Managing Updates on NWN EE

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Twily
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Managing Updates on NWN EE

Post by Twily » Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:24 pm


It inevitably happens that some people find themselves having either accidentally updated, or auto updated.
This guide written Windows PCs will outline steps you can take to prevent this from happening, as well as a few ways to revert your version and get back on the server if it happens.
A lot of the information will still be relevant to MacOS and Linux, but the finer details are likely incorrect.

For users unable to connect due to updates, follow every single step, starting with Step 0. Be sure to read carefully and go slowly. Keep in mind there's no guarantee of these fixes working every time this happens, as each users PC, and each game update are all different.
That said, I've used Step 4 to fix my game in the past and it worked fine.


Step 0 and Step 1 are things I recommend everyone do, even if their game works fine

Update Prevention and Protection

For Steam Users: Step 0) Disable Automatic Updates
1) Right click on the game
2) Select Properties at the bottom of the menu
3) Click on the Updates tab at the top
4) Change "Always keep this game up to date" to "Only update this game when I launch it"
-Due to Steam removing their 'Do not update' setting, if you see the game has an update, you can not start it through Steam without it updating.

5) Instead, go to your Steam installation folder
- If you do not know where this is, simply go to your main hard drive (most likely LocalDisc/OS C:) > Program Files (x86) or Program Files(depending on your PC, if you have both, simply look in both to see which contains a "Steam" folder, most likely the (x86) one) > Steam > steamapps > common > Neverwinter Nights
6) Find the 'nwmain.exe' file in Neverwinter Nights > bin > win32 and use this to start the game
-You can create a shortcut to this file on your desktop for easy use later. Right click the nwmain.exe, select copy, right click on your desktop and select 'Paste Shotcut'. It has to be 'Paste Shortcut' and not 'Paste'.

For All Users: Step 1) Create a backup of the game
1) Go to your game's installation folder
For Beamdog Users: this will be your Beamdog folder, NWNEE
For Steam Users: See Part 5 of Step 0 - C: > Program Files x86 > Steam > steamapps > common

2) Right click the game's folder and select copy
For Beamdog Users: 00839 if you have Deluxe edition, 00785 for Standard edition
For Steam Users: Neverwinter Nights

3) Right click where ever you want the copy stored and select paste
-I recommend keeping it in the same folder as the primary installation folder, this will keep it out of the way and make it easy to move and rename files and folders if needed.
-This make take a while


If your game gets updated for whatever reason, you now have a backup folder you can use to still connect to the server.
Simply go inside that backup folder and launch the game with the 'nwmain.exe' file inside, it will be the version it was when you backed up the folder.
For Beamdog Users: the .exe is found inside of 00839 or 00785 > bin > win32
For Steam Users: the .exe is found Neverwinter Nights > bin > win32

4) When Arelith is caught up to the next update, update your game and make sure you can connect to Arelith. If so, delete your old backup folder and create a new one.

If your game gets updated and you have no backup

For Steam Users: Step 2) Revert to last stable version
1) Right click the game in your steam library
2) Select 'Properties' at the bottom of the list
3) Select 'Betas' from the bars at the top of the new window
4) Change the beta to 'oldstable-'
5) Start the game as you normally would
-If the game still doesn't work, move to Step 2) for Beamdog Users

For Beamdog Users: Step 2)
This becomes tricky, as if you reach this point you no longer have the version of the files you need to connect to the server.
You now have three options:


Option A) Wait until the server is updated and catches up
-If the update you ended up with is the next full release, it will likely only take Arelith a couple days to be updated and it will be far easier to either wait, or try only 'Step 3) Cheap fix', but you could try Option B if you're up for a big download, or Option C if you're that determined.
-If they haven't yet released the next full version and you have a beta version of the next patch, then it could be weeks, or even months. Option B will almost certainty work in this case, and will be far easier than Option C, but both are valid choices.

Option B) You can use activate a Steam version of the game using a free key from Beamdog and use the Step 2) fix for Steam Users
-Skip this if you are a Steam User coming from Step 2) for Steam Users
1) Log in to your Beamdog account
2) Find the Game Keys section
3) Look for Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition with 'Steam key' written below it
4) Highlight the key listed and click copy
5) Open steam, Go to your Library, and click 'Add a game', 'Activate a Product on Steam'
6) Install the game and move to Step 2) for Steam Users

Option C) Go through a somewhat tedious process to revert your games version
There is still a way to get your game back to the version it needs to be to connect to Arelith, but it's a bit complicated and requires help from a friend who still has the correct version.

