Guide Button Not Functioning Properly Without Explorer.exe

RetroArch Windows devices
#1

Hi,

I am using Windows 10 and I am not using explorer.exe as a shell. I have noticed that when pressing the Guide button on Xbox One controller when using RetroArch that netplay is started, virtual disc is ejected, and slow motion is toggled when explorer.exe is not running. Sometimes it just closes out whatever content I am currently playing. I tested it with explorer.exe running and it seems to work as intended and only toggles the menu. Is there a way to get the guide button to function correctly without explorer.exe running or can this be fixed in a future update for RetroArch?

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Scroll Lock starts unwanted services in MAME
#2

This doesn’t help you, but I found other mentions of this same issue:

#3

Is killing explorer.exe really necessary? Rather hide the taskbar with AutoHotkey.

#4

I have been having this problem for months now. I thought it front end was the culprit, I am running retrofe as a shell so the frontend loads as soon as I start up windows. The plan is to put this image into a bartop arcade. Just today I realized the issue is not the front end but retroarch itself. I hope a solution is found soon.

Sonninnos could you elaborate more on hiding the taskbar with autohotkey? Does it completely remove it as soon as you boot up windows? The reason I use shell mode is because you do not see any trace of windows, you just get a black screen and from there it loads up the front end. People have no idea what I am running. If I set my front end to just launch from the start up folder, it is noticeably slower and the task bar is shown for a few seconds before launching the front end. Shell mode is much better.

#5

The script does what you want when you want. I’m not sure if it can be started so soon that the tray never appears even for a millisecond on boot. I use it for more immersive wireless couch action.

Use this for hiding:

WinSet, Transparent, 0, ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd

And this for restoring:

WinSet, Transparent, 255, ahk_class Shell_TrayWnd

https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/WinSet.htm#Transparent

The AHK tray icon has a handy “Window Spy”, which allows getting the required window title and class for any program.

#6

unfortunately the task bar shows using that method and I am already used to not seeing it.

I did find out that this issue goes away if you enable Game Focus mode within Retroarch.

Maybe the developers can allow users that do not use explorer.exe an option to enable Game Focus mode automatically in retroarch.

I will keep trying to see if there is an autohotkey that could be launched that triggers the Game Focus hotkey for me automatically. I do use Rocketlauncher so maybe that can help me.

#7

I found a workaround. The problem is that Guide button will run any blank keyboard input. Go to the Hotkeys settings, and assign any generic key (like backslash) to all the blank functions. It worked for me.

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#8

waaaat?? Oh man, that’s very valuable information. Great find, and thanks for sharing! We may be able to actually track it down now lol

1 Like