Revision as of 22:56, 29 April 2025

The information in this Wiki Page applies to TRS19, Trainz Plus and TRS22 and describes the methods that can be used to restore assets deleted by Content Manager and the Content Store.

	Base, Built-in, Packaged and Payware assets cannot be deleted using Content Manager. Not even those that have been made Obsolete by more recent updates.
	Packaged and Payware assets can only be deleted by Uninstalling the DLC Package that installed them. This is done from the Content Store option selected from the Trainz Launcher.

Restore DLS Assets

Deleted assets that were originally Installed from DLS can be easily restored by installing them again from the DLS

Assets that were displayed in Content Manager as Installed from DLS will be shown as Available for download if they are deleted by Content Manager

Deleted assets that were installed from the DLS are the easiest of all to restore. Simply use Content Manager to locate the assets and download them again.

Steps: To reinstall a deleted DLS asset:-
	In Content Manager select the Download Station filter from the Filter drop down menu
	Optional: Type part of the asset name in the Search box to narrow the search
	Right Click on the asset name in the displayed list and select the Download option

However, if for some reason you are unable to access the DLS and the deletion occurred during the last 7 days, then the assets can still be recovered from the automatic backups that Content Manager creates when assets are deleted. These backups are only held for 7 days. See

Restore Assets from the Automatic Backup for the details.

Restore .cdp File Assets

Deleted assets that were installed from .cdp files can be easily restored by reinstalling them from the same .cdp files

Deleted assets that were installed from .cdp files can be reinstalled from the same files.

Steps: To install an asset or assets from a .cdp file:-
	From the Content Manager File menu select the Import Content Files... option
	Navigate to the location of the .cdp file or files
	Select ( Left Click for an individual file or Ctrl + Left Click for multiple files) the file or files to be restored
	Left Click on the Open button

However, if for some reason you are unable to locate the .cdp files and the deletion occurred during the last 7 days, then the assets can still be recovered from the automatic backups that Content Manager creates when assets are deleted. These backups are only held for 7 days. See

Restore Assets from the Automatic Backup for the details.

Restore Payware and Packaged Assets

	Payware and Packaged assets that were installed from a DLC package can be restored by reinstalling the same DLC Package
	If the identical Packaged asset is also on the DLS then it can be restored from there

DLC packages can be uninstalled and later reinstalled without any extra costs for an unlimited number of times. Each DLC package contains all the dependant assets in the one download even if those assets are already on the DLS.

Steps: To Reinstall a DLC Package:-

Open the Content Store from the Trainz Launcher. Make sure that the Purchased icon has been selected (is coloured blue).

This will show all the DLC Packages that you have purchased or previously installed.

	Items marked with the Uninstall button are currently installed in your copy of Trainz
	Items marked with the Install button have been purchased (or are available for free) but are not installed in your copy of Trainz
	If you have Uninstalled a package then it will show the Install button

Scroll down the list to locate the package to be reinstalled. You can enter a partial name in the Search box to help narrow the search

Left Click on the Install button of the package. The install may take some time depending on the size of the package and the speed of your internet connection

Restore Assets from the Automatic Backup

	Assets deleted using Content Manager within the last 7 Days are stored in the Backup Folder for the date they were deleted
	Deleted assets are stored using their <kuid> code(s). Knowing their <kuid> code(s) is very helpful but is not vital

When an installed asset is deleted by Content Manager a backup copy is automatically created in the same location used by the Trainz Automatic Backup System for backing up any routes or sessions that you are editing in Surveyor. These backups are only kept for 7 days before they are permanently deleted.
The backup copies can be restored into Trainz by following the procedure described here.

