The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Software Forum => Topic started by: pmindemann on August 15, 2012, 03:08:30 pm
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Hello all... new to the forum, but not to building arcade cabs. My first cabinet using MAME/Hyperspin (that I built for my co-workers), looks like this and has amplified audio, dual powered subwoofers (that's why the base is so large--proper air volume), a Wii behind the coin door, and a few other tricks:
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pmindemann/Untitled.jpg)
Now that you know I'm not a complete noob (wink), I wanted to ask for some help with something that has stumped me recently. I've installed MAME version 146 on four computers now, but on the last one (a small, low-power nettop), I'm getting a "DIFF CHD ERROR: File Not Found" code on ONLY my games that require CHD files (all other games play fine):
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pmindemann/Filenotfound.png)
Followed by a "ERROR: Required files are missing, the game cannot be run." message:
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pmindemann/Filesmissing.png)
Now, here's the thing. I've tried everything I could find online (yes, Google is my friend), as well as several other tricks, and nothing has allowed CHD games to play. Here's what I've tried:
I have re-installed MAME.
I have copied MAME over from another computer that runs these games perfectly.
I have copied the CHD and zip files of these games from another computer that runs these games perfectly.
I've removed the contents of the DIFF folder (though on my most recent re-install of MAME from the MAME downloads site, I don't have a DIFF folder).
I have used both ROM and CHD files that are compatible with build 146, as evidenced by the fact that I have three other machines using these exact same files just fine (and they also come from a reputable source who updates files regularly and has never given me a bad dump).
My computer is a brand-new build, with nothing but Win7 64-bit installed (no other apps except what came with the machine, Chrome, XPadder, Hyperspin and MAME).
I have no other issues with my PC, Hyperspin or MAME. All other games run fine.
I tried searching forums for answers, but it seems like I must be missing something simple since nothing so far has worked. I'm at a loss and finally reaching out... Any help at all would be appreciated.
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It's most likely path error. When Mame says it can't find a chd that means....wait for it..... it can't find a chd!
Do you have your paths defined in your mame.ini? Are your chds in a different folder than the roms for the chd games? Are your .chd files extracted in a folder? Is it the properly named folder? (The folder name is NOT always the chd name).
1. Make sure your path(s) are defined in your mame.ini
2. Make sure the chd parts of your games are in open folders and not zipped up.
3. If you are still having trouble take the rom (not the chd) of the game in question and extract it inside that chds folder, that sometimes helps.
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Thank you very much for the reply, and the suggestions. To answer your questions:
1. I'm not sure what's in the mame.ini file (I don't know how to access or edit that, but would be open to learning).
2. My CHDs are located in the same "ROMS" folder that the zip files are in.
3. The CHDs are in their respective folders as supplied to me--and this structure seems to work fine on every other machine in which I have them installed. None of them are zipped.
4. I haven't re-named the folders. They are the default names, which again seem to work just fine on every other MAME installation I currently have running (3 other machines with identical installs, files, and file structures).
5. Haven't tried unzipping the ROM into the CHD folder, but might try that as a last resort.
Here are a few screen shots, if they are of any help (perhaps you'll see something wrong that I'm not spotting):
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pmindemann/Folderstructure.png)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pmindemann/CHDStructure.png)
(http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/pmindemann/Zipstructure.png)
Thank you very much for the assistance and suggestions. This is at least the 10th MAME install I've done in the past 2 or 3 years, and this is the first one to give me these kinds of problems. By the way, I'm using the 64-bit version of MAME, same as my other computers... I just have to drop the "64" from the executable name in order to get Hyperspin to recognize it... but again, this hasn't caused any issues in the past.
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If you want to see your mame .ini file, open a command window and navigate to your mame directory. then type mame64 -cc if you are running mame64. That will create a mame.ini in your mame directory. Open the ini file with notepad. That is the .ini for mame itself. For the hyperspin mame.ini, look in Hyperspin\Settings for mame.ini
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Two ideas:
Windows has a problem when moving complete folders and subfolders to another computer. Windows has a tendency to make the folders read only. It could have an impact here. I don't know if Windows 7 is better than previous versions of it but it's something to check.
Is the path set correctly in Hyperspin on the new install? I'd double check that too. Helps to eliminate that possibility.
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Hoopz, you're a (near) genius... the "read only" thing wasn't necessarily the issue, but it made me realize that the CHDs were writing to the hard drive... I had to "Run as Administrator" in MAME, I suppose because CHD files write to memory where other games don't. Once I did that, problem solved! :applaud:
Ever since installing Win7 on this machine, I've had persistent Administrator problems (it's asking for permissions on everything, even when I turn User Access Controls down to the next to lowest setting). And I've never installed another user on this machine.
In any event, thank you all VERY much... your questions and insights regarding Windows behaviors gave me the prod I need to figure this out. Everything seems to run properly now. Of course, it doesn't solve my need to "Run as Administrator" every time, but at least now I know the issue!
Kudos to all... :cheers:
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Completely disable UAC, and change the permissions on the folder to "everyone" and then set the security to "everyone" if this is an arcade box.
I would like a stick and 5 minutes alone with the chief software engineer in charge of the GUI and security changes in Vista and higher. :soapbox: