Failed saves (Block error)

[Neocray]

I'm facing today this issue in both auto and manual saves. Ssteam cloud saves are already turned off. Same thing after closing/reopening the game and also after reboot.
That's pretty annoying since it's happening precisely just before a bunch of new builds and the selection of passengers (32 to choose among ~200 applicants). I've already done the selection half a dozen times…
There aren't lot of information about this error. The only one I found says it's hardware, but I'm quite confident that my SSD is OK.
Any idea how to resolve that?

[Mardoin69]

A little more info on the specifics of your error would be helpful. Have you looked into your game's log file?--in user folder under hidden system folder 'AppData' \Roaming\Surviving Mars\Logs.....look at most recent and see if it's producing any info / errors after trying to save and closing out the game.

[Neocray]

The error message I get ingame is

Unidentified error while saving "XXXX" Error code: Block error

.
When checking logs, I can see that only failed autosaves are logged. My manual attempts aren't.
I can see several times this line:

Save game failed (GameLuaState), error is Block Error, stream size is 366608385

(this last value vary)
On only one occurence, it is followed by this:

err-msg: Block Error (savegame)
Mars/Lua/error.lua(68): global CreateErrorMessageBox
Mars/Lua/UI/SaveLoad.lua(466):  <>

The only other suspicious info I see is a huge amount of that sequence:

[LUA ERROR] HGE::l_SetPos: 
(5460): upvalue ShowWaypoints
(5551): upvalue SetWaypoint
(5570):  <>

[ssgteverett]

Hi, just noticed this - Do check this out here, 'We' (I was) were discussing it here and had the same 'issue'...
Hope this may help -
https://steamcommunity.com/app/464920/discussions/0/3074244288341965449/

[SkiRich]

Originally posted by Neocray:

The error message I get ingame is

Unidentified error while saving "XXXX" Error code: Block error

.
When checking logs, I can see that only failed autosaves are logged. My manual attempts aren't.
I can see several times this line:

Save game failed (GameLuaState), error is Block Error, stream size is 366608385

(this last value vary)
On only one occurence, it is followed by this:

err-msg: Block Error (savegame)
Mars/Lua/error.lua(68): global CreateErrorMessageBox
Mars/Lua/UI/SaveLoad.lua(466):  <>

The only other suspicious info I see is a huge amount of that sequence:

[LUA ERROR] HGE::l_SetPos: 
(5460): upvalue ShowWaypoints
(5551): upvalue SetWaypoint
(5570):  <>

Post this log someplace and put the link here. Lets take a look at what else is happening.
Three things to double check. In the steam client under settings/cloud turn off cloud sync.
In the game in steam, rightclick/properties and turn off steam overlay.
Then in the game in main menu, logout from paradox.
That last error is probably a bad element you have on the map and its killing the save, maybe. The full log will tell more.

[Neocray]

Originally posted by ssgteverett:

Hi, just noticed this - Do check this out here, 'We' (I was) were discussing it here and had the same 'issue'...
Hope this may help -
https://steamcommunity.com/app/464920/discussions/0/3074244288341965449/

Thanks, but already done and didn't help.

[Neocray]

Originally posted by SkiRich:

Post this log someplace and put the link here. Lets take a look at what else is happening.
Three things to double check. In the steam client under settings/cloud turn off cloud sync.
In the game in steam, rightclick/properties and turn off steam overlay.
Then in the game in main menu, logout from paradox.
That last error is probably a bad element you have on the map and its killing the save, maybe. The full log will tell more.

Thanks SkiRich. Here are the logs from yesterday: https://we.tl/t-AdlRFCYdid
I didn't try yet to log out from Paradox though.

[SkiRich]

Well, the good news, its not mod related.
The bad news, the log has nothing in it to indicate the source of the issue.
There was one small tiny line that said this ...

ERROR: Failed to parse header from file: memorysave57/screenshot1138x640.jpg

Find that file, and maybe it will lead to the source of the issue.
If I had to guess, the game is missing some files.
Try the "Verify Files" in steam.

[Neocray]

Thanks for your insight.
I guess that screenshot1138x640.jpg file is the thumbnail of a save that reveals to be corrupted when trying to load it.
It was a manual save done when debugging the thing. It gave the OK message, but at first load attempt, it went wrong (and ingame the thumbnail was missing) so I've deleted it.
Steam says the game files are OK and nothing is missing.
It's very strange that this error happens all of a sudden.

[SkiRich]

Interesting.
Well, for what its worth, there are some subroutines in the game that scan every save you have before you hit the maini menu. Like you said, thumbnails is one of them, but also for other things.
Try this.
Delete every save file, every screenshot in the screenshot in the screenshot folder and every log in the log folder.
Those are here ... AppData\Roaming\Surviving Mars

Put back your last working save file and try again.

If that doesnt work try ...

Then in this same folder, if you see any PNG or TGA files, move them out to someplace else.
For some reason when Surviving Mars gets goofy it puts screenshots in the same user subdirectory as settings.
Then copy and put in a safe place the LocalStorage.lua file and if you have it LocalStorage_settings.lua as well. Delete those. Keep for just in case you want to go back to the way things were.
You are now basically a virgin install.
You may/probably will have to reset al your audio/video and other game settings.

[Neocray]

Well I've just tried right now before anything else an other run of save/load and it ran as expected.
I'll see if it happens again and I keep your instructions for the next occurence of this error.
That is a very strange behaviour indeed.

[Starman]

I have exactly the same issue :-( Is it possible that there was a bug introduced with latest updates?

[Neocray]

Aaaand it happens again after 4 hours. I'll try a reboot.
And I'll try an other map to see if it could be map related before applying SkiRich's suggestions.

[Mardoin69]

You don't happen to have windows bit locker encryption enabled do you? If so, be sure it isn't trying to lock any of your 'user' folders. Other thing you could check is select game save folder....not the saves but parent folder...R-click--properties--in general tab select 'advanced' and be sure no boxes are checked for encrypting.....only thing should be 'ready for indexing' checked. This is in C:\users\ (yourusername) \AppData\Roaming\ Surviving Mars \a numbered folder (mine is 76561198088059493)
Could also try setting that folder to read & write permissions instead of just read only.

[Neocray]

No encryption, and As I said previously, read/write settings already checked.

So I've deleted all saves and screenshots. The first save after worked but the next saves all failed.

Next step would be to clean all the setup to a virgin state as suggested by SkiRich.

That's pretty annoying…

[Neocray]

Originally posted by SkiRich:

If that doesnt work try ...

Then in this same folder, if you see any PNG or TGA files, move them out to someplace else.
For some reason when Surviving Mars gets goofy it puts screenshots in the same user subdirectory as settings.
Then copy and put in a safe place the LocalStorage.lua file and if you have it LocalStorage_settings.lua as well. Delete those. Keep for just in case you want to go back to the way things were.
You are now basically a virgin install.
You may/probably will have to reset al your audio/video and other game settings.

OK so I did this.
Issue is still here. Interestingly, when I tried to make the save, the game created a screenshot in the settings directory, as you said.
If I start an other map, however, it looks like the saves are done correctly. I'll try a brand new game for a while to see if it gets better.