I just installed RollerCoaster Tycoon on my laptop (Windows 7 64-bit) and applied the necessary patches to make it run. However, I used to play RCT a long time ago on my Windows 2000 computer. Since I have significant progress on that computer, I'd like to transfer that to my laptop. Which files store the information on your game progress? By that, I mean stuff like the scenarios being marked as completed and having scenarios unlocked, not the individual .sv4 files.

Do you have a flashdrive? If so, get your progress on the flashdrive and connect it into your new computer...

Yes, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. However, I need to know what file(s) store the game's progress (which scenarios you've unlocked and the "Completed by so-and-so with a Company value of $something" on the scenario select screen). Just simply copying the .SV4 of a completed scenario does not tell the game that you've completed it.

Thanks for the speedy response, though.

Ordinarily RCT3 will save any progress/unlocked status in the Windows registry. What you’d need to do is locate the RCT3/Atari registry entries and export them, then import/merge them into the new location. Unfortunately this won’t work on identical platforms that are configured differently and it won’t work on systems that are as far apart as Windows 2000 and Windows7 so if you can locate the actual entry in the registry that contains this information you can copy and paste it and then recreate the registry entry in your new system. You can do this either with the Windows Registry Editor or with any third party registry editor.

If that doesn’t bring you results, check out this application which might help:

http://www.mydigitallife.info/backup-or-...e-manager/

Man, I really hate when programs use the registry for data. And the vast majority of them leave behind a ton of crap in there even after you seemingly uninstalled and obliterated the program from your PC. So, do RCT1 and RCT2 do the same as RCT3 in respect to game progress? I noticed that the "GameSave Manager" program you mentioned only lists RCT3. If it doesn't work with RCT1 and 2, I'll probably be able to just make a .bat script that can backup/restore game progress if I can find the right registry keys.

I've also noticed that Windows 2000, oddly enough, stores the saved scenarios and track designs right in the "C:\Program Files\Hasbro Interactive\RollerCoaster Tycoon" directory instead of the "Application Data" like it should. Windows 7 correctly puts it in AppData, though.

I noticed the same file storage set-up with RCT1, everything right there in the program files folder. I believe RCT2 used this same set-up.

I’m afraid I don’t know if GameSave Manager works with RCT1 or RCT2. I do recall that about the same time RCT2 was released I briefly dabbled in Locomotion and needed to reinstall Locomotion after a system reformat. Unfortunately I had thrown the packaging in the trash without previously securing the activation code but my mate showed me where to find it in the registry, the code actually being written out as such in one of the registry entries. Seeing as Chris Sawyer and Atari are both credited for creating RCT2 and Locomotion I would assume both these games used the registry to store such data.

As far as uninstalling applications, after uninstalling I use a third-party uninstaller that lists several columns of details about the application, along with a registry editor to delete the orphaned entries which is safe and easy to do if there is no other application listed with similar criteria such as under the same publisher, for example. Having installed Adobe Creative Suite I wouldn’t dare do this with any other Adobe application after uninstall because I’d never really be sure what I’m deleting and that’d just be asking for it.

Like you say it’s amazing how much junk gets left behind after an uninstall, including empty folders scattered about the system. I can usually find these and delete them with a third-party search application.