[REL] Vista Game Explorer Editor

By Ryan R
in Microsoft (Windows)

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Vista Game Explorer Editor  

274 members have voted

  1. 1. How would you rate VGEE out of 10?

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Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted (edited)

I tried it on a HP Laptop with like 20 pre installed games and no SP1 and everything was fine...

Im Starting to get puzzled.

It works for me and the computers I test it on...

For x86 Users try this build... No RAR just just a Zip.

Unzip and click the Windows32InteropEngine.exe

do not click the .vshost.exe files as they are just for debugging purposes.

This is the entire directory that is created when a new build type is setup.

Let me know if there is still a problem with this. it IS linked against 3.5 so if you don't have 3.5 try to download that and reinstall it and see if that fixes the problem.

Where is the event log?

[sorry if that was a nooby question. :p]

Oh, and I think it's the second program, because when I click on the latter of the two programs the installer placed in my start menu, it just skipped to the "Program has stopped working," where the first one at least started up.

Windows + R key

Then type compmgmt.msc ( or just eventvwr)

Select Event Viewer

It would most likley appear under the Application Section I believe

Windows32InteropEngine.zip

Edited by 72001
Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted
See if this one fares any better.

If not I will have to split them up and try to find the root cause.

And Actually after reviewing the Exception data I wanted to make sure this was not a problem with me trying to predict registry keys so I have re did that statement with a try catch and zipped it back up.

Try this one

FixedTest.zip

Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted (edited)
slightly different error message, but will not run just the same. Stupid question before I cause you to go thru more grief -> do I need to have at least one game in the VGE before this will run correctly?

No you do not.

This will run on all systems with or without games.

You shouldnt need to have add anything at all since this code works off of what WMI Reports for what is installed.

If you have no games though at all it might crash. I didn't think of that... but it should just be blank.

Would you mind posting up your entire

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX

key so I could do a dry debug run using your configuration.

Also until this is sorted out the following is the Online Search Online by itself.

Please give that a test and let me know how that is working.

Thank you so much for your assistance thus far. I can only figure out what exactly needs to be done to make this run for everyone with some help so I really appreciate all of the testing you guys are doing!!!

I will await your response.

OnlineSearchTest.zip

Edited by 72001
Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted

After looking at the debug output this may work. What may be happening is that the modules are experiencing the effects of some kind of race condition do to the way the second form is executed.

I made it so the WMIInterfaceTest only comes up after you close the online search for now.

Here is where I am at thus far until I get the:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX

Key from the users who are experiencing problems.

Test.zip

Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted
Alright, that worked, but the second window didn't come up. And when I closed the first window, i got an error message.

Would you mind posting up a export of your registy's entire

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX Key including all sub keys.

The exported file should be between 30k and up depending on how many games you have installed.

I think the problem is that the old VGE didnt use WMI to add the game thus you have the game as a legacy entry supported only because the info was manually created by the old VGE App. After I have a look and see what your registry keys look like I will be able to address the problem further and hopefully add a compatibility layer for manually added entries. That can be the only other thing I can think of why it would be crashing.

The program is doing a lookup on the info from WMI and it is giving it a hold over info from WMI and there is somthing there which is throwing somthing off.

I am almost sure its a silly try catch that I am missing some where.

When you post up the reg file I will say for certain.

Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted
Well, I'm apparently "not permitted" to upload files of that type, so i just rapidshared it. http://rapidshare.com/files/112148367/gameux.reg

Hope that helps.

That shed a lot of light on what exactly is happening.

The old VGE Used the value

C:\\Windows\\system32\\GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll for the GDFBinary

Where as the new VGE will make a new VGE Binary for every game you install.

The reason the application is crashing is because C:\\Windows\\system32\\GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll does not contain a GDF_XML Section it contains a GUID resource for every legacy game.

I will write a routine to take this into account. I will keep you updated. Thank you for your help

Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted
That shed a lot of light on what exactly is happening.

The old VGE Used the value

C:\\Windows\\system32\\GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll for the GDFBinary

Where as the new VGE will make a new VGE Binary for every game you install.

The reason the application is crashing is because C:\\Windows\\system32\\GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll does not contain a GDF_XML Section for your game that your have it configured to. It contains a GUID resource for every legacy game that microsoft decided to support. The new VGE will fix this and all all of you games their own GDF just like a supported Vista Game.

