I solved my previous problem of LB not launching Retroarch.

[Xrc6]

I'm posting this here hoping someone can take this (rare but common for me) issue to the author to get fixed because it's definitely an LB only issue.

• Issue: All ROMS under a platform will suddenly stop launching Retroarch for no reason even though it worked fine when last used. Re-assigning everything does not work. Delete platform then Re-importing does not work.
• Solution: Edit emulator details tab. Check "use custom command line parameters" Type: -L "cores\****"   (where **** is the name of the libretro core
• Cause: I believe that something to do with the Associated Platforms stops working. Even though everything is properly assigned. Even re-assigned, it forever stops working unless you reinstall LaunchBox and start all over. However this problem eventually re-occurs with some other platform.

My previous thread about the issue: 

 

After that last thread where C64 Platform stopped launching retroarch. I was told no one else has this issue. So I took the drastic approach and reinstalled Windows and Launchbox. Just as I knew would happen, the issue occurred again but this time it was for the TG 16 CD platform. (it's always a random one) But I googled and found someone else did post the same issue, just worded it differently so I'm not crazy and it's the problem definitely isn't something I'm doing as everyone tells me it is.

So I solved it by selecting "use custom Parameters" under the edit emulation menu and put this into it. -L "cores\mednafen_pce_fast_libretro.dll"  So even though this core is selected under Associated Platforms, it stops working for no reason and is not fixable without rei-installing LB.

So the big question. Why would ROMS for a platform work fine one minute, then never again the next without any changes ever being made? It has to be a bug in the code where the core listed is no longer working in LB despite re-assigning it. But the command parameter bypasses it. So despite what anyone thinks, I really think the author should look into it or at least offer that command parameter to be selected rather than manually typing it in because I had no idea what -L means until I googled around and came across that parameter to type in. So mods can move this wherever but I just wanted the author to look into it because it's a weird issue even if it's rare for everyone else but me.

 

 

[Xrc6]

I made a quick video for illustration.

https://streamable.com/vfk61

[Jason Carr]

@Xrc6 Thanks for the video explaining things. It's certainly odd, especially since I haven't heard about this being an issue from anyone else. Can you zip up and PM me your LaunchBox\Data folder (in a state where the issue is occurring)? Sorry if you already have; I should be able to walk through the code to figure out what's going on if I can replicate it here on my end with your data.

[Xrc6]

4 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

@Xrc6 Thanks for the video explaining things. It's certainly odd, especially since I haven't heard about this being an issue from anyone else. Can you zip up and PM me your LaunchBox\Data folder (in a state where the issue is occurring)? Sorry if you already have; I should be able to walk through the code to figure out what's going on if I can replicate it here on my end with your data.

I can but I added that custom parameter to all the roms effected since then so it's not in the exact same state that the issue occurred. Does that matter? 

This is the other thread I found where a user seemed to have a similar issue to the one I keep having and there's a post there mentioning the command parameter which worked for me: 

 

[Jason Carr]

Yes, hopefully it will still be useful, thanks.

[Jason Carr]

It looks like you're missing the NEC TurboGrafx-CD platform from the Associated Platforms list in the Retroarch emulator. That's what's causing it.

[neil9000]

Yeah, just watched the video posted, in this specific issue you are launching a Turbografx-16 CD game, but when you go to the associated platform tab for Retroarch you only have a entry for Turbografx-16. You need to add another associated platform for the CD version, they are different systems in your Launchbox sidebar, so need separate entry's in the associated platform tab also.

EDIT.

This is why adding the commandline to the games works, Launchbox doesnt know which core to use for that platform as it is not in the associated platform list. Obviously adding it per game tells Launchbox which core to use, so it loads correctly then.

Edited April 30, 2019 by neil9000

[Xrc6]

3 hours ago, neil9000 said:

Yeah, just watched the video posted, in this specific issue you are launching a Turbografx-16 CD game, but when you go to the associated platform tab for Retroarch you only have a entry for Turbografx-16. You need to add another associated platform for the CD version, they are different systems in your Launchbox sidebar, so need separate entry's in the associated platform tab also.

EDIT.

This is why adding the commandline to the games works, Launchbox doesnt know which core to use for that platform as it is not in the associated platform list. Obviously adding it per game tells Launchbox which core to use, so it loads correctly then.

That core is for both 16 and CD. That's the only core for NEC I have and it works perfectly in Retroarch itself. But that doesn't solve why a platform will work perfectly fine and then suddenly stop. Otherwise it would never work to begin with.

[Lordmonkus]

You are showing TurboGrafx CD games not working but in your associated platforms list you only show a TurboGrafx 16 platform, no CD platform. You need to have your Associated Platforms added and named correctly.

