[REL] Vista Game Explorer Editor

[Badie05]

No problem. I can make a video and show you exactly what happens. It works fine no though but just for the sake of development :)

By the way, sorry about the triple-double posting.

[BlakByte]

Looking good Badie and sean ;D

[Ryan R]

Well, everyone else is uploading screenie's of their VGE's - so I might as well do the same :)

Despite some people having problems with the current version of VGEE, I was able to start from scratch (since I screwed mine up after testing something else) and fix all of my games.

Offtopic - if anyone knows where I can get BoxArt for 'Trackmania Nations' (which is a free game so it doesn't have any official boxart) I would appreciate a link. Maybe you would like to create your own and upload it.

If anyone wants to share exported VGI files with others, you can attach them to this thread. Feel free to create a webpage that hosts all these files and post a link here to the site. They can really save quite some time if you ever have to add the data again.

[Anthonyd]

Hi all !

I've got a question about VGE and not VGEE (sorry). Since I've made a reset of all my settings with VGEE somes games doesn't shows up in VGE. I mean somes games are showing up when running it, and somes not. So I wonder if there is a way to get back them, should I have to try a reinstall of this games ? I mean it should be added when running it, not just installing it.

Thx

[Ryan R]

I'm guessing that you're asking how to add supported games back into your VGE after deleting them all from there.

Here's a video that show's you how to do it: http://ryzza007.googlepages.com/01-AddSuportedGame.exe

1. Goto the directory where the game is installed

2. Find the game.exe file and drag it into your VGE

3. Now right click the game.exe file and choose SendTo-->Desktop (Create Shortcut)

4. Go back to your VGE. If the game is supported, a new icon should appear there.

5. Keep refreshing your VGE until the BoxArt is downloaded and displayed.

6. Remove the other icon from your VGE.

7. Delete the desktop shortcut.

8. All done. Don't delete either items in steps 6 and 7 until the BoxArt is downloaded and displayed, otherwise it may not work.

Repeat for your other supported games.

[Anthonyd]

Thanks but then I do the 3rd operation, the 2nd shorcut doesn't appears in VGE :'(

And yes, I tryed with supported games.

[Ryan R]

Then the game isn't supported. You might not believe me, but it depends on your version of GameUX.dll

ie - In my first installation of Vista I could use NFS Carbon as a supported game - but it longer is. When you run Windows Updates, I think your GameUX.dll file gets updated to include support for more games. I haven't run Windows Updates at all in this version of Vista, so I'm guessing that's why.

The only other way to add supported games back is to launch them.

Edited November 26, 2007 by Ryan R

[Anthonyd]

The games are Gears of war and Trackmania united and Flatout2.

Both GoW and TMU shows up before resetting my VGE with VGEE, now it seems that I have to reinstal the games to have them again in VGE or made myself the shorcut but they will never be as awesome as the originals one.

When I run those game, VGE doesn't detect anything, looks like the setup of the games are adding the shorcut, so there must be a way to get them back without reinstalling those games, see what I mean ?

[Ryan R]

I have Tm United as well. It gets added when you install the game by means of a GDF. It doesn't get it's information from the Internet, which is why that game won't work for you. I removed it from the VGE and added it myself as an unsupported game so that I could use the other BoxArt. See my VGE above.

VGEE does not support games that use a GDF. I don't have the other games.

[Anthonyd]

Is there a way to use the GDF (and VGEE?) to get back my shortcut ?

[Ryan R]

Easy answer - reinstall Tm United

Otherwise - http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173446.aspx

If you put it back, VGEE will still not recognise it.

[Anthonyd]

Looks fine, but someone needs to create a good app to use the GDF easyly without reinstall :p

edit: Something like this > http://www.coldacid.net/articles/building-...our-xna-project

[Ryan R]

You are forgetting that that "someone" should have been MICROSOFT! I should never have had to make this app.

In the meantime - download the file linked to below. Believe it or not, you can add it to your VGE the same way as the video I posted does it, and you will be able to use VGEE after it downloads the BoxArt (even though you don't have the game installed). I do not view this breeching copyright since there is absolutely nothing you can do with the exe file unless you have the rest of the game files (which could be found at the bottom of a bargain bin for $2).

For Everyone who needs a dummy game for their VGE to get VGEE working - use this - http://ryzza007.googlepages.com/nfs3.exe

The video showing how to get it working is here - http://ryzza007.googlepages.com/01-AddSuportedGame.exe

[Anthonyd]

Thanks.

I ran the EXE, and it was automatiquely added to VGE without creating the shortcut to the desktop :p And it was perfectly updated with cover in a second.

About MS> Yes, you're right. And this story of GDF get me crazy since I passed 2 day trying add new games to VGE :D

[Ryan R]

Hopefully you stored the .exe file somewhere out of the way. If you move/delete the exe file - you'll loose the VGE entry and the ability to use VGEE.

