Mala front end with MAME not loading ROMS...

[drpcken]

So while I'm working on my first cab, I decided to try to find a good frontend and get it ready so I won't be wasting time trying to get it to work.  I downloaded newest MAME and Mala 1.04.  I created a folder called MAME and extracted the MAME program to c:\MAME\mame.  I extracted Mala to c:\MAME\FrontEnds\Mala.  Ran Mala and did the initial config.

I put a rom in the c:\MAME\mame\roms directory.  Here's where I'm confused... do I leave it compressed or extract?  When I go to the game in the games list, it starts loading but then says

000-lo.lo is not found
sfix.sfix not found
sp2s2.sp1 not found
sm1.sm1 not found
ERROR: required files are missing, the game cannot be run.

I followed precise instructions on setting up mala.  Not sure why this is happening.  I created a custom gamelist and added just the one game, but when I edit the game the path is blank.  I then manually put the path in but nothing.

Any ideas?

[drpcken]

Ooops, I just noticed the MaLa support forum    Could someone please move this thread over there for me.  Sorry about that!

[abispac]

you need the neogeo bios, not just the game romset, make sure you have neogeo.zip at your roms directory

[drpcken]

Hmm I got the neogeo bios from two different locations and when it loads it tells me WRONG LENGTH on 000-lo.lo and WRONG CHECKSUMS on sm1.sm1.

[u_rebelscum]

...MAME and Mala 1.04...

Do you mean mame 0.104?

Hmm I got the neogeo bios from two different locations and when it loads it tells me WRONG LENGTH on 000-lo.lo and WRONG CHECKSUMS on sm1.sm1.

This means the rom sets you have don't match the mame version you have.  If you look at MAWS neogeo page, you'll see that this set have changed five times between 0.104 and now (.130u1 .128u6 .128u5 .127u6 .109).  So either you sets you DLed are newer than your mame version, or out of date compared to your mame version.

Before you ask the next question, MameDev's Rom Faq page, specifically the one on it worked before but now doesn't, for more info on why rom sets change.

[drpcken]

It's actually mame0133b.  Let me read through your suggestion again.

Thanks!

[abispac]

ill say google neogeo.zip and try diferent ones untill you get a working one...