PS4 saves deleted

[Incorruptable]

Hello all,
Haven't posted on here in a while, I took the plunge and now own a PS4 pro on latest firmware, I have a question I would like to try and get answered, stemming from a loss of save files as of yesterday.

PS4 was set up and had three local profiles on it, Mine, Wifes and Son.
Updated Minecraft to bedrock edition, in order to do this I created a PSN account under a separate user name and then activated the PS4 as primary on that name and restored licenses.

When we returned to other user names we found all the save files are now gone for games that were installed previous to the PSN account and primary console activation being created.
Played game last night and created new save, gone again this morning.

Now, one of the games was in the middle of a 7GB update the other night which I cancelled as I didn't have the time to wait for it to install or download, this is the game the saves have gone missing from.

Is my problem due to the PSN account and primary console activation with restored licenses, or from stopping the update, and if I uninstall the game from console and reinstall to user that is not primary will it solve the issue?

Are saves being deleted a common occurrence on the PS4?

 

[Berion]

Updates cannot be performed on running title, even if they are already downloaded. Everything because of containers. When game is run, her PKG is mounted and PFS with savedata is mounted, after turning off game, both are been closed.

I never myself experienced save deletion.

 

[Incorruptable]

Updates cannot be performed on running title, even if they are already downloaded. Everything because of containers. When game is run, her PKG is mounted and PFS with savedata is mounted, after turning off game, both are been closed.

I never myself experienced save deletion.

Thanks for the reply,

So if i understand correctly, i need to ensure all games are closed before an update can be applied, when game is shut down fully, all saves are saved correctly and when booted up again will be mounted.

Should i uninstall the game, reinstall, launch and shut down fully before exiting the console.

Or should i default to backing up to USB automatically every save?

 

[Berion]

Should i uninstall the game, reinstall, launch and shut down fully before exiting the console.

Of course not. :P

You will not need to be sure as OrbisOS just doesn't allow You to update if game is run.

Only thing which You should keep in mind is not quitting game when she saving (well, as always on all platforms). In some games it is hard to notice as save indicator can be barely visible or appear unpredictably (i.e in CTR:NF per some intervals downloading scripts to pit stop contents and GP challenges; if You interrupt this, You will end with corrupted data). Some games saving twice or saving insanely amount of auto saves to protect You from Sony and/or their incompetence.

I just want to point that, Your case in save deleting is not related with game update.

But of course, save export on USB is just wise. For some time consuming games, I'm doing it every session. Just in case. ^^

 

[Incorruptable]

Of course not. :P

You will not need to be sure as OrbisOS just doesn't allow You to update if game is run.

Only thing which You should keep in mind is not quitting game when she saving (well, as always on all platforms). In some games it is hard to notice as save indicator can be barely visible or appear unpredictably (i.e in CTR:NF per some intervals downloading scripts to pit stop contents and GP challenges; if You interrupt this, You will end with corrupted data). Some games saving twice or saving insanely amount of auto saves to protect You from Sony and/or their incompetence.

I just want to point that, Your case in save deleting is not related with game update.

But of course, save export on USB is just wise. For some time consuming games, I'm doing it every session. Just in case. ^^

Thank you for this,

I am puzzled as to why and how it is erasing saves, i think i will uninstall the game again and reinstall anyway.

I read about Guest accounts being deleted when logging off, could there be some bug with saves being deleted as the PS4 is thinking it is a 'Guest save'?

 

[Berion]

I cannot answer for any of other questions because I'm using only one account, and since day one is merged with SEN account, and of course the console is activated. I never experienced any save or license problems.

uninstall the game again and reinstall anyway.

Pointless.

 

[pinky]

it's possible they're still present. the save database has to know about the saves for them to work, even if the information about the save is incorrect. were you exploiting the system, and then you updated? I don't know for sure, but I know games will be erased if they were fake signed, but they're still present, just the app.db carries only legit games. it's never happened to me, but I backed up all saves, databases, and games on my system (5.05). it can't be done presently on your firmware, but it's just a possibility if you were exploiting your system.

 

[Incorruptable]

Wasnt exploiting the machine, but machine is behaving itself now.

I have taken to backing up to USB on exit from game and system every time now anyway.

 

[pinky]

you not a ps plus member? that includes cloud saving, does it not? that's what I've had to rely on with my switch, because nintendo hasn't thought about copying saves to a usb device or even the micro sd plugged into the system.

I do remember my ps4 one time fixing the savedata database while I was on the home menu, and it didn't restart or anything. I don't know what caused it, but it didn't mess up any of my saves. however, I had already backed them up, and I wasn't sure of the keystone thing either. without 0'ing that out, the save will appear corrupted. and, iirc, a corrupted save is deleted by default. I could be wrong about that as I'm just going on memory. I do remember testing saves without 0'ing out the keystone, and saves did read as corrupted. the one thing I don't know for sure is if they were deleted. I'm wanting to say that they were.

 

[Incorruptable]

Thanks for the replies,

My logical thinking on this one is the very fact sony have included a copy to USB function for the saves, and put all the time into encryption etc for them, they must believe there is many possible scenarios where a save can become corrupted.

If they only provided a paid service for backing them up (PS+), they would lose a lot of fans that would possibly move to other consoles i think.

Perhaps Nintendo have more confidence in their saves not becoming corrupted?!

 

[pinky]

I'm not sure. I tested cloud saving on the switch, and it worked without a problem. since it uploads your saves while in sleep mode or when you've exited a game, it feels dangerous if you were to enter a game and accidentally save (like it does with many games that use automatic saving), and it replacing your actual save. each time I tried cloud saving -- it didn't do that. however, I'd prefer usb just so I can keep them safe. some games don't even allow for cloud saving. I'm not sure if that's also true for playstation. the only thing is that you have to have signed into psn, I believe, in order to save to usb. that's the reason I haven't formatted yet to get rid of a banned account.

 

[Incorruptable]

No need to be signed into PSN, i am now saving all locally to USB with no internet connection or sign in.

 

[pinky]

oh, I think you need to have signed into psn once to get that option. I know the folder that's created for all your saves is named after the account id.

 

[Berion]

No need to be signed into PSN, i am now saving all locally to USB with no internet connection or sign in.

Yes, but You cannot import or export save before You merge console account with SEN account and activated PS4. That's the point. After that, also You don't have fully freedom from online services as console must from time to time sign-in to renew the licenses.

And BTW: save encryption and export/import to USB have nothing to do with confidence of corruption or not. They doesn't really give a shit about our data.