TOUCH ONE ASSET.
KEEP THE ORIGINAL.

01 / DIRECT ANSWER

Legacy Files are path-based overrides, so recovery must also be path-based

Use the exact in-game relative path as the asset’s identity. Preserve the existing file or an “absent” baseline; keep the backup outside the active mods\legacy tree; add or replace one candidate; restart; verify one observable result; then restore the same path. A Career-save backup is useful protection, but it is not a substitute for the original external file.

02 / FOUR DIFFERENT JOBS

Browse, replace, add and export do not imply the same baseline

Classify the operation before copying bytes. Replace requires an existing target; add requires an absent target; export is evidence capture; restore is a deliberate return to the recorded baseline.

04 / PATH ANATOMY

Separate the active root from the game-relative legacy path

Current FC 26 Wiki examples place overrides under the Live Editor folder’s mods\legacy root. The remaining directory chain mirrors the asset’s game-relative path.

05 / SAFE CHANGE SEQUENCE

Eight checkpoints make a legacy edit reversible

1. 01
   PAIRRecord the full game/editor pair

   Current reference: FC 26 v1.6.6 build 1.0.139.20381 → LE v26.3.5–v26.3.6.

2. 02
   PATHCapture the exact relative path

   Keep the Browser path separate from the Windows root.

3. 03
   BASELINEExport original or prove absence

   Store untouched evidence outside the active mods tree.

4. 04
   HASHRecord filename, bytes and SHA-256

   A hash proves identity, not semantic correctness.

5. 05
   PROOFCapture the before state

   Choose one repeatable screen, object or event.

6. 06
   STAGEApply exactly one candidate

   No second file, mod, version or setting in the same run.

7. 07
   RELAUNCHRestart through the normal LE path

   Pre-launch assets may not reload safely inside an existing process.

8. 08
   RESTOREReturn baseline and prove again

   Original back in place—or added override removed—then rerun the same proof.

06 / BASELINE DECISION

Replace only after Exists; add only after Absent

The practical difference is the rollback contract. Calling every operation “import” hides the evidence you need when the result is wrong.

DO NOT GUESS ABSENCE: if you cannot prove whether the target exists, browse or call LegacyFileExist on v26.3.6 before choosing Add.

07 / EXPORT BEFORE EDIT

“Restore” is a prepared state, not a rescue button after the fact

Issue #13 shows the exact failure mode: a user replaced GrowthTrainingPlans.csv, observed extreme training speed and asked how to undo it. The issue remains open, with zero comments and no maintainer procedure.

IF THE ORIGINAL IS ALREADY LOST: stop stacking replacements. Preserve the current file and path, remove the override only if you know the baseline was the game-owned asset, then test. A storefront repair and a Live Editor override are different ownership layers.

08 / NAMED CRASH BOUNDARY

What should you do with a corrupted legacy_filename_hash_list.csv?

Update past the fixed release and preserve the file as evidence. The v26.3.1 changelog explicitly fixes a game crash while loading a corrupted legacy_filename_hash_list.csv. No public creator source in this audit publishes its schema, corruption test or manual repair format.

09 / LUA VERSION GATE

v26.3.6 adds two read/export functions—not a write or restore API

The official API declares bool LegacyFileExist(string fpath) and bool LegacyFileExport(string fpath, string outpath). The output path is optional; the documented default is Desktop.

local fpath = "data/db/fifa_ng_db.db"
if LegacyFileExist(fpath) then
    local ok = LegacyFileExport(fpath) -- Desktop default
    print(ok and "exported" or "export failed")
end

10 / OWNERSHIP & PERSISTENCE

Legacy overrides are external assets, not ordinary Career fields

Current FC 26 miniface documentation says imported files are visible only while Live Editor is working and stores bulk files in mods\legacy. Treat a general legacy override as shared external state unless its own documentation proves a narrower lifecycle.

11 / FIRST FAILED CHECKPOINT

Route the symptom without changing a second asset

12 / VIDEO EVIDENCE AUDIT

YouTube shows the demand, but not a current complete Legacy workflow

Six queries returned 90 result slots. They were dominated by FC Editor Tool, Mod Manager, face/kit tutorials, generic Live Editor showcases, crash videos, repacks and unrelated “legacy” terms. No current caption-backed result completed export → hash → one-file change → relaunch proof → restore.

13 / QUICK QUESTIONS

FC 26 Legacy Files FAQ