Steam Install - remember to Validate Files every so often..

[Patricks]

My last couple of flights had some anomalies I hadn't seen before, like two mouse cursors and my TIR not working correctly in game (worked perfectly on the TIR calibration screen). Figured before I start messing around I would run the Steam>Properties>Local Files>Verify Integrity of game files option for IL-2 BoS. It found 258 problem files that it rectified! This install has 0 mods or changes, no idea how that many files got messed up, but is what it is. So just a PSA that if you have not checked recently, you may want to... 

[Goffik]

It's worth pointing out that "problem files" are not necessarily problems at all. When you verify files, Steam simply compares the files on your PC to the files it has for the game. Any files that are different get flagged and replaced. Thing is, Steam does not differentiate between files that have become corrupt, files that have been modded by the user, or files that have simply been written to by the game itself as part of it's normal operation.

 

IL-2 stores many files that get written to by the game in it's game folder, as opposed to a folder in Documents or elsewhere. Hence there will always be a relatively high number of "problem" files when you verify.

Edited March 14, 2022 by Goffik

[BlitzPig_EL]

It will revert your custom cockpit photos to the default as well.

[Fritz_X]

On 3/15/2022 at 12:29 AM, Goffik said:

It's worth pointing out that "problem files" are not necessarily problems at all. When you verify files, Steam simply compares the files on your PC to the files it has for the game. Any files that are different get flagged and replaced. Thing is, Steam does not differentiate between files that have become corrupt, files that have been modded by the user, or files that have simply been written to by the game itself as part of it's normal operation.

 

True and a very valuable piece of information!

 

My Steam IL-2 install suffered from a corrupted file (default skin of the FW-190 D, which turned the plane partly invisible) a while ago. By running the integrity check this problem got fixed immediately, but I had to realize that all of my individually taylored pilot head positions had been erased and set back to default for every plane.

 

The integrity check function sure is a quick and easy way to locate and repair corrupted files, but it's important to understand how it works and what it does (just as described above by Goffik) to avoid any nasty surprises that might come along with its' use.

Edited March 16, 2022 by Fritz_X

[Goffik]

4 hours ago, Fritz_X said:

... but I had to realize that all of my individually taylored pilot head positions had been erased and set back to default for every plane.

 

To solve this problem I have the files that store head positions saved as a "mod". That way I can easily enable/disable them (with JSGME) whenever I reinstall, patch or verify files. Takes a while to set up but you only have to do it once. ?