UI Elements lost when creating standalone exe from Microsoft Minesweeper Game

[skywind3000]

I was trying to create a standalone exe file from Win7's Minesweeper game:
https://github.com/skywind3000/support/ ... weeper.zip

However, the UI elements such as Main menu, buttons were lost.

Image1: original Minesweeper


Image2: Minesweeper standalone created by Enigma Virtual Box


The title and main menu are missing in the second image.

This happens not only in Minesweeper, but also in ALL the Microsoft card games from Windows 7

Like the Heart game (click to see the screen captures below):

• https://skywind3000.github.io/images/bl ... Heart1.jpg

• https://skywind3000.github.io/images/bl ... Heart2.jpg

I don't know if the issue is releated to ".exe.mui" files? Maybe Enigma Virtual Box can't handle them correctly
And all the applications using ".exe.mui" files will loss their UI ?

I want to port all the microsoft card games from Windows 7 to my Windows 10, and I don't want to loss my UI,
please help.

[Enigma]

Hi, we have tested the files, thank you for useful example.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find quick fix of this issue.

You are right, it is related to mui files. Virtualization of other files, except mui, works well.

This issue is known as a new one and added to our fix list.

[skywind3000]

Understood, thx for your reply
Please let me know if it get fixed someday.

[Enigma]

Hi, happy to inform that this issue is fixed now and Virtual Box now support packing of MUI files.

Please contact us at support@enigmaprotector.com, we will send you fixed version.

[skywind3000]

Thanks, I've tested it and found two issues:

1) The generated executable filename must be minesweeper.exe,
If I change it to a new name, the .mui file will not be loaded.

Is it possible to have a different name?

2) If the boxed executable files contains ".mui" files in it, it will always create new tmp files in the %TEMP% folder each time it runs.

The old boxed file I generated before (no ".mui" files) will also create tmp files in the %TEMP% folder, but it will try to reuse the old tmp file
if existing when I started it more than once. While the new boxed file will generate 100 tmp files if I run it 100 times.

It would be perfect if these two issues can be fixed.

[Enigma]

1) The generated executable filename must be minesweeper.exe,
If I change it to a new name, the .mui file will not be loaded.

Is it possible to have a different name?

This is not our limitation, same happen with non packed file also.
If you rename non packed file, it will behave the same. That's because file is looking for mui file that matches the name of .exe file.
If you still want to rename packed file, you need to rename .mui files too, to match the name of new packed file name.
Hope this makes sense.

2) If the boxed executable files contains ".mui" files in it, it will always create new tmp files in the %TEMP% folder each time it runs.

The old boxed file I generated before (no ".mui" files) will also create tmp files in the %TEMP% folder, but it will try to reuse the old tmp file
if existing when I started it more than once. While the new boxed file will generate 100 tmp files if I run it 100 times.

This is not an issue, this is required functionality. Old temp files are being removed automatically on file start. Temp files do not contain any information, they are just dummy and required for stable work of packed file.
You may try to disable option "Map executable files with temporary file", but it is risky to reduce file stability.

[skywind3000]

This is not our limitation, same happen with non packed file also.
If you rename non packed file, it will behave the same. That's because file is looking for mui file that matches the name of .exe file.
If you still want to rename packed file, you need to rename .mui files too, to match the name of new packed file name.
Hope this makes sense.

This is totally unexpected for me, I assume that the internal files are not visible to external users, which includes their filenames and whether they include .mui files. So there should be no impact from the externally packaged filename on the internal program behaviors.

Because the term 'Virtual Box' implies a clear separation between the internal and external elements.

It seems peculiar that the behavior of the internal files could be influenced by the external environment.

BTW: I have another standalone minesweeper created as a 7-zip self-extracting file, it allows user to rename the packed filename as they like, no matter it contains .mui files or not. But it will write a lot files in my %TEMP% everytime it runs.

his is not an issue, this is required functionality. Old temp files are being removed automatically on file start. Temp files do not contain any information, they are just dummy and required for stable work of packed file.
You may try to disable option "Map executable files with temporary file", but it is risky to reduce file stability.

Glad to know this option.

[Enigma]

BTW: I have another standalone minesweeper created as a 7-zip self-extracting file, it allows user to rename the packed filename as they like, no matter it contains .mui files or not. But it will write a lot files in my %TEMP% everytime it runs.

This is totally incorrect to compare Virtual Box and self-extracted archive. Self-extracted one just extracts all the files you've packed to disk and run the game, nothing more. Name of the container .exe file does not matter in this case, since the original game is extracted to disk.

Virtual Box emulates in memory all the files. Minesweeper's main exe files and MUI files are tied from each other, MUI files should have the same name as main .exe file + .mui extension. This is how Multilingual User Interface (MUI) files are working. If you rename main .exe files, but keep the name of mui files same - it won't work, mui files should be renames same as main .exe file. This is not a bug or a limitation of Virtual Box, this is how MUI files are working, this is how Minesweeper application works.

If you wish your packed file to be renamed to, let's say "Minesweeper_custom.exe", then you need to rename all mui files to Minesweeper_custom.exe.mui, then pack the application. This way it will work.