Help!

I downloaded the eagerly awaited klasa skin last nite, put it into the game, and pressed confirm in the preferences, and got the message ' skin loading, please wait while grapics are changed to the new skin' or something to that effect.

It stayed like this for an hour, at which point i thought something had probably gone wrong, so i turned my computer off.

I have come to try and sort it out today, and the game loads fine, but when it gets to the front screen, ie the start new game, load last game etc, it just goes blank?

any ideas how to get this sorted? any help would be greatly appreciated.

There are three probable causes for you getting a white or black frozen screen upon starting the game.

The first reason could be that your Cache files have become corrupted and deleting them will fix the issue.

To do this follow either of these paths depending on your Operating System.

Windows XP:

C:\Users\<User Name\App Data\

Vista:

C:\Users\<User Name>\App Data\Roaming

Once you can see inside those folders delete the Sports Interactive Folder.

If you can't see those folders you will have to make “Hidden” files viewable.

For Vista:

In a window, go to 'Organize'->'Folder and Search Options'->'View'-> and select 'Show hidden files and folders'.

For XP:

Make sure you are able to see hidden folders:

When in a window, go to 'Tools'->'Folder Options'->'View'-> and make sure 'Show hidden files and folders' is selected.

ive just done that, and tried to load the game again, and im still getting the black screen?

Strange, I'd have thought that would fix it as it definitely sounds like somethings happened while loading the new skin which has caused it. Just follow these instructions (with the game closed) and confirm for me that the 'cache' and 'settings' folders are gone;

First of all you need to turn on hidden files and folders. Go to My Computer and at the top select 'Tools' the 'Folder Options'. The go to the 'View' tab and select 'Show hidden files and folders'

Windows XP:

1. Open “My Computer”

2. Navigate to : “Documents and Settings\<Username>\Application Data\

3. Go into the “Sports Interactive” folder.

4. Go to the “Football Manager 2009” folder.

5. Delete the 'cache' and 'settings' folders found inside here.

Wndows Vista:

1. Click “Start”

2. Click your username on the start Menu

3. Click on “AppData” and then “Roaming”

4. Go into the “Sports Interactive” folder

5. Go to the “Football Manager 2009” folder.

6. Delete the 'cache' and 'settings' folders found inside here.

If they're deleted and the game still loads up blank, try following HuwFlet's instructions in your old XML issue thread again to reset your preferences. Sorry if I'm coming across a bit patronising, I just noticed in your post history you've said you're not great with computers so I just want to make sure

It'd be worth deleting the skin files you downloaded and re-downloading them once the game is working again, just in case they're corrupt in some way.

ive just tried the reset preferences thing again, and its saying - specified in the target box is not valid, make sure tha path and file name are correct.

I have had to reinstall so im no longer installed using steam, so i dont know if this makes it any different?

Sorry if im being special.

Ah yeah, the target will have changed. Try this instead:

"C:\Program Files\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2009\fm.exe" --reset_preferences

Did you make sure that the 'cache' and 'settings' folders I mentioned above are deleted? Still no luck?

yeah they have defo gone, ill try what youve put above, but im pretty sure thats whats in the target box. and im still having no look.

actually scrap that the target box thing has workied - im just gunna start the game to see if the problem has been solved. Im not sure if this is possible, but the 2 folders i have defo been deleting, the settings and the cache - seem to have reappeared?

That's fine - they're meant to reappear Just wanted to make sure they were gone to begin with incase they had corrupt

well i deleted the 2 folders and reset the preferences and this didnt work, but i have now delted the actual skin itself, and that has done the job. Not sure what went wrong?? any advise for when i try to get the skin in the game again?

I would download the skin .rar file afresh, incase it had corrupt the first time. Other than that just make sure you follow the installation instructions from the skinner.