#4393·Playnite

Option to not parse .lnk files by default during auto scan

Author: PimpOfSuneCreated Sep 16, 2026Updated Sep 17, 2026

Sorry, I'm a bit all over the place "thanks" to bad cold, so the suggestion will be a bit too complex to understand for its importance. Will hold no grudge if this will get closed until I'll be able to express my thoughts more coherently. Also. sorry if it's a duplicate request. Searching properly and bad cold do not mix...


Use case:

  1. I "source" some antique game packaged with some very specific middleware tailored exactly for it. In my specific case, it's some old Flash game which is known to have quite a temper, refusing to work with some emulators.
  2. I copy its folder, complete with .lnk files preconfigured by package creators, to my local games library.
  3. I use Scan Automatically on game package's folder.
  4. I select needed .lnk file as a game defining file (both used for Play action and for preliminary game's "card" filling in PlayNite's Library).
  5. I run the game through PlayNite's Play action. 5.1. The game closes itself. Although it's supposed to run mighty fine.
  6. I remove ARGUMENTS from Play action and fill PATH with exact path to .lnk file instead of PlayNite parsed content. 6.1. The game works PERFECTLY.

Now, the problematic .lnk points to %windir%\system32\cmd.exe /c "yaddayadda\runme.bat"

PlayNite is parsing it as: PATH %windir%\system32\cmd.exe ARGUMENTS /c "yaddayadda\runme.bat"

Whatever happens in runme.bat is basically a two-string invocation like cd "flashloader" start "startflashloader" "flashplayer_10_3r183_90_win_sa.exe" ".\Game.swf" which may or may not run some other stuff woth Game.swf and/or startflashloader script. And, for some reason, fails when invoked by Playnite parsed Play action. Couldn't bear myself to check ALL chain of events on better days, sorry.

In any other day, I'd sit on horse (our local proverb) and start assembling a multipage bug report on how .lnk parsing breaks such stacking dolls and why it's very important for us gamers stuck with bad laptops and games from nineties. However, here and now I only can think about an alternative: "hey! maybe there should be an option to NOT fully parse .lnk content into Play action and to link to .lnk file instead?"

You don't have to debug this bloody stacking doll. You don't have to debug any other stacking dolls of this kind. Especially if this option will gonna be enabled by default (ergo, run the .lnk file as Play action, do NOT parse .lnk file EVER for importing local games with it). Everyone happy and/or noone notices but also noone complains.

Thank you in advance and, once again, sorry for this hodge-podge above.