[Scummvm-tracker] [ScummVM :: Bugs] #17248: COMMON: Windows portable EXE creates a `Saved games` folder in EXE directory even if a different `savepath=` is specified.
ScummVM :: Bugs
trac at scummvm.org
Sun Oct 11 12:05:43 UTC 2026
#17248: COMMON: Windows portable EXE creates a `Saved games` folder in EXE
directory even if a different `savepath=` is specified.
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
Reporter: nimaid | Owner: (none)
Type: defect | Status: new
Priority: normal | Component: Common
Version: | Resolution:
Keywords: saves, windows, portable, Saved | Game:
games, ini, savepath |
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
Description changed by nimaid:
Old description:
> **Version:** ScummVM 2026.3.0, Windows x64 zipfile, portable mode
>
> = Summary
>
> When running the Windows zipfile version of ScummVM in portable mode
> (`scummvm.ini` included in the same directory as `scummvm.exe`), no
> matter where the saved games folder is set using the `--savepath=`
> argument or via the `savepath=` field in `scummvm.ini`, a folder named
> `Saved games` is created in the same directory as `scummvm.exe`. Games do
> actually save to the `savepath=` location, but even if that is set
> somewhere other than the directory where `scummvm.exe` resides, if the
> scummvm directory is read-only, it will fail to launch with the following
> error: `Cannot create ScummVM Saved games folder`
>
> = Recreating
>
> The easiest way to recreate this is to make an ISO with the following
> directory structure:
> {{{
> MyCD.iso\
> - scummvm\
> - scummvm.exe
> - scummvm.ini
> - Run.bat
> }}}
> The `scummvm.ini` file can be blank.
>
> The contents of `Run.bat` should be as follows:
> {{{
> @echo off
>
> set "SCRIPT_DIR=%~dp0"
> if "%SCRIPT_DIR:~-1%"=="\" set "SCRIPT_DIR=%SCRIPT_DIR:~0,-1%"
>
> set "SCUMMVM=%SCRIPT_DIR%\scummvm\scummvm.exe"
>
> set "SAVE_DIR=%APPDATA%\ScummVM\Saved Games"
> set "SCREENSHOT_DIR=%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\ScummVM Screenshots"
> set "LOG_DIR=%APPDATA%\ScummVM\Logs"
>
> if not exist "%SAVE_DIR%" mkdir "%SAVE_DIR%"
> if not exist "%SCREENSHOT_DIR%" mkdir "%SCREENSHOT_DIR%"
> if not exist "%LOG_DIR%" mkdir "%LOG_DIR%"
>
> start "" /b "%SCUMMVM%" --savepath="%SAVE_DIR%"
> --screenshotpath="%SCREENSHOT_DIR%" --logfile="%LOG_DIR%\logfile.log"
> }}}
>
> As you can see, the `savepath` along with the other paths are set in the
> `%APPDATA%` and `%USERPROFILE%` folders on the `C:\` drive, so one might
> expect that portable ScummVM would have no reason left to try and write
> to the program directory, which of course, on a CD is read-only and would
> fail.
>
> Mount `MyCD.iso` as a virtual disk (modern Windows supports this
> natively), and run `Run.bat`. You should get the error: `Cannot create
> ScummVM Saved games folder`
>
> Now extract that ISO to a folder named MyCD. Try running `Run.bat` again,
> and note how while the program starts up without issue, it creates an
> unused `Saved games` folder next to `scummvm.exe`. This confirms the
> error was due to ScummVM trying to write to the read-only CD.
>
> = Desired Behavior
>
> The desired behavior is for the Windows zipfile in portable mode to
> create a new saved games folder wherever is specified in either the
> `scummvm.ini` file or via the `--savepath=` argument. This way, it would
> be possible to run `scummvm.exe` from read-only media like a CD while
> saving the data somewhere on the local hard drive. Currently trying to do
> this *would* work if it weren't for the hard-coded folder failing to be
> created in the same folder as `scummvm.exe` regardless of the actual
> setting for the `--savepath=` argument or the `savepath=` field in
> `scummvm.ini`.
>
> = Bug Location in Source Code
>
> I have tracked down the issue to [a specific line of code in
> `backends/saves/windows/windows-
> saves.cpp`](https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm/blob/ff4e32d90c625b512ed0346bc5d3c7f6ef6e9ac3/backends/saves/windows
> /windows-saves.cpp#L41):
> {{{
> ...
> if (isPortable) {
> Win32::getProcessDirectory(defaultSavepath, MAX_PATH); // <--
> BUG HERE
> // Should override this behavior if `savepath` is specified via
> argument or `scummvm.ini`
> } else {
> // Use the Application Data directory of the user profile
> if (!Win32::getApplicationDataDirectory(defaultSavepath)) {
> return;
> }
> }
>
> _tcscat(defaultSavepath, TEXT("\\Saved games"));
> if (!CreateDirectory(defaultSavepath, nullptr)) {
> if (GetLastError() != ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS)
> error("Cannot create ScummVM Saved games folder");
> }
> ...
