desktop launcher problem - Mint 18.3

[BrBr]

I have the following problem with launching an application:
I use Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia, and am completely new to Linux.
I would like to use some older software designed for Widows XP and earlier which does not need any installation. Here is an example of such software “ready to use” (http://members.chello.nl/l.bontes/sans_n.htm). When I run it directly from the directory where I keep it via Wine (right mouse click "open with Wine"), it works - the respective *.exe file is marked as to be opened with Wine. However, I want to have a link to the application on my desktop - and there is no way to launch it.
I tried by creating a Desktop Launcher ("create a new launcher here...”), but once created, it never activates the app.
Similarly, I tried to create a link to the app (the the executable *.exe file) and place the link on the Desktop, and again, the link never activates the app.
I encounter the same problem with two other older software. Every time I want to use these applications, I have to go to respective directories and launch them in their own directories by clikicking on the *.exe file. Otherwise they won’t start. I’ve checked for solutions for a few days but none of these works.
What should I do to run these from the Desktop? Any help?

[snowflake]

Lets say I have a "snow.exe" app located in "/home/snowflake/snowapp"folder, to make a desktop launcher I..:
Right click in the Desktop & "Create a new launcher here..",
In the name box i type in "snow", in the command box I type in

Code: Select all

wine '/home/snowflake/snowapp/snow.exe' 

& thats it.

sometimes an app is in a weird location within my disks, in the terminal I type in "wine" then i drag that app.exe file to the terminal, if it works, i just copy the whole command to my new launcher command

[Hoser Rob]

.... Here is an example of such software “ready to use” (http://members.chello.nl/l.bontes/sans_n.htm). ...

One minor point first: I looked at that link and that software only comes in beta and test versions. That, in the computer world, doesn't quality as “ready to use”. It really means it's buggy and unfinished.

Another thing, you simply cannot assume ANY Windows program will work in Wine, which is actually a silly hack that usually fails. They have a pretty good app database (https://appdb.winehq.org) which you can check to see if an app worked, and remember if it's not at least Gold rated it won't run properly.

Next question, does it run when you don't try to run it from a desktop launcher?

[BrBr]

The software with the link I provided is just a sample of a group of programs - I have a few programs (also licensed, fully operative) which worked under Windows XP perfectly well.
All of these programs run under Linux Mint when I open them in their respective folders. However, when I establish a link to the desktop, the links do not work.
I tried for instance:
- in the original folder, right click on the *.exe file and "make link", but when the new link is moved to the Desktop, it doesn't work any longer, also when I change the name of the link (from e.g. "link to program" to "program"), it doesn't work any more;
- right click in the Desktop & "Create a new launcher here..", it doesn't work at all.
- I tested the recommended option ("snow.exe" dragged to wine / ~ $ wine + path) on two programs. These are the results - both not satisfactory:

(1) Program 1. One of the programs (it’s a dictionary) does starts from terminal, but it cannot load the library (important part of any dictionary):

~ $ wine '/media/peter/Disc-C/backup_programmes/Dictionaries/Monier_V1_5/mwsdd.exe'
0019:fixme:advapi:RegisterEventSourceW ((null),L"AGMService"): stub
0019:fixme:advapi:ReportEventW (0xcafe4242,0x0004,0x0000,0x00000000,(nil),0x0002,0x00000000,0x8ffe44,(nil)): stub
0019:fixme:advapi:DeregisterEventSource (0xcafe4242) stub
wine: Call from 0x7bc529b9 to unimplemented function KERNEL32.dll.GetQueuedCompletionStatusEx, aborting
wine: Unimplemented function KERNEL32.dll.GetQueuedCompletionStatusEx called at address 0x110023:0x7bc529b9 (thread 001f), starting debugger...
0027:fixme:advapi:RegisterEventSourceW ((null),L"AGSService"): stub
0027:fixme:advapi:ReportEventW (0xcafe4242,0x0004,0x0000,0x00000000,(nil),0x0002,0x00000000,0x8bfe48,(nil)): stub
0027:fixme:advapi:DeregisterEventSource (0xcafe4242) stub
002d:fixme:ole:CoInitializeSecurity ((nil),-1,(nil),(nil),0,3,(nil),0,(nil)) - stub!
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_SetBlanket 0x7dc7182c, 0x1859d0, 10, 0, (null), 3, 3, (nil), 0x00000000
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_Release 0x7dc7182c
002d:fixme:ntdll:NtLockFile I/O completion on lock not implemented yet
003f:fixme:ntoskrnl:IoInitializeTimer stub: 0x14fe0, 0x680890, 0x14fe0
003f:fixme:ntoskrnl:IoStartTimer stub: 0x14fe0
002d:fixme:ole:CoInitializeSecurity ((nil),-1,(nil),(nil),0,3,(nil),0,(nil)) - stub!
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_SetBlanket 0x7dc7182c, 0x183f38, 10, 0, (null), 3, 3, (nil), 0x00000000
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_Release 0x7dc7182c
002d:fixme:toolhelp:CreateToolhelp32Snapshot Unimplemented: heap list snapshot
002d:fixme:toolhelp:Heap32ListFirst : stub
002d:fixme:winhttp:get_system_proxy_autoconfig_url no support on this platform
002d:fixme:winhttp:WinHttpDetectAutoProxyConfigUrl discovery via DHCP not supported
0049:err:winediag:SECUR32_initNTLMSP ntlm_auth was not found or is outdated. Make sure that ntlm_auth >= 3.0.25 is in your path. Usually, you can find it in the winbind package of your distribution.
002d:fixme:winhttp:session_set_option 0 (null) (null)