	Notes:
	Backups are only kept for 7 days from the day of deletion. Beyond that they cannot be restored
	The asset backups are stored as .tzarc files and a Database Repair (DBR) is one of the steps needed to restore them
	The 3rd party freeware utility program, TZArchiver which can open and extract .tzarc files, does not work with the higher compression used in the files created by Trainz Plus and TRS22

Assets that you have created yourself, or cloned and modified from other assets, and have never been backed up to a secure storage are the ones most likely to require this recovery action. As always the best preventative measure is to perform regular backups of your work using .cdp files. See the Trainz Wiki Page How to Manage Backups for the details.

Locate the Backups Folder

The Backups folder where deleted assets are held is a subfolder of your Local User Data Folder

Steps: To Locate your Backup Folder:-

Open Trainz Settings from the Trainz Launcher

Select the Install tab. The location of the Local User Data Folder will be shown.

This is an Example Address Only

The Local User Data Folder is usually in the C: drive User folder that is normally identified as %LOCALAPPDATA%\N3V Games\trs22\build xxxxxxx (where "xxxxxxx" is a random sequence of characters) but it can be moved to any location (and given any name) as shown in the image left

If you need to move this folder then instructions can be found by clicking the button labelled Instructions for moving your content... below the address bar or on the Trainz Wiki at

How to Move Your User Data Folder

Highlight and copy the address shown:-

	Left Click inside the address box
	press Ctrl + A to select the entire address
	press Ctrl + C to copy it to your OS clipboard

Open File Explorer. This can usually be found in your Windows 10/11 Task Bar

Left Click in the Explorer Address Bar - it is better to click in the empty space at the end of the displayed text

	if the contents are not already highlighted then press Ctrl + A
	paste ( Ctrl + V ) in the address from Step 3 above
	press the Enter key

The end result, unless you have moved your data folder, will look something like the image shown below.

Where:-

	idname is your Windows User name (abbreviated), and
	random is a sequence of random characters. This, the build random , is your Local User Data Folder

Double Left Click on the last item in the address list to open your current Local User Data Folder. One of its folders will be the Backups folder

Locate the Asset Backup Files

	The backups of deleted assets are kept in folders identified by the date (during the last 7 days) when they were deleted
	The backups are stored as .tzarc files

Steps: To Restore Assets from their Backup Files:-

In File Explorer Double Left Click on the Backups folder to open it up. Depending on how often you have used Surveyor during the last 7 days, and depending on your File Explorer display settings, you may see something like this...

each folder is named using the date it was created (in yy-mm-dd display format)

days where you did not use Surveyor will be missing folders

only folders upto 7 days ago will be present. If an asset was deleted more than 7 days ago then its date folder will not be present and it cannot be restored

If you are unsure of the exact date then you may have to open and examine each folder

Double Left Click on the folder for the day when the asset or assets were deleted. This will display all the backup files and folders created that day.

Many, or nearly all, will be the automatic backup files created for the routes and sessions that you were editing that day. These will have the same <kuid> ids in their folder and filenames as the route/session (e.g. the folder kuid 45176 105218 SAR Peterborough-Quorn and the file kuid 45176 105218.tzarc_3680667504 shown left). The route and session backup files will have a sequence of numbers following the .tzarc file type extension

Any assets that you opened for editing that day will also appear as backup folders. These will usually have the name, or part of the name, of the asset along with its <kuid> in the folder name (e.g. kuid -1 6338 Lightning shown left)

Assets that you have deleted will be shown using only their <kuid> ids as their filename with no numbers after the file type extension (e.g. kuid2 106916 10213 1.tzarc shown left)

Since it is unlikely that you will know the <kuid> of each asset that you deleted one strategy would be to restore every deleted asset in the folder and then later use Content Manager to again delete those that you do not want

Select ( Left Click ) on the asset backup file to be restored. If more than one file has to be restored then use Shift + Left Click or Ctrl + Left Click to select them all

Right Click on one of the selected files and select the option Copy to copy them to your OS clipboard. The original file backups will remain in the folder until the 7 days have passed when they will be deleted

Restore the Asset Backups

The backup files of the deleted assets have to be copied into the Editing folder and a DBR perfomed

