Reluctant

[LePlane]

Hi. I'm very new to all of this. I bought a couple of arcade joysticks and downloaded GameEx and now I'm trying to figure out how to install emulators and roms. The problem I'm running into is that at every turn wether it's downloading an emulator, my McAfee goes crazy and tells me I'm downloading dangerous content. My computer is already showing signs of adware since I started this. Is there not a safe place to download or buy clean software? I just wanted to relive some of my old games with my kids but can't seem to do that without all the internet scams hitting my machine. I'm about to just give up on the whole thing.

Edited April 5, 2014 by nullPointer
Please refrain from discussion of where or how roms are obtained.

[Draco1962]

Welcome to the GameEx fourms! As with anything you do on the internet, it is a "user beware" proposition. In most cases, it is a matter of a false positive from some anti-virus/anti-malware programs. You can download emulators directly from the author's sites in most cases to minimize the possibility of exposure.

As for exposure from obtaining ROMs, well, that increases your chances of exposure. That is as far as I will go on that topic as we do not discuss where or how to obtain them per our Forum Guidelines and Rules.

[nullPointer]

Hi LePlane and Welcome to GameEx Forums!

What you're experiencing right now is the growing pains that a lot of us likely experienced early on when we became involved with this hobby. Having said that I must point out that we cannot discuss any topics relative to the acquisition of ROMs. Please refer to the Forum Rules and Guidelines. This isn't meant to single you out or make you feel unwelcome so much as it is a necessary measure to protect this community.

I can assure you that that GameEx (or any other Spesoft software) is not malicious software. If you've downloaded it from the GameEx web site McAfee should not be freaking out. If it is, then the problem lies with McAfee not GameEx. The same goes for any well known emulators. If you download software from shady "MediaFire/software clearing house" type sites, well you're taking your chances. If you download emulators directly from the project web sites for those emulators you're going to be in a lot better shape. The GameEx setup wizard will also allow you to download emulators directly which is another safe option.

And therein lies the best advice I can offer on this topic. If you're really interested in pursuing this hobby (and believe me it's a full-on past time), try to become involved with some of the more reputable well known communities dedicated to emulation. The fact that you made an account here means you're already on the right track! I can also recommend the BYOAC forums, the EmuMovies community, and NGEmu (with some reservations). Learn about the hobby, get out there and make some friends experienced with the hobby and you'll be up and running in no time.

For better or worse if you're only interested in playing retro games, your best bet is likely installing Steam, getting a Wii, or any other platform which offers retro games at deep discounts. Your going to have a lot fewer headaches, and the support is built directly into the platform. Again this is not to discourage you but just to put out another option. Emulation is a hobby that practically requires a love of tweaking, hacking, and figuring things out on your own. This often means that you will be troubleshooting obscure applications completely on your own, making best guess judgement based on nothing but past experience. The old joke is that you'll spend more time fiddling with emulators, frontends, and utilities than you actually will playing games. There is a huge grain of truth to that!

Any way man good luck on your journey! This can be an incredibly rewarding hobby, but you just need to accept the possibility of frustration right up front.

[DazzleHP]

I apologise for my bluntess and must note that this is not the opinion of Spesoft or its staff - but McAffee and other well known commercial "Security" Apps are known for throwing up all manner of crazy false positives - just sayin'

I've been using GameEx for over 3 years and not once had even a hint at adware/spyware/virus troubles. If you got it from gameex.com you have no worries.

When it comes to emulators i can only echo what Draco and nullPointer said - get them from the dev's site

[tthurman]

"For better or worse if you're only interested in playing retro games, your best bet is likely installing Steam, getting a Wii, or any other platform which offers retro games at deep discounts. Your going to have a lot fewer headaches, and the support is built directly into the platform. Again this is not to discourage you but just to put out another option. Emulation is a hobby that practically requires a love of tweaking, hacking, and figuring things out on your own. This often means that you will be troubleshooting obscure applications completely on your own, making best guess judgement based on nothing but past experience. The old joke is that you'll spend more time fiddling with emulators, frontends, and utilities than you actually will playing games. There is a huge grain of truth to that!"

So do you take the red pill, and embrace the sometimes painful hobby of emulation, or take the blue pill, and enjoy the blissful illusion of retro gaming on Steam and a Wii?

Wow you almost got me reconsidering!

Do Steam and Wii really have a large library of retro games?

I bet you get real dizzy playing Tempest on a Wii!

I think that if you are comfortable with computers, not browsing the net comfortable, but directory structure, and configuration comfortable, and are patient enough to endure some trial and error, you'll do just fine. nullPointer is right, this hobby isn't for everyone, but if your into it, it will eventually bring out the creative side of you, and that's where all your time will go. Setting up a MAME rig is pretty straight forward, and can be up and going in pretty short order. Cabinet building, graphics, and tweaking your system into the coolest thing on the block, that can quickly become a super big time eater. I'm constantly amazed at the sheer number of talented individuals that dedicate their time to this hobby, and some of their work is simply amazing!

[tthurman]

Oh yeah, I have to agree with DazzleHP!

I'd recommend getting a much less intrusive AV suite. I've lost countless hours to McAffee, and am convinced it is developed to keep PC makers in business, as it it the largest resource hog I've ever seen.

my .02 only!

[Riffman81]

To echo the words of the gentleman above... yes, this hobby takes a massive amount of time, trial and error. I've been around the emulation scene since the late 90's. I've done my share of ROM hacking, beta testing various software, and helping out with other projects, etc. A few years ago when I decided to set up a home arcade cab and a new HTPC (mostly for retro gaming) I too found myself scratching my head quite often with uncertainty and frustration. There were many times where I thought I should throw in the towel so to speak. But my love for this great hobby of ours kept me coming back for more punishment, and eventually, things started to make more sense and come together. I bet I spent more time on forums researching and sifting through countless threads to find the answers to my questions than I did actually playing the old school games I wanted to relive from my childhood.

Here I am 3 years later, and after toying with every major front-end out there, I've finally found a "home" here at GameEx. (I started with Maximus Arcade) But still, I spend more time tinkering and configuring rather than I do playing. There is always something new to discover, or something new to add or advance on within your setup, no matter what front-end you use. I also help contribute to the EmuMovies project and even still, you can find me doing artwork packs or lurking around over at HyperSpin from time to time. The point of my little story is that you get back whatever you put in, I'm in no way trying to discourage you, or any other newcomer. We were all "new" at one point in time, and I'm sure many of us share the same frustrations

The folks here are always willing to help, and the amount of responces you've gotten on this thread reflects that. GameEx is a great choice for a front-end as It's pretty easy to setup once you learn the basics. The best advice I have to offer you is to take it a step at a time. When I started this hobby, I found myself wanting to rush things all to often, and many times important details were overlooked. Start with one emulator/system, and build from there. This not only gives you a satisfiying feeling of accomplishment, but also gives you a chance to learn the setup of GameEx and how she works. There is also a ton of valuable information and guides right here on the forums, so get to know the "search" feature and you'll be in good hands. If I can be of any help to you, feel free to send me a private message, or post here on the forums. As I said before, we're here to help. Hope you stick around, this hobby can be very fun and provide many hours of entertainment if just given the chance Good luck to you.

[Draco1962]

I have not bought or used an IP recommended AV suite in years since Microsoft introduced Security Essentials. Between that and Windows Defender for firewall, I have had minimal issues and, the best part is they are FREE and easy to manage.