Hidden or locked patch files?

[rockshop]

I have been working with VAZ for some years, now, but I recently encountered an issue with my being unable to view or load certain patches in the patch folder, specifically, when the instrument is loaded in a DAW as a VSTi. Standalone, I can view and load any patch in the folder (VAZ Modular\Patches), but notably, some of the recently-opened or created files have a "lock" icon shown on them. The ones that have that icon, and that were also recently created (in 3.20b or 3.21), have the distinction of being invisible to VAZ's patch browser, when it's loaded as a VSTi, and further, they are not visible in my computer's file browser, either..... hmmmm. As I can still see them, if I open the "Load Patch" browser in VAZ (standalone), I have gone in there and looked at such things as file properties, and the files at issue display an "AI" (could be "AL", maybe) file attribute, while the "normal" files are only labeled "A". This may be the issue, but unfortunately, there's no way in VAZ to change attributes, that I know of, and since they're invisible to the file browser in the computer, I can't change them there, either. No, there's no "hidden" attribute on the VAZ or Patches folders, and these folders and the remaining patches all show up fine. Yes, my browser displays all "hidden" files, and all extensions, as set by Win 7's Folder Options. I even changed it to show protected system files, briefly, to no effect. Pretty sure it's not the host DAW - Magix Sequoia - since the files are also hidden from the system file browser. So, I dunno.... anyone got an idea, or am I missing something blatantly obvious? Win 7 issue? Thanks...

[kingtubby]

I don't have Win 7 so I can't be certain but have a look for this location:

C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\VAZ Modular\Patches

or something like that.

[rockshop]

Well, gee.... thanks.... now, I wonder who dreamed that up? So, if I want to "unlock" my various patches, I should move them into the root VAZ Modular\Patches folder, I gather. Wonder why the perceived need for an essentially partial-duplicate folder of the saved files....? Be nice if VAZ had better file management, anyway... thanks again for your assistance.

[kingtubby]

Wonder why the perceived need for an essentially partial-duplicate folder of the saved files....? Be nice if VAZ had better file management, anyway... thanks again for your assistance.

It's nothing to do with Vaz - it's a windows thing to prevent unauthorised writing to your program files directory. So you can move your files but any new ones will still go to the virtual store. To get round the problem I changed the security permissions on the Vaz Modular folder to 'full control'. Alternatively, I think running VM as adminstrator should also work, but I'm not absolutely certain.

[MadGav]

I think the best approach would be to move the whole patch folder to somewhere in your documents folder.

Martin