So you wanna test your maps in windowed mode?

Here's how you can do that, it involves creating a simple batch file that runs all the commands to accomplish this.

First off, for ease of use, open your map and save it to the root of your C:\ drive, give it a simple name, i'd recommend 8 chars or less until you are done with it.

Mine is called crow48.w3x, since it's on the root of the C:\ it's path is very simple, C:\crow48.w3x.

Second, open the NOTEPAD program under your accessories, or go to start > run and type in notepad.

In this notepad file will be your commands to backup your map, and then launch your map in windowed mode.

Lets start first though with the 2nd line, by backing up your file. I'm going assume you saved it to the C:\ root and nowhere else, if you didn't follow my instructions here then i'm sure you know how to edit this to your liking anyway so i'm not going to explain it.

LINE1 is: copy C:\crow48.w3x C:\crow48test.w3x /Y

Next, we need to make a command that launches warcraft3, using the backup file(the one WE isn't using, just in case), and using a -windowed switch.

LINE2 is : C:\progra~1\warcra~1\war3 -loadfile C:\crow48test.w3x -windowed

the "progra~1" and "warcra~1" are put like this because msdos paths have to be truncated to be usable in batch files. It's always the first six characters of the directory then a ~ and then a number, usually 1 unless you got lots of similarly named directories.

So here's my file so far:

copy C:\crow48.w3x C:\crow48test.w3x /Y
C:\progra~1\warcra~1\war3 -loadfile C:\crow48test.w3x -windowed

Now, you have to save this as a BATCH file. Just save it as "backup.bat", or whatever you want to call it. The extention has to be ".bat" though or windows will keep on thinking it's a notepad file and not an executable script.

ANyway, so now we have our "backup.bat", personally I just got on my quicklaunch.

Here's how you do it very simply.

Save your map. You HAVE to keep using the same name OR you have to keep changing the name in the batch file. Just keep saving it as the same thing would be simplest.

Run your "Backup.bat".

Voila, the map gets backed up, and warcraft 3 launches in a window and immediately loads your map.

I might have skimmed a few details, so ask away if you got any questions.

Edit: Made the copying part a little more simple, instead of deleting the old file the /Y switch will simply overwrite the old backup, just like warcraft3 does with testmap.w3x.

Note: If you are running windows XP and probably other variants of windows, you cannot change the extention of the notepad file to a .BAT file right away. You first have to make windows show you the extentions. Open "My Computer" and click on Tools, then Folder Options. Then click the View tab, and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types". Hit ok and close my computer and then rename the file to "backup.bat" or whatever you want to call it, just be sure to have the .bat extention.

That should go under tutorials or the submission forum!