Map doesnt open in MPQ master, shows ERROR OPENING ARCHIVE

[Unuznimar]

Im trying to change icons in this map, but MPQmaster gives ERROR OPENING ARCHIVE instantly every time on first opening right after i download the map.
I opened it in MPQEditor but all tools are disabled
Editor works fine on other maps
Even just being able to delete some files with MPQEditor would help me enough for now

 

[Dr Super Good]

Did you protect your map? Some form of "map protection" corrupt the MPQ archive structures making it difficult to modify them. Such corruption include fake MPQ headers, inserting nonsense file or hash table entries, removing the list file used for filesystem exploration, e.t.c.

If this is not your map then it must be using map protection. Modifying the MPQ archive of such maps can be difficult.

 

[Unuznimar]

Then could i place a folder inside wc3 path folder with my icons and name them as original wc3 icons, which the map will then use? Like "BTNEngineeringUpgrade"
Do you know where i can find all original wc3 icon names?

 

[Luashine]

1. Use autodetection for file names
2. It should recover most file names; if it doesn't, you'll have to look up imported file names in war3map.j and supply an additional listfile with the names you've found
3. When you have all files names recognized, export all files
4. Create a new MPQ (either in MPQEditor or in WE) and import all protected map's files in here.

 

[Unuznimar]

You are saying that this map is "dead" and i have to fully recreate it from the start? But i can reuse some of the files from it using MPQEditor? Theres really nothing more i can do? But even if i do that i wont be able to play with anyone because im not using the same map anymore?

 

[Luashine]

No, what happened is that the MPQ archive is protected and read-only. You cannot change that archive file any more. To add changes to the map you must:
1. Successfully extract all files with their real names (if obfuscated)
2. Create a new map/MPQ archive (the goal is to have an editable MPQ archive)
3. Import all files from the map to the new archive
4. Now you can edit the map files

Again, MPQ is like a ZIP archive file. But your old MPQ is locked, you can't modify it. You need to create an empty archive and add files then.
PS: Search online "mpq read-only"

 

[Dr Super Good]

You are saying that this map is "dead" and i have to fully recreate it from the start?

No we are saying it was protected. The author did not want you messing with it.

If you were the author then you must have "protected" it at some stage. This corrupts MPQ data structures making it hard to modify unless you can resolve every single file path it contains. MPQ is designed as a read only format so unless a full (listfile) is available you will need to know the file path of every file in advance to look them up, extract them, and then rebuild the archive anew.

If you make changes you will need to upload new versions of the map anyway. This is how maps work.