Attract mode SHELL START !!!

[snupello]

I open the registry and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon, I create a new string, and then again right - the string value and call it Shell, double left click and insert the path to the frontend It closed everything and reboot ... but I attract mode goes wrong and crashes all !!! When i try to invoke attract mode to sheller it says that language files cannot be load !!! You can help me ?? thank you

[hermine.potter]

What do you want to do / what's your conception? Setting AM in autostart?
Screenshot please.

[progets]

Read this post http://forum.attractmode.org/index.php?topic=47.msg183#msg183

You need to write a .bat file or have to specify the AttractMode directory in the shell command with the "-c" switch.

[akafox]

if using windows you can use instasheller...well in windows XP anyway..

yeah the regedit trick might be the only way to do it in Vista and up..I hear they have made things like that a pita to do.

Basically you are replacing the windows shell with attractmode. Thus AM becomes your "desktop" for the computer GUI. It makes the UI hidden much better..looks better for dedicated game cabinets/machines...and sometimes eases up on the resources. The GUI can kill ram..AM might take less to run. That and you don't want to run the GUI and AM that just takes up more resources!

[snupello]

Hello !!
I can not fix this problem !!! HEL ME PLEASE !!

I enter the parameters into log file but WIN give me back this error: language files can not be load ..without being able use explorer

There are anyone who can give me, step by step a guide?  I used instant sheller but have,t solved the problem.

Thank you

[akafox]

If you are using a different version of windows other than Windows XP then instasheller may not not work right. Instasheller was made for win XP not for anything higher think. That might be what is causing your error.

Also if you are using Windows Vista and up..i'm sorry I can't help you there..I left windows back then.

[hermine.potter]

@snupello
delete / undo all your previous changes in registry (so you have an untouched windows again)
Have a look here. If attract.exe is set as start application in instant sheller, attract.exe won't found your settings of AM (attract.exe as set as in instant sheller, it searches in c:\document and settings\your_windows_account (winXP) or c:\windows\SysWOW64 (Win7) first and doesn't find settings in same/current folder). Why ever..

Try this (my attract-settings are : C:\attract\attract.exe):

01 ) download instant sheller

02 ) download .net-framework 1.1 and 2.0

03 ) install everything

04 ) create an extra windows-account

05 ) logon with this account

06 ) set this account to autologin (in registry):
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon => AutoAdminLogon => 1
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon => DefaultUserName => your_created_windows_account
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon => DefaultPassword => your_password_(if_set)

07 ) start InstantSheller.exe (set attract.exe as Shell to Execute, BootScreen and so on) > I am ready! Do it!
DO NOT RESTART WINDOWS

08 )
Create a batch-file like START.bat with this content:

Code: [Select]

@echo off
cd C:\attract
attract.exe

09) open windows registry / regedit

10 ) Have a look under COMPUTER\HKEY_USERS
There is a similar string :
computer\hkey_users\s-1-5-21-123456789whatever-123456789whatever-123456789whatever-500\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\winlogon

11 ) Edit shell REG_SZ from C:\attract\attract.exe to C:\attract\START.bat

(this is necessary, because instant sheller GUI only supports .exe files and not .bat (they are not selectable))

12 ) restart windows

Now attract.exe starts with your config and settings. All steps (especially instant sheller) works on WinXP and Win7 too

[snupello]

@snupello
delete / undo all your previous changes in registry (so you have an untouched windows again)
Have a look here. If attract.exe is set as start application in instant sheller, attract.exe won't found your settings of AM (attract.exe as set as in instant sheller, it searches in c:\document and settings\your_windows_account (winXP) or c:\windows\SysWOW64 (Win7) first and doesn't find settings in same/current folder). Why ever..

Try this (my attract-settings are : C:\attract\attract.exe):

01 ) download instant sheller

02 ) download .net-framework 1.1 and 2.0

03 ) install everything

04 ) create an extra windows-account

05 ) logon with this account

06 ) set this account to autologin (in registry):
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon => AutoAdminLogon => 1
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon => DefaultUserName => your_created_windows_account
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon => DefaultPassword => your_password_(if_set)

07 ) start InstantSheller.exe (set attract.exe as Shell to Execute, BootScreen and so on) > I am ready! Do it!
DO NOT RESTART WINDOWS

08 )
Create a batch-file like START.bat with this content:

Code: [Select]

@echo off
cd C:\attract
attract.exe

09) open windows registry / regedit

10 ) Have a look under COMPUTER\HKEY_USERS
There is a similar string :
computer\hkey_users\s-1-5-21-123456789whatever-123456789whatever-123456789whatever-500\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion\winlogon

11 ) Edit shell REG_SZ from C:\attract\attract.exe to C:\attract\START.bat

(this is necessary, because instant sheller GUI only supports .exe files and not .bat (they are not selectable))

12 ) restart windows

Now attract.exe starts with your config and settings. All steps (especially instant sheller) works on WinXP and Win7 too

Ok, fantastic guide !!! So i can solve the error for : "language files cannot be load" when start AM

[manzarek]

On windows 7 it only works with the .bat file, that annoying window opens before launching AT, Anyone know how to hide the .bat window?

[progets]

On windows 7 it only works with the .bat file, that annoying window opens before launching AT, Anyone know how to hide the .bat window?

Read my earlier post.

From my knowledge (I haven't tested recently or with the current version of AM) there really isn't a need for a .bat file to "cd" to the AM folder but you do need to tell AM the directory where your attract.cfg file is located with the "-c" switch when running attract.exe.

Make sure you backup everything involved and understand what Instant Sheller will do. That being said, this should work.

<path_to_AM>\attract.exe -c <path_to_AM>
example: C:\attract\attract.exe -c C:\attract

If your path has spaces in it you'll need to use quotes.

[manzarek]

Hi believe me I tried them all, always black screen, and a pity, a frontend as beautiful as AM should do like the others, with HyperSpin it works normally giving the path.

[toothlessgrinn]

mine is shelled.im using windows 7 and it works flawlessly... (except for the once in a blue moon layout crash.....)

goto regedit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
edit it from explorer.exe to (its my setting just change to fit yours) C:\am1\attract.exe -c C:am1
again its how mine is set up... hope it helps!!!

[manzarek]

thanks I'll try.

[czrsiNk]

Hey folks. I'm also trying without any success to get this to work.

My issue seems to be that even using the above Shell commands line, each time I restart my machine, it creates a new instance of the Attract Mode folder (I know those because I task man into Explorer and lo and behold, I have two Attract Mode folders). Here's my regedit entry

C:\Attract\attract.exe -c C:\Atrract

My folder (where Attract Mode is stored) is called Attract. I even got rid of the spaces (it used to be called Attract Man) in the folder name but still, no luck. I'm also using the Windows 10 Enterprise hack which means I boot straight into Attract Mode without seeing any Windows related screens.

Desperate for a working answer Thanks!

[czrsiNk]

Hey folks - I tried hermine.potter's method with a .bat file and it worked! OK so it's not ideal having the little DOS window come up but I can live it. For anyone else struggling with this, I highly recommend hermine.potter's post further up this thread. Thanks!

Note: I did this without using the shell creator program and used the Windows 10 Enterprise 'Locked Down' settings to prevent all the sign in and welcome screens from Windows showing after boot.