Downgrading romset? [edit: if I can't resolve this current video issue]

[mmmPeanutButter]

I am wondering about downgrading a romset.  I did some searching and didn't really turn up with anything of value.  Perhaps "downgrade" is the wrong word.


Here is my situation:

I have a computer (I want to say it's an AMD Athalon X P2500 - intergrated video - 1gb ram).  I was running an older version of MAME (maybe 78) with windows 98 (roms worked well).  I figured that this computer was good enough to fire up the XP so I installed TinyXP.  Got the latest MAME and ROMSet (120) and it runs like crap.  Even the simple games (pacman, et al).


I figure that the downgrading would be a good place to start.  Oh, and any suggestions on where to downgrade to?  (like "oh, MAME did a big change at ver XX, so get version XX-1" or something like that)



(and please don't start telling me where to get old romsets, that's not my intent and it's against the rules - thanks)

[vidmouse]

This computer SOUNDS like it should be able to run the latest MAME, so maybe
there's some other things to try:

0)  Make sure your system specs are what you think they are
1)  Update the latest video drivers and DirectX for your system
2)  Lower (half) the audio sampling rate in the mame.ini file
3)  Post which roms are running slow... some of them run slow in any PC
4)  Try ClrMAMEPro to rollback your romset... if you need help w/ this
 post again

[SirPeale]

If you can't even run Pac-Man on that system, you have a configuration issue.  Likely your resolution is too high, among other things.  Reduce your resolution to 640x480 and post your mame.ini here.

[Luigi]

I guess the most difficult part will be to get all the matching ROMs 

You could try  <0.107 AFAIK the performance was lowered after that point.

[Barry Barcrest]

I was going to say i can play space harrier on my P700 without problems so that machine should be zipping along with the likes of pac man.

[AtomSmasher]

Since your using an integrated video card, you should use the version just before they revamped the video to utilize the video card (I'm not sure which version that was).

As for matching the ROMS, search for and download a torrent of a rollback set of roms, it includes all files that have been removed from the roms, then use ClrMAMEPro to make sure all roms have the correct name.  If your switching to a fairly recent version of mame, then the rollback set may not be necessary.

[mmmPeanutButter]

Ok.  Thanks for all the replies. 

This is where I have gotten:

The PC is indeed an AMD Athlon XP 2500+, 1.83 GHz and 1GB Ram

Proposed video mode not supported on device \\.\DISPLAY1
Unable to initialize Direct3D.

I looked around online and it seems like it has something to do with the Direct3D.  I changed my ini to use DirectDRAW and it works - but the audio and video are painfully slow.

[aside: I have an integrated video card (on an ABIT NF-7m mobo).  I also have an extra MSI 128mb video card (Radeon 9200 SE?) that I could use instead.  Probably better than my integrated, no?]

A lot of threads I found seemed to come to the "I guess my computer can't run version XX" conclusion and then they reverted to an earlier version.  Somebody mentioned a change that happened to the way MAME handled the video... this could be the problem.

I would tend to think my computer should be able to run the current MAME version.

I tried running DirectX, but I don't know if it installed.  I'm using TinyXP so I doubt I would validate on the MS site, so I got it from someplace else but when I run dxdiag, it can't find anything.


[please forgive my idiocy when it comes to the computer settings side.  I can make a cabinet like nobody's business, but kinda stupid on the tail end.   This project has been going on f o r e v e r - thanks for your help]

[SirPeale]

Did you adjust the resolution like I suggested?

[mmmPeanutButter]

I was unclear about where to adjust the resolution...  are you just talking about the standard windows resolution (right click - properties - setings)?  Then yes.  I changed them to 800x600.

If you're talking about somewhere else, then neg-a-tor.

(I also just attached my ini as a text file.  This has the ddraw and runs but super slow and with skippy audio)

[SirPeale]

800x600 is too much.  Reduce it to 640x480 in your mame.ini file, under resolution.

Also turn off hwstretch.  I see you have it turned on.  That may help.

And turn priority from 0 to 1.

And turn 'switchres' from 0 to 1.

[mmmPeanutButter]

Ok.  First off... thanks for all the help.

This is where I am now (although I'm not sure if I made the resolution change properly - I attached the latest revision).

Things seem to be running ok (I tested it with mortal combat).  I toggeled each of the items you mentioned (separately) and they were all pretty much required to get me to this point.

But...  the size of the screen...  I used to be playing all of these games at full screen and full speed (without any settings changes)(although I was using an older version on mame (074) and windows 98) and now they're much smaller.


(thanks again for your continued help)

[SirPeale]

Try different combos of turning on/off HWSTRETCH and DDRAW/D3D

[mmmPeanutButter]

Try different combos of turning on/off HWSTRETCH and DDRAW/D3D

I gave it a shot, but it's still not working....   the d3d gives me the error:

Proposed video mode not supported on device \\.\DISPLAY1
Unable to initialize Direct3D.

I have a feeling that it is a DirectX problem.  I tried installing DirectX 9 from windows, but I didn't pass the validation test.  I found it elsewhere and have all the cab files in a temp directory.  I fan the setup and it seemed to install, but there isn't really any evidence that it installed (the d3d still isn't working and when I type dxdiag at the run prompt, win tells me it can't find the file.

I even pulled out the disc that came with my motherboard and "seemingly" installed DirectX 8.  Nada.

I'm using TinyXP beast edition.  I'm tempted to try to scrounge up a legitimate version of XP, but I don't really want to go through all of that trouble if it's not going to help me at the end of the day.  But I'll do it if need be.  I'm desparate.

I appreciate your help...  Peale, I think you're the only one reading this thread anymore!

[AaronGiles]

Try: -video ddraw -hwstretch -switchres

This should behave almost exactly like older versions of MAME

[mmmPeanutButter]

Try: -video ddraw -hwstretch -switchres

This should behave almost exactly like older versions of MAME

If that means set the video to "ddraw," hwstretch to 1 and switchres to 1 then it didn't work.

I might start crying soon.

[AtomSmasher]

try an older version and see if it fixes it.  I'm not sure where they changed the video stuff, but I believe your safe around .102

[xmenxmen]

re-install directx if you have not already done so. 

[mmmPeanutButter]

re-install directx if you have not already done so. 

read my post above from 7:30 on the 28th.  I touch on the DirectX problem.  I don't think its installing properly and I can't get do much cause of my TinyXP (read: not too legit).

So I think I'm going to try to fire up an official copy of Win XP.

I'll report back.

[Malenko]

you can install tiny XP with a valid serial number, or so I read