Main Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File
Open NMS Save File
Opens the slot picker. It does not change the loaded app data until a load is confirmed.
Open Open NMS Save File help →
Main Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Storage:
Storage:
Read-only platform label derived from the selected folder name: Steam for st_* accounts, GOG for DefaultUser, and Steam/GOG for another manually selected folder. It is blank without a folder. This is not a platform selector or proof that copied files belong to a particular account.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path:
Save Path:
Shows an existing remembered save-folder path. On first use, or when the remembered directory no longer exists, Save Path starts blank; the app does not silently select, load or remember another account. Use Pick Folder... to choose the intended folder.
Inside Pick Folder..., an existing accepted path remains the starting location. Otherwise the app suggests the conventional Steam st_* or GOG DefaultUser account with the newest readable positive embedded save-metadata timestamp under the normal Windows HelloGames/NMS location. Equal timestamps keep the first encountered account; filesystem Date modified is not the ranking criterion. If no candidate is usable, browse manually.
Main Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder...
Pick Folder...
Opens the native Pick NMS Save Folder directory chooser. The current existing selected folder wins as its starting location; otherwise discovery suggests the newest readable Steam/GOG account by embedded save timestamp. Suggestions are limited to ordinary st_* and DefaultUser account directories under the normal NMS root, not a recursive backup or all-platform search. You may browse elsewhere.
Folder discovery itself does not load data, remember a preference or replace app work. Cancel leaves the current path, dropdowns and preferences unchanged. Accepting a valid directory opens Confirm Preference Disk Write; only OK and a successful preference write update Save Path and rescan slots. Cancel defaults to no change. This does not retarget data already loaded for later saving.
Main Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder... → Pick NMS Save Folder — native folder chooser
Pick NMS Save Folder — native folder chooser
Select an existing directory. This is the operating system’s native directory chooser; layout, localization and acceptance/cancellation button labels can vary. The app supplies the title Pick NMS Save Folder, not fixed native button captions. Acceptance is not consent to write preferences or load game data.
An existing selected folder remains the starting location. Otherwise the suggestion follows the newest usable embedded save timestamp among conventional Steam and GOG accounts; no folder is loaded or remembered merely by opening this chooser. The first-use or missing remembered Save Path can be blank until you explicitly choose and confirm a folder.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder... → Pick NMS Save Folder — native folder chooser → Accept folder — OS label varies
Accept folder — OS label varies
Returns the selected directory for existence validation. A valid folder leads to Confirm preference disk write. Native acceptance alone changes neither the remembered preference nor the displayed folder/slot selection.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder... → Pick NMS Save Folder — native folder chooser → Cancel folder selection — OS label varies
Cancel folder selection — OS label varies
Abandons this chooser without a preference write, path change or slot-selection reset.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder... → Confirm Preference Disk Write
Confirm Preference Disk Write
After native selection and directory validation, the app asks: About to write the remembered NMS save-folder preference: {folder} Continue? Here {folder} is the selected directory. Cancel is the default; choosing a folder alone is not persistence consent.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder... → Confirm Preference Disk Write → OK
OK
Authorizes writing the remembered NMS save-folder preference. Only after the write succeeds does the displayed path change and the slot list rescan. A write failure reports Could not remember save folder and retains the prior displayed path/selection. This is a preference write, not a live game-save write or load.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Path: → Pick Folder... → Confirm Preference Disk Write → Cancel
Cancel
Declines persistence and preserves the previous preference, displayed path and dropdown selection. No live data is loaded or written.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Game Slot:
Game Slot:
Choose a slot from Slot N - <save name>. Slots are ordered numerically. Names come from the newest readable metadata record; missing names and unreadable metadata have explicit fallback labels.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save File:
Save File:
Disabled display-only dropdown showing filename, Auto/Manual type and embedded timestamp. It is not an Auto/Manual chooser. Load Slot selects by validated metadata timestamps; the preview on a tie is not a guaranteed load target.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Modified:
Modified:
Timestamp read from the displayed file’s mf_ metadata, formatted in local time as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. It is not the filesystem modification time. Unknown or unreadable metadata is shown explicitly.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Save Name:
Save Name:
Name from the displayed file’s metadata. No file selected or unreadable metadata produces the corresponding placeholder.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Description:
Description:
Summary from the displayed file’s metadata; an unreadable record shows its read error.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot
Load Slot
Warns before replacing all currently loaded app data, including unsaved edits. Requires the slot’s Auto/Manual data files and both mf_ companions with valid positive timestamps. Selects the newer embedded timestamp. Successful confirmations close the picker before decoding and refreshing all four tabs.
Main Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Equal save timestamps
Equal save timestamps
The Equal save timestamps warning reads exactly: the auto and manual save files appear to have the same timestamp; Hit Ok to load the manual save or Cancel to abandon this load
OK selects Manual for the load; Cancel is the default and abandons loading without an Auto fallback. These are embedded metadata timestamps, not filesystem modification times.
Main Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Equal save timestamps → OK
OK
Selects the Manual file on an embedded-timestamp tie; it does not choose Auto or use filesystem times. After all load checks succeed, the Manual file’s active editable context replaces current app data. It does not write a live save.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Equal save timestamps → Cancel
Cancel
Default action: abandons this load, without an Auto fallback or replacement of current app data.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Loaded Main / Expedition context
Loaded Main / Expedition context
There is no visible context selector. ActiveContext Main selects BaseContext; Season selects ExpeditionContext. A missing marker permits legacy Main-only loading only when no ExpeditionContext exists. Invalid or ambiguous data is rejected instead of silently choosing another branch.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Loading data, please wait…
Loading data, please wait…
Non-cancellable progress while the selected data is decoded and the views are populated. The main window is temporarily disabled. A picker preview alone has not loaded data.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Load Slot — replacement confirmation
Load Slot — replacement confirmation
The Load Slot warning reads: Load Slot will overwrite all currently loaded data, including unsaved edits. Continue? It defaults to Cancel. This concerns replacing app memory, not writing over game files.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Load Slot — replacement confirmation → OK
OK
Accepts replacement of current app data if the subsequent file selection, confirmations, decoding and view population succeed. Unsaved editor work will then be discarded; preserve it before proceeding. This is not consent to write live files. On equal timestamps, the separate Equal save timestamps confirmation still applies.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Load Slot → Load Slot — replacement confirmation → Cancel
Cancel
Abandons this load request without replacing current model, pending editors, retained source identity or saved-state indicators.
↑ This page’s hierarchyMain Window → Menu Bar → File → Open NMS Save File → Close
Close
Dismisses the picker without loading a slot. Closing does not discard the current app data.
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