# File pathing issues when loading banks & issues using common.h

**URL:** <https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952>\
**Category:** FMOD Engine\
**Tags:** cpp\
**Created:** [January 29, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952 "2026-01-29T15:30:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CiaranTDev](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/ciarantdev/32/9560_2.png) [@CiaranTDev](https://qa.fmod.com/u/CiaranTDev)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952/1 "2026-01-29T15:30:22Z")

</div>

FMOD noob here, trying to use FMOD studio api VS 2022 C++ for the first time for a mini project, but I’m having trouble using `loadBankFile`for my masterbank as I’m unsure what the correct filepath to my bank folders are.

For reference, I watched a yt guide [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS93mVNC3S4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS93mVNC3S4) to get to where I am atm, which directed me to install the fmod api `studio` and `core` folders directly into my VS project folder.

Currently my sound bank files are located in my VS project under `Project/FMODStudio/Build/Desktop/Master.bank`but I’ve tried using this path and it still leaves my bank variable as NULL indicating it cannot be found.

I’ve been reading documentation, forum posts and examples and seeing that most projects are using `Common_MediaPath` from the`common.h`include, but when I try to use this I get a compile error “LNK2019” which has led me to [checking I have correctly linked the FMOD libraries in the project](https://qa.fmod.com/t/unresolved-external-lnk2019/18216) which I am 99% sure are correct as the project runs fine without use of `common.h`

Are there any steps I’ve missed in using `common.h`correctly in my project or a correct way of pathing to files that I am missing?

Thanks for any help in advance!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CiaranTDev](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/ciarantdev/32/9560_2.png) [@CiaranTDev](https://qa.fmod.com/u/CiaranTDev)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952/2 "2026-01-29T19:29:21Z")

</div>

Update: I’ve been able to get the file paths working for loading banks and events using the full directory of the files on my computer.

This does work as a temp fix for me to continue the project, but it would be an issue when packaging the project to share with others, so I’d still like to find a way to path to the files in the vs project folder itself that would function when the project is shared

thanks again in advance!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Connor\_FMOD](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/connor_fmod/32/3685_2.png) [@Connor\_FMOD](https://qa.fmod.com/u/Connor_FMOD)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952/3 "2026-02-02T05:06:41Z")

</div>

Hi,

The `Common_MediaPath` does a little jump up 1 directory using `const char *mediaPrefix = “../media/”;`. If you build your banks into a folder 1 directory up from the `.sln` you should be able to do something similar:

```cpp
FMOD::Studio::Bank* testBank = NULL;
ERRCHECK(system->loadBankFile("../build/TestBank.bank", FMOD_STUDIO_LOAD_BANK_NORMAL, &testBank));

```

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/fmod/original/2X/9/9e6e7f0c3378347a136ce5d3d50787acfe6af9ea.png)

Hope this helps

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CiaranTDev](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/ciarantdev/32/9560_2.png) [@CiaranTDev](https://qa.fmod.com/u/CiaranTDev)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2026, 4:18pm UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952/4 "2026-02-05T16:18:25Z")

</div>

This worked, thank you!

I’d also like to ask how I include `ERRCHECK` in my project, as when I include common.h it seems I can access it but compiling causes a unresolved externals error, despite the linked directories working for everything else in the project.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Connor\_FMOD](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/qa.fmod.com/connor_fmod/32/3685_2.png) [@Connor\_FMOD](https://qa.fmod.com/u/Connor_FMOD)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 5:21am UTC](https://qa.fmod.com/t/file-pathing-issues-when-loading-banks-issues-using-common-h/23952/5 "2026-02-09T05:21:24Z")

</div>

Would it be possible to share the errors you are seeing?

In you project properties:

![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/fmod/original/2X/e/e71de5f6c4a3151b2c2eba94cc09bc50f2e63718.png)

You will have to add some `Preprocessor Definitions`:

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/uploads/fmod/original/2X/1/1bedf3bfa7bde50b229351aa916012e64033a55f.png)

```cpp
_WIN32_WINNT=0x601
WINVER=0x601
_CRT_SECURE_NO_WARNINGS

```

I will also suggest searching for `FMOD_Main()` and replacing it with your `main()` functions name. Hope this helps!