Windows Games Folder

[Mang Nux]

I've recently been having problems with games (eg. UT2004) taking two attempts to launch. I'd double click the desktop icon, and the process would appear in task manager, but the actuall app would not start. Rundll32, would then appear, hammering the CPU at 50% for apparantly no reason. I'd have to double click the games icon againg before it would actually launch properly.

Anyway, I've a feeling that this problem is caused by the Windows game folder trying to connect to the internet to download cover art and information. I've configured it to NOT do this, but it's ignoring the settings and downloading cover art etc. anyway.

So my question is this: How do I completely disable the games folder and all of it's agents?

 

[logicearth]

Anyway, I've a feeling that this problem is caused by the Windows game folder trying to connect to the internet to download cover art and information. I've configured it to NOT do this, but it's ignoring the settings and downloading cover art etc. anyway.

That is not causing the problem. Jumping to assumptions with limited information always comes out wrong.

 

[Wishmaster]

If using custom box art you do not want changed or want to stop a specific game from updating Boxart or Game DATA:



You simply need to change a Registry String for the game to stop all updating of info and box art, for that game.


See Step 8 (in the manual section) of this tutorial for more info:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/25787-games-explorer-folder-add-games.html?ltr=G

I doubt this is causing your problem though, as it should not stop a game from loading.

 

[Mang Nux]

That is not causing the problem. Jumping to assumptions with limited information always comes out wrong.

Wow, thank you for your thourougly unhelpful post.

It IS games explorer causing the issue, and I'm not the only one who has discovered this. The exact same problem was recreated by two people in that thread; QUOTE: "Games Explorer was freezing my games, waiting for rundll32.exe/gameux.dll to download game's infos from internet."

And here is another thread on the issue

"...after launching through the Games Explorer or the program shortcut, (the game) will fail to run and when i see the task manager or process explorer, a process called rundll32.exe is consuming the processor..."

"...i have narrowed down the cause to be lack of internet connectivity to my pc..."

Source 3:

"When I would start the game rundll32.exe would also start and go to 50% cpu usage. (if I had a single core CPU it would have been 100%) and the game would not start. (until I tried to launch it again) I was researching for a while and found out that it was a bug in game explorer."

EXACTLY as I said; game fails to run, rundll32 using proc, games explorer trying to access internet.

All very well for PC's connected to the internet 24/7, but what if it's not?

I doubt this is causing your problem though, as it should not stop a game from loading.

See above.

If using custom box art you do not want changed or want to stop a specific game from updating Boxart or Game DATA:



You simply need to change a Registry String for the game to stop all updating of info and box art, for that game.


See Step 8 (in the manual section) of this tutorial for more info:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/25787-games-explorer-folder-add-games.html?ltr=G
.

I'd rather kill 'games explorer' altogether. Is there any way to remove it? I have absolutely no use for it whatsoever.

 

[logicearth]

rundll32.exe can run hundreds of different things. Even your games. Without more information making a blind assumption does not solve anything. You should exaimne what rundll32.exe is trying to run at the time of the problem.

 

[Wishmaster]

As logicearth said, that error can be generated for a number of reasons.

Also, without system specs its a bit hard to help.

Perhaps try:
Run the game in XP compatability
Update your Direct-X Files
Roll back to an older driver if your using ATI graphics (10.4)



Some older games have issues. Sometimes it is simply the GPU driver, or Direct X.

These were a couple fixes I found from googling that game/error.

If you are dead set on it being the Game Explorer, Simply Delete the game from the Game Explorer and it will longer have any connection to that game.

Do so from the registry, or from the User Folder ( C:\ Users\ user name \ AppData \ Local \ microsoft \ Windows \ Game Explorer

Find the Numbered folder that corrsponds to the game and delete it.

 

[Mang Nux]

rundll32.exe can run hundreds of different things. Even your games. Without more information making a blind assumption does not solve anything. You should exaimne what rundll32.exe is trying to run at the time of the problem.

Did you read the threads I referenced to? I think not, since you're still doubting that Games Explorer is the cause. It would have to be a pretty amazing coincidence if Games Explorer wasn't to blame... The only blind assumption made, was made by you: "That is not causing the problem."

Moving on, am I right in assuming that the server O/Ss exclude Games Explorer?

Simply Delete the game from the Game Explorer and it will longer have any connection to that game.

Do so from the registry, or from the User Folder ( C:\ Users\ user name \ AppData \ Local \ microsoft \ Windows \ Game Explorer

Find the Numbered folder that corrsponds to the game and delete it.

Won't that just make windows want to re populate games explorer? The problem is that it's trying to do that every time a new game is installed?

 

[Mang Nux]

Never mind. I've switched to Server 2008 R2, so this is a non-issue.