How to revert to/load save in older unstable versions?

[NobleArgon]

Hi, so the most recent build 42.6.0, broke some things on my old save files.

Namely, it overwrote many of the containers and additional furniture items I had manually placed in character's bases.
That's totally fine; I'm amazed I'm able to keep a single save file at all, through all these new unstable releases!!

But that's left my longest-term character without any of her stored food or her entire collection of skill books.
My bright idea was that if I could load up a previous version of the save file (I have one from just 5 days before 42.6 released) I could snapshot/take notes of what I had exactly, then go back to the live version in debug and spawn in all my missing furniture and items exactly as they were before.
I don't want to cheat and give myself infinite random food, or a bunch of skill books I didn't have.
I just want to "cheat" exactly the items I had before the new vanilla layout of my base overwrote my stuff.

Is there any way to load up my backed up saves from 42.5, ON version 42.5? Or access the old version of these save files/their data in any way?
I only see the one "unstable" option in Steam's version select.

[[Censored]]

you can only go back to 41.78 - this is a test build - you click the the little "ok i understand" buttons

[Shady Allie]

The GOG version has 42.5.1 as an unstable option.

The only other way on steam would be to go back in time and create a second offline version of the game. one that won't auto update. you will have to research time travel and how to create offline versions of the game though.

[Shenji]

Originally posted by NobleArgon:

Hi, so the most recent build 42.6.0, broke some things on my old save files.

Namely, it overwrote many of the containers and additional furniture items I had manually placed in character's bases.
That's totally fine; I'm amazed I'm able to keep a single save file at all, through all these new unstable releases!!

But that's left my longest-term character without any of her stored food or her entire collection of skill books.
My bright idea was that if I could load up a previous version of the save file (I have one from just 5 days before 42.6 released) I could snapshot/take notes of what I had exactly, then go back to the live version in debug and spawn in all my missing furniture and items exactly as they were before.
I don't want to cheat and give myself infinite random food, or a bunch of skill books I didn't have.
I just want to "cheat" exactly the items I had before the new vanilla layout of my base overwrote my stuff.

Is there any way to load up my backed up saves from 42.5, ON version 42.5? Or access the old version of these save files/their data in any way?
I only see the one "unstable" option in Steam's version select.

So you don't know that dev nuked the old generators? Well that was the biggest news of 42.6.0 and looks like they won't fix it. You either start a new game in 42.6.0, or like Shady Allie said, find yourself a GOG version and remove all generators from ground then load the new version, and set your game into offline mode, check forum every time when there's a new patch before you decide to practice.

[NobleArgon]

Replacing my generator with debug was easy enough, it's just all my specific skill books and food items that I want to get back.
I just want to load into my old version of the save file to basically note down what I *used* to have, then I'll cheat it back into existence easily enough on the updated save file again.
...but it sounds like this might not be possible on Steam. Understandable that they wouldn't keep every previous version of an unstable build, selectable.

Even just peeking inside that save file's data somehow would solve my problem, though. I'm only looking to see what items I previously had, and I'll fix everything the patch broke, "manually".

[Shady Allie]

Originally posted by NobleArgon:

I just want to load into my old version of the save file to basically note down what I *used* to have,

From this day forward, get a notebook or journal and a pencil to make a list of books needed.
This way you will have in game notes to debug in. too late for time travel back, but looking ahead, now we know.

UNLESSSSSS, notebook delete by magic update. that'll be a furious sad day.

without the ability to "peek" and not wanting to cheat stuff you didn't have, maybe go to a random number generator website and roll some digital dice for each book. 1-6
if a 4,5 or 6 lands , you don't have that book, and cant cheat it in. (but you make up the % to have on your own) that way you won't feel like cheating, but can get back something might be all, or might be different.

Just brainstorming ideas for you.

[Space Viking]

It is too late now probably but in the future make a backup copy of the project zomboid directory in steam. On my system it is

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ProjectZomboid

Also make backup copies of your save file. I do after every play session.

If they release a game update that wrecks your save just rename the backup copy of the game back to the above (and then back it up again), run it as normal, reload the backup save that the update created, and you can play the old version. You also should turn steam to offline mode and do updates by hand.

If you know what items that the new version of the game is having trouble with (like generators in that one update) you can use the old game to delete or stash them, then update the game, and off you go with the new build.

[IceWord]

I prefer just start a new save and with cheat enabled so you can set your own rules with new features.

[Shenji]

Game will make save backup when every major update rolled out, the problem is you can't find the proper version of the game to run it, unless they put old unstable into the beta menu or went to GOG or something like it.

[Rina]

You can download an older version of the game directly from a steam depot. The way through the steam console doesn't actually work anymore as far as I know but there is a depot downloader on github which works. It is a bit complicated to figure out if you don't know anything about command prompts. I used this guide to load my old save and pick up the generator.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2353930763
After that the save converted without problems and my base was unchanged when loaded on 42.6 but keeping a note with everything important you own is probably a good idea anyways.