This will take up to an hour or even more.
Whenever you use "/f" chkdsk will probably state that the disk is in use and if it should check the disk next reboot. Confirm that and restart your computer.

If you can, take note of what errors have been corrected. Keep in mind that [print screen] won't work since you're not in windows. In particular watch for anything being stated about (marking/moving) bad sectors. In that case the problem is probably only solved temporarily and we need to talk further.
When it's done run chkdsk again (without parameters) to see if the problems have been truly fixed.

Once it has repaired all the errors, you should run checkdisk just in read-only mode about once a week for a few months. If it ever finds another error (after you just fixed them all), you would be well-advised to buy a new hard-drive ASAP, because bad sectors on hard drives, especially if they increase over time, are a good sign that your hard drive is about to die completely.