Games Explorer Folder - Add Games To

How to Add Games to Games Explorer Folder in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 ​

"So you add a game into Games Explorer Folder and realize that the game has no
cover, no rating, no info... Well, this tutorial will show you
how to add all that missing information."​

First things First.

• Adding a shortcut into Game Explorer Folder (GEF):

• Copy the main executable, then right click and select paste shortcut.

• Or Just Drag n Drop a shortcut of the game.

Use a shortcut, never use the main executable.

• Using the Registry Editor (REd):

• Hit the Start Orb and type regedit in the search box, an UAC prompt will ask you to authorize access by clicking Continue.

• The Files you will need:

Download

• Inside is the GameUXLegacyGDFs.txt file, Just save it for later use.

• Use Winrar or 7zip to extract the file.

The Tutorial:

This tutorial subdivides in Semi-Automatic for games already in the database which the GEF doesn't recognize automatically and manual for the ones not included in the database.​

   Note

Always remember to close GEF every time you need to edit the values in the REd, otherwise the game shortcut will be deleted.

Let's Begin...

• Semi-Automatic

Microsoft has added various old games to be recognized automatically by the GEF using a file called GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll but some of them need a little extra work to show-up.

Step 1: Add a shortcut into the GEF and then close it.

Step 2: Extract and then open the file GameUXLegacyGDFs.txt from the downloadable file.​

• Hit Ctrl+F to bring the search option in Notepad.

• Type just a part of the game's name.

It is very important to search only a part of the name otherwise you will cannot find any game. (e.g. if i want to find Hidden & Dangerous 2, i just type hidden in the search box).

• Hit "Find Next" button 'till you find the game your looking for.

If you cannot find the game please refer to Manual part of this tutorial.
Step 3: Open the REd and navigate to this location.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX

The KEY name might be different from yours.​

Step 4: Once you find the KEY that belongs to your game, edit as follow:

• In AppExePath put the location of your game executable.

(e.g. C:\Program Files\Illusion Softworks\Hidden & Dangerous 2\hd2.exe).

• In ApplicationId put the xxx value you found in *GameDefinitiongameID="xxx", on the GameUXLegacyGDFs.txt file.

Add just the value between commas.

• In ConfigInstallType replace the value to 3.

• Delete the Title String.

• Add a new String (Right-click>New>String Value) and name it ConfigGDFBinaryPath, then in the value data space put C:\Windows\system32\GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll

It should be look like this.
Step 5: Close the REd and open GEF, wait 'till windows updates the game info.

• Manual

If you can't find the game your looking for in GameUXLegacyGDFs.txt, you still can use another already in the file and edit its values.
Step 1: Go to All Game Guide to search your game.

Save the cover image for later use.
Step 2: Now go to Entertainment Software Rating Board and find a game with similar rating.

Step 3: Now lets find out if its listed on the GameUXLegacyGDFs.txt file, if not keep searching on the ESRB page.

Step 4: Open the REd and navigate to this location.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX

The KEY name might be different from yours.​

Step 5: Once you find the KEY that belongs to your game, edit as follow:

• In AppExePath put the location of your game executable.

(e.g. C:\Program Files\Illusion Softworks\Hidden & Dangerous 2\hd2.exe).

• In ApplicationId put the xxx value you found in *GameDefinitiongameID="xxx", on the GameUXLegacyGDFs.txt file.

Add just the value between commas.

• In ConfigInstallType replace the value to 3.

• Delete the Title String.

• Add a new String (Right-click>New>String Value) and name it ConfigGDFBinaryPath, then in the value data space put C:\Windows\system32\GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll

It should be look like this.
Step 6: Open GEF and wait to update the info.

Step 7: Update the REd by hitting the F5 key and replace the info as necessary.

