The Complete Beginner's Guide to WWE 13 Save File Modding

[kidsampson]

This guide assumes that the user has no prior knowledge regarding Xbox 360 save file management. It provides a detailed step-by-step process of how to set up a USB drive, how to inject created superstars using Brien Johnson's CAW Editor, and how to repair save files so that they load correctly. The guide is broken down into 7 distinct parts, each outlining a specific step of the process from beginning to completion. This process is the same for both retail and RGH / JTAG consoles.

Necessary components to complete the steps outlined in this tutorial:

• USB jump drive compatible with the Xbox 360 console
  
• Party Buffalo v2.0.1.0
  
• WWE Games CAW Editor created by Brien Johnson
  
• Donor save files to import
  
• WWE 13
  
• PC
  

STEP 1: Configure a USB drive as a storage device

OPTION A:

Follow this official Xbox Tutorial: Use a USB flash drive for storing Xbox content.

OPTION B:

STEP 2: Create a new WWE 13 save file

1. Start WWE 13 on your Xbox 360. Make sure you are signed in with the profile with which you would like to associate your new save file.
   
2. When prompted, choose your newly configured USB drive as your storage device / save location.
   
3. You will be prompted to create new save data. Confirm to create a new save file.
   
4. Once saved, you may power off your Xbox 360 and remove your USB device.
   

STEP 3: Copying your created save file to your PC

Note: You cannot explore an Xbox 360 device on your PC without the aid of an Xbox 360 device explorer. There are many versions of free software built for Xbox 360 device exploration. I mention some of these options below, along with my personal preferred method.

Many programs exist for accomplishing this step. I prefer using Party Buffalo, which I’ve used without fail for the past three years. I’ve also previously used Horizon, USBXTAF, Modio, and others. If you choose to use these programs, the process should be much the same, but I will only detail the use of Party Buffalo within this tutorial.

Other programs have given me corruption after multiple file transfers and rewrites, resulting in unreadable save files and the need for previous save recovery from backup files. I’ve never experienced that issue with Party Buffalo in the multiple years I’ve used it for managing WWE saves.

1. Plug your USB device into your PC.
   
2. Your device may automatically open an explorer window without showing any visible files. Close this window for now. The 360 device explorer will allow you to view the contents of the device.
   
3. Download the latest version of Party Buffalo: v2.0.1.0. Remember, Google is your friend.
   
4. Once downloaded, extract the package, if needed, and double-click on the Party Buffalo.exe file.
   
5. To open your USB device from the Party Buffalo window, select: File > Open > Device Selector. It will scan for connected USB devices. Select your USB drive and click OK to open it.
   
6. The Party Buffalo window is split into two navigation windows. The left-hand sidebar shows the content of your USB drive. It normally consists of two main folders: Data and Cache. We’re dealing with the Data folder. Click the plus sign to expand its contents.
   
7. Within the Data folder you will have a Contents folder. Expand this path using the plus sign. You will likely see two folders. Ignore the one labeled with all 00000000000000. The folder we are looking for is the one associated with your Profile ID, beginning with E0000. Expand this folder.
   
8. Within this folder there may be two files. If you have a profile saved to your USB device you will see a folder with Dashboard data labeled FFFE07D1. Ignore this. You should also see a folder labeled 545108B4 | WWE 13. This is where your save data resides, stored within a subfolder labeled 00000001. Select this folder.
   
9. In the right-hand pane you will see your save file contents. This will change over time as you add created elements. For now, it may only contain one file: SaveData.dat.
   
10. We want to extract and save the 00000001 folder. To do so, right click on the folder in the left-hand pane and choose Extract from the context menu. Choose a save location on your PC (preferably the base folder of the CAW Editor).
    

PRECAUTION: You may also create backups of individual save folders using the method outlined above prior to modifying your save file contents. Additionally Party Buffalo has an option to create entire drive image backups before proceeding with save modification. You can access this feature by going to the Drive menu and selecting either Custom Backup or Backup to Image. I prefer to extract and retain folders as a backup, since I use my USB jump drive exclusively for WWE saves. If you store additional save file or profile content on your drive, you may consider making a complete image backup.

STEP 4: Saving Your Profile IDs

To import cas and arena save files successfully, you must rehash and resign files with your console and profile IDs. Otherwise, imported files will result in an unreadable error when loading in WWE 13, informing you that your save file is corrupted. To avoid this, we must save the IDs associated with your profile and storage device and inject them back into your imported files.