[Xrc6]

4 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

It looks like you're missing the NEC TurboGrafx-CD platform from the Associated Platforms list in the Retroarch emulator. That's what's causing it.

 

2 minutes ago, Lordmonkus said:

You are showing TurboGrafx CD games not working but in your associated platforms list you only show a TurboGrafx 16 platform, no CD platform. You need to have your Associated Platforms added and named correctly.

Then why did it work before?  Same with previous times with C64, Gameboy and SMS. They would work fine then at some point stop. Didn't matter if I re-imported everything or not. I feel like I'm just repeating myself beating a dead horse. 

I can change it to say CD. Doesn't make it work when I uncheck the command parameter though.

[Jason Carr]

Just now, Xrc6 said:

Then why did it work before?  Same with previous times with C64, Gameboy and SMS. They would work fine then at some point stop. Didn't matter if I re-imported everything or not. I feel like I'm just repeating myself beating a dead horse. 

I can change it to say CD. Doesn't make it work when I uncheck the command parameter though.

My guess? It didn't and you're confused. LaunchBox doesn't just forget things, change settings, or stop working out of the blue. I understand that it can feel that way, but if there is an underlying issue, we're never going to find it until you at least understand how to set it up correctly.

[neil9000]

18 minutes ago, Xrc6 said:

That core is for both 16 and CD. That's the only core for NEC I have and it works perfectly in Retroarch itself. But that doesn't solve why a platform will work perfectly fine and then suddenly stop. Otherwise it would never work to begin with.

Correct, that core is for both. You do however need to tell Launchbox it is for both, Launchbox will never attempt to guess the platform or emulator to use for it, that is defined by the user. In your case you are using a core that supports the CD platform, but you have not told Launchbox to use that core for that platform. This is the reason for the associated platform tab in the first place, so that you can use the same emulator, or in this case the same emulator core for different platforms.

While Launchbox does try to automate as much as possible some user input is still needed, it just cant be expected to know of every emulator ever made and for which platform it supports, thats just not possible. So the way it works is you add any emulator you want to use, but..... you need to tell Launchbox to use it for that specific platform.

Also bear in mind you can use any name you like for a platform, so if you decided to call Nintendo 64 "ninty 64" for example Launchbox would have no idea what that platform is, or what to do with it, hence you "associate" a platform to that system and emulator.

[Xrc6]

30 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

Correct, that core is for both. You do however need to tell Launchbox it is for both, Launchbox will never attempt to guess the platform or emulator to use for it, that is defined by the user. In your case you are using a core that supports the CD platform, but you have not told Launchbox to use that core for that platform. This is the reason for the associated platform tab in the first place, so that you can use the same emulator, or in this case the same emulator core for different platforms.

While Launchbox does try to automate as much as possible some user input is still needed, it just cant be expected to know of every emulator ever made and for which platform it supports, thats just not possible. So the way it works is you add any emulator you want to use, but..... you need to tell Launchbox to use it for that specific platform.

Also bear in mind you can use any name you like for a platform, so if you decided to call Nintendo 64 "ninty 64" for example Launchbox would have no idea what that platform is, or what to do with it, hence you "associate" a platform to that system and emulator.

But if you import it as TG CD, then it should know that it's for that CD platform. shouldn't it list itself under associated platforms?  I just tested with a separate LB folder and found it does not even though it says TG CD platform under the edit game details menu. It created a new TG CD platform in my platform category. It scrapes all the media as CD...then how could it not know? Why would it launch after I import but at some seemingly random point, it won't? 

But as in my previous thread. I had Commodore 64 in it and worked great for a while. Maybe 1 or 2 months later it stopped launching. That one is always shown in associated platforms list.

See if it does the same for you. Create a new platform, select NEC TG-CD for Retroarch and for me everywhere else it lists as TG CD except for the associated platforms list. All LB has to do is create a new title under that list. However for me, just making one didn't change anything. I still had to use the command line.

*Edit: Here's a pic of what I mean. This is from my test folder with just LB only installed in it and I created a new import. In one menu it shows the CD platform from which I imported it as. In associated list, it only shows the TG 16....why couldn't it create a CD version there as well? But either way, that alone didn't seem to be the source of what causes my issue with a random platform stop launching.

*second edit: I just now noticed that Commodore 64 isn't listed by default. So importing C64, it must create one in associated platforms list then because it's shown on my regular LB install where I imported it. So does TG CD show up on your list if you import that platform? Because it's not for me.

