Savegames! They are stored in C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames and not how you could guess in the games-folder or (what is also just dumb) in your My Documents-Folder.

Seriously: Why do game-developers make so shitty shit? I have my PC configured to have 3 Partitions: System (C:\), Data/Programs/Games (D:\) and Media (E:\). I do not install any app to C:\ nor do I use My Documents. I put all my data to D:\ and Media such as MP3s,eBooks and Videos to E:\. The best way for the developers putting savegames is in the game-folder directly! This will give users the chance to backup their games including all savegames at once.

Now I had to reinstall my Windows (putting back a TrueImage backup) and now my savegames are gone – Even with a full backup of my “My Documents”-Folder where you have a “RockStar/GTAIV” folder in (which I suspected to be my savegames).

I will now stop playing GTA IV. I can’t be arsed to play every fucking mission I did before again (I had about 30-40%), except someone gives me a savegame which I can use (Right after your original house got burned down my Dimitri and his guys).

Edit:

I just found a website, where you can download savegames. But sadly, GTA IV disallows loading savegames not made with your own Games for Windows – Live account. Seriously, what the fuck?

Now I will use a program called “XLiveLess” which removes the Games for Windows – Live and Rockstar Social Club bindings out of GTA IV. This is some sort of a crack. But hey: If they are so stupid disallowing adding savegames, put savegames to arbitrary folders which are getting easily lost after a Windows reinstallation and add copy-protection like SecuRom,Games for Windows – Live and Rockstar Social Club to the game – what do you expect?

Unluckily, XLiveLess disallows me using the Multiplayer mode (the coder intentionally added it to disallow cheating). But I can get around this. I simply have to remove one file out of my GTA IV folder to make it able to play online again (but which will block loading my savegames).

tl;dr Version:

Just a big fuck you at Microsoft and RockStar Games for their inability to make games easy and not full of nagging copy-protection shit which only annoys legit buyers.