Steps: To Restore the Deleted Assets:-

In the File Explorer address bar Left Click on the name of the Local User Data Folder

build random in the example shown above where random = a sequence of text characters

Double Left Click on the editing folder to open it up

Left Click inside the editing folder and paste ( Ctrl + V ) the copied backup file(s) into the folder

Start the Trainz Launcher, open the Developer menu and select the Rebuild database option

Check the Restored Assets

Use Content Manager to check that the assets have been restored

Steps: To Check the Status of the Restored Assets:-
	Open Content Manager and select the Filter Open for Editing
	If any of the assets are listed then select and Submit them
	Select the Filter Installed and sort the list on the column Modification Date into descending date order ( Left Click once or twice on the column heading)
	The restored assets should appear at the top of the list

Trainz Wiki

More Tutorials and Guides to Using Trainz

Related Links

This page was created by Trainz user pware in April 2025 and was last updated as shown below.

@@ Line 176: / Line 176: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint3.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td>Select (<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span> or <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Ctrl&#160;</span>&#160;+&#160;<span style="background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span></span>) each file to be restored</td>
+<td>Select (<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span> for an individual file or <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Ctrl&#160;</span>&#160;+&#160;<span style="background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span></span> for multiple files) the file or files to be restored</td>
 </tr>
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint4.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td>Click (<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span>) the '''Open''' button</td>
+<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span> on the <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;">Open</span> button</td>
 </tr>
 </table>
@@ Line 346: / Line 346: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint.JPG|10px|link=]]</td>
-<td>The 3rd party freeware utility program, '''TZArchiver''' which can open and extract '''.tzarc''' files, does not support the higher compression used in the files created by '''Trainz Plus''' and '''TRS22'''</td>
+<td>The 3rd party freeware utility program, '''TZArchiver''' which can open and extract '''.tzarc''' files, does not work with the higher compression used in the files created by '''Trainz Plus''' and '''TRS22'''</td>
 </tr>
 </table>
@@ Line 451: / Line 451: @@
 </tr>
 </table>
-The end result, unless you have moved your data folder, will look something like the image show below.<br>
+The end result, unless you have moved your data folder, will look something like the image shown below.<br>
 [[image:BackupsUserFolder.png|link=]]<br>
 Where:-
@@ Line 468: / Line 468: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint7.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Double Left Click&#160;</span> on the last item in the address list to open your current '''Local User Data Folder'''. One of its folders will be the '''Backups''' folder<br>
+<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Double Left Click&#160;</span> on the last item in the address list to open your current '''Local User Data Folder'''. <span style="font-weight: 700; background-color: yellow;">&#160;One of its folders will be the <span style="font-size: 15px;">Backups</span> folder&#160;</span><br>
 [[image:UserDataFolderContents.png|link=]]</td>
 </tr>
@@ Line 480: / Line 480: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td width=629>
 =='''Locate the Asset Backup Files'''==
 </td>
@@ Line 499: / Line 500: @@
 <td>[[image:BlueDot10x10.png|link=]]</td>
 <td>The backups are stored as '''.tzarc''' files</td>
-</tr>
-</table>
-<br>
-<table bgcolor=#000000 cellpadding=2>
-<tr valign="top">
-<td>
-<table bgcolor=#ffffb0 cellpadding=2>
-<tr valign="top">
-<td width=25>[[image:NotePad.PNG|link=]]</td>
-<td>If an asset was deleted more than 7 days ago then it cannot be restored by this method</td>
-</tr>
-</table>
-</td>
 </tr>
 </table>
@@ Line 540: / Line 528: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint.JPG|10px|link=]]</td>
-<td>only folders upto '''7 days ago''' will be present
+<td>only folders upto '''7 days ago''' will be present. If an asset was deleted more than 7 days ago then its date folder will not be present and it cannot be restored
 <br>
 <table bgcolor=#ffffb0 cellpadding=2>
 <tr valign="top">
