RedDog

It's up to you on whether you want to explore the sitatuation with the command line, but if the configuration you ended up with works for you and you are happy with it, thats good. I personally don't get too crazy with all of the switches that are avaialble for Mame. The basics have always worked fine for me. Then again, my setups are pretty basic since I do not have a dedicated cab with fancy bells and whistles.

Do you have a full rom set? The installer assumes this is the case. There was a similar posting by another user a short time ago here. Make sure 005.zip exists in your set. If not, either remedy that or add a dummy copy and try again.

Hi @cdbrown So, a few questions/thoughts: You might try running Mame via GameEx without the "-video d3d -noswitchres –triplebuffer" in the Mame Options and see what happens. If it works, you can add back in parameters one at a time. If that does not make things work... Has Mame worked before via GameEx or GameEx Arcade or is this the first time you have set it up? Does the versions of your rom files match the version of Mame you are running? Also, what version are you using? Does mame work outside of GameEx? Do you know how to test Mame via commandline batch files? Also, GameEx Arcade is essentially GameEx with certain parameters hard coded for you. I suggest you choose whichever one you think you will want to use going forward and test with that one until you can figure out why Mame isn't launching properly. Don't waste time testing in both when one will suffice (unless you want to take both versions for a test drive that is).

@Xtro Probably the best way to go actually...until it develops further.

@Xtro Just be aware that GameEx launching process is based on an emulator's ability to launch via a dos command and parameters. Mounting an image is (generally) the easy part. Sadly, if there is no command line functionality for launching Ootake, you may have to do some of the launching manually. You may want to do some posting in forums that are reporting the newest version. Maybe someone can provide some command-line info there. There does not appear to be much documentation on Ootake and what little that is avaialble is in Japanese, so not much help there; but the author does appear to be updating at a pretty fast pace (3 updates in the last 30 days or so from what I can tell), so if there is no command-line functionality now, perhaps it will be added in the future.

I disabled the HideOS.exe to test a theory, so I didn't take the testing far beyond that. Since the log.txt file did not throw up any errors, I would doubt there would be any residual problems with the rename. I would only suggest flagging the Hide Desktop in the Display Settings to No in the Setup Wizard. I do not run GameEx with Hide Disktop because I am always tinkering with things and just never quite get it to a 'finished' state.

OK, I pulled the trigger tonight and bought computer stuff. In the end, I decided I wanted a few more slots, so I went from Micro-ATX to ATX. I also found that I could go with a "black/white" theme-ish built for only a few bucks more, so I did add a bit of bling. I will be sure to post pics one it's done. Your help made this a ton easier. Thanks!

We were very fortunate. Hope you fared well too.

Nice looking setup! GameEx is pretty great, isn't it?

At least you figured out something that works for you. Well done!

You guys gave me some things to think about, so thanks for the feedback. Here are some changes I am thinking of making, and of course I am wondering if any of them may sound like poor choices: Exchanged the m.2 500 GB Samsung SSD with a 2.5" 500 GB SSD Samsung 850 EVO. It would be nice to save space for future drive upgrades, but I read that the m.2 can get hot with heavy use and throttle down (not something I want with video rendering). Exchanged the 16 GB G.Skill RAM with non-heat spreader 16 GB Crucial. I get the impression heat spreaders don't really do much these days except make it look pretty. I am considering changing the i7-7700K with i7-7700 (or another cooler CPU). I am a little nervous about the amount of heat the rig will generate and being able to effectively cool the CPU. I could use some advice here. Lastly, I have pretty muched ditched the AIO liquid cooling. But, again, that leaves me concerned about a reliable cooler for the CPU. I read that Noctua - NH-U9S 46.4 CFM CPU Cooler is pretty good and also quiet. Unfortunately tthurman, ThermalRight only had once choice that fit this set-up and it did not have heat pipes (which I would like to help get the heat out of the case). I could use some advice here too. Some of these changes end up shaving a few buck off, but it's not about that. Updated build Link: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fYH3LD

That is about what I figured you were trying to do...and, sadly, the answer is no. There isn't a built in way to do what you want. I also looked through the plugins and did not find anything. Look at it from the video side of things. Hopefully you have a video card that supports monitor rotation and hot keys. You may also want to look into using a script via AutoHotKey or a combination of both. Then you will need some software that will tie the custom hot key to the button. Does your video software suppot rotation and hot keys? And do you have software that lets you assign a hot key to your input device? Another way to do it, although time consuming unless you only have a small number of vertical games, is to run the Mame game and then edit the config for that game only and rotate the view. That way whenever you start up the game, the view will be rotated and you just turn your monitor to match. The downside is that the game now has it's own config and any time you wanted to change controls for all games, you would have to manually make the same change there.

