When I fixed my issue with Brutal Doom thanks to some help I got in an earlier post, it failed to load the Doom Metal OST wad.

I tried editing the ZDoom.ini text file following the instructions here:

https://steamcommunity.com/app/2300/discussions/0/604941528477344372/

but it didn't work.

The attachment shows the code I typed, just in case it was an error. My Brutal Doom PK3 and GZDoom exe I use are in the Doom 2 folder in the path. I also use the BFG one for when I want to play No Rest for the Living.

You have to add Path= before each of the wad paths as described in the comment before [Global.Autoload].

There is an example at the ZDoom wiki.

That didn't work either. Here are some screenshots in where I typed it.

it's not Zdoom I mentioned, but the Brutal Doom pk3. The GZDoom part is correct though. Maybe I've too many copies of my ini files or something, and it prioritises the wrong one, I'm not sure. I'm testing the "=space method now.

EDIT: nope. didn't work either. I even moved copies into the other folders to increase the chances of it working if it was loading the wrong file copy. Neither did adding the full drive name of Data (D:)\ .

My version doesn't have that: it just has a "do not show this again" box.

I'm wondering if it is because you have a space in the path name, because of the folder named "GOG Doom". Certainly the Windows Command Prompt doesn't like spaces as the space acts as a terminator of the path name. To get around it there you just put quotes around it, though, so maybe the same will be true of the GZDoom ini files?

Personally, though, I'd keep the files within the GZDoom installation and use relative path names and no spaces in folder names within the GZDoom installation. That way it should pick them up and not need the full folder path.

Maybe %20 would count as the space in the filename in notepad++? That's the editor I was using for the commands. futhalero's suggestion of putting it in the skins folder with the HUD WAD worked fine so at least that's one way I know that works.

I'd try something like Path="<full path>" if you don't want to use the relative paths. See if that works for the quotes. If not, try "Path=<full path>" (as this is how the command prompt requires it when you set a variable containing spaces).

The skins folder I don't use simply because everything in there gets loaded regardless of the mod being used, and you can't then specify the load order. So for me, as I have so many different mods installed (gameplay mods, HUD mods, music mods, level mods), this is an important issue as some mods require a specific load order for them to work.

None of the quotes options worked. Not even the original one you mentioned. Remember, I use Notepad++ to view the GZdoom config, not the command prompt.

is it supposed to be (as typed here):

"GOG Doom"

"Path=<full path>"

Path="<full path>"

GOG"Doom

or GOG""Doom?

I tried all of those and none worked.

Thanks anyway for your help. but I think I'll stick with the Skins option because I know that works. it's inconvenient for the reasons you gave, but I don't really have a choice.

I can always take it out when needed so it doesn't interfere with other WADs.

Probably some misunderstanding, but I was only likening the usage to the command prompt, not talking about viewing the ini with it (I also use Notepad++ as it is a great utility). When dealing with paths that contain spaces it can cause issues with a variety of programs, so I just gave the command prompt as an example of this and how it has to handle the spaces. Whether the same fix would work with GZDoom's ini file paths I don't know (as I use one Doom installation with GZDoom, so I use relative paths (relative to the location of the gzdoom.exe) and no subfolders with spaces).

For the command prompt when setting a variable to a text string that contains spaces it has to be like this format:

"Path=<full path>"

e.g. "Path=E:\GOG Doom\"

However, you said this methodology doesn't work with gzdoom. Just need to check that you did replace the <full path> placeholder with your actual path?

You could try the %20 for the space, but I wouldn't expect that to work. Something else you could try, though, is using the equivalent old DOS path for the folder. It truncates the folder names to 8 characters with no spaces and puts ~1 at the end.

For example, C:\Program Files\ becomes C:\Progra~1\
And E:\My Projects\ becomes E:\MyProj~1\

I'd been using the full actual path just as you are asking the whole time, but adding the <> and/or "" in the above combinations still didn't work and I don't know why.

Ignore the < and > as they are just to highlight the parameter you are entering, such as: insert <name> here. The examples I gave in my previous comment show that the < and > aren't in the entered path value.

When I get back home from work I'll see if I can find out what is needed in order to specify spaces in the path, if it is actually possible with GZDoom (though I'd be surprised if it couldn't cope with them).

Okay, I tested it using a path with spaces and it works just fine, as I'd expect for a modern piece of software such as GZDoom. My Doom autoload in my ini was set as follows:

[Doom.Autoload]
Path=E:/GOG Doom/Doom2/DoomMetalVol4.wad

And it ran just fine, loading the WAD file and playing the music.

EDIT:
Now I've tested it using backslashes instead of forward slashes and that works fine too.

[Doom.Autoload]
Path=E:\GOG Doom\Doom2\DoomMetalVol4.wad


EDIT:
I'd say, try it as you did before, using an autoload in the ini file like I've done above, and when the game loads up bring up the console (the key to the left of the 1 key, above TAB) and scroll it all the way to the top. It shows you there the loading of all the WADs and PK3s in the order they were loaded. See if the DoomMetalVol4.wad file is referenced there and whether it actually loaded.