Only use this if you plan to move the game folder to different computers. The . means "the same folder as SmartSteamEmu.exe".
If SmartSteamEmu.exe is inside your game folder:
Target = .\hollow_knight.exe
StartIn = .\
If the executable is one level deeper (e.g., in a Bin folder):
Target = .\Bin\hollow_knight.exe
StartIn = .\
Step 1: Locate the SmartSteamEmu.ini file
This is usually in the same folder as SmartSteamEmu.exe or Launcher.exe. Only use this if you plan to move
Step 2: Find the [Launcher] section
Look for lines like:
[Launcher]
Target =
StartIn =
Step 3: Set the correct absolute paths
Example:
Target = D:\SteamLibrary\Games\MyGame\MyGame.exe
StartIn = D:\SteamLibrary\Games\MyGame
Step 4: Check for quotes and escape characters
Do not put quotes around the paths in the .ini file. If your path has spaces, SSE usually handles them without quotes, but if issues persist, move the game to a path without spaces (e.g., D:\Games\MyGame).
Step 5: Verify the executable works directly
Try running MyGame.exe manually. If it crashes or complains about missing Steam, that’s fine—but if it doesn’t run at all, the problem is the game, not SSE.
Step 6: Run SmartSteamEmu.exe as administrator
Some games need admin rights to write to certain folders (like Program Files). Right-click → Run as administrator. If the executable is one level deeper (e
There is a rare but maddening variant of this error: all paths are correct, but the game still won’t launch. In this scenario, the error message is a lie. The real problem is not the target or start-in folder, but one of these hidden issues:
To understand the fix, you must understand two Windows concepts:
If either of these paths contains a typo, missing slash, or points to a non-existent location, Windows cannot start the process, and SSE throws the error. Step 1: Locate the SmartSteamEmu
This is extremely common. Many antivirus programs (especially Windows Defender) detect SSE loaders and cracked game executables as “hacktool” or “riskware” and quarantine them.
Pro tip: Before extracting the game again, disable real-time protection temporarily, and add the destination folder to exclusions.