Re: Mass Effect 3 not recognizing saves from previous ME games

Yes, I tried that.  They both have run as admin permissions.

@KungLing

Do you use onedrive?

As for ME1 > ME2:

You have a folder named "ME1" under "Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save" and the ME1 Save Games are in there?

If not, go to your ME2 "Save" folder (As said under "Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2" and create a folder with the name "ME1". (without the quotes) inside the "Save" folder

Then copy (not relocate) your ME1 save games into that folder. > Now ME2 should "see" your ME1 character.

@KungLing

Your user account is an Administrator account?

You only have one copy of the games installed? (For example, not an Origin and a Steam installation to the same time)

This sounds like a permissions or Registry problem. 

Press the Windows key and "X" at the same time > Click on "Command prompt (Administrator)" or "PowerShell (Administrator)"

• In the CMD or PowerShell window, at the prompt type or copy:  takeown /F "xxxxxxxxxxxx"   (With the quotes. Replace the X with the full path to the ME2 folder, C:\Users\>your user name<\Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect2) > hit "ENTER"

• Reboot > Test.

If this don't works, create a new Windows user account > reboot > log in to the new account > test.

I must be entering something wrong.  It keeps giving me error messages or saying the format is incorrect.  Screenshot below:

@KungLing 

Copy and past the line beneath: (Copy normal, then right click into the command prompt window, that will past the line)

takeown /F "C:\Users\Nathan\Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect2"

If that don't works, is your "Documents" folder on your C: dive?

I copied and pasted that line, and it said: ERROR:  the system cannot find the file specified.  Documents is on the C drive near as I can tell, but there is a public and individual user locations.  I don't know if that matters or not.

@KungLing 

The game normally searches the Save files under the "Documents" folder of that account that executes the game.

Are the Save games located at "C:\Users\Nathan\Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect2"?

Navigate to the ME2 "Save" folder and compare the path.

Sorry, been out of town for awhile and was nowhere near my computer to try anything.

That is the path that it shows, but the only difference is that it is "My Documents" folder and not just "Documents".  There is no folder that is just "Documents".  I did notice, however, that the user folder for "Nathan" has a little lock icon on it, but I don't know how to ensure the game has permission to access it, or if that is even the problem.

@KungLing 

NP. 🙂

Please create a DxDiag in text file format and post it with your next reply. You can do that  with the "Choose file" button at the bottom right corner of the reply window. 

Dxdiagfile...

@KungLing 

OK, follow this guide to add the user group to the "Nathan" folder. > Reboot > Test.

I tried that and though it unlocked the "Nathan" folder, it locked other subfolders inside it.  So I had to unlock the "Documents" as well to ensure the pathway to the save games wasn't restricted.  Sadly, after rebooting, none of this changed anything in terms of the game saves showing up in-game.

@KungLing 

The user group and your account have "modify" rights for the "save" folder and the folders above?

("SYSTEM" and "Administrators" should have "Full Control")

If so try what was written in post #7 but this time with the line "takeown /F "C:\Users\Nathan\My Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect2\Save"

Well, I finally got a chance to try it, and it even gave me the "Batcave PC/Admin now owns file xxxx" when I got the path correct, but it still had no effect after I rebooted the computer and reopened ME3.  Still no saves showing up.

@KungLing 

Now I have to apologise for the late reply. I was on vacation and extremely busy afterwards. 

Please create a new Windows user account (Administrator) > reboot > log in to the new account > Test. 

Didn't work.  At this point, I'm wondering if I should either call EA and hope that I can get some answers from the tech help (long shot, I know), or if upgrading to Windows 10 would fix the issue.  The only significant change that happened that I can think would've caused the problem was changing over from Vista to Win 7.  I don't know, if I can't get it sorted in the next couple days, I'll be out of town again working for a month.   So that explains my long absences between answers.

@KungLing 

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KungLing wrote:

  I don't know, if I can't get it sorted in the next couple days, I'll be out of town again working for a month.   So that explains my long absences between answers.

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NP, life is life. 😉

It is hard to say what causes the issue. We addressed the standard stuff. Still, I think this is a permissions problem or a Registry mismatch.

A clean installation of the games with Registry cleaning could help.

A clean installation of Windows 10 will most probably help.