If you are using the WWE Games CAW Editor created by Brien Johnson to import creations, this program has this functionality built in and reliably fixes your files for you. However, you must first save your IDs to the program correctly before importing creations.

1. Download the WWE Games CAW Editor created by Brien Johnson. This download is available through the 360Haven forums, and use of this program requires a 360Haven account for program sign-in.
   
2. Open the program by double-clicking on the program exe file. You will be presented with a 360Haven login form. Enter your username and password to log in. If you’re not registered already, the prompt also contains a Register button within the interface. Do what you need to do here to proceed.
   
3. The first window you see is labeled Resign IDs. There are two input boxes: one for your Profile ID and one for your Console ID. You can load these IDs from the SaveData.dat file you extracted above. To do so, select Load IDs, then navigate to the save location of your SaveData.dat file. Then click Open.
   
4. This will populate the input boxes with the appropriate data. To save these IDs, select Save IDs.
   
5. The program interface will now open.
   

STEP 5: Importing a created wrestler file

Before beginning this step you should have downloaded a shared save file. Check the forums for shared save topics hosting these files. Store these files within a separate folder from your SaveData.dat file. This will serve as your import or resource working folder. (Ideally, to avoid resigning errors, the SaveData.dat folder (0000001) you extracted from your own drive should reside within the base folder of your CAW Editor. I suggest moving your SaveData.dat file to this directory prior to starting to avoid issues later on.)

1. First, let’s configure your program to eliminate importing errors. Select the Lock icon from the program menu bar. Within the explorer window find your extracted SaveData.dat file that you will be importing created content into. (This is what YOU extracted from your USB device, NOT the save shared by others that you’re importing from.) Locate this file and select OK.
   
2. Next, click the Auto button within the program menu bar. This simplifies the import process and automatically bypasses some import prompts, making your life easier. (if you want more detailed info, look at the built-in program help function, viewable from the program menu icon labeled Help.)
   
3. Now we’re ready to import a created wrestler. Click the Open button from the program menu bar and navigate to the shared save file you downloaded from the forums. Select the cas file you wish to import. A dialog box will appear asking if you would like to import this to your save file without making any changes. If you select Yes, this will simplify importing but you must have the save slot available within your save file to avoid overwriting existing files. Importing created wrestlers this way saves time but it also retains all of the download marks associated with the content. For this tutorial, we will decline this option in order to go through the full import process manually.
   
4. By default, you should see a preview of the character selection screen pic and previews of all applied logos. You can now navigate through the different attires for this created wrestler by using the drop-down menus located beneath the main program toolbar. To clear up our workspace, we will disable the preview function. To do so, click the Logos button from the main program toolbar. This will turn off this feature. Anytime you wish to re-enable this feature, just click on the logos button again.
   
5. There are many features of this program, but here we’re focused solely on importing a created character. Other features are explained within the help section of the program, again accessible through the program menu icon labeled help. For basic importing, we are concerned with two pieces of information: whether there is a created finisher associated with the created wrestler and the slot number to which we will save this wrestler when importing. Both pieces of info are located directly below the main program toolbar, labeled as CAF: and SLOT.
   
   NOTE: If the created superstar has an associated CAF, import will require an additional step (detailed below). If you change any aspect of the created wrestler, including the associated slot number, you will have to resave every attire within the WWE 13 creation mode on your Xbox 360 in order to make the file work correctly. Failure to do so when changes have been made will result in a loading crash. To avoid this extra work, use the automated import feature detailed in Step 3 above. (The option we chose to bypass in this tutorial.) Again, you must have an open slot available within your save file to use this automated feature without overwriting existing cas files.
   
6. For the sake of this tutorial, we will be changing slot numbers on our imported cas file. From the SLOT: pull-down menu, select the new slot number to which you would like to save your created wrestler. (WWE 13 allows for 50 created wrestlers. Slot numbers correspond to the save slots and are labeled from 00-49.) The editor will warn you that you must save your file with a new slot number. Click Yes to proceed. Navigate to the folder that contains your SaveData.dat file. WITHOUT MODIFYING THE FILENAME PROVIDED BY THE PROGRAM, save this cas file to your save folder. A prompt should emerge telling you that the file was successfully saved and correctly rehashed and resigned with your saved IDs. (If there are errors here, you have not properly loaded or saved your profile and console IDs or you have not properly placed your SaveData.dat file within the program’s base folder.)
   
