Windows 7 Windows thinks my game is a install file

[JinxG]

This has been happening with many games that I download off the internet. After the game downloads and installs, the exe file goes from being a program installer to a video game launcher. Windows fails to realize this, and every time I start the game the UAC pops up and I have to confirm that I want to change my computer to be changed, even though nothing is happening that will do so.

While I can sometimes successfully reinstall to get it right, I am getting pretty tired of having to re-download 5 - 20 gig games repeatedly until windows figures out what is going on. The games download the actual game files during the installation, so I never know if it is going to work until I've spent a day downloading the game.

I realize I could simply completely disable UAC, but I have a strong preference toward not doing so.

How do I force windows to recognize that the file is not going to change my system?

 

[zvit]

I didn't exactly understand you. You say " After the game downloads and installs, the exe file goes from being a program installer to a video game launcher".

What exe? If it's the exe you downloaded, why would you be running it again after the installation? You should be clicking on the exe of the game itself.

Try running the game from the .exe inside the installation folder and not the shortcut.

 

[cybercore]

This has been happening with many games that I download off the internet. After the game downloads and installs, the exe file goes from being a program installer to a video game launcher.

Do you mean steam games? In Steam it is a normal behavior you get a game.exe which launches steam client and starts downloads. Once the downloads have been completed and the game has been installed, game.exe launches the game itself.

 

[JinxG]

The game I am currently having an issue with is Fallen Earth, but I have had issues with many games. I am not referring to Steam games, no. I use Steam, but have never had this issue with one of their games.

 

[Captain Jack]

Hello,

Are you using a Legit game ? So is it some sort of crack ?

 

[JinxG]

I didn't exactly understand you. You say " After the game downloads and installs, the exe file goes from being a program installer to a video game launcher".

What exe? If it's the exe you downloaded, why would you be running it again after the installation? You should be clicking on the exe of the game itself.

Try running the game from the .exe inside the installation folder and not the shortcut.

I have tried running the game from the executable in the folder, to the same effect.

The game I download appears as a exe file in my download folder. When I run the program, it installs and downloads the game. For some reason, when it completes, windows thinks that both the shortcut on my desktop and the file in the game folder are install files. The icons on both have the yellow/blue quadrant symbol added to the lower right side of the icon, as if it were a install file. It is not the exe I downloaded, but for some reason I am unable to discern, windows seems to think it is.

Did I fully answer your questions?

Hello,

Are you using a Legit game ? So is it some sort of crack ?

It is a legitimate copy of the game, downloaded from the company website.

 

[zvit]

Please follow these instructions to make sure you installed Fallen Earth correctly:
Please run the updater from your fallen earth installation folder C:\Fallen Earth - Fallen Earth Forums

 

[cybercore]

... the exe file goes from being a program installer to a video game launcher.

The .exe file's attributes (file size) change after the game installs completely, so not unusual UAC and other firewalls detect it as a new file.

As for UAC, you can tweak it:

Disable User Account Control (UAC) the Easy Way on Win 7 or Vista - How-To Geek