Cannot create save file

[galadalime]

I have installed Gabriel Knight 3 and it appears to be working properly. However, I cannot save the game. When I press F5 to save, it gives me an error of... Cannot create save file. How do I fix this? Also, the ESC key does nothing so I have to control alt delete to get out of the game. Thanks.

[Collector]

Do you have Vista? If so, don't install the game in the "Program Files" folder.

[galadalime]

I have Windows XP.

[Collector]

Where do you have it installed and are you using a standard Windows users account or an admin account?

[galadalime]

I thought I replied to this, but it never posted. I have the game installed on the C drive. I used the installer available on this site that puts all of the disks on the computer, which I guess is supposed to fix some problems, but I get this save error. It is a regular account, not an admin account. Thanks for your help.

[Collector]

Sorry about that. This version of the forum software requires posts from new members to be approved before they are viewable. This is in response to the siege of spambots on message boards.

I suspected that it was a permissions issue. It is not letting you write save games or any other files in the game's folder. Systems folders like the "Program Files" folder are protected with limited write access. Make sure that the game is not installed in the "Program Files" folder, in say, "C:\Sierra\GK3". If you still have problems saving, try installing the game in your User folder (i.e. "C:\Documents and Settings\{whatever your Windows user name is}\Sierra\GK3").

[Bek]

I am having exactly the same problem - runnng GK3 as a user on XP, I get the error message "cannot create save file" when attempting to save. Varying the location of the install has not resolved this. The game runs successfully in all other respects. Can anyone help?

[AlchemicFox]

I am having this same issue. I have 64-bit Vista, I've used the new installer, and I'm running from the batch file.

I tried installing to several different folders in My Documents as well as the C: drive, and I get the same "unable to create save file" error no matter what.

[Collector]

The batch file has nothing to do with this issue. Can one of you try to see if logging into an admin account will fix the problem?

[AlchemicFox]

The only account I have is an Admin account, yes.

I have also tried installing to several external hard-drives and c:sierra/gk3 and get the same error.

[Collector]

That is odd. I cannot replicate this error. Let me experiment some more and I see if I can trigger it.

[Bek]

Hooray! Trial and error has provided a solution. The problem is that the installer doesn't seem to create a saved games directory in the gk3 folder (and for some reason, the game has a dummy spit instead of creating the folder itself). Here's what worked for me:

1. Go to the folder where you installed GK3 ( for me this was c:\sierra\gk3 )
2. Create a new folder.
3. Rename the folder - call it "save games" (exactly as written, but without the quotation marks).

Hope this works for everyone

[Collector]

I am not sure why it is not being created as the installer is set to do so.

[AlchemicFox]

After installing and uninstalling in over a dozen different locations, I went ahead and made a "save games" folder as a complete leap of faith...

And it works!

Got through King's Quest I through IV while I was waiting though, so no biggie.

Thanks for all your help!

[Collector]

I'll have to look through the source of the installer to see if there might be some reason why the folder is not always created.