HaloMods "Classic" Read-only Archive

So I've been modding for a while. HMT, CE, PMI'ing, all that kind of stuff. Now, I suddenly have this huge-ass problem that stops me from modding altogether.

I can't actually change the maps in the MAPS folder anymore. Sure, I can copy another map, paste it into the folder, it asks "Do you want to copy and replace?", I say yes. It even does the loading bar. It looks perfectly normal. But when I go into the game, the map is exactly the same! It is the same with the trial version! I can reinstall the game, the map will still be the one that I modded. Get this: I can actually delete the file of a particular map, then simply open up Halo and play the map with no ill effects.

Yes, I am in the right directory for the MAPS folder, I have restarted my computer, I have done everything I can think of.

And I ask: What the hell?

Run halo as an administrator.

HOLY $|-|17!!!! Thanks a lot!

Why the hell does that fix it?

Umm... now for some reason I can't see any objects (weapons, vehicles, even my own body)

Vista is strange. What you do as an administrator won't show up if your not an administrator. Probably some administrator file back up system.

Also, About your problem, sounds like a pmi issue.

But if I reinstall the game or delete the map file, how come it has no effect?

Caching of some sort most likely.

When I do a search for Infinity.map or bloodgulch.map (the two levels I modified) It comes up with various saved versions of it but one that has no description (except for time created) and cannot be right-clicked on or double-clicked. Would that be relevant to the issue?

this may sound liks a strange tatic, but try to delete the entire game (maybe save the map on a flashdrive USB), restart the computer, reinstall the game, then try again.
if the problem is already solved, then disregard this post.

I would explain the administrator problem, but I'm too lazy.

Did you just REinstall? if so, try to do a complete UNinstall and then install a fresh copy.

I did uninstall too, god this is pissing me off. I'll try uninstalling and restarting.

A bit of new information: when I run the game as administrator, it runs an unmodded version of the map (17.8mb) and places it in the MAPS folder. But if I play Halo normally after that, it changes the file in the MAPS folder to the modded version (20.3mb). Is this info useful at all?