DataIO error: CTZN - loading saved game

[kevinpaz]

howdy all,

ever since i installed 1.29f i've been getting a DataIO error: CTZN when loading saved games.... I've reinstalled the game/patch, reinstalled windows, and am still getting the same error in every game i play... it's usually somewhere around the time i start getting boats that the errors occur....

i'm running a legit copy with no mods, and i close all programs before loading civ (antivirus, screen saver, etc...)....

if anyone has some ideas of what i can try to fix this problem it would be greatly appreciated... (or what the CTZN error code means)


thanks.

[Raion]

Games done with the new patch. You may have to start a new game. No errors with me, so maybe its a corrupted file in the game or your disk is dirty when installing it. CD that is. May need cleaning.

or the CD-drive not quite reading it right, they wear out also, and some are not quite lined up right to begin with.

[kevinpaz]

thanks for the reply... i bought 2 copies of the game and have been having the same problem with both discs...

i've started ~10 new games and have ran into this problem in every game....

anyone have more ideas?

[reds4ever]

i just searched for this, i'm getting a similar error "dataio error -TILE" or something like that, i'm not running the new patch thou. i ive just loaded the new nvidia drivers so maybe its that

[kevinpaz]

after spending over an hour with tech support on the phone we've come to the conclusion that nobody has any idea how to fix this problem.... =:-(

I was told all the other similar error codes (e.g. TILE) are relatively easy to track down - but the CTZN code is a vague error code that should never appear....

I love playing civ but i guess this is game over for me - back to CTP2.... =:-(

[isak]

If you could post one of those savegames, I'll take a look at it - it may be that something in either the savegame or BIC have become corrupted.

The CTZN error basically means that the game can't load the part of the Savegame that contains the info on Specialist Citizens - feel free to pass this info on to tech support

[kevinpaz]

thanks for the offer - greatly appreciated....

I've attached my most recent game from an unpatched version of PTW....

[isak]

Sorry, I didn't realize this was a problem with Ptw savegames - that makes it a bit harder to track down the error

The error happens to me too, so the error is in the savegame, or in the routine that saves the game, not in the game as such. It's most likely caused by two (or more) elements (files) being out of sync - possibly your Civilization3x.exe is out of sync with the civ3x.bix file - what are the current filedates of those two files?

That info will make it a bit easier to track down whether or not a patch is missing or has installed badly.

If that doesn't help, we'll have to wait for Gramphos to update his multitool, before I can get any wiser.

[kevinpaz]

the problem has occurred with Civ3 and PTW in the exact same fashion.... unfortunately in an irrational fit of rage i deleted all my old save games the last time the error occurred.... the next time i get a corrupt save with Civ3 i'll post it in this thread....

here's the timestamps requested:

PTW
-----------
civ3x.bix - Created Thursday, October 31, 2002, 10:16:16 PM
civilization3x.exe - Created Thursday, October 31, 2002, 10:16:02 PM

Civ3
-----------
civ3.bix - can't find the file
civilization3.exe - Created Sunday, October 27, 2002, 9:50:35 PM

[isak]

I finally figured out how to decompress PtW savegames (thanks Gramphos and Sumthinelse@civfanatics) and looked at the savegame through a Hex-editor.

I couldn't find any difference between your savegame and one of my own in the CTZN section, so I really haven't got a clue why the error appears - it could be a problem with a fragmented harddrive, but that is a far fetched guess, I must admit.

Well, I hope the problem has solved itself now anyway

[kevinpaz]

okay - thanks for the help....

[Gramphos]

The CTZN error means that it cant find a CTZN section when it looks for one, so the error is either in a POPD section (might be the wrong number of CTZN sections specified or in an earlier CTZN section, or by a missing CTZN section at the end of the file.)

I'll take o loog at this file myself this upcoming weekend. You said it was from PTW 1.01?

[kevinpaz]

howdy,

yeahh - the save i posted is from an unpatched CTP game... i haven't installed any editors or third party add-ons....



thanks alot for the help,

kevin

[Gramphos]

PTW, not CTP. CTP == Call To Power != Civilization III: Play The World

[kevinpaz]

oops - long day.... i stand corrected.