JosefNemec/Playnite · error · FileNotFoundException

Emulator executable not found. {path} in {workDir}

Error message

Emulator executable not found.

{path} in {workDir}

What it means

Thrown as FileNotFoundException when ProcessStarter.StartProcess raises a Win32Exception with NativeErrorCode 2 (ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND) at process launch time. Unlike error 40 which fires before launch (regex match failed), this fires at the OS level: the resolved path existed in theory but Windows could not find the executable when actually spawning the process.

Source

Thrown at source/Playnite/Controllers/GenericGameController.cs:251

            startedRomFile = romPath;
            startedEmulator = emulator;
            startedEmulatorProfile = emuProfile;
            startedEmulatorDir = emulatorDir;

            if (asyncExec)
            {
                ExecuteEmulatorScript(currentEmuProfile.PreScript, emulatorDir, romPath, emulator, emuProfile);
                Process process = null;
                try
                {
                    process = ProcessStarter.StartProcess(path, args, workDir);
                }
                catch (Win32Exception exc)
                {
                    // 2 is ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
                    if (exc.NativeErrorCode == 2)
                    {
                        throw new FileNotFoundException(LOC.ErrorEmulatorExecutableNotFound.GetLocalized() +
                            $"\n\n{path} in {workDir}");
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        throw;
                    }
                }

                void gameStarted(int processId)
                {
                    startedEmuProcessId = processId;
                    ExecuteEmulatorScript(currentEmuProfile.PostScript, emulatorDir, romPath, emulator, emuProfile);
                    InvokeOnStarted(new GameStartedEventArgs { StartedProcessId = startedEmuProcessId });
                }

                if (trackingMode == TrackingMode.Default || trackingMode == TrackingMode.Process)
                {
                    gameStarted(process.Id);

View on GitHub (pinned to 5911f4e964)

Solutions

1. Verify the executable file exists at the resolved path shown in the error message at the moment of launch.
2. Check that the working directory exists: the workDir in the error must be a valid folder.
3. If using mapped drives or UNC paths, ensure the network resource is accessible from the Playnite process.
4. Temporarily disable anti-virus or add an exclusion for the emulator directory.
5. Re-derive the path using Emulation.GetExecutable to get a fresh match, or switch to a custom profile with a hardcoded path.

Example fix

// before — path resolves but OS can't find it at spawn
process = ProcessStarter.StartProcess(path, args, workDir);

// after — validate existence immediately before spawning
if (!File.Exists(path))
    throw new FileNotFoundException($"Executable vanished before launch: {path}");
if (!Directory.Exists(workDir))
    throw new DirectoryNotFoundException($"Working directory does not exist: {workDir}");
process = ProcessStarter.StartProcess(path, args, workDir);

if (!File.Exists(path) || !Directory.Exists(workDir))
{
    logger.Error($"Cannot start: path={path}, workDir={workDir}");
    return;
}

try
{
    process = ProcessStarter.StartProcess(path, args, workDir);
}
catch (Win32Exception ex) when (ex.NativeErrorCode == 2)
{
    logger.Error($"File not found at launch: {path} in {workDir}. Ex: {ex.Message}");
    // retry with re-resolved path or notify user
}

When it happens

Trigger: StartEmulatorProcess is called in async mode (asyncExec=true); ProcessStarter.StartProcess(path, args, workDir) internally calls Process.Start and the OS returns ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND (Win32 error 2). The path may have been valid when checked but became inaccessible, or the working directory is invalid.

Common situations: The executable was deleted or moved between resolution and launch. The working directory (workDir) does not exist. The path points to a UNC path or mapped drive that became unavailable. A symlink or junction target is broken. Anti-virus quarantined the executable. The path contains environment variables that resolve differently in the process context.

Related errors

• Emulator executable not found. Regular expression lookup: {
• {directory} not found.
• Emulator not found.
• Uknown play action configuration.
• Can't find built-in {builtIn.BuiltInProfileName} emulator pr

AI-assisted analysis of JosefNemec/Playnite@5911f4e964 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/962567a0384ef880. Report an issue: GitHub.