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Author Topic: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)  (Read 1962 times)

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unclet

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I believe I understand exactly how to set up MameWah1.62b9 to launch PCGames which are "fully installed on my harddrive".  Simply create shortcuts (ie: LNK files) to each game EXE and then set up MameWah to generate a gamelist using the LNK extension, then finally have MameWah execute the selected PCGame by using the "PC" tag in the "emulator_commandline" setting.

This is fine for games which are completely installed on my harddrive and which are started by selecting the related EXE file on the harddrive.

However, how does one start a CD game from MameWah which is started immediately when the CD is mounted via Daemon Tools?  Basically, when the CD is placed in a CD-Rom, then the game starts right up ..... how can I get these type CD games to work in MameWah.

I generated an ISO of the disc and this ISO file is on my harddrive, but I can not figure out how to configure MameWah to start games like this since I really do not need to have a LNK file to start this game so the "PC" tag in MameWah does not seem to be required.

Any ideas?

jcrouse

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 ;D

John

unclet

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Yes, you are taunting me ........ I hope you can sleep at night   >:D

jcrouse

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The more I taunt the better I sleep. My doctor said not to keep it inside but to let it out.

John

Helmgar

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Have you tried writing a wrapper using a program like AutoHotkey to Launch Daemon Tools (launcing Daemon tools may be uneccesary), unmount any cd image that may be mounted, then mount the appropriate cd image. Then you could just create a shortcut to run that script.

unclet

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I tried to place the Daemon Tools command for mounting and unmounting in a BAT file, then set up a LNK to that BAT file, but I could never find the correct syntax to use in the BAT file.

I tried the following command in the BAT file for mounting:

C:\Program Files\DaemonTools\daemon -mount 0, "C:\PC Games\[mygame].iso"

... but I get a "C:\Program" can not be found error.


I then rapped the first part in quotes like the following:

"C:\Program Files\DaemonTools\daemon" -mount 0, "C:\PC Games\[mygame].iso"

... and that did not work since it complained about the "mount" text now.


Anyway, I tried a bunch stuff (including using the START, CMD, /WAIT, etc.. command line commands) but no combination seems to work.

Here is the information which I have.   Can someone tell me how to produce a BAT file which would work:


my game location = C:\PC Games\[mygame].iso
Daemon Tools location = C:\Program Files\DaemonTools\daemon

I guess the BAT file does not need to have the "unmount" command in it since I can set up MameWah "post-emulator command line" to do this ..... however, if there is a way to have all commands located in the BAT file, then that would be great.


PS:  Is creating a BAT file the real way to solve my problem (which is trying to get MameWah setup to launch a PCGame which starts immediately when mounting the CD occurs only......)

Is there a way Daemon Tools can mount a CD but not execute the Setup.exe file on the disk which actually makes the CD start)?   This way I could mount the CD and know it will not start automatically, then simply have a LNK to the actual game EXE to start it.   I looked through Daemon Tools application and could not find any setting to indicate how to do this ...



« Last Edit: May 11, 2006, 01:39:05 pm by unclet »

liquid8

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daemontools is not what is autorunning your cd, it's the windows autorun feature that is doing that. It just so happens that you have "inserted a cd" when you mount it, therefore, Windows does its autorun just like if you would insert an actual cd.

Here is an article on disabling autorun:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article03-018

Regarding running it from Mamewah, you should be able to create a .bat file that can mount the cd, then run the executable.

Just out of curiosity, what are you trying to play, that doesn't need to be installed? :)


Howard_Casto

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Just out of curiosity, what are you trying to play, that doesn't need to be installed? :)

A better question would be what are you trying to run that doesn't require install and yet you can't simply copy to the harddrive (like the digitla leisure games)?  If you have installed the game but it requires the cd to run that isn't an issue either.  I've yet to find a game that doesn't have a no cd hack floating around. 

unclet

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Thanks for the link .... I will look into turning off Auto-Run on my PC.

I was told holding down the "Shift" key while inserting a CD would disable Auto-Run for that CD ..... and I was hoping that Daemon Tools had some setting which would mirror this functionailty, rather than me having to turn of Auto-Run altogether .... oh well.

I also read somewhere that after selecting the "Properties" associated with a CD-ROM drive icon, I could select the Autoplay Tab and simply turn it off, however, if I use Daemon tools to mount the disk then it creates a "new" CD-ROM drive on my system, so it seems I can not set the Autoplay tab setting manually since the drive does not exist currently.


Anyway, I have multiple "You Dont Know Jack" CDs which are already installed, but require the CD to be in the CD-Rom to be executed.   I created ISO images of these CDs so I can have the image on my harddrive only which could be mounted (ie: inserted) with Daemon Tools.  I never said the CD program did "not" have to be installed, but rather I had a problem setting up MameWah to recognize that the disc starts automatically ....

