Adding shader and bricked retroarch

[LameCranberry]

So I was following the Neo Geo Pocket Tut on youtube and added the shader exactly as instructed in the video. I went in and added the custom config parameters exactly like the video and when I went back to check the result Lauchbox and Big box are now both bricked for anything using retroarch. So. I tried removing the -c****.cfg and revert back to the pre shader settings and nothing Its completely bricked. Nothing works now. Any ideal how to fix it? Thanks.

[Lordmonkus]

Does Retroarch work without going through Launchbox ? and is it just for NeoGeo or all RA cores ?

[LameCranberry]

Not sure how to launch a game directly from RA but anything in LB or BB that uses RA is dead. If it uses another emulator outside retroarch its completely fine.

[Lordmonkus]

You can load a game straight through RA by loading RA and using your controller to navigate its menu system. Load a core and then load content and navigate to a rom file for that core. Since it's for all cores in through LB I am thinking you messed up something in your LB config though. If it was just NeoGeo I was going to suggest deleting the core cfg file but I really don't think it is that. Can you post a screen shot of where you were adding in the -c command for your config ? I will check out Brads video on the NeoGeo pocket and see where you might have gone wrong.

[LameCranberry]

Ok from RA I can load games. I tried Atari 2600 and even Neo Geo Pocket and they seem to work. I just cant get them to launch from Launchbox or Bigbox. But I also tried some others like WonderSwan, Fairchild, and Atari 7800 and those do work in LB. Systems like Nintendo, Atari 2600, Neo Geo Pocket, Atari Lynx all dont. As for the -c Command line it was exactly the same except on my system in the Config folder the file was "mednafen_ngp_libretro.dll.cfg" and not "mednafen_ngp_libretro.cfg" like in the video. So the total line I tried was [ -L "cores\mednafen_ngp_libretro.dll" -c "config\mednafen_ngp_libretro.dll.cfg" ]. After it bricked I tried going back to the just the original that worked [ -L "cores\mednafen_ngp_libretro.dll" ] but nothing its still dead. I cant figure out how to remove the shader from retroarch.

[Lordmonkus]

For the systems that do not work check in LB in the Associated Platforms window and just make sure that in the Default Command-Line Parameters column it is just -L "cores\mednafen_ngp_libretro.dll" and nothing else there. If it just that and still doesn't work go into your Retroarch folder, then configs folder and delete the .cfg files for the cores giving you problems.

[LameCranberry]

Well its seems I was wrong about some of the platforms working. Now nothing under RA in LB works. I checked Command Line and its exactly like yours. None of the Associated Platforms have a -C in the command line. Since none of the retroarch platforms are working should I delete all the .cfg files under /config ?

[Lordmonkus]

You can try that or just to be safe just move them into a temporary folder in case that doesn't work. But if games will launch just through RA without using LB I am more inclined to believe the problem is somewhere in your LB setup.

[LameCranberry]

No luck that didnt work at all. Im trying to restore Launchbox from a backup I made a few days ago. Im not sure its going to work since the backup has been nightmare. I really hate Norton... Anyway I really appreciate the help but its after 3am here and Im going to call it a night and let the backup run. Fingers crossed.

[Lordmonkus]

Alright, good luck with the backup but I am positive it is a simple setting in your LB and an easy fix, just a matter of finding it.

[LameCranberry]

Well a total backup of files in LB failed. No change at all. Any ideal what to check next?

[Zombeaver]

The points that need to be addressed any time something doesn't work between LB and Retroarch:

1. Is LB's path to Retroarch correct?

2. Is the name of the "associated platform" in the Retroarch emulator entry identical to the platform name in your game library? i.e. Is the platform named exactly "NeoGeo Pocket" in your library and "NeoGeo Pocket" in the associated platforms in the Retroarch entry? If one of them is "Neo Geo Pocket" or "Neo-Geo Pocket" or some such, it's not going to work.

3. Is the name of the core dll file in the Retroarch emulator entry correct, and formatted as -L "cores\[core name].dll"?

4. Is the path to the rom correct in the launcher tab?

5. Is the "extract rom archive" box checked in your Retroarch emulator entry? Typically it shouldn't be.

[Lordmonkus]

My next questions at this point would be: A) Do games load fine just through Retroarch itself ? and B) Do games launch with other emulators in Launchbox ?

[Zombeaver]

He already answered both of those:

LameCranberry said Ok from RA I can load games. I tried Atari 2600 and even Neo Geo Pocket and they seem to work. I just cant get them to launch from Launchbox or Bigbox. But I also tried some others like WonderSwan, Fairchild, and Atari 7800 and those do work in LB. Systems like Nintendo, Atari 2600, Neo Geo Pocket, Atari Lynx all dont.

[LameCranberry]

Maybe this will help. These are screenshots of the exact setting right now. Again the only thing I changed from when it was working was trying to add the shader in RA just like in the Neo Geo Pocket tut on YT.

[Lordmonkus]

One thing that stands out to me is in the 2nd shot where it says Emulator Application Path. It just says "Retroarch etroarch.exe", in mine it has the full path like "H:\Emulation\Emulators\Retroarch 1.3.6 etroarch.exe". I don't know if that is indeed the problem though or not. Everything in the first shot looks right though.

[Zombeaver]

In addition to what lordmonkus said, I'm not sure why the "file name only without extension" is checked. Typically it isn't for Retroarch.

[Lordmonkus]

Yeah I didn't even notice that.

[LameCranberry]

Changed it to the full path and unchecked "file name only without extension". Guess what... It works again.... Thanks guys.

[Zombeaver]

Glad to hear it!