[Coggi]

Hi Ryan, i've two little problems with this app :)

First of all, i've managed to add other games, apps ecc ecc starting from warcraft III, but when i try to execute one of the added games, it keeps executing warcraft III(of course i've changed the path in the vgee editor).

The other problem is consequent to the other one. When i saw that it was not working i've tried to go back to my initial game explorer by using the "repair vge" function in your program. However this left me with one of the added games still there(it was for a n64 emulator), and the vgee is now unable to load game information giving this error:

System.OutOfMemoryException : Too many entries in the xxxx box (sorry can't translate the "xxx" part from my language to english)

in System.Windows.Forms.ListBox.NativeAdd(Object item)

in System.Windows.Forms.ListBox.ObjectCollection.AddInternal(Object item)

in System.Windows.Forms.ListBox.ObjectCollection.Add(Object item)

in VGEE.frmLoad2_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)

Ok, trying to fix this, i've moved the original exes both from warcraft iii and from the n64 emulator, so now the vge is empty from these two(i do can readd warcraft however), but the vgee still gives me this error.

I've also tried to add games, by using the need for speed exe you posted, but stille the same error as above, keeps starting the nfs.exe even if it should start another game.

Hope you can help me :)

Thank You

[Ryan R]

You'll need to manually delete the rest of the items.

Click Start-->Run--> regedit

goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX\<your UserSID> and delete all the GUIDs therein

Start-->Run--> %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer

DON'T DELETE EVERYTHING. You'll need to go into each folder to make sure that it is NOT a Windows game (ie Solitaire). Only delete the folders for you own games.

Then go into the GamesBoxArt folder and delete any images that are in there. If you have files/folders called 'Temp........' then delete those as well.

You'll need to add a new supprted game back into your VGE before you can use VGEE. There's a link to a video in the above posts on this page if you dont't know how to do it.

[Coggi]

Thank you Ryan, following your instructions i've managed to restore my VGE.

Then, following the video on the other page i've added need for speed as my dummy game.

Now i've tried again adding something new(just to try).

However the same problem as before appeared, even by launching the newly added game, it starts need for speed :(

I've looked into the registry path you told me in your post, and into my sid, there are 2 entries, one is need for speed and the other one is the newly added game. Looking at the entries, i've seen that even if the "AppExePath" and the "FullAppExePath" are correct(different between the two entries), "ApplicationId" and "WMGameId" are the same in both need for speed entry and the newly added one. Maybe this is the problem? I don't know, just a suggestion :s

Thank you again, for your help

[Ryan R]

I would suggest trying to take ownership of your C: (do a google on it).

In the meantime, open your VGE, r/click the new game, choose Customize, select Play, click Edit, and change the shortcut's target to the game you want to start.

[CheeseFart]

Well, everyone else is uploading screenie's of their VGE's - so I might as well do the same :)

Despite some people having problems with the current version of VGEE, I was able to start from scratch (since I screwed mine up after testing something else) and fix all of my games.

Offtopic - if anyone knows where I can get BoxArt for 'Trackmania Nations' (which is a free game so it doesn't have any official boxart) I would appreciate a link. Maybe you would like to create your own and upload it.

If anyone wants to share exported VGI files with others, you can attach them to this thread. Feel free to create a webpage that hosts all these files and post a link here to the site. They can really save quite some time if you ever have to add the data again.

i have attached and image for Trackmania if you haven't got one yet. And for those that don't know where to get box art from, try http://www.allgame.com

[Ryan R]

Thanks mate

[Anthonyd]

Latest Versions:

VGEE BETA 2.13a -- 29 November 2007 -- 9:35am AEDST (GMT + 11:00)

What's new ?

[)-(orus]

Will be trying this asap, I've been on the hunt for something like this for a while, I was considering developing one myself, but I'm a lazy boy...

Great that you've done it first. (will vote and comment when I've tried it).

[Ryan R]

Not much - adding a letter to the end usually just means a few bug fixes. I increase the number when there are new features.

So if the next version is just more fixes it'll be Beta 2.13b - if there's new features it'll be Beta 2.14

Welcome )-(orus, the whole voting thing is more based on if you like the concept of the app. I don't test every single thing which is why it's still in Beta mode. I release it sooner than later so that all of you can be the testers - then you post feedback and bugs and I fix it asap. I'm sure a lot of people would prefer me to release the app sooner, find a few bugs and fix them, rather than me dissapearing for ages trying to test everything myself on virtual pc's, etc.

PS - I just setup a Virtual PC with Vista Home Prem installed - and I choose options to make MS think I live in the UK (actually am in Australia) just to see if this would make the VGE show game ratings etc.

Flat out with other work at them moment - but in a few weeks I should have plenty of time to fix anything that needs fixing.

[Ayepecks]

Awesome program, I love it :)

Also, here's a box for Team Fortress 2 I made if anyone else wants it :D