I will write a routine to take this into account. I will keep you updated. Thank you for your help

I believe the error is occuring when The class is trying to make ready the information for the List View.

I have added 2 additional try catch's to the loading routine for the class when a attempt is made to acess the GDF_XML property. It will try and get the XML from the GDF Binary and then try the GameExe. If neither have a GDF XML Section the GDF_XML Property will simply just be blank. If a Icon or BoxArt cannot be determined a SafeImg with a TAG of FAIL will be loaded but I think that as soon as the class picks up the Legacy flag it will use the Rollback registry provider to get the information and it will load as expected without the XML ofcourse.

I made it so when a game like this is encountered progamatically that what occurs is that the Legacy Information will be ready using private class functions and it will manually build the required data from the registry and return a compatible object, so In short migrating from a legacy game to a new GDF Style game via the new GDF wil be very easy and there should be little problems after we sort this little hiccup out.

Attached is the Alpha which should be working as expected. If a game does not have any XML properties visible It is because I have missed that conversion value in the compatibility routine I wrote in so please ensure that you guys do document that as a bug.

Hopefully that is all it was.

I will await your response.

Alpha.zip

Apprentice

schis

Posted
Posted

72001

Well after a long and laborious reinstall of vista no games yet just apps and stuff it works, using the original alphax64 files. So far it looks cool and works like a charm. Gonna put some games back on then update with the results.

What im running is vista x64 with Sp1, 4GB ram on a pentium dualcore E6850@3.6Ghz.

.net framework 3.5 downloaded from microsoft site(did it whilst putting all the crap back on as i knew I'd need it).

72001 and Ryan thanks for your hard work this is going to be one very nice app.

Apprentice

ryoran109

Posted
Posted
I believe the error is occuring when The class is trying to make ready the information for the List View.

I have added 2 additional try catch's to the loading routine for the class when a attempt is made to acess the GDF_XML property. It will try and get the XML from the GDF Binary and then try the GameExe. If neither have a GDF XML Section the GDF_XML Property will simply just be blank. If a Icon or BoxArt cannot be determined a SafeImg with a TAG of FAIL will be loaded but I think that as soon as the class picks up the Legacy flag it will use the Rollback registry provider to get the information and it will load as expected without the XML ofcourse.

I made it so when a game like this is encountered progamatically that what occurs is that the Legacy Information will be ready using private class functions and it will manually build the required data from the registry and return a compatible object, so In short migrating from a legacy game to a new GDF Style game via the new GDF wil be very easy and there should be little problems after we sort this little hiccup out.

Attached is the Alpha which should be working as expected. If a game does not have any XML properties visible It is because I have missed that conversion value in the compatibility routine I wrote in so please ensure that you guys do document that as a bug.

Hopefully that is all it was.

I will await your response.

Same thing happened: First window worked, second didn't open/crashed on close of the first window.

Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted
I noticed that too. And the calendar for the release date section doesn't work.

Hope we aren't being too bitchy. :p

Not at all. ;)

So to confirm, Everyone is all functional now?

And besides spelling errors there seem to be no problems?

Im gonna give this about 2 weeks of being posted before I work further this was eveyone has ample time to find stuff wrong. (including spelling)

You guys make up the list and I will add the features/fix the bugs.

I appreciate all of the work you guys are doing!!!

Neowinian

TheQuad

Posted
Posted

Hey there, I'm new to the forums but I've been following this project with much anticipation for a long time. I ran your latest alpha, and I noticed something curious. Currently, the only game I have under the GE other than the defaults is Jade Empire, which is a recognized game that is added automatically. When I run the editor, the first window will show up, but the second window only shows up after closing the first. However, if I add a shortcut for a game that is not automatically recognized, you know without boxart and rating and only showing the icon, the alpha runs, but it crashes after closing the first window, instead of showing the second screen as before. Something to check on.

Apprentice

schis

Posted
Posted (edited)
So to confirm, Everyone is all functional now?

And besides spelling errors there seem to be no problems?

It would appear that it works fine until a game is added that is not automatically added by internet download (legacy game) or a game that is a "game for windows" ie written for the VGE. When you do add such a game it shuts down at the time it tries to open the second window and give the standard error. (heh so i may not have needed to reinstall windows but a cleanout is always good).

