Missing Favorites Folder in MAME 32

[mike boss]

i had posted this in an old topic i started but figure its best for a new post.
forgive me if that was the wrong thing to do.
ive begun work on my MAME project, ive outlined all the steps ive taken.
www.mymissiontomame.blogspot.com

i had some time issues and didnt use my XP pc  that contains MAME for about 2 months. upon turning on the PC after about 2 months of non use MAME couldnt find my ROMS or anything. i had to repoint MAME to all the required directories and now that issue is fixed. however at one time i had a folder of "favorites." it appeared on the left of my MAME screen. i could click that folder and find my 200 or so titles i selected as "favorites." however this folder is now missing. i have no clue where to find it or get it back. i will re-list the roms if required, but i just want the folder visable.

any help ?

[mike boss]

anyone ?

the only thing i can think of is (looking @ screenshots) perhaps i overlooked it in the CUSTOM folder ?

[Ummon]

Look in there. Also, right-click in the 'folder' area of mame32 and it'll show you what folders you can choose for display. Long ago, I deleted all the other sub-folders and inis and only have 'favorites' in the 'folder' directory. If I want to add a new category (aka 'sub-folder' in the UI), I go into the ini and add it just like the others are done. Then in the UI I add whatever games I want by dragging from the list to the folder in the pane - or, if I'm moving a bunch,  while still looking at the ini I cut/copy and paste from one entry to the new entry. Get it?

[ahofle]

If I remember correctly, MAMEUI (previously MAME32) overwrites the folders/favorites.ini file each time you install a new version.  I had to create a new ini file called "MyFavorites.ini" or something unique and then it will preserve them between upgrades.

[mike boss]

thanks guys, still having a few issues perhaps you can "still" help. (SORRY!)
when i goto the MAMEUI32 folder in my program files i find a folder called "FOLDERS."
when i go into the folder i see  :

artwork (configuration file)
custom (configuration file)
favorites (configuration file)
version (configuration file)

now when i open these text docs i see that both CUSTOM & FAVORITES appear to be text based list of the games i had prior selected. but while in mame when i right click the folders area all folders listed are visible. i dont see a custom nor a favorites.

what now should i do, im soooooooooo lost.

thanks

[mike boss]

here is what i have done so far with 0 results
gone into my main mame folder
inside the folder titles "folders" i created a text file named "Favorites.ini"
i was still unable to right click, goto "show folders" and see that folder.
i inturn added the same ini file, "Favorites.ini" to my ini folder, it also provided me with 0 results. i then took my "custom" & "favorites" configuration files, copied them from"folders" folder & added them to the ini folder. it also didnt provide me with any results.
as mentioned prior it seems as if the configuration file "favorites" is indeed the list i created prior by right clicking on selected games.

i am still stumped! i want this folder to show up, it gives mame so much more ease.
thanks guys, ill  be waiting for some advice

[mike boss]

i still cant get this to work. spent about an hour or so farting about..............no luck. i am still confused and this is really bothering me.

[ahofle]

Have you tried creating an empty 'myfavorites.ini' and put it in the 'folders' dir?  It should then appear in the MAMEUI folder list and you can drag and drop your games into it.

[mike boss]

i did give that a shot and it didnt seem to work.
but i will try it again, hoping it works this time.
the file i created was a text file called "Favorites.ini" there was no other text contained within the file. but again, it didnt work or show up.

one thing i did prior was take the mame32.exe file and cut it from its original location & post it in my startup. could this have been the problem ?

the odd thing i guess to me is when in the "folders" folder i see the favorites & custom configuration docs that do contain a text based list of my list. however i cant right click in the folder part of my mame screen and make any folders show up.

lastly when u add games to your favorites isnt mame simply compiling a list for you ? or are the actual roms bieng re-located ? i always thought that it was simply a grouping and that if i selected XXX-MAN for example, it would show in favorites when clicked,but also be visible when i select "all games."

this really has me stuck. thanks guys

[ahofle]

Again, try naming it 'myfavorites.ini', not favorites.ini.

The way I understand it (and this is only a MAMEUI feature to my knowledge, not generic MAME), is that for each ini file in the 'folders' directory, MAMEUI will display a 'folder' on the left to which you can add and remove games.  The roms are not moved, they are just added to the ini file. 

[mike boss]

thanks will try tonight !
ill report my findings !

[RayB]

... and put that EXE back where it belongs.  If you want it referenced in StartUp, drag a SHORTCUT of the exe there, not the actual exe.

[ahofle]

LOL I bet you're right.
mike, are you absolutely sure the MAME instance you are running is where you think it is? 

[mike boss]

you know what, just reading what you wrote i bet i F'd it up !
i bet its running what it think is perhaps a fresh install of MAME ?
that could make sense ?
ah the pain in the --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules--.............. ah well im a tard!
tongiht when i get home i going to move that main exe and put a copied exe in the start up and see how it goes. i might need to do a lil more  re-tooling of sorts. but perhaps it will be a resolve to this mystery.

thanks guys for all the help

[RayB]

A copy won't help.
The copy will run, and it will "look around" it's location and not find the things that are supposed to be "around" it. You need to run it from whereever its originally installed. ie: C:/MAME32/mame.exe

To put it in "Startup", you make a SHORTCUT to the mame.exe (or mame32.exe, I don't know what it's called)

[mike boss]

thank you,thank you, many a thank you. also thanks to my bud scott from work who 1st pointed out i was a "tard." lastnight when i got in a created a shortcut of the mame EXE and left it in my start up foder. (where i had moved the original EXE) i moved the original EXE back to the mame folder that i got it from. i located a few other configuration files that i guess were created in error by my moving of the EXE. i deleted the files, did a restart and PRESTO..............my  favorites were back ! mame now seems to work fine.
so again THANKS,THANK,and more THANKS. i now just need to complete my JPAC tonight and begin testing. perhaps this weekend the project might be complete.

speaking of the project :

www.mymissiontomame.blogspot.com

[mike boss]

forgot to mention CASE CLOSED ! THANKS  GUYS

www.mymissiontomame.blogspot.com

[Ummon]

Just to mention, when upgrading mame versions, I never install into the old directory. (In fact, as far as I know, mame doesn't 'install', and has no registry interaction.) I unzip into a main directory - for me it's My Documents - and then cut or copy and paste the exe* into the old directory.

*I usually use mame32/UI, so I just do the exe. However, if I (just for testing purposes, mind) happen to grab vanilla mame, I included the other exes or whatever with it, as they're necessary for mame to run. 32/UI has them bundled together.

[mike boss]

thanks for the advise !