Cannot get game shutdown screen to work correctly

[joelkolb]

First off let me say that I have the Windows command shell (cmd.exe) set up as an emulator in LaunchBox with '/c start "" /wait' as the default command line parameters. I use this as the default emulator for all my Windows games (including Steam), to launch each game's main exe. This creates an instance of the command shell that starts the game and stays running in the background until the game is closed. By using this method I can use the "Running Script" section of the emulator settings to have a common running script for all my Windows games. This has been working perfectly for all my Windows games until now.

I use startup and shutdown screens for all my games. I have recently added "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge" to my LaunchBox. I can get it to run fine with my CMD emulator, but the shutdown screen will not work right. When I exit the game I end up right back in LaunchBox or Big Box without any shutdown screen showing. The only way I can get it to show is if I enable "Hide All Windows that are not in Exclusive Fullscreen Mode". But when I do that I get a black screen and I can hear the game but I can't it see, but if I hit Alt+F4 to exit the game the shutdown screen shows. I do have the game set to run in exclusive fullscreen mode. If I have LaunchBox run the game directly without an emulator I can get the shutdown screen to show without enabling "Hide All Windows that are not in Exclusive Fullscreen Mode" so the game shows like it's supposed to, but then I lose the ability to have a running script. This is the first and only game I've had this problem with. I hope there is a way to get everything working the way I would like.

[joelkolb]

Here are the emulator details and associated platforms screens.

[joelkolb]

Anybody?

[Snyder]

Hi, sorry for necroing this topic (I don't know if it is allowed or not).
I came here through a google search and have the exact same problem.

I have Mass Effect Legendary Edition (MELE) and it starts a launcher where you can start one of the games from the series.
BUT the shutdown screen does not work unless I enable "Hide All Windows that are not in Exclusive Fullscreen Mode" and just as you I cannot see the launcher then.
I suspect that the MELE launcher does not run in full screen exclusive mode and thus is hidden behind Big Box - which might also be the problem in your case.

After a lot of testing I found a solution using AutoHotkey (AHK) as an emulator for Windows games and pointing to the following AHK script as the "ROM file"

#Persistent
#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
#SingleInstance
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%  ; Ensures a consistent starting directory.

; Run game and wait for it to close
Run, "CHANGE ME TO YOUR FULL PATH TO GAME EXE FILE"
WinWait, Change me to the window name of the game; e.g. Mass Effect Launcher
WinActivate
WinSet, AlwaysOnTop
WinWaitClose

; End script
ExitApp
return

(Also attached)

Change the lines where I've written "change to something, somehting" ☺️

Hope it helps (and it has not been answered in another thread and I don't break any rules by necroing)
BR

name_me_something.ahk