Disclaimer: Much of the procedures for patch 1.07 or earlier will involve working in the system areas of Windows. This is risky. If you don't know what you are doing - use a suggested utility. You can blow up Windows if you make a mistake. And if you do - I accept no responsibility - neither does the owner of this web site.

Backup/copy/restore of Characters (Patch 1.08)

As of patch 1.08, the characters for multiplayer Diablo are kept in the directory (folder, if you think in Windows GUI terms) in which Diablo is stored. This may well be C:\Diablo, if you follow the defaults, or you should know where it is if you used a different path for the install. They are called MULTI_#.SV (where # will be a number from 0-9). This restricts you to 10 saved characters.

To save these characters, select them in the folder and copy them to a floppy or to another folder. You can even copy them off to a ZIP file (which is what I am now doing), using Winzip, or PKzip or similar.

To transfer them to another computer:
Start a game with the character and change some inventory items around. Or logon to Battle.net and change the name.. Anything that causes the MULTI_#.SV file to be updated.

Until you do this, THEY ARE NOT PORTABLE. The computer name is still left inside the files, and so you must use them on the original PC. Any new characters created are portable.

Something to bear in mind is that if you create a new character, when you have Diablo MULTI_#.SV files in the directory, AND YOU HAVEN'T followed the procedure above, then you will OVERWRITE the MULTI_0.SV file with the new character. (And the next new character will get No 1, and so forth).

Once this is done, you can copy them to the Diablo directory on the other computer and make sure that the copy of Diablo on the other computer is patched to version 1.08. They will be there. The computer name will no longer be a factor.

Want more than 10 characters? Rename the ones you have, or just move them to another folder in the Diablo directory. You can create Mules'R'Us if you want and load them into subfolders. Or rename the current files from MULTI_0.SV to MULTI_0.FRED-SV or FRED MULTI.SV (or whatever naming convention suits your fancy). In some respects, this has made life a *lot* easier, as the files are no longer hidden. The only rule you have to stick to is that there can only be up to 10 MULTI_#.SV files in the Diablo directory..That's it...

What about all the old character files I'd had saved off:
Well, if you had them saved off into subdirectories - The DLINFO_#.DRV files are the *same* as the MULTI_#.SV files. Same size, same info (I checked with file compare). Copy them into your Diablo directory as needed. Don't worry about putting them in the Windows directory first (and thanks Pete for confirming that :-).. Just make sure that you put them in any empty places in the 0-9 number sequence. Kevin's backup files are the same as the hidden files in the \Windows subdirectory.. (At least the *.DRV files are - ignore the *.BIN files, they don't count).

BTW, the character names in your list will be in the inverse order of creation (with a rename via Battle.net being considered a creation). *Not* in any order related to the digit in the file name. This can catch you if you go around manipulating the MULTI_#.SV files - be careful. If you have too many, then copy/rename them away (using whatever naming structure suits you to help you remember what character they were).

I had characters saved on my old computer and I didn't know the name:
At present, you're stuffed.

Unless you know the name of the old computer, you won't be able transfer the DLINFO_#.DRV files across to MULTI_#.SV files... (At my present level of knowledge anyways.)

Single Player Files (all versions of Diablo/Hellfire):

Single player save games are kept in the Diablo directory (wherever you installed Diablo). They are called SINGLE_#.SV. (SINGLE_#.HSV for Hellfire, and they are installed in the \sierra\hellfire directory). Other mods will use different names, but usually ending in .SV. This is just the same as for version 1.07, and there is no difference in handling them.

You can copy them using a prompt or Windows Explorer for safe keeping. I'd suggest only as a "just in case" you have to format the disk. Bear in mind that these files can be quite large - up to 4.5 megabytes. You need a ZIP or tape drive to put them on removable media, or you need to know how to use WinZip or Pkzip to span files over multiple floppies (and no, I am not going to explain that here .. If you don't know - don't try).

Patch 1.07 or Earlier

(For patch 1.07 or earlier, the characters for Multiplayer Diablo on an IBM PC are kept in the same directory as that in which Microsoft Windows is installed. Typically, this is C:\Windows. It may be on another drive. Or you may have installed Windows into another directory. If you run Diablo under Windows NT, it will be <drive_letter>:\Winnt. Hellfire multiplayer characters and mod characters are stored in the Windows directory as well.)

ALL character files are 64K in size and they are called DLINFO_#.DRV (patch 1.07 or earlier) for Diablo or HRINFO_#.DRV for Hellfire. # will be a number from 0-9. This restricts you to 10 saved characters (without some fiddling).

