GenLauncherGO is a Windows mod management utility and launcher for Command & Conquer: Generals and Zero Hour using the SuperHackers and GeneralsOnline community clients.
It downloads, installs, updates, and launches supported mods, patches, and add-ons while keeping the supported game installation as clean as possible. This repository is a fork of the original GenLauncher project.
- Manages supported mods, patches, add-ons, and manually added content.
- Runs multiple supported mods from a single clean game directory.
- Stores launcher data, mods, logs, cache, and temporary files under one
GenLauncherGOfolder. - Temporarily deploys the selected mod at launch using hard links where possible, with copy fallback.
- Windows 10 or 11.
- A clean, supported Generals or Zero Hour game installation.
- A game directory writable by the current Windows user. Avoid protected locations such as
C:\Program FilesorC:\Program Files (x86)unless you plan to run GenLauncherGO as administrator. - NTFS is recommended for best launch performance because it supports hard links. GenLauncherGO falls back to copying files when hard links cannot be created.
- No other mods, add-ons, or custom files in the game directory.
| Client | Executable |
|---|---|
| TheSuperHackers Generals | generalsv.exe |
| TheSuperHackers Zero Hour | generalszh.exe |
| GeneralsOnline | generalsonlinezh.exe |
World Builder support is optional.
| World Builder | Executable |
|---|---|
| Original World Builder | WorldBuilder.exe |
| TheSuperHackers Generals | worldbuilderv.exe |
| TheSuperHackers Zero Hour | worldbuilderzh.exe |
Running GenLauncherGO on non-Windows operating systems has not been tested and is not officially supported.
- Start with a clean supported Generals or Zero Hour installation.
- Add the supported client executable you want GenLauncherGO to launch.
- Optional: add a supported World Builder executable.
- Place
GenLauncherGO.exedirectly in the game directory or in aGenLauncherGOsubfolder inside the game directory. - Run
GenLauncherGO.exe. - Download or add mods, patches, and add-ons.
- Select the mod, game client, and optional World Builder, then launch.
GenLauncherGO temporarily deploys the required mod files into the game directory, launches the game or World Builder, and cleans up deployed files after the launched process closes.
GenLauncherGO creates and uses one launcher-owned folder in the game directory.
| Path | Purpose |
|---|---|
GenLauncherGO\GenLauncherGO.exe |
Self-contained launcher executable layout |
GenLauncherGO\LauncherPreferences.yaml |
Launcher settings |
GenLauncherGO\Mods |
Installed mods, patches, and add-ons |
GenLauncherGO\Runtime\Cache\Images\<name> |
Downloaded or user-selected images |
GenLauncherGO\Runtime\Deployment |
Active deployment manifests, journals, locks, and backups used for cleanup and recovery |
GenLauncherGO\Runtime\Temp |
Temporary download and install staging, cleared on startup |
GenLauncherGO\Logs |
Rolling diagnostic logs, kept at the launcher root so users can find them easily |
Build the solution from the repository root:
dotnet build GenLauncherGO.slnRun the WPF project:
dotnet run --project ./GenLauncherGO.UI/GenLauncherGO.UI.csprojFor a full launcher UI session, the executable must run from a supported game directory or from a GenLauncherGO subfolder directly inside one. Otherwise the startup validation will ask you to move the launcher.
Run tests:
dotnet test GenLauncherGO.slnGenerate local test coverage:
dotnet msbuild ./eng/coverage.proj -target:CoverageThe coverage workflow uses Coverlet's VSTest collector and ReportGenerator to write an HTML report to
artifacts/coverage/index.html. The runsettings file excludes test assemblies, generated WPF files, resource wrappers,
and build output so the report focuses on application code in GenLauncherGO.Core, GenLauncherGO.Infrastructure, and
GenLauncherGO.UI.
Publish the Release single-file Windows executable:
dotnet publish ./GenLauncherGO.UI/GenLauncherGO.UI.csproj -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -o ./publishThe Release publish output is intended to contain GenLauncherGO.exe as the distributable launcher executable.
Please use the GeneralsOnline Discord for bug reports, feature requests, support, and community discussion.
Contributions are welcome. Fork the repository, create a branch, make your updates, test them, and open a pull request with a clear description.
- p0ls3r - Original creator of GenLauncher, which this fork is based on.
- x64-dev - Originator of GenLauncherGO, a fork of GenLauncher, and creator of GeneralsOnline.
- Jaredl-Dev - Key contributor to GenLauncherGO, responsible for a major rewrite and overhaul.
Want to support the original creator of GenLauncher? You can donate through Boosty.
GenLauncherGO is a community-developed tool intended for use with TheSuperHackers community fork and GeneralsOnline. It is not created by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Electronic Arts, GeneralsOnline, or any other rights holder unless explicitly stated.
This rewrite and fork began as a personal project and is being shared as a temporary solution for the community while GenHub continues to mature and work toward becoming the stable, community-standard launcher. GenLauncherGO is therefore not presented as a perfect, permanent, or definitive solution.
AI-assisted development tools were used during parts of the rewrite and feature-development process. AI-generated code was not accepted without review; all resulting code and changes were manually examined, adjusted where necessary, and thoroughly tested before inclusion.