Error with desktop shortcuts in Windows 7

[zhebrica]

I know how to create a shortcut to a ScummVM game in Vista, but when I try to do the same on my girlfriend's computer, which is running Windows 7 64-bit, I get an error message. It briefly displays in the console window, so fast that I can't read the whole thing, but part of it is "Can't load [something] font!" and then it closes without running the game.

If I open ScummVM and launch any game from there, it works perfectly. So do I need to put something different in the target line? This is what I have, using Freddi Fish 1 as an example:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -f -pc:\dosgames\ff1\ freddi-win

[KuroShiro]

I know how to create a shortcut to a ScummVM game in Vista, but when I try to do the same on my girlfriend's computer, which is running Windows 7 64-bit, I get an error message. It briefly displays in the console window, so fast that I can't read the whole thing, but part of it is "Can't load [something] font!" and then it closes without running the game.

If I open ScummVM and launch any game from there, it works perfectly. So do I need to put something different in the target line? This is what I have, using Freddi Fish 1 as an example:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -f -pc:\dosgames\ff1\ freddi-win

You don't need the path information, as long as the game's been added in ScummVM. All you need to add to the shortcut is the game's ID. So: "C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe freddi-win" will work (assuming that's the correct target).

[bobdevis]

You forgot a space between the arguments and the path.
C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -f -p c:\dosgames\ff1\ freddi-win

[zhebrica]

You don't need the path information, as long as the game's been added in ScummVM. All you need to add to the shortcut is the game's ID. So: "C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe freddi-win" will work (assuming that's the correct target).

Both ways work on my Vista machine. On the Win 7 machine, neither works.

C:\Program Files (x86)\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -f -p c:\dosgames\ff1\ freddi-win

It works with or without the space in Vista. Again, in Win 7, it does not work either way.

I tried running the game from the command line to get a better look at the error message I've been getting. Here it is:

Code: Select all

User picked target 'freddi-win' (gameid 'freddi')...
Looking for a plugin supporting this gameid... SCUMM Engine [allgames]
Starting 'Freddi Fish 1: The Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds'
SCUMM::Font: Couldn't load any font!

Apparently it can find the game (or it wouldn't know the full title), but this "Couldn't load any font" error is stopping it from running. Why do I only get this error when running from a shortcut or the command line, and why only in Windows 7?

[Collector]

Try dropping the "-win"

[KuroShiro]

Try dropping the "-win"

No, if it displays the information on the game name then the target is correct.

Did you try making a shortcut to a different game with the same error? If so, that is really weird cause I'm running Win7 64 bit as well, and the shortcuts work fine. It's not very likely, but you might try to run the command line as an admin to see if that changes anything (Accessories, right click on command prompt, run as administrator).

[Collector]

Try dropping the "-win"

No, if it displays the information on the game name then the target is correct.

No, mine does not, even though it is a Windows game. He is just trying to make a shortcut, not add it to the games listed. He could add it through the GUI to get the ID and use that for his shortcut.

[zhebrica]

I was having the problem with several games that I tried. I tried the suggestion of removing -win from the game ID with Freddi Fish 2 (which was freddi2-win by default), and after that I was actually able to make a working shortcut. However, the same trick did not work with Freddi Fish 1 for some reason. For a few other games, the problem seemed to be that the platform was set to 'Windows' instead of 'Default', and when I changed them to 'Default', they worked.

I never really figured out what the problem was with FF1. I fiddled with it in every way I could imagine, and eventually it stopped running even from within the GUI. Then just for the hell of it, I removed it from ScummVM and re-added it. What do you know -- when I made a shortcut for it, it worked, even though the ID was still the default freddi-win. I don't know why it didn't work in the first place.

Long story short, all the games are working and have functional shortcuts now. I appreciate all the suggestions even though we didn't quite get to the bottom of the problem.

[Gianthogweed]

It's not working for me either. I'm trying it on windows 8.1 32 bit for monkey island with the line

"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" - p "c:\dos\SOMI\"

and it doesn't work i also tried

"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" - p "c:\dos\SOMI\"

and

"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" - p "c:\dos\SOMI\monkey1"

and
"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" - p "c:\dos\SOMI\monkey1.exe"

both with and without the parenthesis. I've tried with and with the space in front of the p. I've also tried with -f and without the -f. And I've tried on a windows 7 64 bit machine. I can't seem to get the windows shortcuts to work at all on scummvm.

[mudpuppy]

I can't seem to get the windows shortcuts to work at all on scummvm.

In the ScummVM readme they give this example:

Running Monkey Island, fullscreen, from a hard disk:
C:\Games\LucasArts\scummvm.exe -f -pC:\Games\LucasArts\monkey\ monkey

So if the folder with your game files is C:\dos\somi try
"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -p C:\dos\SOMI\ monkey

or if you want full screen, add the -f
"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -f -p C:\dos\SOMI\ monkey

Be sure to leave a space before monkey. Or it may be monkey1, but try it without the 1 on the end first since that's what's in the Readme. You're not providing a path to the game executable. ScummVM doesn't use the game executable. Instead you give the path to where the game files are, and then Scumm's name for the game.

The space before or after the "p" doesn't matter.
You don't need quotes around the path unless there is a space (like between Program and Files in "C:\Program Files").
However if you do use quotes, make sure you don't include the monkey in the quotes. The name monkey is not part of the path.

[Gianthogweed]

I can't seem to get the windows shortcuts to work at all on scummvm.

In the ScummVM readme they give this example:

Running Monkey Island, fullscreen, from a hard disk:
C:\Games\LucasArts\scummvm.exe -f -pC:\Games\LucasArts\monkey\ monkey

So if the folder with your game files is C:\dos\somi try
"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -p C:\dos\SOMI\ monkey

or if you want full screen, add the -f
"C:\Program Files\ScummVM\scummvm.exe" -f -p C:\dos\SOMI\ monkey

Be sure to leave a space before monkey. Or it may be monkey1, but try it without the 1 on the end first since that's what's in the Readme. You're not providing a path to the game executable. ScummVM doesn't use the game executable. Instead you give the path to where the game files are, and then Scumm's name for the game.

The space before or after the "p" doesn't matter.
You don't need quotes around the path unless there is a space (like between Program and Files in "C:\Program Files").
However if you do use quotes, make sure you don't include the monkey in the quotes. The name monkey is not part of the path.

Ah thank you, that worked, I guess I'm too used to dosbox. I guess my only question is, how do you know what scumm's name for the game is then?

edit:

nvm, i think i found the list

[digitall]

"./scummvm --list-games" will list the game ids known to the scummvm build.