Autorun Error

Autorun error (Windows OS only)

I've double click the Autorun but I get an error, what is going on?

When this pops up, you will feel the rising panic... but hold on...........

The photo's in this article are from a genuine enquiry from a customer, so we know this is a genuine issue someone has had, and we have experienced it before so chances are it could happen with someone else. Let's have a look at two pictures now. The first is a screenshot of a Crafty Witches download ready to go, the second is the actual screenshot from the customer

This is ready to go! Double click the 'autorun' with the disc icon and we should be away.

For reference the Autorun folder is where all the files are held, and the second autorun & the 'lua' files are system files Windows uses to operate the program & interface

This is the actual screenshot the customer sent, if you look at the 'address' bar, it looks like the folder we are viewing is in another folder of the same name. That immediately suggests that the 'containing' folder is a zip/compressed folder, (although this may not be). That said the clincher is where you look at the header of the third visible column; 'Compressed size'.

Also, if we had a fuller view, the autorun application will likely not have the disc icon, just a generic icon, indicating the folder is still compressed.

....What? Over my head! What do you mean!

OK, Let's look at this diagnostically;

Complaint -

The customer said they had unzipped the folder, double clicked the icon and the error message appears.

Diagnosis -

Windows will only throw an error message when it cannot complete a task, and will tell you why. ''The code execution'' (running the autorun program), ''cannot proceed because lua51.dll was not found'' Let's not pretend to understand what '.dll' actually is or does, but what Windows is telling you is that the file Windows needs is not available, why? When files and folders are compressed, they cannot be used as they would be in their normal; state. For example, you cannot wear the jumper you vacuum packed because it doesn't exist in the same place you do -

Command - User cold, needs to wear jumper

Error - User cannot wear jumper because it is compressed in a vacuum bag

Resolution - Unzip/decompress vacuum bag, remove jersey and wear

Command - User clicks Autorun program to attempt to display artwork

Error - User cannot use Autorun and it's components as it is in a compressed folder

Resolution - Unzip/decompress zip folder, use decompressed Autorun and enjoy artwork

Resolution -

As described above, decompressing the items in the zipped folder allows you to access the files and programs to a place where they are useable

Hold on, I thought you said the customer HAD unzipped the folder... now I am really confused!?

Actually this isn't as large a conundrum as it looks or sounds, there is one of two very simple reasons this might be correct;

This customer may very well have unzipped the folder, BUT when they have gone back to click on the Autorun, they have opened the wrong folder, and tried to run the Autorun in the still zipped folder.... don't mock, we have ALL done it at least once!
The zipped folder that he customer has decompressed contained another zipped file, this folder also needs to be unzipped before it can be used.

Why would you zip an already zipped folder, it doesn't make sense, it's not as if it reduces the size by that much doing it!

Yep, that is absolutely correct. Zipping a zipped folder only reduces it's size minimally and isn't really purposeful for reducing file size for transferring.

BUT, let us consider you have just bought a 'Buy-The-Show' deal, a main collection, and three mini-kits. When you download from HobbyMaker, (or in fairness anywhere else for that matter), for your convenience, you only download once, therefor the main collection, (zipped), and each of the mini-kits, (all zipped), are zipped into one single download folder. This means when you unzip your download folder, it will still contain four more zipped folders, all of which need to be extracted.

Actually when you look at this in it's simplest form it makes it look more understandable;

From the illustration above you can see that if you were to unzip the 'download folder' you still have to unzip Kits 1 to 4. There is a outside possibility that if one of the kits were, let's say, a Medley, you can have a zip in a zip in a zip. This actually 'shouldn't' degrade the file, but it is a pain to extract for the end user, so most people don't zip any more than twice, maximum three times

So, how do I tell by looking at the folder contents then?

Below, the illustration on the left is still in a zipped folder, whereas the one on the right is ready to run. How do you know?

Look at the top 'Autorun' icon; this is the executionable file, (the exe). The one on the left shows a system file icon, which means it can only be read by the system. The one on the right shows a CD icon, which is a throwback to the days when discs were automatically run in your device, prior to Windows 10. It does however currently signify that the program is ready to run.

As with everything else relating to The Crafty Witches, drop us a line on our email address, (below), and we'll try to help you out if you are struggling