7. If the created superstar had an associated CAF file, you will also need to import the created finisher. Failure to do so will cause freezing in-game when you try to perform a created finisher that is not present in your save file. This is why we import associated created finishers as well as the cas file. To import a created finisher, select the Special button from the main program toolbar. Then select the menu button labeled Import CAFs. This button will only be selectable if the loaded cas file has a created finisher.
   
8. Selecting opens a new workspace with two columns. The left column shows your existing CAF slots and which are already occupied with created moves. The right column shows the created finishers associated with the loaded created wrestler. These need to be imported to your save file.
   
9. Check the created finishers located in the right hand column that you wish to import to your save.
   
10. Within the left-hand column select EMPTY slots into which to import these finishers. If you have two finishers to import, do not choose the same empty slot from the drop-down menu. Take care to choose two separate slots. After assuring all is correct, click OK. The program will acknowledge that it has successfully resigned and saved your cas file. Another prompt will confirm that it successfully resigned and resaved your SaveData file.
    
11. At this point, basic importing is complete. You may close the CAW Editor program window.
    

STEP 6: Copying your save file back to your USB drive

1. Make sure your USB device is plugged into your PC.
   
2. Using Party Buffalo, navigate back to your WWE 13 save folder. (See Step 3 above if you need to refresh yourself on how to do so or regarding save folder location.)
   
3. In the left hand pane of Party Buffalo, right click on the existing 00000001 save folder and select delete.
   
4. Now select your WWE 13 folder labeled 545108B4 from the left-hand column explorer window. The right-hand pane should now be empty.
   
5. Within the right-hand pane right click to bring up the context menu. From this menu select Inject Folder.
   
6. Navigate to your 00000001 folder that contains your SAveData.dat file and imported cas files. Select and confirm.
   
7. Party Buffalo will now import this folder to your USB device.
   
8. Once complete, close your USB drive by choosing File > Exit from the Party Buffalo program menu.
   
9. Also take a moment to safely remove or eject your USB drive from your computer prior to unplugging from the USB slot.
   

Step 7: Loading your new save file

1. Plug your USB drive back into your Xbox 360.
   
2. Load WWE 13. You must be signed in on the same profile you used to create your base save file on this device. (Saves are tied to individual profiles, hence the need for resigning with proper profile IDs.)
   
3. Select your USB drive as your primary storage device when prompted from the WWE 13 main menu.
   
4. Provided that you successfully completed all steps of this tutorial, as described, your save will now load.
   
5. If you changed any element of a created wrestler during import, you must now go into the Creation suite and save each attire for each wrestler that received changes. Otherwise, you can expect freezing when choosing a character on the character select screen until these files are properly resaved within the game.
   

Edited January 26, 2013 by kidsampson

[Spyder78]

Kudos for taking time out to type this bad boy up

[brienj]

Isn't it more fun to yell at people who can't figure this out? But seriously, I bet you that if I give this link to someone that needs instructions on how to use my program, 90% of them will still do something wrong ...

Thanks for taking care of those 10% that can follow instructions though.

[Spyder78]

True I am still banking on one of them going "Oh we need the game AND a pc" lol

[Judders]

Someone will still ask for a more in depth video tutorial, because they don't like can't be bothered to read.

Kudos tho Sampson.

[Spyder78]

That's true too, shit they would even need a pop up book version at this point xD

[brienj]

BTW, I don't know if you still have an account at CAWs.ws or not, and I can't even look at the WWE'13 section, because I am not currently registered there, but I hope you didn't post this tutorial there. I just wanted to say that ANYONE that posts info like this at that forum, now that they conveniently allow it now, is just slapping me right across the face ...

That really goes for anyone that shares anything over there that is related to my modding.

[KREATIV]

BTW, I don't know if you still have an account at CAWs.ws or not, and I can't even look at the WWE'13 section, because I am not currently registered there, but I hope you didn't post this tutorial there. I just wanted to say that ANYONE that posts info like this at that forum, now that they conveniently allow it now, is just slapping me right across the face ...

That really goes for anyone that shares anything over there that is related to my modding.

No hack talking on caws.ws

[brienj]

No hack talking on caws.ws

No, they've lifted the ban now that they no longer have to suck THQ's dick to get their freebies ...