I did some testing with shroud's config on my setup and was able to get the same issue in 14.96. It looks to be related to HideOS. When Display Settings > Window/Full Screen is set to Full Screen and Display Settings > Hide Desktop is set to NO, HideOS.exe will still launch when a Mame game is launched. The screen stays black and MAME sits in the background not in focus. Note, I did not do an other emulator testing. I renamed HideOS.exe in the GameEx directory and things ran ok then. I am really surprised I was able to replicate this issue. I would not think that something like this would slipped through the cracks between the 14.03 and 14.94 release. I mean, we should have had a lot of complaints. Maybe it is some combination of things that makes it happen. Anyway, attached is my GameEx.ini and several log.txt files from the testing. @shroud you may be ok holding of on upgrading for the moment...but renaming HideOS.exe is certainly a quick fix for the time being. @Tom Speirs Hey Tom, could you look over this one? log - HideOS disabled - HideOS renamed.txt log - HideOS disabled.txt log - HideOS enabled.txt GameEx.ini

I do not believe this can be done via the Setup Wizard. There is a Rotate Display option in the Display Settings, but that is for a dedicated vertical monitor for things like vertical shooter cabs. You might consider changing the monitor resolution instead. I know that there are apps that allow you to set a hot key to change the monitor resolution and orientation. Your GPU software may even have the option. The only drawback I can see is that the GameEx Theme may look a little odd when a custom resolution is used (since Themes are usually created with one resolution, or at least one aspect ratio in mind). So, what's the reason for wanting to rotate the GameEx screen instead of the game itself?

OH yeah! Happy B-day dude!

My way will certianly get you there since all you are really doing is creating a list to filter out the stuff you don't want and keeping the stuff you do. With only a bit of work and a dash of hair spray...well, who are we kidding, several cans of hair spray...your list can be all ready for partying in the 80's again!!! Of course, Tom's way is the right way to go in the long run. I am sure he would appreciate the help testing when you have the chance.

@hansolo77 Oh yeah, forgot about that card. I have an external eSata drive enclosure with two drives where I keep archived PC images, emulator stuff, etc housed. I just switch it on when I need it. I'd like to keep those drives separate. Newer mobos do not seam to have eSata ports, so the card is for that. @tthurman I figured with the 93 watt CPU, liquid cooling might work a bit better - but after a bit more research I found that good fan cooling and AIO liquid is not that far apart in cooling. I also did not think about the fan headers and am still trying to figure out how they would work with a mbo that has no dedicated header for liquid cooling (thanks for pointing that out). I may end up switching to horizontal heatsink/fan combo like some fo the the ThermoRight units you commented on. I will read up a bit more. I also read enough about the Z170 motherboards and their possible incompatibility with the 7700k without a bios upgrade. It is one of the reasons I went with the Z270 instead. Thanks for taking the time guys. Always appreciated.

Gotcha. I glossed over that post. Here I thought I was about to learn some new jedi mind power.

I've been using a gaming loptop for about 9 years now. A SSD and RAM upgrade have allowed me to stretch out it's use, but I think it's time to break open the wallet and go back to a desktop build. I put together a build on PCPartsPicker. I've probably built or rebuilt about 20 PCs in total, but it has been a good 5 or 6 years since doing my last build (a i3 MediaPC). I feel pretty a little out of touch with some of the tech and could use some feedback if someone knowledgeable is willing to look this over my part list. I chose a MicroATX setup to keep the build a little smaller. It will be used for office work, some AAA gaming (FPS, RPGs, but very little competative), and possibly video rendering for some of the girlfriend's projects. I don't care much about bling, sparkles or flashies. A plain-looking PC is fine. I plan to do two monitors, but probably no larger than 1080p. I don't usually go bleeding edge, instead choosing a combo of good value and good quality. I don't do overclocking and don't plan to get a second GPU. My concerns are these: Windows 7 vs Windows 10 (I only have Windows 7 on three PCs right now; guessing it's time for Win10) I chose a i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core CPU and it feels pricey, but important for video rendering and gaming Paying $400 or $500 for a video card seams like so much; is a GTX1060 weak? I chose a 120mmx240mm CPU Block radiant cooler setup to vent out the top of the case, but it's my first time using liquid. Looks pretty straight forward though. Anything I should know? Worried about missing any bottlenecks in the system. I have checked video card size against case space, power supply venting directionality, the number of 4-pin fan headers on the mobo (4), m.2 placement, and cable management in the case. Can't think of anyhting else. Original Build (10/4/2017): https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zzD4HN Lower Watt Build (10/6/2017): https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fYH3LD As always, thanks.