For mods, they will be XXXXXX_#.DRV where XXXXX will be some name that the mod maker wants, and # will be a number from 0-9. For instance Abysmal uses ABYSMD_#.DRV, V&K Diablo uses MODIAB_#.DRV, V&K Hellfire uses HLFMOD_#.DRV, and V&K ME uses TOLKIN_#.DRV.

All these files are set by default with the "hidden", "read-only" and "system" attributes on. This means that you can't see them with the DIR command from a prompt, but you will with DIR /AH.
From the Windows Explorer, you won't be able to see them, because the .DRV extension is a reserved extension that windows wants to use for device drivers. Windows rarely puts real device drivers into the Windows directory though; they are usually in \Windows\system or Windows\system32 (Windows NT and Windows 98). In order to look at these files with Windows Explorer, you need to set Folder options, View to "show hidden files", and untick "Hide files extensions of known file types".

To save your characters, copy all these files to another directory on your computer, or to a floppy. Moriah has suggested copying them to the Desktop before playing, and that will work as well. If you want to do this, select the *.DRV file in Windows Explorer, and copy it to the desktop while holding the control key down. This makes a copy. If you don't hold the control key down, you merely make another link to the save file. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't try it. You risk deleting a character file.
(As an aside, Windows 98 and Windows 2000 will not display the contents of the \Windows (or \Winnt) directory - 'coz its dangerous. You need to select "Show all files" before you can see everything.)

OR write a batch file like this:

CD \WINDOWS
ATTRIB -R -S -H *.DRV
XCOPY *.DRV A:\

\Windows will be whatever <drive_letter>:\directory Windows is installed in. This is for a floppy backup, but A:\ could be another directory on your hard drive or ZIP drive, (or a drive over a network - if you are set up like that).

Restoring characters - copy them back. You need to know the date of the last used character (they are changed constantly, so the last used character will have the most recent date). Copy the backed up character back into the \Windows directory.

Quick and simple method: Use Kevin's backup program. This was written by a rather talented gentleman by the name of Kevin Lambert. This is called diablobackup.exe.
Version 3.0 works with both Diablo 1.07 and Hellfire 1.01 or 1.0A, and knows all the rules that I mentioned above. Mod users - you have to use the manual methods, Kevin's program won't work for you. Patch 1.08 (ie, current Bnet players), it won't work for Diablo now either.

Always patch Diablo to version 1.07 if you've had to do a new Diablo install. You will otherwise lose all your items on the character as soon as you run Diablo against your saved (1.07) characters.

Transferring characters from one computer to another (v1.07 or earlier)

Kevin's Diablobackup v3 can do this. The procedure is documented in detail in the program. You can also use Stu's Diablo Trainer. This is not a cheating program. It is designed to allow character backup and character restore. (Also item saving, but that is another topic).
You can save your character as a NAME.CHA file. If you want to move that character to another computer, then copy this file over.
Run Diablo (or Hellfire or your mod), and create a character with the same name and type. Use Stu's program to restore the NAME.CHA file from disk.
Lift and move one item (a pot is suggested). This will force an update of the character (the *.DRV file mentioned before) on the hard disk.

Immediately quit that game. Memory editors such as Stu's program are very clever, but it isn't wise to leave that edited character live and running around in game. Diablo can get somewhat fragile at this point, and may crash. If you restart it - all should be OK. This method will work with most mods, but probably not with Hellfire. I use a different program with Hellfire (and no - I won't tell you where to get it). Note - I've always lost my dots with this process. (No biggie - there's an obvious way to put them back.)

And I'll say it again. Always patch Diablo to version 1.07 if you've had to do a new Diablo install on a new computer and you are transferring your characters. You will otherwise lose all your items on the character. Connecting to Bnet will patch you to 1.08, and that is OK as well.

What about when you've got a new computer and want to bring your character along (version 1.07/earlier or Hellfire or Mods)?

The transfer procedures above will work.

You can also copy the characters over into the \Windows directory. BUT, the computer name must be the same. The computer name is found in Network Settings in the control panel - under "identification". If you are going to get a new computer, then note this name in the old computer. Reenter it into the new computer, and you can copy the files.

If you can't (LAN naming conventions or similar), then you are going to have to use Stu's or Kevin;s programs before you get rid of the old computer, and treat the process as a character transfer.

Macintosh Addenda (Not checked as I don't have one - but confirmed by others who do)

The files are in the Diablo folder. They are called:

"diablo single #" (without the quotes) for the single player saves and
"diablo multi #" (without the quotes) for the multiplayer characters
(# is a number from 0-9).

The characters are NOT tied to the computer name as with the PC, so that they can be copied to removable media (floppy, ZIP), and transferred from one machine to another. (This applies to single and multi).

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