Edited April 30, 2019 by Xrc6

[Jason Carr]

8 minutes ago, Xrc6 said:

But if you import it as TG CD, then it should know that it's for that CD platform. shouldn't it list itself under associated platforms?  I just tested with a separate LB folder and found it does not even though it says TG CD platform under the edit game details menu. It created a new TG CD platform in my platform category. It scrapes all the media as CD...then how could it not know? Why would it launch after I import but at some seemingly random point, it won't? 

But as in my previous thread. I had Commodore 64 in it and worked great for a while. Maybe 1 or 2 months later it stopped launching. That one is always shown in associated platforms list.

See if it does the same for you. Create a new platform, select NEC TG-CD for Retroarch and for me everywhere else it lists as TG CD except for the associated platforms list. All LB has to do is create a new title under that list. However for me, just making one didn't change anything. I still had to use the command line.

If you add a line to the Retroarch associated platforms that matches the platform name, and set it up to the right core, it will work. If that's not working, put up some screenshots and I'll review.

[neil9000]

2 minutes ago, Xrc6 said:

But if you import it as TG CD, then it should know that it's for that CD platform. shouldn't it list itself under associated platforms?

No, see ,

25 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

Also bear in mind you can use any name you like for a platform, so if you decided to call Nintendo 64 "ninty 64" for example Launchbox would have no idea what that platform is, or what to do with it,

and,

26 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

Launchbox will never attempt to guess the platform or emulator to use for it, that is defined by the user.

 

10 minutes ago, Xrc6 said:

just tested with a separate LB folder and found it does not even though it says TG CD platform under the edit game details menu. It created a new TG CD platform in my platform category. It scrapes all the media as CD...then how could it not know? Why would it launch after I import but at some seemingly random point, it won't? 

I think you are misunderstanding the differences between our Database and what the actual program requires of you to work. 

[Xrc6]

5 minutes ago, neil9000 said:

No, see ,

and,

 

I think you are misunderstanding the differences between our Database and what the actual program requires of you to work. 

If so then none of them would ever work? If LB plays ROM files for all imported platforms on day 1 and a some other day one or two of the platforms doesn't. What is that requiring of me to do? 

[Jason Carr]

2 minutes ago, Xrc6 said:

If so then none of them would ever work? If LB plays ROM files for all imported platforms on day 1 and a some other day one or two of the platforms doesn't. What is that requiring of me to do? 

Why do you continue to argue with us? It will work if you actually do what we're telling you to do in order to fix it. You're misunderstanding a number of things, so honestly, I'm doubting that that's what really happened in the past. Regardless, we gave you the solution.

[Xrc6]

2 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

Why do you continue to argue with us? It will work if you actually do what we're telling you to do in order to fix it. You're misunderstanding a number of things, so honestly, I'm doubting that that's what really happened in the past. Regardless, we gave you the solution.

But I just explained your solution doesn't work? lol I'm not arguing. I'm explaining as simply as I can. Are you avoiding certain things I explained? Even adding TGCD and pointing to the same core under associated platforms doesn't work unless that command parameter is checked. It won't unless I make a new LB install which is what I did earlier as an example. It's exactly listed the same, imported as TG CD but only shows as TG 16 in Associated platforms and yet it works. How can it work in one LB folder and not another despite using same import platform and core?

I also explained it worked fine previously. Then stopped. Nothing ever changed and no the solution didn't make it work. Once it loses it's ability to path to the core/emulator. It will never again work without that command parameter unless I do a new LB install folder. That happened before with C64 and before that with Gameboy and another platform. I have the threads history that proves it.

I already found the solution that worked. hence the thread. I was just trying to help it get sorted to prevent it from losing it's ability to see the path. I get what you explained but you're not understanding that if it were the case, then it wouldn't have worked previously. All I do with it is import roms into a platform and play the games. They work then one day they won't launch and it appears random despite what information it shows.

You may find me doubtful but you realize I made the thread finding my own solution and was just trying to get it sorted. I get that TG CD wasn't listed, adding doesn't effect it either. You mentioned LB doesn't know what platform goes to what core to which I then pointed out that if I import a platform and point it to a core then LB knows what platform it is. But manually adding it to the associated platforms didn't work but the command line does.

I apologize for trying to help out in the community in case someone else has this issue. I found the solution that worked so if/when it happens to another platform, I'll just add that command but working around what I'm explaining doesn't make it go away.

 

 

Edited May 1, 2019 by Xrc6

[Lordmonkus]

The problem is that your own video shows where your mistake is which makes what you are telling us untrustworthy when you are literally the only person with the issue you are claiming. Any time someone comes to the forums with a problem with games not loading it is always a user configuration error. As Jason said, Launchbox doesn't "just forget" or "change settings" for no reason. I have been using Launchbox for several years now and never encountered anything close to what you are saying is happening. I have also been helping here on the forums and discord for nearly as long and never seen this issue.