OVERVIEW

Computer rentals are typically configured with Deep Freeze to prevent any installations or changes after a restart, which also means that data from offline games is not saved. This application solves this issue by saving game data to a shared network folder, ensuring that game progress is preserved even after system restarts.

Auto-Save-n-Load is a VB.NET application that provides a secure and efficient way to manage game data and user sessions across different users on a shared network. It handles authentication folder management for game saves, and user-specific configurations, allowing each user to have separate game save folders.

Features

• Effortless Registration and Login: Users can easily register and log in to their accounts, ensuring that their game progress is automatically saved on the server for seamless access.
• User Login / Public Save Directory: Players can choose between a personal login for private saves or access a public directory for shared game progress.
• Dynamic Game Directory Management: Admin can manually add their game directories, or simply click the Update" button to automatically retrieve the latest game list available on the github repository:

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Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

• Windows OS
• Administrative privileges (required for symbolic link creation)

Setup Instructions

1. Share a Folder on the Network

Before you begin, ensure that a shared folder is available on your network to store user and game data. Follow the instructions for sharing a folder in Windows:

• How to share a folder over a network (Windows 10/11)

Make sure that all users who need access to the application have the necessary permissions to read from and write to this shared folder.

2. Download the Application

• Go to the latest release.
• Download the zip file.

3. Install the Application

• Extract the files from the zip.

4. Set Up the XML Files

• Create a shared folder on your network or local machine.
• Edit settings.xml using notepad and provide the shared folder network link

settings.xml (Sample)

192.168.1.100 is IP address of pc Server while saves is the name of the shared folder

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Variable>
  <sharedFolder>\\192.168.1.100\Saves\</sharedFolder>
</Variable>

or you can do this

YourComputerName is your computer name of pc Server

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Variable>
  <sharedFolder>\\YourComputerName\Saves\</sharedFolder>
</Variable>

5. Run the Application

• Execute the application.
• Ensure administrative privileges are granted.

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Client-Side Setup Instructions

1. Create a Shortcut

• Create a shortcut file of the application on your desktop.
• Right-click the shortcut, select Properties, and check the box for Run as administrator under the Shortcut tab.

2. Copy the Shortcut to Startup

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
• Type shell:startup and press Enter.
• Copy the shortcut you created in the previous step and paste it into the Startup folder.

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Path Structure Rules for adding game's save directories

• %appdata%: C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming
• %userprofile%: C:\Users\<Username>
• %localappdata%: C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local
• %programdata%: C:\ProgramData

please follow these rules to ensure proper functionality:

• One-Level Deep Paths: These paths contain a single folder immediately under the specified system folder. For example, a path like %userprofile%\Documents\MyGame\ is considered one-level deep because "MyGame" is directly under "Documents."
• Two-Level Deep Paths: These paths consist of two nested folders under the specified system folder. For instance, a path like %userprofile%\AppData\Local\MyGame\Saves\ is two-level deep, as "MyGame" is a folder under "Local" and "Saves" is a subfolder under "MyGame."

Here are specific examples of each type of path:

1. %appdata%

• Description: Points to the Application Data folder for the current user.

  • One Level Deep:

    <game>
      <name>Red Dead Redemption 2</name>
      <path>%appdata%\.1911\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \.1911\ (One level deep)

  • Two Levels Deep:

    <game>
      <name>Red Dead Redemption 2</name>
      <path>%appdata%\.1911\Red Dead Redemption 2\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \.1911\Red Dead Redemption 2\ (Two levels deep)

2. %userprofile%

• Description: Points to the user’s profile directory.

  • One Level Deep:

    <game>
      <name>The Sims 4</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\Documents\Electronic Arts\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \Documents\Electronic Arts\ (One level deep)

  • Two Levels Deep:

    <game>
      <name>Warhammer 40000 - Space Marine 2</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Saber\Space Marine 2\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \AppData\Local\Saber\Space Marine 2\ (Two levels deep)

  • Additional Examples:

    <game>
      <name>Amedama</name>
      <path>%USERPROFILE%/AppData/LocalLow/Izanagigames/</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>NBA 2K22</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\Documents\Steam\CODEX\1644960</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>Mortal Kombat 11</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\EMPRESS\976310</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>Devil May Cry 5 Fitgirl</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\HOODLUM</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>The Witcher 3</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\Documents\The Witcher 3</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>Last of Us Part 1</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\Saved Games\The Last of Us Part I\</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>Alan Wake 2</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Remedy\AlanWake2</path>
    </game>
    <game>
      <name>GTA IV</name>
      <path>%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Goldberg SocialClub Emu Saves\GTA IV\</path>
    </game>

3. %localappdata%

• Description: Points to the Local Application Data folder for the current user.

  • One Level Deep:

    <game>
      <name>MyGame</name>
      <path>%localappdata%\MyGame\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \MyGame\ (One level deep)

  • Two Levels Deep:

    <game>
      <name>MyGame</name>
      <path>%localappdata%\MyGame\Saves\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \MyGame\Saves\ (Two levels deep)

4. %programdata%

• Description: Points to the Program Data folder, which is accessible to all users.

  • One Level Deep:

    <game>
      <name>MyApp</name>
      <path>%programdata%\MyApp\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \MyApp\ (One level deep)

  • Two Levels Deep:

    <game>
      <name>MyApp</name>
      <path>%programdata%\MyApp\Data\</path>
    </game>

    • Save Folder: \MyApp\Data\ (Two levels deep)