Mamewah and Windows ME

[dweebs0r]

I have a couple of problems with Mamewah that I can't seem to find the answer to anywhere.

I have an old computer (Celeron 600/ 192 megs Ram) that I am wanting to use for my Mame cocktail cabinet.  I originally installed Linux and Advance Mame but the system chugged with the latest Mame, running even the classics at an unacceptable framerate.

So, after searching the forums here, I decided to install an older Mame but I couldn't find the X-mame source code so I could compile it.  I found the Mame source but it didn't include the unix makefile so I was unable to compile an older version.

So, plan B.  Wiped Linux and installed Windows ME (yuck).  Downloaded Mame .55 and Mamewah.  I thought, well, if I am stuck using Windows at least I can use Mamewah (which is imho, the best front end for Mame period). 

First problem, the system files that are supposed to be installed, I got an error when I used the setup.bat file.  Here is a cut and paste of what happens:

Code: [Select]

C:\temp\system>vbrun60.exe

C:\temp\system>rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 .\msv
bvm60.inf

C:\temp\system>rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 .\msc
omm32.inf

C:\temp\system>rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 .\msc
omctl.inf

C:\temp\system>rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 .\com
dlg32.inf

C:\temp\system>rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 .\pai
ntx.inf

C:\temp\system>regsvr32.exe paintx.dll
Bad command or file name

So I manually installed the PaintX.dll from a MS-Dos prompt.

Problem number two, using the commandline, Mame works perfectly and runs all of the classics that I am interested in playing on this cocktail just fine, but when I try to run them with Mamewah, I get a frozen screen and a little black box in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

I then am forced to cntrl-alt-del and kill an app called Winoldap to regain control of the keyboard which then sends me back to Mamewah.

So, I know Minwah patrols these forums, and I hope this isn't a common problem but I cant seem to figure it out on my own here.

Thanks for reading all of this!
-Dweebs

[Minwah]

Hmmm, well as you know WinME is a horrible thing to start with.  Unfortunately that means I've never tested Mamewah with it (& I have not heard from many others who have either).  While it should work pretty much the same as '98, I know there are differences which might cause things to play up.

All I can suggest you try is setting {dosbox} and/or {safelaunch} in you commandline_format - from what you describe it sounds like this might work...

[dweebs0r]

Thanks for the reply.

yea, its hard to go from a sweet running Linux setup with Fluxbox and bare minimum memory requirements to Win ME but it would be worth it to get Mamewah going.

I tried running Mamewah from the command line (Dosbox) and still got the same results.

It may have something to do with the onboard video this computer is using?
Since it seems to occur when resolutions are changing.

I need to just upgrade computers and be done.  Maybe I'll put this one in the Buy/Sell/Trade forums.

Well, I have an old copy of Win 98 SE I could try if for some reason there is an Windows ME incompatibility?  One of these days, I'd like to see a Linux Mamewah but I dont have the ability to port it.

let me know your thoughts on resolution changes.  Maybe I'll try buying a cheap pci video card and see if that helps.

-Dweebs

[Minwah]

I tried running Mamewah from the command line (Dosbox) and still got the same results.

Do you mean MAME from a commandline?

It may have something to do with the onboard video this computer is using?
Since it seems to occur when resolutions are changing.

Try setting a resolution you know will be OK (640x480 is a start) in mame's mame.ini.

Well, I have an old copy of Win 98 SE I could try if for some reason there is an Windows ME incompatibility?  One of these days, I'd like to see a Linux Mamewah but I dont have the ability to port it.

Win98SE is preferred to ME (Mamewah was originally written on '98)...but I can't guarantee anything as I don't have a '98 box any more.  I'm pretty sure plenty of guys are using Mamewah with '98 however.

let me know your thoughts on resolution changes.  Maybe I'll try buying a cheap pci video card and see if that helps.

Well from what you said it sounds like MAME is actually the problem, not Mamewah.  Try as I said running MAME from a commandline at different resolutions - you should be able to get it going ok I reckon.

[dweebs0r]

Minwah,

Thanks for all of the help.

I guess I wasn't clear in my post.  I ran mamewah from a command prompt just trying to troubleshoot (IE- look for an error msg) and got the same results.

I got things working by changing to {safelaunch} in the mame.ini

I see now what you were saying when you suggested to change to dosbox and/or safelaunch in your original post but I hadn't familiarized myself with the .ini files well enough to recognise what you meant at first.

Anyway, 'nuff said.  Things seem to be working for now.  I'll go try to break things some more.

-Dweebs

[Minwah]

I got things working by changing to {safelaunch} in the mame.ini

I see now what you were saying when you suggested to change to dosbox and/or safelaunch in your original post but I hadn't familiarized myself with the .ini files well enough to recognise what you meant at first.

Cool, glad you figured it out