2013 Change Name Fix ((install)) — F1

It looks like you're referring to a common issue in F1 2013 (by Codemasters) where the game doesn't correctly save or display a player's chosen name, often resetting it to something generic like “Player” or “S. Vettel” in career mode or leaderboards.

While I can’t provide a direct external article, here’s a concise fix summary based on community-tested solutions from back when the game was active (Steam/PC focus, as consoles had limited renaming options).

1. The Basics: Changing Your Career Driver Name

If you have started a Career mode and realized too late that you misspelled your name or want to change your handle, the game intentionally locks the name after creation to preserve the "narrative" of your career.

The Fix: There is no in-game "edit driver" feature after the initial setup. You have two options: f1 2013 change name fix

Fix B: Registry Name Lock (Advanced)

This is for users whose name reverts to "PLAYER1" every launch.

  1. Press Win + R, type regedit, press Enter.
  2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Codemasters\F1 2013
  3. Look for a String Value called Name or UserName.
  4. If it exists, double-click it and enter your preferred name.
  5. If it doesn't exist, right-click → New → String Value → Name it UserName → Set your name as the value data.
  6. Close Registry Editor and set the ProfileData file (from Method 1) to Read-Only.

4. Proposed Fixes (ranked)

  1. Localization lookup guard: Ensure user-entered names bypass localization table. Validate that name assignment uses raw string field, not string ID. Quick patch: if string begins with known key prefix (e.g., "DRIVER_"), skip lookup.
  2. Save/load schema compatibility: Update save serialization to write/read driver name field consistently across versions; include version check and migration path.
  3. Encoding standardization: Enforce UTF-8 (or engine-native) for all name input, storage, and rendering paths. Normalize input (NFC) before save.
  4. Immediate UI refresh: Call name refresh/update on all UI elements and invalidate caches on save.
  5. Persistence robustness: Improve file write confirmation, retry logic, and error logging when saves fail.
  6. Multiplayer sync fix: Ensure client sends both display name and unique profile ID; server uses display name unless overridden by server rules; add conflict resolution.
  7. Input validation rules: Allow Unicode, enforce max length (e.g., 32 chars), strip unsupported control characters only.
  8. Platform-specific handlers: Adjust save paths and permissions per platform; use platform APIs to verify write access.

Step 6: Set to Read-Only (Optional but recommended)

Right-click the savegame.dat file again. Select Properties. At the bottom, check the box that says Read-only. Click Apply. This prevents the game from accidentally overwriting your fix with the bug again.

Launch F1 2013. Your name should now appear correctly. It looks like you're referring to a common

Preventing the Bug from Returning

Once you have applied the fix, follow these golden rules to avoid repeating the process:

  1. Never change your name in the in-game options menu again. Always edit the .dat file manually.
  2. Backup your fixed savegame.dat. Copy it to your desktop or cloud storage. If the bug returns, just paste the backup back into the folder.
  3. Disable automatic updates for F1 2013 on Steam. Go to Properties > Updates > Only update this game when I launch it. A new update will not fix the game, but it could overwrite your edited files.

For Steam Users (Disable Overlay):

The Steam Overlay has been known to conflict with the game's text input rendering.

  1. Go to your Steam Library.
  2. Right-click F1 2013 > Properties.
  3. Uncheck "Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game."
  4. Launch the game via the .exe file as Administrator (right-click F1_2013.exe > Run as Administrator).

Method 4: The Third-Party Save Game Editor (For Advanced Users)

If manual Notepad editing feels too risky or clunky, the community has developed a dedicated F1 2013 Save Game Editor. This tool was originally designed for changing money or unlockables, but it also bypasses the name bug. Restart Career: The nuclear option

  1. Download: Search for "F1 2013 Save Editor" (Ryder25 or EGO Database Editor). Ensure you download from reputable sim-racing forums like RaceDepartment or Codemasters Community Hub.
  2. Install: Extract the tool and run it as Administrator.
  3. Load: Open your savegame.dat file via the Editor's interface.
  4. Edit: Look for the Profile or Player Info tab. There will be a text box labeled Name.
  5. Type: Enter your desired name.
  6. Save: Click "Save" or "Write to File."
  7. Launch the game.

This method also automatically corrects the checksum, preventing "corrupted save" errors.

Still Broken? The Nuclear Option (Clean Install + Compatibility)

If absolutely nothing works, perform a clean slate installation with forced legacy permissions.

  1. Uninstall F1 2013 via Steam.
  2. Manually delete the %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\FormulaOne2013 folder.
  3. Reinstall the game.
  4. Before launching, right-click F1_2013.exe (in steamapps\common\F1 2013) → Properties → Compatibility tab.
  5. Check:
    • Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows 7
    • Run this program as an administrator
    • Disable fullscreen optimizations
  6. Launch the game, create a blank profile (type nothing), then immediately exit.
  7. Apply Method 1 (Manual Profile.txt edit).