[FIX] Reinstall Windows, now your save games are magically corrupt?

[Zlurk]

The problem that occurs is that when you have a new install of Windows and you download GFWL and your online profile, it saves it under a "unique" ID on your harddrive (example, E00001E59EB6E587). This is represented by a folder under your AppData, and the folder contains information about your account. The information stored there has to correspond to the name of the unique ID it uses on your computer, if it does not it ignores the profile. Now, this ID is what the game probably uses when verifying your saves and if it's not the same as what is stored somewhere inside the save, it'll just call it corrupt.

This can be fixed only by SAVING your GFWL profile on your hard drive BEFORE reformatting. I did it on a new physical drive so I still had my old system disk intact and could go in and find these files.

If this applies to you, here's what to do:

1. On your previous windows install, find C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\XLive\Content (vista, win7)

2. If you have more than one folder here (more than one GFWL profile downloaded), browse the randomly named folders (E##########A#B#C## esque) until you find the one with your accounts profile picture stored in it. The account in question is the one you used when playing Fable with the save that is "corrupt".

3. When you have found the right profile, remember it's folder name (E##########A#B#C## esque) and return to the directory named in step #1. Copy this folder somewhere you'll know to find it, or keep it in mind until later steps. If this is right before a format, then back it up onto some sort of disk or drive that isn't a part of your system drive.

4. On your current windows install, find the same folder mentioned in step 1.
If you can't find this folder, try writing %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\XLive\Content in your windows explorer address bar.

5. Make a backup of this folder! Name a copy of it something like content.OLD, just in case.

6. Find your Fable save profile in the folders, like in #2. After you find it, delete it and copy over the folder from your previous windows install (from step #3).

Done! Your save game now uses the same ID as your locally stored GFWL profile does.

It's not sufficent to just rename the folders, I tried. The profile won't become recognised.

[ShadowXENUS]

The anal methods for the Microsoft. Why not make it simple?
Thanx anyway. I always get the support about Microsoft anywhere but the original support.

[Zlurk]

I love Fable, think the devs have done an outstanding job with it and think it's dense that their creation gets shafted entirely by publishers and crap. :/ Thus my persistance in trying to fix this dense BS. But it's as most people on most forums have said, a company backed by Microsoft doesn't even know how to make DRM that understands Microsoft's OS.

[b i r b]

This issue is complete ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[Red_Aces]

thx a ton, that worked!

[howdyc:]

I randomly added you like a weirdo.. but it's because if you could help me with this maybe 1 on 1 VIA steam, I'd appreciate it a lot. My corrupted fable file is very important to me. And I never reformatted, just had to reinstall GFWL. I think that's what caused it. I tried your steps but still not working so I'm thinking maybe I did something wrong! If you could help, I'd appreciate it a lot.

[lisavh]

Do you think you could help me please? I get to my first big point in the game where I get Daddy's medalion and the stupid thiing crashes. Help it says something wait I forget what it says I will be right back I will go try it again who knows maybe I will get lucky and the magic Fairies will have come and fixed it.

[howdyc:]

Sounds like you could maybe use a reinstall. (Zlurk doesn't seem to reply to people anymore)

[Zlurk]

There are a lot of crashes in this game, associated with for instance the auto-save feature failing (and a lot of discussions around it) but in those cases, usually your autosave truly does become corrupt. This is solely a fix for when the game says your save game is corrupt even though it's untouched (which means, the error is incorrect and the real problem, in this case, was the profiles mis-matching).

I don't currently have the game installed and I don't think I have enough spare time to help with troubleshooting :( Sorry, dreamy

[howdyc:]

D'oh! I understand. Thank you though. I'm gonna keep playing with it and maybe it'll magically fix!!!

[D3x42]

If someone has the same problem after win reinstall - it is very important to create user with same username as on previous system. I hate saves system in Fable 3.

[Tiny Murder Muffin]

What happens if you reinstalled Fable 3 on a new PC, new GFWL install under the same old username, the game works but none of the DLCs can be registered and downloaded? I have all my stuff still working but a friend can't join me because of his new PC and it doesn't let us join games without him having the same DLC. He doesn't have his old data to go back to either.

[KUNG PAO]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you saved my save! After 5 hours of messing about with save editors and trying every restore trick I knew or could scrounge up, I finally stumbled across this thread and it saved my ass and my 70hr save (and probably my life too). for real, thanks!

[Zlurk]

Haha no problem, glad this is still helping someone 10 years later :)

[SALTED CHEEK]

following

[Fugalism]

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, 12 years later but this still works. I am so glad I always back all my old Windows installs up. Save loaded without issue! :) Thanks so much!