Thanks Nick, but that didn't work either.
I have two ini files - one in root mame directory and the other in the INI folder under root. I changed both to:
rompath J:\roms
hashpath hash
samplepath samples
artpath artwork
ctrlrpath C:\Emulators\Mame0149b\ctrlr
inipath ini
fontpath .
cheatpath cheat
crosshairpath crosshair
Still no joy. Any other ideas?
Let's see if I can help any.
First, simple stuff (you've probably already done this but just in case...)
Mame.ini is in the \mame\ini folder
mame.ini contains a ctrlrpath line that should contain ctrlr as the value.
Create a file in ctrlr folder, call it MyController.cfg or somesuch
That's the CFG file that should contain the controllerremap configs, it's XML, and it'll need to be structured properly or mame won't load it (and I believe it fails silently, so you won't +know+ that it didn't load it. Ugh.
Get the CFG all set up and run
controllerremap /remap:{path}MyController.cfg
(I usually set the above up in a bat file called remap.bat, or just R.BAT so I don't have to type the command all the time.
First , If you look at that file, does it look like the INPUT sections got rewritten at all? Make a back up and compare them if you're not sure.
If that part appears to be working right copy and paste the XML file into one of the online XML checkers.
Like this one
http://www.xmlvalidation.com/If it checks out, move on to the next step.
Ok. Just Saw Stigzler's write up. Very nice.
One thing to point out is that ControllerRemap has NOTHING to do with the mame.ini file.
It doesn't even use the MAME.INI file to locate the CFG file (you need to put the full path on the command line).
Another thing that can be VERY helpful, is to generate the MAP file (Via /save), then use that with the /TESTMAP command.
Check out the map file, it's a pretty straightforward file. Swap some sections around to +simulate+ controllers being unplugged and replugged, save several different MAP files, then use the /TESTMAP:filename command to swap between the maps and see out the INPUT ports are rewritten.
An editor that will automatically reload files when they're changed externally is a HUGE help for this (personally I like RJTextEd as a good free windows editor.
http://www.rj-texted.se/