» Fri Aug 10, 2012 3:02 am
I have only just finished allowing XBox live to update me. So I haven't played any with it yet, but in anticipation of potential game breaking bugs or such, I did something new I'd never considered before. I backed up patch update data for the 1.6 on my XBox.
Some files, such as profile data or the update data (that's the patches) of a game cannot be copied to a flash drive, only moved there. I learned this when I figured out I had to move those to do the "unplug hard drive and purchase alchemy lab" workaround for that particular Dawnguard related issue. However, to play on afterwards without that flashdrive plugged in, you must move it back. If you found a problem that was big or annoying enough to want to return to 1.6, then deleting patch update data file on XBox and reconnecting to XBox live wouldn't help as it will always update to the latest and just give you 1.7 again.
What I did was move the 1.6 update file before plugging in my ethernet cable to a flash drive. I then downloaded Modio, a software program for extracting files in the special format that XBox must do to any flash drive you want to use with it, and located not the save folder on there, but the other one (don't recall what it was, but all it had was a file of just over 26 meg that was it). I extracted that as a backup to a folder on my computer. Then I moved the 1.6 update file back to my harddrive (probably not absolutely necessary as XBox live would likely have downloaded everything if it had nothing there). Only then did I upgrade.
The result is that I have a way, reversing the process, to return myself to a version of update that is the minimum requirement for Dawnguard to play but isn't 1.7 in case things go wrong, which they have a tendency to do with Beth's patches. I also backed up the most current saves on several playthroughs I have been playing with 1.6 because unfortunately, a save made under 1.7 will not load if I should have to return to 1.6. I plan to watch the UESP wiki and the forums for reports as I play myself. Hopefully unnecessary overpreperation, but just an idea for you.