Games Explorer Folder - Add Games To

That answers it :)

GTA IV did not have a version number before, I guess they added that with the 1.0.4 patch.

If I delete GTA IV from the list and add it the way you described in this tutorial, will the version numbers etc still show?

On a similar note, are the descriptions, version numbers, ratings etc stored in the application executable so that the game automatically adds them? Or does the game just add the specific registry strings to the key in the gameux directory?

Tizmo said:

That answers it :)

GTA IV did not have a version number before, I guess they added that with the 1.0.4 patch.

Exactly , sometimes developers modify the version number with their next patch, but other just don't give a fck.

Tizmo said:

If I delete GTA IV from the list and add it the way you described in this tutorial, will the version numbers etc still show?

Nope, that's because all that info (box art, ratings, genre, version number, etc.) is within a file (.exe or .dll) inside the game's directory, a registry entry check's this file to fill the info into the GEF, so if you create a custom file and change the ConfigGDFBinaryPath to the one in GTA4 default registry (to the game display the default rating, version, genre, etc.) and change to ConfigInstallType 2 the game will overpass the info you put and fill all with the default ones. (e.g. if you put a custom boxart when the game checks the GDF, the GEF will display the default art)

Tizmo said:

On a similar note, are the descriptions, version numbers, ratings etc stored in the application executable so that the game automatically adds them? Or does the game just add the specific registry strings to the key in the gameux directory?

both...

In the registry look under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX\Games\

and the file with all the info is GTAIVGDF.dll under:
...Rockstar Games\Grand Theft Auto IV\

If you had any mo' question ill be glad to answer ASAP.

There is no key for my game that I added a shortcut to.

And also under that site to get the game info under manual, my game was not listed.

hi everybody.
i can't make this work!

im trying to do it with "sonic & sega all star racing".
seems to be al ok but when i double click the icon the game don't start and then a window shows saying some problem with "settings.ini".
if i click the .exe from the folder where its installed the runs oks.

i think thats is a path problem.

ID used is "sonic heroes".

please sorry my english.

cclloyd9785 said:

There is no key for my game that I added a shortcut to.

And also under that site to get the game info under manual, my game was not listed.

Hi cclloyd9785, would u mind telling me which game is it, so that way i can help you...

Daniel78 said:

hi everybody.
i can't make this work!

im trying to do it with "sonic & sega all star racing".
seems to be al ok but when i double click the icon the game don't start and then a window shows saying some problem with "settings.ini".
if i click the .exe from the folder where its installed the runs oks.

i think thats is a path problem.

ID used is "sonic heroes".

please sorry my english.

Hi Daniel78, sounds like a shortcut issue I have post this before but here's the fix:

1. Open the registry editor and navigate to the location below and search your game.
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX
   
   NOTE: The key values might be different from yours.
2. Go to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer\ and find the folder with the same name of the game. "the one you take note above".
3. Open that folder until you find the game's shortcut. eg. ...\{3F29E50B-538D-48A0-9F69-A632B5AA5308}\PlayTasks\0\
4. Delete that shortcut, put a new shortcut of the game in here and rename it "Play".

Note: Make sure GEF is closed, cause otherwise when u delete the shortcut in the step 4, the game will delete from GEF too and you'll have to make all the tutorial again.

Sorry for the late response guys...

Thnx! Now works perfect!

When I first checked that shortcut properties, looks perfect with a correct path.

But I regenerate it (with your instructions) and.... !!

Thnx again!

Daniel78 said:

Thnx! Now works perfect!

When I first checked that shortcut properties, looks perfect with a correct path.

But I regenerate it (with your instructions) and.... !!

Thnx again!

anytime Daniel, glad to know it worked.

So, after experiencing failures with using the Vista Games Explorer Editor (good program... but, it's easy to screw up what you're doing with it), I've basically been slowly self-teaching myself how the GameUX registry system works. I recently wanted to add a "custom game" (rather a shortcut to a folder with a bunch of games in them.... the Mega Man games, lol) with fancy boxart, and I was very close to getting it to work, but I couldn't quite do it.

Then, I found your guide. I got caught up on needing to make sure that "ApplicationID" matched (I was making sure WMGameId matched, was overlooking ApplicationID). Anyway, I've got things working now, thanks!

However, one thing that's always bugged me is the meaning behind "TimeToRefreshBoxArt" and the "TimeToRefreshBasicData" keys -- sure, I can understand that putting a "big" number in here will make it take a "long" time for it to go and erase your work, but -- why those numbers? The VGEE also appeared to use different numbers (and I've also had a few games' boxart replaced by the MS auto-generator).

• TimeToRefreshBasicData: a4,6a,0e,94,9c,7e, ca,01 (Hexadecimal)
• TimeToRefreshBoxArt: 76,b4,79,94,9c,7e,ca, 01 (Hexadecimal)

So, why these specific values? Why not just FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF? Your answer can hopefully relieve my nagging curiosity!

Ahh interesting. So, you set your computer date to something like "12/31/2080", and then the "TimeToRefresh" settings for a game created at this time give a new date in hexidecimal format (maybe a month or two later, like at 01/31/2081) -- and this is the hexidecimal-formatted date that appears in your guide.

One thing, though -- in the guide, you have the values comma-separated (presumably to make it easier to type the numbers in?), however, if a user were to copy and paste those values in, what would be put in the value field instead would be

TimeToRefreshBasicData: a4,6a,0e,94,9c,7
TimeToRefreshBoxArt: 76,b4,79,94,9c,7

Which, as you can see, cuts off the last five digits of the numbers. As it is, the registry accepts the commas to be input, and actually converts them to something else (you would think regedit would just remove the commas, so that the values are actually "0xa46a0e949c7 " and "0x76b479949c7", but no, after hitting enter, the values are coverted to something else entirely... or maybe this is some crazy hexidecimal jujitsu that I'm not aware of) Anyway, the result of copying and pasting the values in is as a result a random number, and very likley doesn't work for people who copy and paste and don't catch that regedit actually changes the value from what's pasted in there (I nearly missed it myself, for example).

So, you might want to either mention that in the guide that the commas should not actually be put in, or else just remove them entirely.