I guess if I have to turn off Auto-Run completely, then I will do that .... I guess it really is not that big of a deal...

Thanks for the information
« Last Edit: May 11, 2006, 05:23:25 pm by unclet »

liquid8

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understood, in that case, here are the command line options for daemon tools. Again, you would have to create a .bat file that will mount/unmount the cd, before running the executable, something like:

runcd.bat

Code: [Select]

daemon.exe -mount 0,"c:\My Images\YDKJ.cue".
c:\My Games\YDKJ\YDKJ.exe
daemon.exe -unmount 0

For some newer games, however, you'll still need to follow Howards advice on No CD cracks.


Also, here's a quote about autorun and daemon tools:

>>>>>>>>
The only way I found to disable and enable autorun from a command line switch was to install BTEWin. It is a powerfull scripting interpreter that has loads more commands than you can use in normal batch files such as autorun on/off and all daemon tools commands as well. When you have made your script you can then turn it into a neat little exe file which will then work on any PC regardless of weither BTEWin is installed on it although if you want this feature then you have to download the previous version as it has been disabled in the latest version.

BTEWin is freeware and can be found on the Daemon Tools download page for third party tools and if it hasn't been changed yet then it should be the version that supports making exe files. If you want the latest version you will have to go to the VDesk & BTEWIN homepage.

>>>>>>>>



Daemon Tools Command Line Switces

-lock
used to lock the DLL operation to be sure no unauthorized program can load daemon.dll and use its functions. Used mainly in autostart (if 'Autolock' option is enabled), but can be used in command line too. Unlocking can be done from Virtual DAEMON manager or other GUI that is currently running. Note that locking has no effect on DAEMON Manager itself or other programs which have been 'authorized' by us to use the DLL.

-noicon
this option is used to prevent DAEMON Tools from creating a taskbar icon. It has no effect if DAEMON manager is already running or you specified another command (except 'lock') in the command line! DAEMON manager automatically exits after command is executed and does not create taskbar icon.

-mount
allows mounting images from command line (or shortcut).
Syntax is: -mount <n>,<path>
where 'n' means DVD-ROM device number ('0' - '3' allowed) and 'path' is the full path to the image file.
Example: daemon.exe -mount 0,"c:\My Images\nameofimage.cue".
Do not forget to set the path in quotes if it contains spaces!

-unmount
allows unmounting images from command line.
Syntax is: -unmount <n>
where 'n' means DVD-ROM device number ('0' - '3' allowed)

-safedisc ?
allows turning Safedisc emulation on/off from command line.
'-safedisc on' enables emulation, '-safedisc off' disables it

-securom ?
allows turning Securom emulation on/off from command line.
'-securom on' enables emulation, '-securom off' disables it

-laserlok ?
allows turning Laserlock emulation on/off from command line.
'-laserlok on' enables emulation, '-laserlok off' disables it.

-rmps ?
allows turning RMPS emulation on/off from command line.
'-rmps on' enables emulation, '-rmps off' disables it.


unclet

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Re: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2006, 09:22:20 pm »
IT seems like "TweakUI.exe" will do exactly what I need.

It allows you to turn off AutoPlay for any CD-Rom drive via a nice GUI
(rather than messing with registry settings).   It also lets you turn off
AutoPlay for CD-Rom drives which do not even exist yet ..... (ie: CD-Roms
drive letters which have not been mounted to yet).

Howard_Casto

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Re: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2006, 10:41:18 pm »
I've got the ydkj games and I don't run them with a cd.  Because they are so old, they are some of the easiest to crack.  Most just require a registry merge file. 

unclet

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Re: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2006, 11:11:48 pm »
I just created ISO files for each disk and start them easily know that mounting a CD no longer starts them automatically ..... 

Howard_Casto

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Re: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)
« Reply #13 on: May 13, 2006, 02:50:06 am »
Mind you I understand that, but you are doing it the round about way.  While that may work for some of the jack games, most games won't run (easily) straight from the cd.... it's best to install it to the hd, get a nocd crack and then you can ditch the disc and isos.  For many of the jack games you can just copy the contents of the cd to a folder... it's as simple as that!

unclet

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Re: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)
« Reply #14 on: May 13, 2006, 08:01:42 am »
I looked at the site for CD cracks and they did not have all my discs in there.    They only had a few YDKJ discs anyway .... I have 7 YDKJ CDs now ..... 

I will keep what you said in mind if I decide to add anymore PCGames ....

liquid8

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Re: MameWah vs PCGames (I understand about the LNK files, however ....)
« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2006, 02:11:24 pm »
megagames has 1-4, and gamecopyworld has 2-6...