Executor FAQ - Section 4
Executor/Win32

Question 4.1. How does Executor/Win32 compare to Executor/DOS?

Executor/Win32 is a Win32 application and can run only under Windows 95 or later and Windows NT 4 or later. For those platforms, Executor/Win32 is preferred, since it will usually have fewer compatibility problems and it runs in its own window, or full-screen. Some people are still running OS/2, Windows 3.x or even DOS, and they can't run Executor/Win32. Additionally, Executor/Win32 can't be run on a SX-class 386 machine. Such machines are very old and very slow, but they can still run Executor/DOS.

Our product, Executor for Windows, includes both Executor/Win32 and Executor/DOS, so you don't have to choose one or the other when ordering.

Question 4.2. How do I use command-line switches with Executor/Win32?

Command-line switches can be used by creating a short-cut or by creating the file commands.txt, or a combination of both.

To use command-line switches with a short-cut, you need to create a short-cut to executor.exe, then select it and choose "Properties..." using your right mouse. The Properties panel has several tabs, one of which is labeled "Shortcut". After selecting the Shortcut tab, you can then edit the "Target:" field. Keep the information that is already in there (e.g. "C:\ExecWin32\executor.exe") and then add a space, followed by the command-line option(s) you want to use when you double-click on that short-cut (e.g. " -size 800x600 -applzone 4m").

Since you can use command-line switches to specify a Macintosh program for Executor to run, you can create individual short-cuts for individual programs (e.g. " C:\ExecWin32\Apps\Freeware\Risk!").

If you have some command-line switches that you want to apply to all invocations of Executor, you can create a file called commands.txt in the same directory that includes executor.exe. You can put all the switches on one line, or use a separate line for each switch.

Switches in commands.txt override the ones that are specified in short-cuts.

Question 4.3. Why do I get only a black screen when running Executor/Win32?

You've encountered a bug. The bug may be in your video driver or in the screen-accessing DLLs that Executor uses.

To see if it's in your video driver, try adjusting your Display settings. In the Control Panel there's a Display icon. Double-clicking that should let you select a panel named "Settings", which probably has an "Advanced..." button. If you click the "Advanced..." button, you should be able to select a panel named "Performance". Try turning the Performance down and see if that fixes the problem. You might also want to try downloading a newer driver from the maker of your video card.

To see if it's our screen-accessing DLLs, Try renaming the file "SDL-dx5.dll" to "SDL-dx5.dll.SAVE". That will prevent Executor from seeing that DLL, so Executor will then use a different DLL (SDL-dib.dll) which will cause it to access the screen in a different way. If that solves it, then you may have found a bug in SDL-dx5.dll. If so, please send e-mail to bugs@ardi.com and let us know.

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- 28 February 2002

Extracted from Executor Frequently Asked Questions with Answers, Copyright ARDI 2002.