What I have tried:

added a "game for windows game" (assassins creed and rainbow six vegas 2) no other games app loads fine.

added a "downloaded info (legacy) game" (gothic 3 and oblivion) no other games app loads fine.

added all of the above games app loads fine.

added icon for game (halflife 2 - steam) app crashes

added "game for windows game" (assassins creed) and icon for game (halflife 2 - steam) app crashes

added "downloaded info (legacy) game" (oblivion) and icon for game (halflife 2 - steam) app crashes

added all three "game for windows game" (assassins creed), "downloaded info (legacy) game" (oblivion) and icon for game (halflife 2 - steam) app crashes.

Just tried it with CoD 4 that although is recent does not add anything to the VGE but does have a spangly 256x256 nice coloured icon and when added causes app to crash.

Have not got round to looking at spelling etc but at a quick glance would be nice for the age ratings to be put in plain english rather than trying to work out the one for your country - very minor ease of use point.

Also quick question I have icons for all the legacy games, by that i mean 256x256 full colour icons. Will it be possible to use those instead of a box shot?

I'll get round to trying a bit more later.

Schis

Edited by schis
Apprentice

schis

Posted
Posted

Have done a little more testing what I have discovered is below:

Online Game Information

Publisher spelt wrong (Publiser).

Publisher URL spelt wrong (Publiser URL).

Developer URL is set in (has space before Developer).

Content Descriptors spelt wrong (Conent Descriptors).

Release date - can choose date before search for game but not after (if this is correct function of the calender why make it selectable at all?).

All text areas can be right clicked for menu which shows more than required (ie copy/paste if required at all).

WMI Interface tester

Could not see any spelling mistakes. ;)

Installed Crysis which shows in wmi provided games but change to large icon and get large icon not what is seen in the VGE ie nice graphic.

Can select Crysis in wmi provided games but then selects another when go to a different tab. So far only happens with Crysis (even after restart of comp).

I will try adding a couple of other games that utilise VGE to see if any are the same as Crysis (Assassins Creed and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 work as they should do).

Schis

Community Regular

72001

Posted
Posted (edited)

TheQuad, Thank you for that obserevation. I will have to write in a routine to handle unsupported games (with no box art or icon). This will be done asap.

schis, Thank you for your testing so far!

I already have the logic built into use the 256x256 icon if no GDF_THUMBNAIL is found in the GDFBinary or the GameExe (if not the same as the GDFBinary)

I will make sure I address that list promptly.

As far as the Crysis issue can you please elaborate more? I have Crysis installed and do not experience any of the problems you seem to be experiencing.

Would you mind posting up some screen shots of what is occuring, and the RAW XML for Crysis so I can compare it to mine.

Thanks!

ryoran109, I will have to look further into the RegKey you sent, It is probaly a problem similar to what TheQuad had observed. I will have to write a routine to first detect the non supported games and try to get their resources. If their resources are unavailable or not found then they will have to use their default icons and some kind of Fail Image for when things go wrong and can't be found.

KzBao, Post up a export of your HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameUX registry Key and all of it's Subkeys. I will review it over and see if I can make a determination.

I will let this go for a few more days to see if anything is found with the other functionality such as what schis is experiencing.

Thank you all for your help thus far and hopefully soon we can get all these small bugs knocked out and the full app released!!!

Edited by 72001
Apprentice

schis

Posted
Posted
As far as the Crysis issue can you please elaborate more? I have Crysis installed and do not experience any of the problems you seem to be experiencing.

Would you mind posting up some screen shots of what is occuring, and the RAW XML for Crysis so I can compare it to mine.

Yeah sorry I didn't explain myself at all well there so heres the understandable explanation.

The icon/picture shown on the WMI Provided Games is always the icon just enlarged as per these two screenies:

view style Tile

WMI01.jpg

view style Large Icon

WMI02.jpg

The icon can be selected but then when another tab is selected nothing is displayed, or if another icon was clicked on first then all the info for that game would be displayed and not the crysis info.

ie only crysis clicked on:

WMI03.jpg

or The witcher icon clicked first and then crysis icon chosen:

WMI04.jpg

I cannot give you the RAW XML as it doesnt display it unless you can tell me another way of getting at it.

I have 8 games that are "games for windows" and use the VGE and Crysis is the only one that does this.

Clear as mud but hope this helps.

Would you like me to uninstall crysis and then reinstall or stay as is at the moment?

Schis

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