Unable to import character from ME2 to ME3 with Mass Effect Trilogy

@ryanhall85 

When you attempt to import, after you select "New Game", make sure you select "Import ME2 Character", not "ME3".

The actual save location should be in C:\...\Bioware\Mass Effect 2\save.  It should have been there automatically after finishing your ME2 playthrough, but worth checking.

Might be worth reviewing the install instructions for game saves from masseffectsaves.com.  Here's a link to the ME2 (to ME3) import instructions:

http://www.masseffect2saves.com/import.php

And if all else fails, load one of their saves and test that.

Good luck!

There was no save folder created in my documents.

The saves were located in the game folder which was something like

G:\Orgin Games\Bioware\Mass Effect 2\Binaries\(weird backwards "N" character)(Chinese character)\Saves

I tried manually copying the character folder to the standard folder c\users\ryanh\Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect 2\Saves

And still doesn't work?

Odd location for your ME2 save.

I have my Origin games install to the G-drive as well.  My official documents folder is on the D-drive. I've gone to another PC since I played ME2, but did copy the file structure over and it does import to ME3. The relevant info:

ME2 save folder:

D:\[my login name]\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save   (no "s" at the end of "Save")

If that still doesn't work, maybe start a new ME3 game, and see where it saves that one.  Then go back up through that structure and make your Mass Effect 2 save structure there?

@ryanhall85 

Did you changed the location of your standard documents folder? 

C:\user\>your user name<\.... is only the location of the save files if you not moved your user account "Documents" folder.

Do you use onedrive?

The fact that the game saves to the game folder might hint a permissions problem with the "Documents" folder?

Did you tried to run Origin and/or the game as Administrator?

To avoid any potential issues, I went and set everything back to default settings.

I moved Origin Games folder back to the C:\program files (x86)\ folder.

I set my default documents folder back to C:\Users\ryanh\Documents\

I copied the Bioware save folder to the Documents folder at C:\Users\ryanh\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save\Ryan_12_Soldier_030720_0

I ran ME2 as administrator, loaded completed game and created a new save.

Its still saving to the G:\ location...

So I ran Origin as administrator, started the download process and pointed to the location that the games were saved to in C:\program files (x86)\Origin Games\...

I deleted the game folders from the G:\ drive.

The download process completed instantly as all files were already there. I ran the game, loaded from the last save, created a new save and it is still saving to the game folder, but at least the correct game folder on the C: drive.

Launched ME3 and it still does not show any importable characters...

I removed the saves folder from the game folder and it now only exists in the documents folder as it should. Now neither ME2 or ME3 will detect the save files in that location.

Ran a game repair for ME2 and ME3. Still neither will detect the saves in that location.

There has to be a file that can be edited that is telling it where to create the save files. It appears to be

C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\Mass Effect 2\Binaries\и\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\BIOGame\Profile\Player1.prf. It's mostly gibberish though and I can't decipher most of it, except for the save file name.

@ryanhall85 

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ryanhall85 wrote:

To avoid any potential issues, I went and set everything back to default settings.

I moved Origin Games folder back to the C:\program files (x86)\ folder.

I set my default documents folder back to C:\Users\ryanh\Documents\

I copied the Bioware save folder to the Documents folder at C:\Users\ryanh\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save\Ryan_12_Soldier_030720_0

I ran ME2 as administrator, loaded completed game and created a new save.

Its still saving to the G:\ location...

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The "Player1.prf" is the profile file for your character, it will not contain the save game location.

The location of the game game folder will also not make a difference.

You used the build in tools of Windows to move your "Documents" folder?

Meaning you did not just copied the folder to a different location?

Is there a "BIOGame" (Not BioGame) folder inside the folder the game saves to in your game folder?

I changed the default location of the documents folder.

Documents pointed to a cloud storage folder.

The saves were not going there either.

I am pretty sure I have seen a biogame folder in the game folder. I will check

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@ryanhall85 wrote:

I deleted the game folders from the G:\ drive.

The download process completed instantly as all files were already there.

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Okay, so you copied the game files from G-drive to C-drive (thus the "completed instantly")?  I'm admittedly grasping at straws, but ...

Maybe it's time to delete all the ME2 game files (except make a copy of the Save folder & files!!), delete the Origin cache, and completely re-download ME2?

Separate, but related Q to @holger1405 :

Maybe it would help to get some clarity on what cloud saves vs. local saved games are doing?  I can't understand their behavior... 

I have cloud save usage set (ME3).  When I save a game, it clearly shows on my local drive. This happens whether I save when I'm online or offline (tried both).  When I go back to Origin -->ME3 -->Game Properties -->Cloud Saves, the text at bottom reads that it will "restore last local saved game", "will restore data from [an older date ~2 months ago]",  Yet I clearly have local saves from today.  I didn't click on it as I was just testing and didn't want to screw anything up.  What is it doing??

I backed up the save folder to c:\users\rhall\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save

I completely uninstalled all Mass Effect Games.

I disabled Cloud backups in the Origin app.

I ran origin as an administrator and installed the games to the C:\ drive

I launched ME3, went to import ME2 character and there were no characters to select.

There is a serious F***** problem here.

I have now completely uninstalled all Mass effect games, and Origin.

I have cleaned up the registry to removed traces of uninstalled apps.

I have deleted all files and folders containing the name "origin" or "mass effect" or "bioware"

I am now going to reinstall everything from scratch and see if it detects this save folder in its correct default location...

Complete reinstall from scratch and save file from ME2 in standard location is not being detected.

What kind or official support and recourse is available for this issue?