The online racing simulator
Protecting settings from children!
Hi. Don't panic, he doesnt visit public servers - but my 9 year old loves to use LFS when I'm not looking. Unfortunately he also likes to change car colours etc and has mucked up setups a few times.

I thought that i would solve this by giving him a user account on my PC, and adding a second copy of LFS for him to play with without getting shouted at ! HOwever, this means using a second unlock (I don't know if that's "legal" but I figure it is, since only one person can be using the game at a time and both copies are on one PC?)


He does of course have his own driver name - and did always remember to change to "him" when using my LFS. Is there anyway of associating settings etc with a particular driver name within LFS, so I can go back to just using the one copy?

Thanks, in anticipation...
#2 - CSU1
Would it work if you put a 'fresh' copy of LFS in "New account\New User\documents",
Then, only new user could alter his cfg.txt etc and not you're copy of LFS
You could make a .bat that makes all the setups read-only, and another for unprotecting them. Or, like you said, make him use a different copy of LFS.
Just slap his knee caps with a steel rule and make him stand in airing cupboard for a couple of days. It darn sure worked for me and I know not to be such a stupid adopted demon child anymore

- not really.

Just set the force-feedback to 200 when you've finished. Being 9 he should struggle to drive the cars and give up
Or be really wicked and invert the force feedback also, he'll never be able to keep the car straight.

And if he's able to undo that, then he's perfectly capably to copy a setup / colour scheme before fiddling with it.
#6 - CSU1
Yeah! get another monitor and wheel and race him lol I bet he kick your ass!
I'd like to see password protected setups added to LFS
#8 - garph
Quote from duke_toaster :I'd like to see password protected setups added to LFS

What would that do? You'll know the password so you will still change a setup, then realise you've made it worse and try to remember what it was like before! Passwording it wont do anything.

Unless you mean the creator setting a password so only he/she can make changes but that's just stupid.

Simple thing to do is either select the set you want and click new and make as many changes as you want, you'll still have the untouched original.
Quote from garph :What would that do? You'll know the password so you will still change a setup, then realise you've made it worse and try to remember what it was like before! Passwording it wont do anything.

Unless you mean the creator setting a password so only he/she can make changes but that's just stupid.

Simple thing to do is either select the set you want and click new and make as many changes as you want, you'll still have the untouched original.

An example of someone only reading the last post of the thread .

As for the original post, I'd go with either a second copy on a second computer so you can race together (I do this with my 6 yr old daughter, amazing how well patch V works on a Celeron 667 mhz) or a second copy under his non-admin rights login on the same computer.
The thread starter was on about having different password users on LFS, wasn't he? Not password protected set ups?

I was only replying to the one I quoted, what did I miss?
Quote from wobbly_rider :Hi. Don't panic, he doesnt visit public servers - but my 9 year old loves to use LFS when I'm not looking. Unfortunately he also likes to change car colours etc and has mucked up setups a few times.

I thought that i would solve this by giving him a user account on my PC, and adding a second copy of LFS for him to play with without getting shouted at ! HOwever, this means using a second unlock (I don't know if that's "legal" but I figure it is, since only one person can be using the game at a time and both copies are on one PC?)

lol, just like my stupid friends are over and playing lfs while im on the toiletillepall


1 post to 200
Just copy + paste LFS into a new folder, no need to unlock it again from my experience.

Keiran
It would be cool if LFS saved a backup of setups connected to an achivement, such as fastest laps and winning a race. Then you'll always have your best setting saved even if you make changes for the worst
Quote from moeFinley :It would be cool if LFS saved a backup of setups connected to an achivement, such as fastest laps and winning a race. Then you'll always have your best setting saved even if you make changes for the worst

Just like working with skins or Photoshop editing, never edit the original file. Copy the file, make the changes, test, then either revert back to original if you don't like it, or delete original and make the edited copy now your root setup.
Quote from mrodgers :Just like working with skins or Photoshop editing, never edit the original file. Copy the file, make the changes, test, then either revert back to original if you don't like it, or delete original and make the edited copy now your root setup.

Yep ok, always make a backup. The golden rule of computing. So simple a yet sooo many people overlook it at one time or another :doh:
thanks, everyone.

I've previously used a second copy of LFS (@Keiran), but I found that I did have to unlock it. Not a problem until I ran out of unlocks !

@Garth yes, I was suggesting that different users of LFS would be able to effectively have their own copy of setups, rather as MS Windows does with new users. I accept that that may be over the top, and the steel rule/ cupboard combination may be more satisfactory !

Hey ho. Thanks.
You don't have to unlock LFS again. Maybe you did something wrong the last time and you needed to unlock it again in the same computer.

I have 3 copies of LFS in my C:\ folder (for testing purposes) with just copying/pasting the original LFS folder.

so +1 at Keiran's suggestion from me.
Just copy your settings foler and put it on your desktop, everytime he uses is paste them all pack in just so they are the same, but ovcourse you'll have to update them but if he's really that bad at messing with them I guess it's worth it.
Someone suggested making a batch file todo the work for you, all you need is the following code todo it for you.


attrib -r *.set - This removes the read only attribute from the files.
attrib +r *.set - This will mark all the files as read only.

To create a batch file simply open Notepad enter one of those lines of code, then save it accordingly i.e: readonly[on].bat or readonly[off].bat

Remember to change the extension of the text file from .TXT to .BAT!

O and remember to place the batch files within your Settings folder when you go to run them, you can create a shortcut after or just add the paths in the code itself!
Brilliant - thanks for the ideas. Pasting a second copy has worked this time - and since he has no access to my files all should be sorted !

I like the batch file copy settings idea too.. but (at least until a retail version of LFS is released which doesn't allow multiple installs!) I think that the second copy is the easiest option. Cheers... (now I just need to make sure he can't press "multiplayer" - where's that steel rule?!)
download microsoft private folder...


to get into the folder, you have to have a pass. so he wouldnt be able to access anything in the folder.

unless your son is a 9yr old 133t h@x0r
Someone a while back suggested totally seperate settings per profile in the account, and this is the best reason I've seen yet for such a feature to be added with optional password protection.
Quote from wobbly_rider :Brilliant - thanks for the ideas. Pasting a second copy has worked this time - and since he has no access to my files all should be sorted !

I like the batch file copy settings idea too.. but (at least until a retail version of LFS is released which doesn't allow multiple installs!) I think that the second copy is the easiest option. Cheers... (now I just need to make sure he can't press "multiplayer" - where's that steel rule?!)

Glad you sorted this out!

About the multiplayer refuse option now. This can be done easily from your firewall.
Any free firewall, like Kerio (this is what I use), ZoneAlarm, Comodo etc will allow you to block internet traffic for the lfs.exe of your second copy. Integrated Windows Firewall can't do that though.
#24 - Gunn
Quote from wobbly_rider :Pasting a second copy has worked this time -

If the copy is on the same partition it shouldn't need unlocking again IIRC. Perhaps last time you moved to a different drive?

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