# using suffixes on windows programs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084 "2012-07-13T03:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/1 "2012-07-13T03:45:57Z")
Hey, computer noob here again with what’s probably a real simple question. Via this: [http://www.gog.com/en/forum/arcanum\_of\_steamworks\_and\_magick\_obscura/windowed\_mode\_fix](http://www.gog.com/en/forum/arcanum_of_steamworks_and_magick_obscura/windowed_mode_fix) I realize that I could run the game windowed (which I’d like to do) by running it with the -window suffix. The thing is, I’m not sure how to do that. I’m running Windows 7, and I’m a double-click-on-stuff kinda guy without much computer savvy. I tried renaming the target of the shortcut to it, but it didn’t seem to want to allow that (and in hindsight, that was probably not at all what I needed to do). So, anyone able to throw me a line here? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/2 "2012-07-13T04:06:38Z")
Okay, I’m way rusty on this stuff, but I seem to recall that there’s a way to wrap up a command to start a Windows program into an icon. I think that you can make a shortcut icon and then edit the program launch parameters in the icon. But that’s an XP-era memory, so it’s probably out of date… ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/3 "2012-07-13T04:38:37Z")
“renaming the target of the shortcut” should be exactly what you need to do… Right click on the shortcut, and select ‘Properties’. Resulting window will have a number of tabs, one of which is called ‘Shortcut’. On that tab, modify the ‘Target’ field; add the ‘-window’ there. You may need to add double quotes around the existing path if it includes a space. In that case, add the ‘-window’ outside the quotes, like so: “C:\Program Files\Folder\program.exe” -window ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/4 "2012-07-13T04:48:40Z")
Hm. Gave me permission to do it, but still isn’t running the program in windowed mode. Not sure if I’ve done something wrong or what-all. Grumble. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/5 "2012-07-13T04:52:22Z")
Besides adding the “-window” did you follow this suggestion: > [@](#): > > I found that if you go to the game folder, there should be a file called “ddraw.dll” if you rename this to “ddraw.dll.old” or something like that, it won’t try to load that DLL when starting the game, which should solve this issue. …from the OP you linked in your OP? ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/6 "2012-07-13T04:54:09Z")
I did. Still no help. I posted in the forum there, but as it’s several months old, and everyone else seems to be able to make it work, I’m not holding out a lot of hope. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-suffixes-on-windows-programs/628084/7 "2012-07-13T05:59:36Z")
Yoiks! Never mind. Figured out there was a patch I had to install. All is hunky dorey now!