appfinder fails to start wine .desktop files

Usually I start my applications using the appfinder. From a point within the last few weeks, this no longer worked for Windows applications launched via Wine. Native Linux applications can be started without any problems.

Now I've tested the startup of Wine applications in four different ways:

1. using the menu in the upper left corner
2. using the appfinder
3. in terminal window with xdg-open
4. in terminal window with exo-open

Only appfinder fails to start Wine. The execve system call looks different - backslashes and spaces are are missing.

What do you think is going wrong?

Installed versions:

• an up-to-date ArchLinux
• Xfce 4.18

Content "Exact Audio Copy.desktop":

$ cat .local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact\ Audio\ Copy/Exact\ Audio\ Copy.desktop 
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Exact Audio Copy
Exec=env WINEPREFIX="/home/myuser/.wine" wine C:\\\\windows\\\\command\\\\start.exe /Unix /home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start\\ Menu/Programs/Exact\\ Audio\\ Copy/Exact\\ Audio\\ Copy.lnk
Type=Application
StartupNotify=true
Path=/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/Program Files (x86)/Exact Audio Copy/Microsoft.VC80.CRT
Icon=723E_EAC.0
StartupWMClass=eac.exe

$ desktop-file-validate .local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact\ Audio\ Copy/Exact\ Audio\ Copy.desktop 
$ echo $?
0

Strace output xdg-open - start successfull:

$ strace -tt -f -s 128 --trace execve xdg-open .local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact\ Audio\ Copy/Exact\ Audio\ Copy.desktop
20:31:15.225835 execve("/usr/bin/xdg-open", ["xdg-open", ".local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.desktop"], 0x7ffdc46ebdc8 /* 46 vars */) = 0
[...]
[pid 13627] 20:31:15.236077 execve("/usr/bin/exo-open", ["exo-open", "--help"], 0x55bec4c22ca0 /* 46 vars */) = 0
[...]
[pid 13630] 20:31:15.334062 execve("/usr/bin/exo-open", ["exo-open", ".local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.desktop"], 0x55bec4c22ca0 /* 46 vars */) = 0
[...]
[pid 13634] 20:31:15.447833 execve("/usr/lib/gio-launch-desktop", ["/usr/lib/gio-launch-desktop", "env", "WINEPREFIX=/home/myuser/.wine", "wine", "C:\\windows\\command\\start.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start Menu/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.lnk"], 0x5593fc880e80 /* 46 vars */ <unfinished ...>
[pid 13634] 20:31:15.448552 <... execve resumed>) = 0
[...]
[pid 13634] 20:31:15.451027 execve("/usr/bin/env", ["env", "WINEPREFIX=/home/myuser/.wine", "wine", "C:\\windows\\command\\start.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start Menu/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.lnk"], 0x55e7d2d7f2a0 /* 47 vars */) = 0
[...]
20:31:15.452448 execve("/usr/bin/wine", ["wine", "C:\\windows\\command\\start.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start Menu/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.lnk"], 0x556b44c8e5f0 /* 48 vars */) = 0
20:31:15.452653 [ Process PID=13634 runs in 32 bit mode. ]
[...]

Strace output exo-open - start successfull:

$ strace -tt -f -s 128 --trace execve exo-open .local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact\ Audio\ Copy/Exact\ Audio\ Copy.desktop 
20:34:04.390008 execve("/usr/bin/exo-open", ["exo-open", ".local/share/applications/wine/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.desktop"], 0x7ffe1e992878 /* 46 vars */) = 0
[...]
[pid 13874] 20:34:04.519195 execve("/usr/lib/gio-launch-desktop", ["/usr/lib/gio-launch-desktop", "env", "WINEPREFIX=/home/myuser/.wine", "wine", "C:\\windows\\command\\start.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start Menu/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.lnk"], 0x5648f2bee000 /* 46 vars */ <unfinished ...>
[pid 13874] 20:34:04.520068 <... execve resumed>) = 0
[...]
20:34:04.522870 execve("/usr/bin/env", ["env", "WINEPREFIX=/home/myuser/.wine", "wine", "C:\\windows\\command\\start.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start Menu/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.lnk"], 0x559f309292a0 /* 47 vars */) = 0
[...]
20:34:04.524280 execve("/usr/bin/wine", ["wine", "C:\\windows\\command\\start.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/Start Menu/Programs/Exact Audio Copy/Exact Audio Copy.lnk"], 0x5654155955f0 /* 48 vars */) = 0
20:34:04.524506 [ Process PID=13874 runs in 32 bit mode. ]
[...]

Strace output appfinder - start failed:

$ ps -ef | grep appfinder
myuser    1431     778  0 20:48 ?        00:00:02 xfce4-appfinder
myuser    6284    1010  0 21:06 pts/12   00:00:00 grep appfinder

$ strace -tt -f -s 128 --trace execve -p 1431
strace: Process 1431 attached with 7 threads
strace: Process 14074 attached
[...]
[pid 14074] 20:36:16.052483 execve("/usr/bin/env", ["env", "WINEPREFIX=/home/myuser/.wine", "wine", "C:windowscommandstart.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/StartMenu/Programs/ExactAudioCopy/ExactAudioCopy.lnk"], 0x5628c814bf60 /* 40 vars */) = 0
[...]
[pid 14074] 20:36:16.054713 execve("/usr/bin/wine", ["wine", "C:windowscommandstart.exe", "/Unix", "/home/myuser/.wine/dosdevices/c:/users/Public/StartMenu/Programs/ExactAudioCopy/ExactAudioCopy.lnk"], 0x563a1a3bf5f0 /* 41 vars */) = 0
[pid 14074] 20:36:16.055174 [ Process PID=14074 runs in 32 bit mode. ]
[...]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Carsten