Glad Tom was on top of this. I need to learn a bit more about the Merge Sets functionality it seams. I thought it was only related to multiple versions of the same game in the same zip file. @Draco1962 How did you determine what version of GameEx Shroud is running?

It may be something in your GameEx.ini file that was added when you tried to use the GameEx Arcade theme. Hard to say though. Before giving up on GameEx, you may want to clear your emulator cache, download the GameEx installer, and install a new copy over the existing install. To clear the cache, go to the GameEx\DATA folder and delete any file with the .dbcache extension. Note that a reinstall will not affect your GameEx.ini file. And just an FYI, if you do install GameEx Arcade, you do not need to remove GameEx. Both can be installed at the same time as they are separate programs, have separate Setup Wizards, etc. Then you can remove one later if you decide to.

I have the 32 bit version installed (I had done it manually back when I started this thread), but did not realize there was a control panel for it until now. I opened it and set up the file associations. The majority of my files are .cdg. There isn't much else that jumps out at me to change though, unless you have a suggestion. I can now double click on .cdg files in Windows Explorer and windows media center will work as expected, playing the music and showing the lyrics. However, there is no change in GameEx. The preview still plays the music and shows the lyrics, but when I click on a song, GameEx flashes black and returns to the list. The log also looks similar. Does this work properly for other users then? log.txt

GameEx Arcade and GameEx are similar animals, but they are not the same. It would be unwise to use themes from GameEx on GameEx Arcade and vice-versa. GameEx Arcade does not actually support custom themes through the software. Draco, the author of the GameEx Arcade Draconus theme, commented in the description that it has to be installed manually. You could consider the theme a hack in a way, but Draco also knows his stuff very well, so I would be very comfortable in saying that it is safe to use with GameEx Arcade...but just GameEx Arcade. An easy fix for your problem should be to go to the GameEx\Themes folder and rename the Arcade Draconus folder to something else. Then, open the Setup Wizard and navigate to the Themes page. The entry will be empty. Choose the theme you had before (or Default-Default), advance the page and exit. Try running GameEx. I expect it will load.

Fortunately, Teamviewer was having an issue and they resolved it yesterday, so we are back in business (so to speak)...but it still makes me want to spend some time looking for alternatives in case they do add some restrictions to free accounts. Port mapping is something I would rather avoid if I can. It can be challenging to explain to non-techies what it is, what changes to make, as well as navigating router GUIs. I've heard of SplashTop. I will take a gander at it. I used RealVNC and UltraVNC a fair number of years ago for personal use. Maybe it is time to revisit them anyway to see what has changed. Thanks for the suggestions guys.

I retested after the update and GameEx still does not want to play the .cda files when I try to 'run' a song. The screen goes blank for a moment and then returns to the list. The logs shows the following entries: 00:22:14.5 10/4/2017: Loading Karaoke Cache 00:22:47.1 10/4/2017: Playing Karaoke E:\Karaoke\Public Domain\La Bamba - Richie Valens\La Bamba - Richie Valens.cdg 00:22:47.1 10/4/2017: Open Karaoke E:\Karaoke\Public Domain\La Bamba - Richie Valens\La Bamba - Richie Valens.cdg 00:22:47.1 10/4/2017: Unable to open video Oddly enough, the preview window does play the song and display the lyrics and they are in sync. @Tom Speirs Some time ago, I started tinkering with Karafun as an alternative and it works pretty good (with quite a few more features). I am happy to continue troubleshooting this if it is not working as expected for other users, but if this is just an issue with my setup, we can close it out. Thanks. log.txt GameEx.ini