Restoring a city to the default?

[Wharf Rat 0]

First off, sorry to begin my stay here with a question. I've royally screwed up my region and need help. I was trying to restore a city to its default, and mistakenly chose to "level" it. Now where there once was a nice bay to pass subways through, there is a large flat patch of grass.

From searching this forum, I've gathered that the best bet is to make a copy of the cities I do want to keep, reset the whole region back to its default, and import the kept cities back in. The problem is that when I go to access the data files for the cities, they're all named by number and I can't figure out which ones I want to save. Unless I can figure out the corresponding number for each city in the region, I don't see how this is going to work. Is there anywhere I can find these numbers for the San Francisco region?

Thanks for your help!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

First off, sorry to begin my stay here with a question. I've royally screwed up my region and need help. I was trying to restore a city to its default, and mistakenly chose to "level" it. Now where there once was a nice bay to pass subways through, there is a large flat patch of grass.

From searching this forum, I've gathered that the best bet is to make a copy of the cities I do want to keep, reset the whole region back to its default, and import the kept cities back in. The problem is that when I go to access the data files for the cities, they're all named by number and I can't figure out which ones I want to save. Unless I can figure out the corresponding number for each city in the region, I don't see how this is going to work. Is there anywhere I can find these numbers for the San Francisco region?

Thanks for your help!

Welcome to Simtropolis

The quickest way to get the default cities back is to do this:

1. Save your Regions and Plugins folders to the desktop.
2. Delete the entire <user>\documents\SimCity 4 folder
3. Start the game, it will initialize a new player folder
4. Exit
5. From your saved folders, restore your plugins.
6. From your saved folders put back any regions you want.

To recover a specific city, open the new default region it is in, and then import it to the same spot by using the import city ability at the region level. Just click on the empty city, and use the import function. This will move the city out of your saved folder into the new region. It will no longer be in the old region.

When you get done with this, do a backup.

And the next time you want to reset a city, use the obliterate function. CTRL+Shift+o does the trick. This is also on the god mode menu.

Obliterate keeps the territory but deletes all objects.

  Edited February 26, 2012 by A Nonny Moose  

[CaptCity 4,789]

...The problem is that when I go to access the data files for the cities, they're all named by number and I can't figure out which ones I want to save. Unless I can figure out the corresponding number for each city in the region, I don't see how this is going to work. Is there anywhere I can find these numbers for the San Francisco region?

If I'm understanding your question correctly, I am assuming you mean the files are named something like "City - New City (##)"? Did you rename your cities when opening them or just go with the default "New City" label? If you were to go back and use the original region and enter and give each city a specific name, the city file will take the new name. Then you could do as Nonny Moose explained above. This will show the new name for the cities while using the Import function, and you could import them into the corresponding location in the new region - except, of course, the ones you want to start over on.

[Wharf Rat 0]

I did rename each of the cities as I created them, but when I open Program Files>Maxis>SimCity 4 Deluxe>Regions>San Francisco, all of the file names are still in the "City - New City (##)" naming scheme.

Nonny, what you suggested is what I would like to do, but because all of the city files have the same naming scheme, I won't know which of the backup folders to load. Unless I am misunderstanding you, it seems that I would still need to know what (##) corresponded with which city in order to properly switch them out. Is there anywhere I can find that information? If so, I figure I could back up the files I do have, reload the entire region, and replace the individual files with the correctly numbered file. The problem I'm facing (as I see it) is that I don't know which number corresponds to which square)

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You are not supposed to access the stuff in Program Files. That is the system residency and is privileged.

Your files are in C:\<your account>\documents\SimCity 4, and these are the only structures and files you should manipulate, ever!

If you had a shared machine with more than one user account, each account could run the game provided nobody messed up the system residency. Each user gets his own set of user files as noted above. This is why you can wipe yours out and get a default set back by just starting up the game.

The security system on Windows is out to lunch when ordinary users run from an administrative account. You are always in danger of killing your operating system, and ignorance is no excuse if you do that. Unless you have a really good reason to be in an admin account, you should create an ordinary user account for yourself. Then the operating system will protect you from stumbling.

When in an Admin account, unless you are an operating system type like me, you have to be ever so careful. It is one of the things I like about Linux. I have admin permission, but essentially my account is an ordinary one. I have to give a specific command prefix to do anything administrative, and it asks for a password too. Windows will just let you blunder along until it breaks.

[Wharf Rat 0]

Well, well... I really wish I'd waited 18 minutes for your reply instead of rushing in and changing things like an idiot.

I backed up the files in the regions folder under Program Files instead of under my user folder. Then I went and tried to uninstall the game, but something strange has happened. I clicked the icon and the computer paused for a minute like something was going to happen, but it never did. Now, the SimCity 4 folder is missing when I go to Start>Programs>Maxis, but when I load from the disc, it acts like it's still installed.

Of course, I think I've completely deleted all record of my cities (because the city files under Program Files wasn't what I was supposed to back up in the first place, right?), but that's the least of my worries at this point. When I try to uninstall it, there's still nothing happening. Oh lord, what have I done?

I realize that it must be very frustrating dealing with someone like me, but I appreciate your efforts.

[CaptCity 4,789]

Is there still a Simity 4 folder in (My) Documents? When uninstalling, you're usually prompted to save that or not. Perhaps it's still there...?

[Cob92 360]

You are not supposed to access the stuff in Program Files. That is the system residency and is privileged.

Your files are in C:\<your account>\documents\SimCity 4, and these are the only structures and files you should manipulate, ever!

