Disabling search function in mame?

[peterpiper70]

I have a Mame machine which has two joysticks and respective buttoms all mapped as keyboard keys. I have changed setting in Mame to work correspondingly.
Problem is when on the Mame front screen if a button or joystick is moved/pressed mame sees it as a letter and changes the list to that letter only via the search function!!
Not sure ive explained this very well but its best I can do
Any one know how to disbale that serach function at the top above the favourites/Export list/show DATs icons?
Regards
Pete

[Vocalitus]

I had the same problem and it is quite infuriating especially when you are wanting a certain set to use, and wanted to do the very same thing by disabling the interface.

I just moved to Launchbox and put the Mame binary of the set I was wanting to use and pointed the front end to it.  Its free and there are plenty of tuts online,

Launchvox is free and works but not entirely painless...

[peterpiper70]

Thanks for you response Ill give that a try
Regards
Pete