From 5891a5feabdd768a3e649ff6087fac9c42b129cc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: SulfurNitride <SulfurNitride@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 23 May 2026 14:32:50 -0500
Subject: startup: clarify invalid instance recovery

---
 src/src/instancemanager.cpp |  5 +++--
 src/src/moapplication.cpp   | 27 ---------------------------
 2 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 29 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/src/instancemanager.cpp b/src/src/instancemanager.cpp
index 35a15df..066c0bd 100644
--- a/src/src/instancemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/src/instancemanager.cpp
@@ -936,8 +936,9 @@ SetupInstanceResults setupInstance(Instance& instance, PluginContainer& pc)
     reportError(
         QObject::tr(
             "Cannot open instance '%1', the game directory '%2' doesn't exist or "
-            "the game plugin '%3' doesn't recognize it. Select the game managed "
-            "by this instance.")
+            "the game plugin '%3' doesn't recognize it. If the game was moved, "
+            "browse to the current install folder. If it is no longer installed, "
+            "select another instance.")
             .arg(instance.displayName())
             .arg(instance.gameDirectory())
             .arg(instance.gameName()));
diff --git a/src/src/moapplication.cpp b/src/src/moapplication.cpp
index 7216e7c..f130881 100644
--- a/src/src/moapplication.cpp
+++ b/src/src/moapplication.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ along with Mod Organizer.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 #include <report.h>
 #include <scopeguard.h>
 #include <utility.h>
-#include <cstdio>
 
 using namespace MOBase;
 using namespace MOShared;
@@ -268,8 +267,6 @@ void MOApplication::firstTimeSetup(MOMultiProcess& multiProcess)
 int MOApplication::setup(MOMultiProcess& multiProcess, bool forceSelect)
 {
   TimeThis tt("MOApplication setup()");
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] setup() entered\n");
-  std::fflush(stderr);
 
   // makes plugin data path available to plugins, see
   // IOrganizer::getPluginDataPath()
@@ -278,14 +275,8 @@ int MOApplication::setup(MOMultiProcess& multiProcess, bool forceSelect)
   // figuring out the current instance
   m_instance = getCurrentInstance(forceSelect);
   if (!m_instance) {
-    std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] getCurrentInstance() returned null\n");
-    std::fflush(stderr);
     return 1;
   }
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] instance dir='%s' ini='%s'\n",
-               qUtf8Printable(m_instance->directory()),
-               qUtf8Printable(m_instance->iniPath()));
-  std::fflush(stderr);
 
   // first time the data path is available, set the global property and log
   // directory, then log a bunch of debug stuff
@@ -293,15 +284,10 @@ int MOApplication::setup(MOMultiProcess& multiProcess, bool forceSelect)
   setProperty("dataPath", dataPath);
 
   if (!setLogDirectory(dataPath)) {
-    std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] setLogDirectory() failed for '%s'\n",
-                 qUtf8Printable(dataPath));
-    std::fflush(stderr);
     reportError(tr("Failed to create log folder."));
     InstanceManager::singleton().clearCurrentInstance();
     return 1;
   }
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] setLogDirectory() ok\n");
-  std::fflush(stderr);
 
   log::debug("command line: '{}'", QCoreApplication::arguments().join(' '));
 
@@ -327,9 +313,6 @@ int MOApplication::setup(MOMultiProcess& multiProcess, bool forceSelect)
 
   // loading settings
   m_settings.reset(new Settings(m_instance->iniPath(), true));
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] settings loaded from '%s'\n",
-               qUtf8Printable(m_instance->iniPath()));
-  std::fflush(stderr);
   log::getDefault().setLevel(m_settings->diagnostics().logLevel());
   log::debug("using ini at '{}'", m_settings->filename());
 
@@ -366,28 +349,18 @@ int MOApplication::setup(MOMultiProcess& multiProcess, bool forceSelect)
   log::debug("initializing core");
 
   m_core.reset(new OrganizerCore(*m_settings));
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] organizer core constructed\n");
-  std::fflush(stderr);
   if (!m_core->bootstrap()) {
-    std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] organizer core bootstrap failed\n");
-    std::fflush(stderr);
     reportError(tr("Failed to set up data paths."));
     InstanceManager::singleton().clearCurrentInstance();
     return 1;
   }
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] organizer core bootstrap ok\n");
-  std::fflush(stderr);
 
   // plugins
   tt.start("MOApplication::doOneRun() plugins");
   log::debug("initializing plugins");
 
   m_plugins = std::make_unique<PluginContainer>(m_core.get());
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] plugin container constructed, loading plugins...\n");
-  std::fflush(stderr);
   m_plugins->loadPlugins();
-  std::fprintf(stderr, "[setup-diag] plugin loading finished\n");
-  std::fflush(stderr);
   log::debug("all plugins loaded");
 
   // instance
-- 
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