Discussion Remember "Runescape"? Nearly all versions from 2001-2010 are "lost"

[Zunaka]

Hi everyone,

We're searching for copies of a lost game. The files would have names like "main_file_cache" and be stored in these locations.

C:/WINDOWS/.file_store_32
C:/WINDOWS/.jagex_cache_32

These folders were created when playing a game called RuneScape, a free browser MMORPG that was pretty popular in the 2000s. Although the game was being continuously updated from its launch in 2001, the developers only kept backups of 2 of the game's 400+ versions before 2012. Everything else from before then is lost.

However if you ever played the game once, just for a few minutes then never again, the full files would be automatically downloaded and stored on your computer. A lot of people here may have briefly checked out the game, so would be likely to have a rare old version. It would be great if people here could check any old computers, hard drives, or backups that they ever may have tried Runescape on.

Just to clarify, these files do not contain any personal information whatsoever - it's just the game's raw assets like maps, models, music, etc.

Thanks in advance, if you have any concerns/questions I'd be happy to answer

 

[DigDog]

.. man this would take a miracle. Because the files would need to be on some kind of hard drive, that's somehow still usable after 12 years (if not 23). I doubt anyone is keeping their 80Gb Seagate "just in case".

 

[Zunaka]

.. man this would take a miracle. Because the files would need to be on some kind of hard drive, that's somehow still usable after 12 years (if not 23). I doubt anyone is keeping their 80Gb Seagate "just in case".

You'd be surprised, we have gotten quite a few versions from 20 year old hard drives.

 

[lxskllr]

I actually have lots of old hard drives laying around, but never played Runescape. Good luck in your search!

 

[nakedfrog]

I actually have lots of old hard drives laying around, but never played Runescape. Good luck in your search!

Same here, definitely still have drives from that era, but no Runescape.