Where are they hiding?

[Albert Silver]

The other day I installed the new free playchess client only to find that I can't log in any more - even with my old HIARCS 10 program. Not a big loss as I haven't played at all recently.

However, after I uninstalled the client I found that my CB engines directory that was at c:\Sakk\ChessBase\Engines\ has disappeared, and I cannot invoke CB engines any more.

The big surprise was that I could still start all UCI and WinBoard engines! This must mean that the CB GUI has stored their information somewhere on my HD. But where? The Chessbase\Engines directory has gone, and the directories c:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\ChessBase\Engines\ and c:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\ChessBase\Engines.UCI\ were empty.

(I use 64-bit Vista.)

Any hints?

Search?

[JuLieN]

@Gabor
I think I remember CB often switch between its main drawer and the Chessbase one in "my documents", maybe you will find your engines there?

[sockmonkey]

There's also a "Common Data" (Gemeinsame Dateien on my german OS) folder in the Programs folder, which is where the CB engines are kept. So c:\Programme\Gemeinsame Dateien\ChessBase\Engines on a german XP. I don't know how it is in the newer WinOSs, but I assume it's similar.

Jeremy

[F. Bluemers]

The other day I installed the new free playchess client only to find that I can't log in any more - even with my old HIARCS 10 program. Not a big loss as I haven't played at all recently.

However, after I uninstalled the client I found that my CB engines directory that was at c:\Sakk\ChessBase\Engines\ has disappeared, and I cannot invoke CB engines any more.

The big surprise was that I could still start all UCI and WinBoard engines! This must mean that the CB GUI has stored their information somewhere on my HD. But where? The Chessbase\Engines directory has gone, and the directories c:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\ChessBase\Engines\ and c:\Users\myname\AppData\Roaming\ChessBase\Engines.UCI\ were empty.

(I use 64-bit Vista.)

Any hints?

Search?

Usually I try to solve my problems by myself before bothering the forum unnecessarily. This is what I did in this case as well. Search has not found anything.

Of course I may have searched for the wrong names. What would you have done?

iirc the win7 taskmanager has the option to show paths and arguments of running tasks.
Best
Fonzy

[sockmonkey]

Now. My Engines folder has been deleted for good. I cannot create a new tournament using the engines which were in it and I can recover the engines only by installing them one by one again.

...

Of course I will have to install all my engines once again. The first step has already been made: I performed a repair install of the CB GUI using the original disk. Now the Engines folder was created again and I can start filling it.

I think I deserved my fate being excessively naive with a CB product...

Sorry, that's really awful. ChessBase installers are ridiculous in that they don't notice when you have other CB products installed. Ever deinstall CB Light and discover that all of your fonts for Fritz have been removed, as well? And then removing an entire folder, even if it doesn't recognize the contents as its own? Anyway, that's a terrible way to start a weekend. Good luck with the reinstall.

Jeremy

[F. Bluemers]

Now. My Engines folder has been deleted for good. I cannot create a new tournament using the engines which were in it and I can recover the engines only by installing them one by one again.

...

Of course I will have to install all my engines once again. The first step has already been made: I performed a repair install of the CB GUI using the original disk. Now the Engines folder was created again and I can start filling it.

I think I deserved my fate being excessively naive with a CB product...

Sorry, that's really awful. ChessBase installers are ridiculous in that they don't notice when you have other CB products installed. Ever deinstall CB Light and discover that all of your fonts for Fritz have been removed, as well? And then removing an entire folder, even if it doesn't recognize the contents as its own? Anyway, that's a terrible way to start a weekend. Good luck with the reinstall.

Jeremy

"Cheesy as it comes,cheesy as it goes"

[Roger Brown]

First of all an advice: always keep an up-to-date copy of your Engines folder which can be found under your ChessBase folder. Separate this copy from the ChessBase folder!



I think I deserved my fate being excessively naive with a CB product...

Bold and underline - necessity for Chessbase products. Required practice. Just do it already! Chessbase products uninstall stuff that they did not install in the first place. Uninstalling one gui may have an effect on the engines folder. So always have a folder called enginesX with the engines backed up.

Bold and italics - should make you wonder about a product that has the user performing tricks for it instead of the other way around.

Not to be brutal about it but I can remove Arena, ChessGUI and Winboard without any effect on anything but the gui itself. In fact with Winboard and ChessGUI I can swap out the executable and ta-daaa, instant update. I think Arena too but my memory may be hazy on that last point....

Of course I am not saying anything here at all.....



Later.

Ps. I am happy that you recovered your engines Gabor.