Invalid vassal module

I used to use Vassal a lot a few years ago and I’m getting back in to it now. I have a new computer so I’ve downloaded the engine and various modules, but when I try to use some of them I get the message ‘The file ‘path\name’ is not a valid VASSAL module.’ They are all modules I have used previously, and one of them, Squad Leader, I even used about three days ago.

These are the modules that cause the error message:
Air Force
Car Wars
Squad Leader
Stand at Mortain
Starship Troopers
The Arab-Israeli Wars
War and Peace

I’m using 3.1.15 and all the modules were downloaded recently.

Any ideas?

Thus spake Badger:

I used to use Vassal a lot a few years ago and I’m getting back in to it
now. I have a new computer so I’ve downloaded the engine and various
modules, but when I try to use some of them I get the message ‘The file
‘path\name’ is not a valid VASSAL module.’ They are all modules I have
used previously, and one of them, Squad Leader, I even used about three
days ago.

These are the modules that cause the error message:
Air Force
Car Wars
Squad Leader
Stand at Mortain
Starship Troopers
The Arab-Israeli Wars
War and Peace

I’m using 3.1.15 and all the modules were downloaded recently.

Any ideas?

How exactly are you trying to open the modules?


J.

Once Vassal has loaded, I click on the File menu, and choose Open Module. I then go to the file location and click on it. I then get the error message.

Are the mods showing a .mod or .vmod extension? If they have a .zip extension, they probably won’t be recognized as a module. Change the .zip to .vmod and try it.

Thus spake Badger:

Once Vassal has loaded, I click on the File menu, and choose Open
Module. I then go to the file location and click on it. I then get the
error message.

Are the files you’re selecting actually ZIP archives containing the
modules? Try unzipping one of them.


J.

All of the modules I have downloaded, whether they work or not, show Type of file: VASSAL Module (.vmod) under Properties. So they’re not zip files. I’ve found two other Car Wars modules since my original post, one loads ok, the other generates the same error message.

Thus spake Badger:

All of the modules I have downloaded, whether they work or not, show
Type of file: VASSAL Module (.vmod) under Properties. So they’re not
zip files. I’ve found two other Car Wars modules since my original
post, one loads ok, the other generates the same error message.

Try unzipping one of the failing ones anyway. What do you get if you
do?


J.

I’m not sure I can unzip a file that isn’t a .zip file.

OK, I’ve tried to unzip them, but as they’re not .zip files, my system won’t unzip them.

Thus spake Badger:

OK, I’ve tried to unzip them, but as they’re not .zip files, my system
won’t unzip them.

VASSAL modules are ZIP archives. If you can’t unzip them, then you
might have corrupt files.


J.

I’m using CAM UnZip. No matter which .vmod file I look at, whether it’s one that loads succesfully or not, CAM UnZip doesn’t recognise it as a .zip file so I cannot unzip it.

That is with the exception of World in Flames, which Vassal loads straight from the zipfile.

Thus spake Badger:

I’m using CAM UnZip. No matter which .vmod file I look at, whether it’s
one that loads succesfully or not, CAM UnZip doesn’t recognise it as a
.zip file so I cannot unzip it.

Maybe you need a different ZIP archiver?


J.

Well, I deleted vassal and downloaded it again and for some reason it all works ok now.

For future reference, if you change a .vmod extension to .zip, it will be recognized as a .zip file and unzip. Inside is the module files and the images directory. That’s all a mod is.