If you had a shared machine with more than one user account, each account could run the game provided nobody messed up the system residency. Each user gets his own set of user files as noted above. This is why you can wipe yours out and get a default set back by just starting up the game.

The security system on Windows is out to lunch when ordinary users run from an administrative account. You are always in danger of killing your operating system, and ignorance is no excuse if you do that. Unless you have a really good reason to be in an admin account, you should create an ordinary user account for yourself. Then the operating system will protect you from stumbling.

When in an Admin account, unless you are an operating system type like me, you have to be ever so careful. It is one of the things I like about Linux. I have admin permission, but essentially my account is an ordinary one. I have to give a specific command prefix to do anything administrative, and it asks for a password too. Windows will just let you blunder along until it breaks.

Ahh, there's no danger going through Program Files stuff as long as you stay out of the System32 folder. You might screw up the installations of all your other software if you change stuff in Program Files willy-nilly, but it won't mess up Windows unless you go into the Windows folder itself (which there is never a reason to go into 99.9% of the time). Besides that, they changed the security in W7 so it acts like you say that it ought to act; however, I personally find security systems to be a nuisance and disable everything as soon as I get a new PC.

Anyway, my suggestion is to go to Add/Remove Programs and see if SC4 still appears on the list of installed programs and try running the uninstall from there. If that doesn't work, System Restore might be the easiest way to get things back the way you want. What exactly did you back-up from the Program Files and where did you put it?

  Edited February 27, 2012 by Cobhris96  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ My friend, unless one is computer literate to the level of thee and me, one should never play with the installation stuff even in Program Files with Windows. It is a multi-user repository, and should be kept free of junque.

Microsoft has never been able to get a clean security system which is why there are so many viruses around. It is an easy target.

Ever wonder why I left Windows and went to Linux? The security mess is one of the reasons. Bloated code is another. And I was spoiled by UNIX when I was working at a good site. Made me very intolerant of the garbage proceeding from the marching morons at Redmond. Of course the costly license fees might have had something to do with it too.

[Wharf Rat 0]

There's a newly cleaned out SimCity 4 folder in My Documents. At this point, I've come to accept that my cities are lost, but San Fran shall rise again! It's probably for the best anyway, as I was just starting to figure out how to use subways effectively midway through constructing the region so the whole transit system was a nightmare. This will give me a chance to build a region from the ground up with efficient transportation in mind. I recently rediscovered this game after many years, and while its complexity kept me from getting into it in my teens, I'm loving it now. The girlfriend's not too happy about it, though.

Anyway, my suggestion is to go to Add/Remove Programs and see if SC4 still appears on the list of installed programs and try running the uninstall from there. If that doesn't work, System Restore might be the easiest way to get things back the way you want. What exactly did you back-up from the Program Files and where did you put it?

Unfortunately, this computer isn't technically "mine," and the IT guys in charge have disabled system restore. I keep pretty regular backups of my important documents (SC4 files will be on that list from now on), so I'll just wipe this thing at some point and start over. For now, SC4 doesn't show up in the Add/Remove Programs list or in Start>Programs, but I can start it from the CD. Goofy, but it works. I backed up the Plugins and Regions folders from Program Files>Maxis>SimCity 4 Deluxe by copying them to a folder on my desktop. From here on out, I'll do my best to keep from destroying this computer.

  Edited February 27, 2012 by Wharf Rat  

[Cob92 360]

^ My friend, unless one is computer literate to the level of thee and me, one should never play with the installation stuff even in Program Files with Windows. It is a multi-user repository, and should be kept free of junque.

True, if you're on a multi-user system and there are other people who could be affected. I've been changing stuff in my Program Files since I was in middle school and I don't recall breaking anything (even had to go into the Windows directory once or twice to delete the remnants of a virus). Now that I have my own computers I'm much more cavalier than I was then; if I break something I just use System Restore. You just need to know what a file does before you start messing with it.

  Edited February 28, 2012 by Cobhris96  

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ My friend, unless one is computer literate to the level of thee and me, one should never play with the installation stuff even in Program Files with Windows. It is a multi-user repository, and should be kept free of junque.

True, if you're on a multi-user system and there are other people who could be affected. I've been changing stuff in my Program Files since I was in middle school and I don't recall breaking anything (even had to go into the Windows directory once or twice to delete the remnants of a virus). Now that I have my own computers I'm much more cavalier than I was then; if I break something I just use System Restore. You just need to know what a file does before you start messing with it.

Amen. I don't know about you but I often change operating systems and operating systems decor. I have no compunctions about operating in superuser state, but I am damned careful if I do. Linux' only system restore is a reload of the whole O/S, so care is definitely needed. Time to do a backup I guess.

[BrokeDiamond 2]

Apologies if I repeat something that has already been said by someone else, but I didn't really feel like reading through all the replies.

How SC4 works is that it stores info in two places: in the Maxis folder in Program Files, and in the Sim City 4 folder in your personal documents. The Program Files folder contains all of the game's original data, whereas your personal ones contains all of the changes you've made. To restore an entire region, simply go into the Regions folder in the PF one and copy and paste into your personal folder. If you want to save specific cities, then you'll have to go into the game, save the city, and write down the name of whatever it says the city has been saved as. Usually it'll say something like "City has been saved as City - Cityname.sc4" Then just go into your personal folder, open up the regions, transport the file of the same name to a safe location, replace the Regions folder with one from the PF, and transport the individual file back in.