This is just the basic info only, you can fill the blank spaces if you like.
Step 8: Now copy and paste this values and put them like so:

• in TimeToRefreshBasicData: b357951d59359b57 (Hexadecimal)
• in TimeToRefreshBoxArt: 855c358859359b57 (Hexadecimal)

The given values should stop reverting the game to its defaults every once in awhile.
Step 9: Now navigate to this location and paste the image your game will use as a cover.
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer\GamesBoxArt
The AppData folder is hidden by default you can learn how to unhide it in this tutorial.
Step 10: Change the name of the image with the one we're replacing.

• If you wanna use another type of image you need to edit the last part of the BoxArt String to the kind of file you wanna use.

(e.g. ...//images.../g21004lorom.jpg) JPG/PNG/BMP.

• Or if you want to use an icon instead, just edit:

AppExePath put the location of the icon.
BoxArt leave it blank.



Step 11: Now open the GEF and your game should display with the new info on it.

BTW, if you think is too much work for you, just take a look at this tutorial Games Explorer - Edit all credits to Darkness Warrior '96.




That's all for now...
Rjck.

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Delete a Game in Games Explorer Folder in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
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• How to Restore the Default Games in Games Explorer Folder in Windows 7
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• Games Explorer - Edit with Game Explorer Builder
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• Enable or Disable Game Updates in "Games Explorer" in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• Enable or Disable Last Play Time of Games in "Games Explorer" in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• Enable or Disable Game Updates in "Games Explorer" in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

 

[oguzkonya]

My damn Windows... Thanks anyway bro, I will try again with another PNG.

Edit: Dammit, I think the PNG was broken, because it works now

 

[Rjck]

My damn Windows... Thanks anyway bro, I will try again with another PNG.

Edit: Dammit, I think the PNG was broken, because it works now

Gr8 ,)

 

[CJW]

I have one game that, when played, shows up in the GameExplorer folder & I don't want it to. I know how to delete it in the registry, but it just comes back if played again.

My question is:
How do we stop a game from EVER populaing the GameExplorer folder?

 

[Brink]

Hello CJW,

If you used the tutorial below to delete the game, then you might also check the game settings to see if there may be an option that may be keep adding it to the Games Explorer folder that you could turn off to stop it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/42496-games-explorer-folder-delete-game.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[strifehawk]

How do you get the "GameDefinitiongameID" >???

I tried everything but couldn't get ID for the games. For instance What is the game ID of Borderlands, Deadspace, Torchlight ??!!

Please Help Rick. :huh:

-Hawk

 

[CJW]

Rjck, is there a difference in the GameUXLegacyGDFs file between 7 Pro & 7 Home Premium?

I've followed the tutorial (one page 1) for a lot of games on my own 7 Pro machine w/much success, but I'm now getting a self-built computer ready (as a surprise) for my son which has 7 Home Premium on it & (even though I'm following the same tutorial, when I get to Step 5 (Close the REG & open GEF, wait 'till windows updates the game info.), my games pic & info never changes & when I reopen the REG, nothing gets updated.

 

[PaMil]

This is a little complicated. I just want to be able to group the games into categories like MMO, Visual Nove, FPS, Puzzle/Platformer. By changing the registery will it allow me to change the genre category from "Unspecified" to something else? I have a lot of foreign games!

 

[CJW]

PaMil

I know that for each game listed in the registry, there is an entry named 'Genre'; you can edit that.
Then when you open Games Explorer, right-click & Group By 'Genre', that may help.

 

[AndrewMa]

I don't know if is the right place to post this but any chance to get this to work on Windows 10? I tried it all methods exhaustively but without success. Some games (the oldest ones, before 2010) does not appear in the game folder and i tried to put them through register but simply don't work.

Somebody could help me please? I really want my games in that folder like was before with Windows 7.

 

[klear6]

jeez

seriously? could they make it any more complicated? what is their beef with third party games and install locations? i think i just used the home button for the first time bc i had to scroll so far up to get back to the top of this tutorial. thanks for all the info. but i seriously don't get why they would make it so hard!!! i'll bookmark it and come back to it later. grrrr. but thanks, good instructions i am sure. props.