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Unable to open applications even after extracting

A topic by MagicaRen created Mar 29, 2024 Views: 3,177 Replies: 6

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Hello, the title makes the problem quite obvious... But I'll go into further detail.

Recently, I've downloaded a few games (made with renpy) and before I could play them just fine. But for some very odd reason a week or two ago all of a sudden I couldn't open the applications at all!

This only happened with apps made with renpy and I'm confused on what happened. None of the files had been changed, nor has anything happened with my operating system (windows 10). I tried restarting and a couple other methods (like command prompts) thinking that's why I couldn't open it but the problem still persists! I've also tried un-installing and re-installing the games but that doesn't work either.

EDIT: After deleting the files AGAIN and re-downloading and unzipping them all I can finally play the games. I don't know why my PC is suddenly able to open them but I'm just glad I can finally enjoy my games.

EDIT: 3/8/25 so after a YEAR of trying to figure this out i realized that windows (or ren'py) becomes an absolute bitch and i have to keep the game file on the desktop or else it just... won't run. so now i kinda just have to keep all the VN folders i have on my desktop because if i place them in my gaming folder/any other folder the game just won't run at all. which really fucking sucks but y'know not much i can do there. i also learned that some of my game folder files just went missing/got deleted 'randomly' rendering the entire game unplayable, so now i have to keep backup versions of all the zip files... hurray?

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Salbei (Inactive)1 year ago (1 edit)

I am not accustomed with Ren'Py, so I only did a quick Google Search. If someone knows more about it, feel free to give an answer.

Going from what you described about your system not having changed (I assume no settings and drivers included), the only things I found so far are these:

- The games can have different rendering, and you can launch the settings when holding down the 'Shift' key while launching the game.

- If you have an individual GPU, you can try going into the Windows Graphic Settings / your GPU Control Panel and select the corresponding Game .exe to use either the default or individual GPU.

- Did you set the games into Full Screen? I found something in a steam discussion that talks about this issue: https://steamcommunity.com/app/398980/discussions/0/496881136912317915/?l=polish

Maybe this will help you.

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hechelion1 year ago

It's strange, try restarting your Windows (Windows 10 by default does not turn off, it only suspends itself, so you must force a "restart" from the shutdown button).

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MagicaRen1 year ago

I've tried restarting my Windows but that doesn't work either.

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redonihunter1 year ago

I couldn't open the applications at all

What an elaborate description. What do you mean, you could not open the apps? Literally. What does this mean?

Is there an error message? What do you mean with installing?! 99.9% of all renpy games are unzip and run, there is no "installing". Are you using the itch app? Do you use sandbox mode? What does your taskmanager say about the app status? Is it running, failing silently, hogging ressources, not reacting, and so on. Do you have error files in the game folders. Were the files quarantined by your system.

Also, you are on windows, how do you know your system did not change? For one, there is malware on itch. A lot. Just yesterday I saw things that were sitting around as a time bomb since last year. And then there is windows updates, and those can include drivers.

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MagicaRen1 year ago

By not open the apps, I mean that when I click on the application it does not open. No error message whatsoever too for some reason. When I said installing, I meant that even when I unzip and try to run the games it doesn't work. I don't use the itch app, nor do I use sandbox mode. Taskmanager doesn't register the app as active when I try to open it. No error files in the game folders (I checked rigorously) and they weren't quarantined by my system.

I actually went over to check if the game worked on other PC's and it did, and from the games files there's nothing that'd be considered a virus. And I haven't updated windows at all.

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redonihunter1 year ago

You do not need to update windows these days. It does so automatically. So might your graphics driver.

It should open and write a log.txt regardless. If it can't even do that, maybe it can't because of no write permission or because it does not find it's own folder.

Did you try the shift method? Press shift, hold shift, click right on the exe, select open, wait a bit, then release shift.

You can try starting the games by using the sdk of renpy. Or maybe the sdk would tell you, if anything is making problems on your system.

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