Emulator Issue-ROMS

[longshot]

My friend just installed zgens, which is a genesis emulator. He also installed a NES emulator.

There's a little file that is a microsoft outlook config file (.cfg) that is in the folder... if he deletes it, it comes back.

Is this thing harmful? Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks.

[Artha]

It's probably legit. If I had to guess, I'd say it's saved game information or something of that nature.

[Ebondale]

If it were saved game information then deleting it would erase his saved game and he'd know about it. My guess is that it is some sort of contact for the emulator's creator. One of those "Contact Me" kinds of things. Does the .cfg file re-create itself when the executable file is run?

Also -- Did your friend get the emulator from the website that the emulator originated from or did they download it from some file-sharing community like LimeWire?

[Numbers]

I'm usually extremely cautious about unknown files trying to open MS Outlook.

That's generally how poorly written trojans and viruses try to replicate themselves.

Additionally, every single emulator I've ever owned has used proprietary file types for their save games. My Game Boy emulator uses a .gb file type. My Game Boy Advance emulator uses .gba. My NES uses .nes, SNES uses .snes, N64 uses .n64.

I've never heard of an emulator using an Outlook file for anything.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<There's a little file that is a microsoft outlook config file (.cfg) that is in the folder... if he deletes it, it comes back.>>

Since mine does the same exact thing, but only when you exit the program, I'm guessing this is what he's doing as well. It's a file that the program writes.

I also suggest not deleting it. Maybe if your friend actually looked at it he'd be a little less concerned.

[General]
Rom path=C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\ROMZ\Genesis ROMs\
Save path=.\
SRAM path=.\
BRAM path=.\
Dump path=.\
Dump GYM path=.\
Screen Shot path=.\
Patch path=.\
IPS Patch path=.\
Genesis Bios=.\
USA CD Bios=.\
EUROPE CD Bios=.\
JAPAN CD Bios=.\
32X 68000 Bios=.\
32X Master SH2 Bios=.\
32X Slave SH2 Bios=.\
Rom 1=C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\ROMZ\Genesis

ROMs\streets2.smd
Rom 2=C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\ROMZ\Genesis

ROMs\sor2.smd
Rom 3=C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\ROMZ\Genesis

ROMs\MOONWALK.SMD
Rom 4=C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\ROMZ\Genesis ROMs\Zero

Wing (E) [h2].bin
Rom 5=C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\ROMZ\Genesis

ROMs\GOLDAXE.SMD
Rom 6=
Rom 7=
Rom 8=
Rom 9=
File type index=1
State Number=0
Language=0
Window X=177
Window Y=169
Free Mode Color=7
[Graphics]
Full Screen=0
Full Screen VSync=0
Windows VSync=0
Render Windowed=0
Render Fullscreen=1
Stretch=1
Software Blit=0
Contrast=100
Brightness=100
Greyscale=0
Invert=0
Sprite limit=1
Frame skip=-1
VSync=0
[Sound]
State=1
Rate=22050
Stereo=1
Z80 State=1
YM2612 State=1
PSG State=1
DAC State=1
PCM State=1
PWM State=1
CDDA State=1
YM2612 Improvement=0
DAC Improvement=0
PSG Improvement=0
Bits=16
[CPU]
Country=-1
Prefered Country 1=0
Prefered Country 2=1
Prefered Country 3=2
Perfect synchro between main and sub CPU (Sega CD)=0
Main SH2 Speed=100
Slave SH2 Speed=100
[Options]
Fast Blur=0
FPS=0
FPS Style=0
Message=1
Message Style=0
LED=1
Auto Fix Checksum=0
Auto Pause=0
CD Drive=0
Ram Cart Size=3
GCOffline path=GCOffline.chm
Gens manual path=manual.exe
CGOffline path=.\
[Input]
P1.Type=1
P1.Up=4097
P1.Down=4098
P1.Left=4099
P1.Right=4100
P1.Start=4121
P1.A=4115
P1.B=4112
P1.C=4114
P1.Mode=4118
P1.X=4113
P1.Y=4116
P1.Z=4117
P1B.Type=0
P1B.Up=0
P1B.Down=0
P1B.Left=0
P1B.Right=0
P1B.Start=0
P1B.A=0
P1B.B=0
P1B.C=0
P1B.Mode=0
P1B.X=0
P1B.Y=0
P1B.Z=0
P1C.Type=0
P1C.Up=0
P1C.Down=0
P1C.Left=0
P1C.Right=0
P1C.Start=0
P1C.A=0
P1C.B=0
P1C.C=0
P1C.Mode=0
P1C.X=0
P1C.Y=0
P1C.Z=0
P1D.Type=0
P1D.Up=0
P1D.Down=0
P1D.Left=0
P1D.Right=0
P1D.Start=0
P1D.A=0
P1D.B=0
P1D.C=0
P1D.Mode=0
P1D.X=0
P1D.Y=0
P1D.Z=0
P2.Type=1
P2.Up=21
P2.Down=35
P2.Left=34
P2.Right=36
P2.Start=22
P2.A=37
P2.B=38
P2.C=50
P2.Mode=20
P2.X=23
P2.Y=24
P2.Z=25
P2B.Type=0
P2B.Up=0
P2B.Down=0
P2B.Left=0
P2B.Right=0
P2B.Start=0
P2B.A=0
P2B.B=0
P2B.C=0
P2B.Mode=0
P2B.X=0
P2B.Y=0
P2B.Z=0
P2C.Type=0
P2C.Up=0
P2C.Down=0
P2C.Left=0
P2C.Right=0
P2C.Start=0
P2C.A=0
P2C.B=0
P2C.C=0
P2C.Mode=0
P2C.X=0
P2C.Y=0
P2C.Z=0
P2D.Type=0
P2D.Up=0
P2D.Down=0
P2D.Left=0
P2D.Right=0
P2D.Start=0
P2D.A=0
P2D.B=0
P2D.C=0
P2D.Mode=0
P2D.X=0
P2D.Y=0
P2D.Z=0

[Ebondale]

:monkey:

[Bobmuhthol]

PS. It's not a Microsoft Outlook Configuration file. Any file can have any extension and the file's contents will remain exactly the same. If you have a .txt file, you can call it .jpg and open it the same way in Notepad. You can also create your own file extensions in Windows: I use the extension .stfu to denote that the file is an encrypted drive and set it to automatically open with my reader software.

[radamanthys]

ya, windows maps the extension (the .XXX) to a program. txt opens in notepad, jpg to a picture viewer, etc.

cfg is just the configuration settings for the emulator, but doesn't have anything to do with outlook. it's basically a .txt that happens to be configurations.