 <td width=25>[[image:NotePad.PNG|link=]]</td>
-<td>If you are unsure of the date then you may have to open and examine each folder</td>
+<td>If you are unsure of the exact date then you may have to open and examine each folder</td>
 </tr>
 </table>
@@ Line 558: / Line 546: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint2.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Double Left Click&#160;</span> on the folder for the day when the asset or assets were deleted. This will display all the backup files created that day.
+<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Double Left Click&#160;</span> on the folder for the day when the asset or assets were deleted. This will display all the backup files and folders created that day.
 <table>
 <tr valign="top">
 <td width=276 rowspan=3>[[image:UserDataDateBackupFiles.png|link=]]</td>
 <td width=10>[[image:DotPoint.JPG|10px|link=]]</td>
-<td>Many, or nearly all, will be the '''automatic backup files''' created for the route and session that you were editing that day. These will have the same '''&lt;kuid&gt;''' ids in their folder and filenames as the route/session (e.g. the folder '''kuid&#160;45176&#160;105218&#160;SAR&#160;Peterborough-Quorn''' and the file '''kuid&#160;45176&#160;105218.tzarc_3680667504''' shown left). The files will have a sequence of numbers following the '''.tzarc''' file type extension</td>
+<td>Many, or nearly all, will be the '''automatic backup files''' created for the routes and sessions that you were editing that day. These will have the same '''&lt;kuid&gt;''' ids in their folder and filenames as the route/session (e.g. the folder '''kuid&#160;45176&#160;105218&#160;SAR&#160;Peterborough-Quorn''' and the file '''kuid&#160;45176&#160;105218.tzarc_3680667504''' shown left). The route and session backup files will have a sequence of numbers following the '''.tzarc''' file type extension</td>
 </tr>
 <tr valign="top">
@@ Line 597: / Line 585: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint4.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Right Click&#160;</span> on one of the selected files and select the option <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Copy&#160;</span> to copy the file(s) to your OS clipboard. The backups can remain in the folder until the 7 days have passed when they will be deleted</td>
+<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Right Click&#160;</span> on one of the selected files and select the option <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Copy&#160;</span> to copy them to your OS clipboard. The original file backups will remain in the folder until the 7 days have passed when they will be deleted</td>
 </tr>
 </table>
@@ Line 646: / Line 634: @@
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint3.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span> inside the '''editing''' folder and paste (<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Ctrl&#160;</span>&#160;+&#160;<span style="color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;V&#160;</span></span>) the file(s) into the folder</td>
+<td><span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; background-color: lightcyan;">&#160;Left Click&#160;</span> inside the '''editing''' folder and paste (<span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;"><span style="color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Ctrl&#160;</span>&#160;+&#160;<span style="color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;V&#160;</span></span>) the copied backup file(s) into the folder</td>
 </tr>
 <tr valign="top">
 <td>[[image:DotPoint4.JPG|link=]]</td>
-<td>Start the '''Trainz Launcher''', open the <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;">Developer</span> menu and select the <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Rebuild database&#160;</span> option</td>
+<td>
+<table>
+<tr valign="top">
+<td width=300>Start the '''Trainz Launcher''', open the <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px;">Developer</span> menu and select the <span style="font-weight: 700; font-size: 15px; color: white; background-color: black;">&#160;Rebuild&#160;database&#160;</span> option</td>
+<td width=270>[[image:LauncherRebuildDatabase.png|link=]]</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</td>
 </tr>
 </table>
@@ Line 718: / Line 713: @@
 ----
 ----
 ='''Trainz Wiki'''=
 <table width=1000>

How to Restore Deleted Assets

Revision as of 22:56, 29 April 2025

Contents

Restore DLS Assets

Restore .cdp File Assets

Restore Payware and Packaged Assets

Restore Assets from the Automatic Backup

Locate the Backups Folder

Locate the Asset Backup Files

Restore the Asset Backups

Check the Restored Assets

Trainz Wiki

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