[Judders]

So was it a no hacking talk so that they could get their free copy of the game kind of deal?

[brienj]

So was it a no hacking talk so that they could get their free copy of the game kind of deal?

Pretty much. Although it involved multiple copies of the games, along with free insider perks, like being invited to special occasions, where the trip was completely paid for, etc.

[Judders]

They've P'd me off over there by posting the PS3 Save unlock, and not given a single bit of credit to anyone. Nevermind that they're using Kim's link to his resigning tool, that unlocks a version of his save.

[brienj]

They've P'd me off over there by posting the PS3 Save unlock, and not given a single bit of credit to anyone. Nevermind that they're using Kim's link to his resigning tool, that unlocks a version of his save.

That's the kind of people they are, and I just don't understand anyone that wants to continue going there. I had to laugh when I heard from someone that they were trying to say the no hacking talk was because of me, even though they disallowed the hack talk WAY before there was ANY problems between them and me, or me getting banned. How convenient of them to rewrite history to cover their ass.

[brienj]

Staying out of this again, speaking for myself only, I have never got any free copies of the game or invitations to anything. However I didnt endorse the rule in the first place.

Well, you were just a mod, so yeah ...

[brienj]

[Miztah Raza]

LMAO.

[Alex™]

LMAO.

[__JOhnny]

Nice Tutorial

Edit: but with this tutorial everytime we play this game we need to plug USB .. & if i try to transfer all data to HDD then its not working.. anyway to play without plug in usb?

Edited January 27, 2013 by __JOhnny

[Smacktalks]

Great work putting this together sampson, it's really appreciated!

[kidsampson]

Nice Tutorial

Edit: but with this tutorial everytime we play this game we need to plug USB .. & if i try to transfer all data to HDD then its not working.. anyway to play without plug in usb?

JOhnny, the reason this tutorial uses the USB method is because it is much easier for beginners to manage saves to and from a removable device. Migrating saves to and from an internal hard drive would require additional steps each time a user wished to modify the save contents (i.e. importing another cas file or created arena). It would also be more difficult to troubleshoot or replace data if the need for a backup arises.

I suggest leaving the USB drive plugged into the Xbox 360. I do this and use mine exclusively for WWE games. More permanent saves are directed to my internal storage.

After you complete this tutorial and resave the imported characters/attires in-game, you should then be able to move this save file to your HDD, if you wish, using the Xbox 360 system device manager.

You COULD forgo using a USB by using a data transfer cable with your HDD or any number of FTP programs (granted your system allows this feature) but those are technically advanced options that I don't care to write another tutorial for at the moment. Good luck with this guide. And post here if you have any additional questions.

[Red Rooster]

That's the kind of people they are, and I just don't understand anyone that wants to continue going there. I had to laugh when I heard from someone that they were trying to say the no hacking talk was because of me, even though they disallowed the hack talk WAY before there was ANY problems between them and me, or me getting banned. How convenient of them to rewrite history to cover their ass.

Hence my sig

[Spyder78]

That's the kind of people they are, and I just don't understand anyone that wants to continue going there. I had to laugh when I heard from someone that they were trying to say the no hacking talk was because of me, even though they disallowed the hack talk WAY before there was ANY problems between them and me, or me getting banned. How convenient of them to rewrite history to cover their ass.

Don't even get me started on them doing everything to cover their asses during my tenure there as well

[pbeezy]

Thanks for this, I followed the tutorial to a tee and am still receiving the curropted save data. Any ideas? instead of buffalo I used XTAF, I havent updated the game if that makes a diffrence. I also had created 8 custom superstars which I lost in the process so I was wondering if theres any way to export them and readd them to a new save?

Thanks.

[kidsampson]

I used to use USB XTAF, but it often corrupted my save when writing big chunks of data to my USB drive. That's why I switched from it and use Party Buffalo, which I mention in the tutorial. I've never experienced corruption with this, and that's not to say it won't happen, just that it hasn't through the few hundred rewrites I've done over the past few years. That's my first suggestion.

About your caws, I hope you made a backup of your folder (also advised in the tutorial). Updating the game won't make a difference.

The first thing I would do is to make sure your files are properly resigned with your IDs. PM me and I'll help with that. You also may be able to recover your caws - sometimes it's just one file that causes the issue, which doesn't mean your whole save is corrupt.

[chokeslam]

Thanks bro! ^_^