Further, when I copy the path to the Desktop launcher, the launcher doesn’t start at all = nothing happens.

(2) The other program (also a dictionary) doesn’t start from the terminal at all.
This is what I get:
~ $ wine '/media/peter/Disk-C/backup_programmes/Dictionaries/Dor/DOR32.EXE'
0019:fixme:advapi:RegisterEventSourceW ((null),L"AGMService"): stub
0019:fixme:advapi:ReportEventW (0xcafe4242,0x0004,0x0000,0x00000000,(nil),0x0002,0x00000000,0x8ffe44,(nil)): stub
0019:fixme:advapi:DeregisterEventSource (0xcafe4242) stub
wine: Call from 0x7bc529b9 to unimplemented function KERNEL32.dll.GetQueuedCompletionStatusEx, aborting
wine: Unimplemented function KERNEL32.dll.GetQueuedCompletionStatusEx called at address 0x110023:0x7bc529b9 (thread 001f), starting debugger...
0027:fixme:advapi:RegisterEventSourceW ((null),L"AGSService"): stub
0027:fixme:advapi:ReportEventW (0xcafe4242,0x0004,0x0000,0x00000000,(nil),0x0002,0x00000000,0x8bfe48,(nil)): stub
0027:fixme:advapi:DeregisterEventSource (0xcafe4242) stub
002d:fixme:ole:CoInitializeSecurity ((nil),-1,(nil),(nil),0,3,(nil),0,(nil)) - stub!
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_SetBlanket 0x7d8ff82c, 0x1859e0, 10, 0, (null), 3, 3, (nil), 0x00000000
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_Release 0x7d8ff82c
002d:fixme:ntdll:NtLockFile I/O completion on lock not implemented yet
002d:fixme:ole:CoInitializeSecurity ((nil),-1,(nil),(nil),0,3,(nil),0,(nil)) - stub!
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_SetBlanket 0x7d8ff82c, 0x183f48, 10, 0, (null), 3, 3, (nil), 0x00000000
002d:fixme:wbemprox:client_security_Release 0x7d8ff82c
003f:fixme:ntoskrnl:IoInitializeTimer stub: 0x15000, 0x680890, 0x15000
003f:fixme:ntoskrnl:IoStartTimer stub: 0x15000
002d:fixme:toolhelp:CreateToolhelp32Snapshot Unimplemented: heap list snapshot
002d:fixme:toolhelp:Heap32ListFirst : stub
002d:fixme:winhttp:get_system_proxy_autoconfig_url no support on this platform
002d:fixme:winhttp:WinHttpDetectAutoProxyConfigUrl discovery via DHCP not supported
0048:err:winediag:SECUR32_initNTLMSP ntlm_auth was not found or is outdated. Make sure that ntlm_auth >= 3.0.25 is in your path. Usually, you can find it in the winbind package of your distribution.
002d:fixme:winhttp:session_set_option 0 (null) (null)

And of course, when I copy the link to the Desktop launcher, it does’t start the program.

I did and experiment with both programs: I copied their folders directly to the Desktop (so that that are in the same partition as Linux Mint; I use partition C for Windows software). The result is exactly the same.