So I’d been periodically been logging into my account every update to keep my progress on my old laptop, and due to life getting in the way, I had to stop doing it.
I stopped doing it right before the account system was put in place, well, I found the usb stick which contained my backup of my old save files and my notepad of all my items and It reminded me of my account. So I went to log in to set up an email so I can play on my new setup.
And my old laptop got an error basically saying it’s unsupported, and I can’t start the game to log in anymore. So I’m stuck. Is there a way I can get my progress back or am I stuck starting over from scratch?
So, you have a backup of an old version and can’t get in because the game won’t launch, correct? Try moving your save data from old pc to the new one manually, it’s located in C:\ProgramData\InterAction studios\CIU\ia\<your version> (note that ProgramData folder is hidden by default). Copy the whole CIU folder and put it on the new PC, then launch the game.
If you log into guest you’ll get to to your account. If that’s the case, use “Change e-mail” button first to set the e-mail, and “Link account” to restore progress later. Even if your account was linked to an e-mail before it won’t ask you for confirmation to do this again.
Old versions cannot log in any more. You need the latest version from: ⬇ Download CIU
If you are using the same laptop as you were previously, then upgrading to the latest version is all you need to do. If it’s a different laptop, then you’ll also need to copy your progress from your backup (as @VerMishelb explained).
Once you manage to log in and you see your old progress, only then should you add an e-mail to your account to keep it secure .
Note: if you haven’t logged in the past 12 months, then it’s possible/probable that your account has been deleted. In that case your progress will be lost forever.