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Doesn't launch Mame Roms. Program, not user, error in launchBox


Silentnight

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Hi guys,

noticed a few have said similair either with Mame or another emulator in LaunchBox, but the current build simply will not launch roms.

In Mame its self (as others have said) everything is fine and titles launch. When you try in LaunchBox however (after double and triple checking all your paths) you attempt to launch and a Mame window states "Rom files missing".

I've spent a good few hours on this. Tried multiple installs, and I'm keeping things simple with only trying to get a handful of roms to load.

I've used other front end programs in the past, and used Mame on and off for a good number of years now so I'm not in the dark here with my testing.

I'm on windows 10 creators update if that's any help, and my Direct x etc is all fine and present.

I think the smoking gun here is a number of people stating the same thing, I think it's beyond user error guys.

 

If you want any further info on my system or how I have this set up feel free to ask.

 

 

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I've checked through comments for various settings, none seem to change/remedy the issue sadly. 

 

These are the default settings from a fresh install (bar me setting the application path).

I've tried Mame on c drive (not programs) and E to no effect.

 

Associated tab just has arcade ticked, nothing else.

a.jpg

Edited by Silentnight
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The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is you either imported some roms from a different folder than the one you tested Mame on its own with. Have you set your roms folder location in your Mame ?

I've also only been using the standard command line version of Mame for a while now so I cannot remember off the top of my head if the UI version needs any special settings.

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I've used Mameui 64 and normal recent build Mame without UI.

Both have the Rom path correctly set and will launch Roms with no issue via their own Exe. 

LaunchBox has the same problem with each version of Mame.

Rom not found.

When I was doing my testing I trawled this forum as well as YouTube to check for any small settings errors, but I'm fairly sure this is a problem with LaunchBox and perhaps with an up to date windows 10* creators.

As again, I don't seem to be the only one, I think this may be an un-install for me for now as this has took the better part of my Sunday away.

 

Edited by Silentnight
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I've just fixed the issue testing something before I nuked the whole thing.

In LaunchBox the Roms must be in Mame's own Rom directory. To be crystal clear this means you MUST use the "Rom" directory in the main installation folder with the Mame Exe.

So if you have Roms on a separate hardrive etc, you will not be able to use LaunchBox. Certainly don't use the copy Roms into LaunchBox's own rom folder, this also won't work.

This wasn't the case when I used LaunchBox over a year ago, so it must be something conflicting with the current build of windows 10.

 

I'd do a sticky post about this for your current build (7.10) somewhere as I found this glitch by chance and it's not an obvious fix. I've never used Mame's own Rom directory just for storage reasons really.

 

Edited by Silentnight
Type O's
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2 minutes ago, Silentnight said:

In LaunchBox the Roms must be in Mame's own Rom directory. To be crystal clear this means you MUST use the "Rom" directory in the main installation folder with the Mame Exe.

No, they don't.

If your roms are in a different location you have to tell Mame where to look. My roms are not in the Mame\roms folder ever, but I do tell my Mame where my roms are.

This was always the case and is not a "new conflict" so there is no need for a sticky post.

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Honestly, after testing this if the roms are anywhere else (no matter if you set it within Mame it's self) launchBox will not launch the Roms properly.

You would need to have my issue in the first place to see this in effect, so you need someone with the issue unresolved (which there are on this board) and ask them to try my solution.

It's failing to use/recognise your Mames custom Rom directory setting, and just using default.

To be clear:

 

Within Mame Ui and Mame normal I had set each to use a folder named "roms" with a separate folder from Mame called "emulators". Both Mame Exe's launched the Roms without issue. LaunchBox takes absolutely no notice of that setting. Even if use launch LaunchBox with admin privileges. 

Edited by Silentnight
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That's what I had to do, to get LaunchBox to work correctly.

I have even replicated the issue flawlessly. It isn't a fluke. 

Roms in a custom folder set in MAme and Mame works> LaunchBox will not launch roms.

Set Mame to use it's own rom folder in it's own directory... LaunchBox works.

LaunchBox is not recognising Mame's rom directory setting... at all.

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As you can see I have zero rom files in my Mame 186 roms folder.595034c3585cc_2017-06-2518_09_34-2xExplorerZ1-H__Emulation_Emulators_Mame186_roms.png.230fb1be7a9d7e428e7553261e11d66e.pngAs you can see here I have my rom locations set in the mame.ini.

595034f535bf4_2017-06-2518_10_27-H__Emulation_Emulators_Mame186_mame.ini-Notepad.thumb.png.6fec25dd7fd42cdc221f9516a8e5d526.pngThis is and always been how Mame works. Launchbox itself does not care where your roms are located in reference to Mame. Launchbox only cares for its loading purposes.

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Other than me literally recording myself replicating this issue back and forth on screen, I don't know what to tell you.

LaunchBox somehow stops Mame recognising the Roms, unless the Roms are in the "Rom" folder in the Mame parent directory.

Using Mame its self, using a custom directory for Roms has 0 issue, and loads instantly. 

 

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Rom location:

MAME-01.thumb.jpg.f3a7fbfc96a692949f176b1b3cde12f1.jpgMAMEUI location:

MAME-02.thumb.jpg.315b2776f6f9f2b1b183b16ff7715a8c.jpgMAMEUI "Roms" folder:

MAME-03.thumb.jpg.c90604951015a3d512dafac70efbd935.jpgLB entry:

MAME-04.thumb.jpg.6e0834595c409e279c79e3feb8326927.jpgMAME-05.thumb.jpg.0aad63931a0a7ea2bddde84a95919319.jpgAs @lordmonkus said, LB doesn't care where they are. LB is essentially a visually pleasing, easily organizable collection of Windows shortcuts. You're saying "I want you to direct this file [rom] to his executable [emulator]". That's it.

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