# Emu-Elec Game Indexer — free desktop app

> Scans a drive and syncs each gamelist.xml with the ROMs actually there, so Emu-Elec detects every installed game.

Source: https://dcarock.com/freeware/emu-elec-game-indexer

- Type: free desktop app
- Price: free (GPL-2.0)
- Version: 1.0
- Requires: Windows 10+
- Download: https://dcarock.com/freeware/emu-elec-game-indexer

## What it does

A standalone Windows app (written in Python) that scans a drive for game files and updates each `gamelist.xml`, so **Emu-Elec** can detect every game you've installed. Pick a drive, then update one folder at a time or the whole drive in one go.

- **Scan Drive** lists every folder that contains a `gamelist.xml`.
- **Update** backs up to `gamelist-backup.xml`, then syncs the XML with the ROM files in that folder. **Update All** does every folder, in order.
- Entries whose file is **missing** are removed; files **not in the XML** get a minimal entry (`<path>` + `<name>`).
- Entries pointing into a subfolder (e.g. `./downloaded_images/`) are **left untouched**.
- Only known ROM/archive extensions count (`.zip`, `.7z`, `.nes`, `.gba`, `.iso`, `.chd`…), with live progress and **added / removed** totals per folder.

## Setup

1. **Download and unzip.** Extract `EmuElec-Game-Indexer.zip` anywhere on your PC.
2. **Run it.** Double-click **EmuElec Game Indexer.exe** — nothing to install.
3. **Scan your drive.** Choose the drive that holds your games and click **Scan Drive**.
4. **Update.** Click **Update** on a single folder, or **Update All** for the whole drive. Each row shows how many entries were added and removed.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is my original gamelist.xml safe?

Yes — before each update it's backed up to gamelist-backup.xml in the same folder.

### Which files count as games?

Files sitting directly in each folder with a known ROM or archive extension — .zip, .7z, .nes, .gba, .iso, .chd and similar.

### What gets added for a new game?

A minimal entry with the file's path and name. Entries that point into subfolders, like ./downloaded_images/, are left untouched.

### Do I need Python installed?

No. It's a standalone app — unzip it and run the .exe.

### Is it really free?

Yes — GPL-2.0, free forever, no upsells inside the app.

## Changelog

- **1.0** (2026-05-15): Initial release