macros.txt problem that makes absolutely no sense

[Ifrit]

I'm encountering a problem that I have never seen in 13 years of playing UO.
For the life of me I have absolutely NO CLUE as to how this problem is even possible, or why it is even happening.

I will try to explain this as clearly as I can.
I have 3 accounts on UOSA
"username"
"username2"
"username3"

Account 'username' houses my main character Ifrit. after finishing my main, I have created on username3 a character with the same name. username 2houses mostly mule characters.
I attempted to just copy my macros.txt file for my main character and simply apply it to other applicable characters instead of manually entering macros in the client (I prefer the client to razor for most skill/spell macros)

Now to explain my problem:

"username" --> Ifrit --> macros.txt is set to completely default macros. There are NONE of my macros in this file. When I log onto the character, the macros are there and usable, despite the fact that the macros.txt file that corresponds with that actual account does not contain them.

After some digging, I noticed that "username2" has an Ifrit Folder, despite the fact that I don't have an Ifrit character on that account.
"username2" --> Ifrit --> macros.txt houses all of the macros that my main char on "username" uses.
How is my main account's character referencing a different accounts folder for those macros?
I have had come client erros in the past while multi accounting and I wouldn't be suprised if this has something to do with it being that my clients are cross referencing the wrong folders apparently.

[Mikel123]

Your post is... confusing

Have you tried copying the folders under the UO Desktop folder across your three accounts (rename as appropriate)?

I know this makes your screen look the same across characters, but I also think it copies the macros as well, because I have my text-based macros set up in the client ("Vendor Buy Bank Guards!", etc.) and I feel like those have worked when I've copied and renamed the folders under Desktop.

[Batlin]

My client does not use a macros.txt, all macros are stored in macros2D.txt.

I'm using client 5.0.8.3.
I'm assuming the layout of your "Desktop" subdirectory is also "./Desktop/<AccountName>/<ShardName>/<CharacterName>" ?

[Ifrit]

Yes it's macros2d.txt, my bad.
and Yes and Yes

[Faust]

Ifrit, I have the same exact problem since setting everything up on this crappy labtop using Vista after my main PC was power surged to death. The funny part is that I literally wiped out the entire desktop folder and all macro files in the main directory. However, after logging onto the character that I made the macros on they still existed to my amazement... I tried everything that came to mind and never did figure it out. This problem is just one of the many reasons that I haven't played much on that horrible labtop which is the leading reason in the first place. I just don't feel like taking several hours making macros on 15 different characters.

[Hans]

There is a neat little application called Filemon, that will log what files a program accesses. Download it here.

The program isn't too hard to figure out.. You start it up and it should start dumping all sorts of stuff. You'll see your anti-virus checking files, explorer.exe accessing folders, etc.

So you'll want to close every other program (or filter them out), so you are mainly seeing what explorer.exe and UO (client.exe?) are accessing.

After you have logged in to UO, tell filemon to stop logging, and start looing for an entry in Filemon pertaining to your macros file. It may show you exactly where your macro file is... If you are still unable to find it, clear the list in Filemon and start logging again. Now go into options and make a new macro. Stop logging and look for the file(s) it's accessed.

Hope that helps you locate the right file.

[Hicha]

Sounds like Vista is storing the data in the shadow directory.

Enable hidden files and folders, then check C:\Users\<your name>\AppData and check the following folders:

Local
LocalLow
Roaming

Should be a folder inside one of those called Ultima, and your macro file should be inside.

[Faust]

I made sure that it wasn't a hidden file issue since I typically keep hidden files on display at all times anyway. However, I figured out the issue tonight after messing around with it one more time. There is an option in the menu bar location called "Compatibility Files" that displayed the Desktop folder and the macros. I had to do this with my Razor macro files too.

XP > Vista, by far by the way.

[Ifrit]

Sorry I didn't mention earlier.

I am using XP, not vista or 7.

Thanks.

[nightshark]

OK this is a pretty clueless response, but isn't there a root macros.txt that gets auto copied to specific character folders on character creation? I seem to remember there used to be back when I played OSI.

Couldn't you simply copy your ifrit macros.txt and overwrite that file in the root, then delete your macros folder?