JoeViking245

I didn't catch that it was during the initial welcome/installation process. Maybe one of the developers can chime in with a more definitive answer. But I do know when the Welcome Wizard was first introduced in v13.23, it would down those base images to 'get you on your way' to start playing games. I believe that was subsequently changed. But can't say for certain. As you discovered, imports done outside of the Welcome Wizard functions as you'd expect. Straight forward answer, no. What's considered the best version of an image is too subjective. Of course, regional preferences will take precedence. After that I imagine it's somewhat arbitrary. Again, maybe after the weekend, one of the developers will chime in.

That sounds like what the auto-import feature would automagically download for you. Tools - Options - Media - Automatic Imports Media No. (at least I'm pretty sure not) If the images are named the same as the games' Title or ROM filenames (e.g. they came from an older LB build), you can copy them straight into your current LB Images folder(s) (matching platform/image_type of course). If (using my e.g.) your other build had say 200 game images of a certain image type, and your (new) current one only 100 of those games, go ahead and copy all the images over (for ease) the use the Media Cleanup Wizard to remove images that don't have an associated game.

I just had an epiphany. Games CAN'T be placed where they show in your image. Only platforms, platform categories or playlists can be there. I suspect they're not categories. Using Windows Explorer, look in your /LaunchBox/Data/Playlists/ folder. Do you see a bunch of files that look like the names you see in your screenshot? If yes, exit out of LaunchBox. Wait a few seconds for it to complete it background processes. Now delete all those files and restart LaunchBox. If not, look in your /LaunchBox/Data/Platforms/ folder. Same question as before. If yes and if Arcade is the only platform that you have (purposefully) imported, delete all the files except Arcade.xml. If you did import other platforms, leave those platform_name.xml files as well. Deleting the rest. Restart LaunchBox.

srry, Missed this post. They are in a specific platform. Somewhere. It's the law that they "must belong in a platform before they can be seen or used anywhere else in your LB collection". Find that platform and remove from there.

Namely to clean up the CHDs out of the filter side bar (left panel). Also, looking at those listed there, appears you imported every CHD game. Working, non-working, parents, clones, bad dumps, no dumps. So maybe you import the regular games, and then imported the CHD [folders] also? If you did indeed use the Arcade Full Set Import Wizard AND had that one box un-checked, then the CHD games should already be in your Arcade platform. But that alone doesn't explain why they're appearing in the left panel. Anyway, If: you can get them out the left panel and still have those CHD games listed under the Arcade platform and 1942 does launch properly ...we can move on. 1st step is to tell MAME where all the ROM paths are located. Start MAME (right click a game in LB and select Open MAME (in MAME) double-click General Settings double-click Configure Folders double click ROMs double-click Add Folder double-click C:\ double-click MAME (folder) double-click MAME 0.287 ROMs (merged) (you zipped ROMs folder) Press Tab (to add that folder) double-click Add Folder (again) navigate to your D drive and select the folder your CHDs are in Press Tab (to add that folder) Press Escape twice double-click Save Settings Press Escape twice to exit MAME 2nd step, in LaunchBox: Edit you MAME emulator Tools < Manage < Emulators... and select MAME In the Default Command-line Parameters remove -rompath %romlocation% (if it exists) Click OK to save and close 3rd step Launch 1942 (to make sure that part still works) 4th step Launch a game requiring a CHD Area 51 is a known, working one. If launching Area 51 doesn't work, you know what to do.

Sorry. My eyes missed the "C" and the "D" respectively. Yes, there is a way. Go ahead and keep them in the locations you mentioned above. Unless someone else wants to break in an explain how, I think we should get your games and CHDs imported properly 1st. Get the 'regular' games working, then worry about the CHDs. There's about 6 or 7 different ways to import games. I still don't think you used the Arcade Full Set Import Wizard option. Best to start from scratch. Remove all your Arcade games from LaunchBox. e.g. Delete the 'Arcade' platform. If asked do you want to delete the media also, select "No". If after that, those CHD games are still there (as you showed), remove them too. Once you LaunchBox collection is null and void of Arcade, got to Tools < Import < MAME Arcade Full Set... and follow the prompts. When asked "Please enter the folder path to your MAME ROMs:", browse to select the folder containing the zip files. You will NOT be doing anything with the CHD folders or files located on your D drive until later. When you get to the final page, it should show something like 2900 games. Depending on any boxes you checked and/or unchecked. Click Finish to finish the import. When importing is complete, select the game 1942 and play it. If for some reason it doesn't launch, go through MAME Troubleshooting mentioned above. Once that's working, we can work towards getting CHD games to work. Again, unless someone else to chime in early to help get you on your way (or create possible confusion. )

So, are all zip files and CHD folders in one location? e.g. D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)\game-1.zip D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)\game-2.zip D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)\game-3.zip D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)\CHDfolder-1\ D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)\CHDfolder-2\ D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)\CHDfolder-3\ This is the easiest way without doing extra work. The folder these are all in (MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged)) can be any folder. As long as all the zips and CHD folders are inside of it. Still not sure how you accomplished that. lol Sounds like maybe you didn't use the built-in Arcade Full Set Import Wizard? Tools < Import < MAME Arcade Full Set... If you use that, it will import the CHD games along with the others. Just make sure when you get the 'filter' page, the "skip CHD's box is un-checked.