There are two ways to do this, one is a proper fix, and one is a cheap fix that isn't guaranteed to work.
I recommend trying the cheap fix first, and if it doesn't work, either wait for the server to catch up, or move on to the proper fix if you're highly determined.

Make sure you followed Step 1) to create a backup of your installation folder before proceeding past this point.
If something goes wrong or if you give up, you can delete the modified installation folder, and rename your backup folder to the same name as the original installation directory.



For All Users: Step 3) Cheap Fix - Untested on Steam Version
1) Go to your game's installation folder, and find the 'nwmain.exe' file.
2) Rename your 'nwmain.exe' to 'nwmain-new,exe'.
3) Have your friend send you a copy of their 'nwmain.exe' file, or send me a PM over the forum requesting it.
4) Put the 'nwmain.exe' you got from your friend into the same folder as your 'nwmain-new.exe'
5) Launch the game and try connecting to Arelith

If the game fails to start or if you can not connect to Arelith:
A) Wait for the update. Delete the .exe you got from a friend and swap your .exe file name back to 'nwmain.exe'
B) Proceed to Step 4) Proper Fix


For All Users: Step 4) Proper Fix - Untested on Steam Version
When the game is updated, a bunch of files in your installation folder will get updated; by finding each of these files that was updated and replacing them with the version from a friend, you will be reverting your version and should be able to connect to Arelith.
1) Right click the background of the installation folder, hover over 'view' on the menu that pops up and click details; if it is already on that then don't worry.
2) Look at the bar at the top of the folders for a 'Date Modified', it should be on the same row as 'Name' above the folder names.
-If you do not see date modified, right click that small bar and click 'Date Modified' from the menu that pops up

3) Start with the 'nwmain.exe' file, find it and check the 'Date Modified'.
-That is now your target date, anything with this date than this you know was changed as a part of the update
Note: If you attempted Step 3) Cheap Fix first, the date you want is the date of the 'nwmain-new.exe' file

4) Change the 'nwmain.exe' file's name to exactly what it is, with '-new' at the end and write down the file name.
-For example, if their 'nwmain.exe' says the date modified is 7/12/2018, remember that date, change the name to 'nwmain-new.exe' and write down 'nwmain.exe'.

5) Open each folder in your NWNEE installation, and do this for every file modified on the same date as your exe, in this example 7/12/2018. Don't forget to write down each file name.
-You can skip the 'linux-86' and 'macos' folders found in 'bin', as well as the 'lcv' and 'dmv' folder found in 'data'.
6) Give your list of files to your friend, and have them copy each one of those files into a folder and send it to you.
-Dropbox, zipping the folder and uploading it to a website like Mediafire, all of these work.
-If a file you tell them the name of doesn't exist for them, that's fine. Have them give you the ones they have.

7) Once you have the files from your friend, copy and paste these into each folder in your installation directory where that file was stored.
-Example: If you have a file that was 'nwmain.exe' but is now 'nwmain-new.exe', you want to put the 'nwmain.exe' file from your friend into the same folder as your 'nwmain-new.exe'
8) Once finished, all of your game's resources will be back to the previous version and you should be able to start the game and connect to Arelith.

Note: Completing this step may confuse both Steam and the Beamdog Client, which may still think you have the newest version installed, meaning once Arelith catches up the 'Update' button does not appear.
When it is time to update:
For Beamdog Users: Click Options directly next to the play button, and select 'Verify Game'
For Steam Users: Right click on your game, select 'Properties', go to the 'local files' tab, and select 'Verify Integrity of Game Files'
Last edited by Twily on Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:45 pm, edited 8 times in total.

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Twily
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Re: Managing Updates on NWN EE

Post by Twily » Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:25 pm

Placeholder.

Aelipse
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Re: Managing Updates on NWN EE

Post by Aelipse » Fri Oct 05, 2018 4:01 pm

Thank you, princess of friendship, you really are a lifesaver. The most recent update (to 1.77) seems to be a full one though and Arelith is expected to follow up shortly, correct? If it doesn't by tomorrow, I'm definitely trying out some of your advice. Thanks again.

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Twily
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Re: Managing Updates on NWN EE

Post by Twily » Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:06 pm

LittleWeasel stated it will likely be done on Sunday, so you shouldn't have to wait too long.

If you have a Discord account, PM me your Discord name and tag; I can pass you the exe there; although this update did change quite a bit, so I do have doubts on the cheap fix working.

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