FF8_Loader not working

[F_style]

Hi all. New member here...

Well, I was told about FF8_Loader, and I was willing of test it since FF8 is one of my favorite games ever, because I wanted to relive it once more but by simply running the game (using the FF8.exe) always crashes, don't know why. I'm on Windows Vista Home Premium x86, downloaded the entire FF8 Loader package, put it into FF8 folder, but each time I try to play, the following message pops out:

FF8.exe path missing from both command line and registry.
Correct Usage:
c:\games\ff8_loader.exe c:\games\ff8.exe

From this message I suppose it's about missing registry keys, so I took a look at the advice in Readme file of FF8_Loader:

The FF8.exe path can be supplied as a command-line string in order to run it from an alternate location or in case the Final Fantasy VIII registry keys are missing and the launcher is unable to automatically find the executable by itself.
Ex. C:\Games\Final Fantasy VIII\FF8_Launcher.exe C:\Games\Final Fantasy VIII\FF8.exe
!NOTE! Do NOT use any quotes in the FF8.exe path.

But I really don't get it. What does the advice means or what should I do according to this? Should I write in DOS console "C:\Games\Final Fantasy VIII\FF8_Launcher.exe C:\Games\Final Fantasy VIII\FF8.exe"? Already tried that with no luck...
Thanks for the help.

[Covarr]

Where are your FF8Launcher.exe and your FF8.exe stored? Just copying the example in the message only works if that's the directory that you have the game installed to.

[Bosola]

Try and create a shortcut with the target

[whatever the path is to...]FF8_Launcher.exe [whatever the path is to...]FF8.exe

[F_style]

FF8_Loader is in the game's folder itself, of course. The game's folder is located directly in desktop.

[F_style]

Already tried making a shortcut as this: C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL FANTASY VIII\FF8_LAuncher.exe C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL FANTASY VIII\FF8.exe. Obviously Windows didn't even allow me to create it. Also I tried to write all that in cmd, with no luck. Am I really missing some registry files?
Please help... thanks.

[nfitc1]

I think the problem is you have spaces in the folder name. That causes problems with old C++ and other console-level programs. It's reading

C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL FANTASY VIII\FF8.exe

as three separate arguments:

• C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL
• FANTASY
• VIII\FF8.exe

It's looking at the first one and it's not complete. If you remove the spaces in the dir name and make it

C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL_FANTASY_VIII\FF8.exe

(don't forget to change it in the registry that way too) then I'd bet money it'd work.

[F_style]

So should I try with this "C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL_FANTASY_VIII\FF8_Launcher.exe C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\FINAL_FANTASY_VIII\FF8.exe." when creating the shortcut or writting it in the command console? And what do you mean with change it also in registry?

[Covarr]

He's saying not just to change it in the command console, but to actually change the name of the folder.

[F_style]

I give up. Nothing works. Should I really reinstall FF8? There are 2 PC's at home both with Windows Vista. What I did was copying the entire FF8 folder from Program Files in one of the PC's (my brother's) and pasting it in the other one (mine). I have even tried exporting all registry files I was able to find, pasting them in my PC and modifying some values such as FF8.exe path in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Didn't work. I wanted to save the installation job because one of the installation CD's is damaged and it takes time and several tries to make the game be installed. Do I really have no option but reinstalling FF8?

[F_style]

Sorry, any help?

[Covarr]

If you reinstall the program to C:\FF8, you can still keep your save files, by copying them over from the old install location.

As for the install CD giving you trouble, I'd advise ripping the CD to ISO and either burning a new copy or mounting the disc image. As long as there's no downloading or redistributing involved, it's perfectly legal backup for your own use, and you may have better luck with it that way.

[F_style]

I know about the save files, but I had no luck in making backups of my CD's, it has more serious damage. Is the solution to my problem really reinstalling FF8 or is there another way using the registry files of which I also made backup or something? Man, don't tell me I'm screwed...