You could try this plugin. Just need an accessible copy of your original Arcade (MAME Games) platform's xml file. e.g. ../LaunchBox/Data/Platforms/Arcade.xml (from the other PC) I presume it still works. It's 3 years old and has only 4 comments and 1 review. But they're all good and I'm optimistic.

I don't use that plugin myself, but I did give @deathshakespeare's version some [limited] testing on LB V13.28-beta-1 and it appeared to work without issue. I agree that 'vibe coding' is a bit sacrilege. But for those end-users who just want a working plugin, that release seems to be a viable option.

To be fair, I believe the only plugin that had issues with the .NET9 update back in v13.19 was Archive Cache Manager. Also, there was an updated release (listed in the thread, not in the official 'Download') on the Archive Cache Manager thread just the other day that appears to be working.

Cross check the image Group and what you have set for Image downloads limit. Note that the limit is per image Group. (Group [e.g. Boxes]. Not to be confused with image type [e.g. Box-Front]) Using my ol' go-to game, 1942 in the Arcade platform. (just selected one game for these tests) Test #1 My game already had an Advertisement-Front image. Using Tools < Download < Update Metadata and Media for Selected Game... I selected [only] the image types: Box-Front, Fanart-Box-Front, Screenshot-Game Title (An Arcade game isn't going to have a Box-Front image, but it will a Fanart-Box-Front) The limit (by default) was set to 1 When done, 0 (zero) images were downloaded The reason there were 0 downloaded was it already had an Advertisement-Front image. That, along with the 3 images I selected to download are all in the Group "Boxes". Since that game already has (1) image in that group, no images were added/downloaded. Test #2 I removed the Advertisement-Front image from the game. So it now had 0 (zero) images of Group "Boxes" Same as above, except I set the limit to 4 and added Advertisement-Front to the previously selected 3 When done, 3 images were downloaded Advertisement-Front, Fanart-Box-Front, Screenshot-Game Title Box-Front was NOT downloaded because one didn't exist for this game tldr: Don't be shy. Up your Image downloads limit.

"do", or don't see what the problem could be? If you do see what the problem could be, were you able to fix it? I'm going to take a guess that the Troubleshooter tells you that your Effective CLP (Command Line Parameter) has -rompath %romlocation% somewhere in it. And in the output from the Quick Analysis tab, it says The required CHD' {name of chd}' does not exist or is not accessible to MAME. But I could be wrong.

Excellent question(s). ...for the Theme developer. If it's not already been asked/answered in the Comments section.

In Windows Explorer, navigate to the /Media/ subfolder of the theme. In there, look in the subfolder /Colorful_img/. Look at all the images until you find the one you want. Then look at the filename. e.g. This looks to indicate that when shown, the game has been marked as Portable.

Do you want them in the root? Can't say I've ever seen that. Anyway, I think your question is more about... So many possibilities. You might try installing the MAME Tools plugin and enable the MAME Troubleshooting feature. That should help show you where it's going wrong.

👍 That would make sense. Hopefully you can find out exactly which dependencies need insalled.

So, releases 0.274, 0.275, 0.276, ..up thru.., 0.288 all give that same error? Dang. K. So I guess we're back to "you're going to have to ask the MAME folks about the issue." And in the meantime, don't play the games that don't work. But do play the ones that do.

Maybe not go back that far. Try 0.287. Or did you start there and nothing worked until 0.273? And yes, some ROMs won't work. But may be ones you won't notice or care about. (can deal with that later)

Try downloading an older release of MAME (don't worry about the ROMs, yet). See if you can at least get it to launch from Windows Explorer or the Windows Command Prompt. If you can't get it to launch there, it won't launch from LaunchBox. If you still get that same error, you're going to have to ask the MAME folks about the issue.

Make sure your video drivers are up to date. Open the windows Command Prompt (from your MAME folder) and run "mame.exe -v". This should give you a verbose output showing you what it's doing and better details about where it's hanging up at.

Delete the files in your existing MAME folder and manually redownload it from MAMEDev's site and install into that folder. (or delete the folder and install) Be sure to download the x64 binary and not the Arm64 build. Then try starting it from Windows Explorer.

Never seen such a thing. What exactly are you doing when you see that? Are you seeing that by just double-clicking mame.exe from windows explorer? If so, your MAME setup is corrupt. Redownload it and install it over your existing build. If not, what happens when you do double-click mame.exe from windows explorer?

Downgrading (rolling back) instructions can be found inside here: Installing, Updating, and Managing LaunchBox - LaunchBox