Next I tried using the “save” files in a clean, newly installed, patched Diablo II w/no expansion. I even tried copying just those files off of tape, and still, no go. Now, here’s the problem: While I’ve got a fully patched (v1.08) D2: LOD installation, I can’t see any of my old characters, even though their files are still present in the \Program files\DiabloII\Save directory.
OK, It’s a pain in the butt, but no problem, I pulled the whole installation, and reloaded it all. I re-installed the expansion, but when I did, I got a “Bad MPQ file: Recomend uninstalling Diablo II and reinstalling” error (I think that was the text, but the “MPQ” might have been some other similar TLA). I replaced the drive, restored from backup, and found that the tape was from before I installed the D2: LOD expansion pack. No, problem, I’ve got a spare drive on the shelf, and a tape backup, so it’s just a little work, right? Wrong. The drive that died, of course, would have to be the one that held my Diablo II game files. Dead, unrecoverable mechanical failure (Hey, it happens).
So, last night, my games computer lost a drive.
