New install

[STEMALO]

Hi everyone,

I recently had my LAUNCHBOX-MAME arcade M.2 drive crash. I had to purchase another drive and re-install EVERYTHING.
I installed LAUNCHBOX and MAME 287 with the ROMs. Everything working perfectly. Then I proceeded to add the CHD roms but instead of putting them in the ARCADE section it put them in the root and I can't seem to get them to work.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[JoeViking245]

6 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

instead of putting them in the ARCADE section it put them in the root

Do you want them in the root? Can't say I've ever seen that.  Anyway, I think your question is more about...

 

10 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

I can't seem to get them to work.
What am I doing wrong?

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.

[STEMALO]

I used the import function in LAUNCHBOX to add the CHD and it put them in the root and yet they still do not start.
What is the proper way of adding CHDs in an existing LAUNCHBOX set up?

My MAME ROMs are in the C drive as is my LAUNCHBOX application.
My CHD ROMS are in the D drive .

Edited Monday at 07:16 PM by STEMALO

[STEMALO]

i tried the Mame Tools plugin and MAME Troubleshooter but do see what the problem could be.

[JoeViking245]

15 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

i tried the Mame Tools plugin and MAME Troubleshooter but do see what the problem could be.

"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.

[STEMALO]

I will investigate further this weekend and get back to you.

[STEMALO]

Here is my setup.

LAUNCHBOX installed on C drive
MAME installed on C drive

MAME ROMs installed C:\MAME\MAME 0.287 ROMs (merged) ========files are in ZIP format (no directories)

MAME CHDs installed D:\MAME 0.287 CHDs (merged) ======all CHD files in their own folders

I tried moving the ZIP in the directory of the CHD but still get error saying some files (other than the actual CHD) are missing.

What am I missing. 

[STEMALO]

The other problem I have is that when in installed everything. I tried to import the CHDs but that caused the CHD files to be added at the root (see image). How to i remove them? I just want to keep the ARCADE.

[JoeViking245]

24 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

I tried moving the ZIP in the directory of the CHD

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.

 

11 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

The other problem I have is that when in installed everything. I tried to import the CHDs but that caused the CHD files to be added at the root

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.

[STEMALO]

The ZIP files are in the C drive and the CHDs are in the D drive. Is there a way to get it to work that way or do i need to move the ZIP filed (which are in the C drive to the folder where the CHDs are located (D drive)?

PS i did use the import function. Should I try again or do i need to fix the other issue before.

 

[JoeViking245]

14 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

The ZIP files are in the C drive and the CHDs are in the D drive. Is there a way to get it to work that way

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.

 

20 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

PS i did use the import function. Should I try again or do i need to fix the other issue before.

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. )

[STEMALO]

21 minutes ago, JoeViking245 said:

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. )

I was thinking of that but all the games (not in the ARCADE) need to be removed one by one  
Unless there is way to select multiple or edit a ini file.

[STEMALO]

But reading your plan, all the games in ARCADE work. What if we just do the CHDs?

[JoeViking245]

39 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

But reading your plan, all the games in ARCADE work. What if we just do the CHDs?

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.  

[JoeViking245]

46 minutes ago, STEMALO said:

I was thinking of that but all the games (not in the ARCADE) need to be removed one by one  
Unless there is way to select multiple or edit a ini file.

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.

[JoeViking245]

4 hours ago, STEMALO said:

caused the CHD files to be added at the root (see image). How to i remove them? I just want to keep the ARCADE.

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.