> }}}
>
> I'm not familiar enough with the structure of this project to make a PR
> to fix it. But I hope this bug report is at least detailed enough to
> enable someone else to fix it soon! Thank you all so much for all you
> contribute to this project! <3
New description:
**Version:** ScummVM 2026.3.0, Windows x64 zipfile, portable mode
= Summary
When running the Windows zipfile version of ScummVM in portable mode
(`scummvm.ini` included in the same directory as `scummvm.exe`), no matter
where the saved games folder is set using the `--savepath=` argument or
via the `savepath=` field in `scummvm.ini`, a folder named `Saved games`
is created in the same directory as `scummvm.exe`. Games do actually save
to the `savepath=` location, but even if that is set somewhere other than
the directory where `scummvm.exe` resides, if the scummvm directory is
read-only, it will fail to launch with the following error: `Cannot create
ScummVM Saved games folder`
= Recreating
The easiest way to recreate this is to make an ISO with the following
directory structure:
{{{
MyCD.iso\
- scummvm\
- scummvm.exe
- scummvm.ini
- Run.bat
}}}
The `scummvm.ini` file can be blank.
The contents of `Run.bat` should be as follows:
{{{
@echo off
set "SCRIPT_DIR=%~dp0"
if "%SCRIPT_DIR:~-1%"=="\" set "SCRIPT_DIR=%SCRIPT_DIR:~0,-1%"
set "SCUMMVM=%SCRIPT_DIR%\scummvm\scummvm.exe"
set "SAVE_DIR=%APPDATA%\ScummVM\Saved Games"
set "SCREENSHOT_DIR=%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\ScummVM Screenshots"
set "LOG_DIR=%APPDATA%\ScummVM\Logs"
if not exist "%SAVE_DIR%" mkdir "%SAVE_DIR%"
if not exist "%SCREENSHOT_DIR%" mkdir "%SCREENSHOT_DIR%"
if not exist "%LOG_DIR%" mkdir "%LOG_DIR%"
start "" /b "%SCUMMVM%" --savepath="%SAVE_DIR%"
--screenshotpath="%SCREENSHOT_DIR%" --logfile="%LOG_DIR%\logfile.log"
}}}
As you can see, the `savepath` along with the other paths are set in the
`%APPDATA%` and `%USERPROFILE%` folders on the `C:\` drive, so one might
expect that portable ScummVM would have no reason left to try and write to
the program directory, which of course, on a CD is read-only and would
fail.
Mount `MyCD.iso` as a virtual disk (modern Windows supports this
natively), and run `Run.bat`. You should get the error: `Cannot create
ScummVM Saved games folder`
Now extract that ISO to a folder named MyCD. Try running `Run.bat` again,
and note how while the program starts up without issue, it creates an
unused `Saved games` folder next to `scummvm.exe`. This confirms the error
was due to ScummVM trying to write to the read-only CD.
= Desired Behavior
The desired behavior is for the Windows zipfile in portable mode to create
a new saved games folder wherever is specified in either the `scummvm.ini`
file or via the `--savepath=` argument. This way, it would be possible to
run `scummvm.exe` from read-only media like a CD while saving the data
somewhere on the local hard drive. Currently trying to do this *would*
work if it weren't for the hard-coded folder failing to be created in the
same folder as `scummvm.exe` regardless of the actual setting for the
`--savepath=` argument or the `savepath=` field in `scummvm.ini`.
= Bug Location in Source Code
I have tracked down the issue to [a specific line of code in
`backends/saves/windows/windows-
saves.cpp`](https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm/blob/ff4e32d90c625b512ed0346bc5d3c7f6ef6e9ac3/backends/saves/windows
/windows-saves.cpp#L41):
{{{
...
if (isPortable) {
Win32::getProcessDirectory(defaultSavepath, MAX_PATH); // <-- BUG
HERE
// Should override this behavior if `savepath` is specified via
argument or `scummvm.ini`
} else {
// Use the Application Data directory of the user profile
if (!Win32::getApplicationDataDirectory(defaultSavepath)) {
return;
}
}
_tcscat(defaultSavepath, TEXT("\\Saved games"));
if (!CreateDirectory(defaultSavepath, nullptr)) {
if (GetLastError() != ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS)
error("Cannot create ScummVM Saved games folder");
}
...
}}}
I'm not familiar enough with the structure of this project to make a PR to
fix it. But I hope this bug report is at least detailed enough to enable
someone else to fix it soon! Thank you all so much for all you contribute
to this project! <3
# Update
I'm not an AI, I;m autistic. I'm deeply, deeply offended that my workd
here was blown off just because what? I spent 3 hours formatting it to be
nice and havbe perfect grammer and punctuation? I;m unsubscribing and not
engagning with this community anymore for my own mental health. I;m done
being called a nonhuman and having my hard work called "nonsense" because
people think I'm a fing machine learning algorithm.
--
--
Ticket URL: <https://bugs.scummvm.org/ticket/17248#comment:7>
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