All VAB vessels are missing after a crash

[Michel Bartolone]

This was a hard crash...meaning I could start the task manager, but I couldn't even kill any processes from the task manager, so I had to power cycle my PC.

After leaving the system powered down for about 5 minutes, I started it up, and then started KSP. 

I went into the VAB to work on what I had been working on, but when I went to load the ship, it was missing! OK, maybe that one didn't get saved during the crash...I was in the process of moving from the VAB to the launch pad, so I checked and the VAB is reporting there are no ships at all...not crewed, not uncrewed...nothing! I left the VAB and went into the Tracking station to make sure if the things on orbit were still there. I selected my newest Minmus station and clicked on 'Fly'...the scene loaded just fine and my station is in place and everything seems to be fine. 

I went back to the Space Center and back into the VAB. Still no vessels! I went back to the main menu and tried a restore from an older S.A.V.E...about an hour before the crash, loaded the restored game, went into the VAB...still no ships at all!

I again exited the game, and cd'd to the KSP install directory and I do find all of my ships physically in the right locations...craft and loadmeta files are all there.

Is there some way to rebuild the VAB database of vessels/subassemblies etc from the files that exist in the game directories?   Note I checked the SPH and those vessels are fine.

[DeadJohn]

Are you using the stock vessel open button, or a mod like Craft Organizer or Craft Manager? Those mods allow filtering and maybe you have filter conditions that exclude all of your VAB craft.

If it's not a filtering issue, make a full copy of your entire KSP install folder into a new testing folder.  Leave your old folder as a backup in case you make things worse during further testing, then do all testing from the new folder.

Start KSP from the new folder. Does that fix the problem? I suspect not but it's easy to test.

Then create a new sandbox save, still working from the new folder. Copy and paste the problem VAB folder into the sandbox save folder. Do the craft show in the open dialog and can you open them?

• If yes then that confirms your craft and loadmeta files are working, and the problem is limited to your main save.
• If no, the ships still don't show or open in sandbox, try to delete some of the loadmeta files from the sandbox folder to see what happens next.
• Maybe delete the newest craft file, in case that file was being written during the crash, and is now corrupted in some manner that breaks the KSP open window.

If you get things working in the new folder and want to keep playing from there, remember to adjust CKAN to the new path otherwise your next mod update will end up changing your old folder before the VAB open fix.

 

[Michel Bartolone]

19 hours ago, DeadJohn said:

"Are you using the stock vessel open button, or a mod like Craft Organizer or Craft Manager? Those mods allow filtering and maybe you have filter conditions that exclude all of your VAB craft."

Yes, but no filters have been applied

"Start KSP from the new folder. Does that fix the problem? I suspect not but it's easy to test."

Already did that and it didn't do anything.

"Then create a new sandbox save, still working from the new folder.

• Maybe delete the newest craft file, in case that file was being written during the crash, and is now corrupted in some manner that breaks the KSP open window."

BINGO!    I didn't bother creating a new sandbox save...just removed the autosave and ship file from the backup/testing directory career game I was in cleared the issue. Of note, I rebuilt the craft, but it didn't work at all like I wanted, so I ended up deleting it anyway...

"If you get things working in the new folder and want to keep playing from there, remember to adjust CKAN to the new path otherwise your next mod update will end up changing your old folder before the VAB open fix."

I reproduced the fix in the active game after checking the fix in the backup.

Thanks much!