mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?

[Guests]

[ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?

Why not try another dos 'front end' such as advmenu ?

Alternatively I presume there will be some documents / faq's
explaining how to set up arcadeos properly ? Have you tried manually
navigating to the the dirctory and starting it? Is the arcadeos
directory in the root or buried in other directories ? (personally
I'd have it in the root)

Although there are a few mame cab owners in here, it might be worth
directing your questions to a more mame related message board ?

Cheers, Colin

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
Hi

I got everything to run from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file now
with your help. THANKYOU.

The machine boots up fast and no windows, just I
wanted.

I have one problem now with the sound, I remember you
said I would have to configre it in the autoexec.bat
file but I am unsure how to do this.

I get the message: AUDIO INITIALIZATION FAILED, UNABLE
TO INITIALIZE SYSTEM.

I am running a DELL machine with built in
sound/graphics and I belive it runs like a
soundblaster 16.

Thanks once again.

--- Nigel Scott <nige@zaonce.com> wrote:

>
> On 29 Sep 2004, at 11:15, coldrain_uk wrote:
>
> >
> > UPDATE...
> >
> > I am now running:
> > WINDOW 98
> > arcadeOS
> > MAME086b_dos
> >
> > The problem windows poping up instead of arcadeOS
> was solved when I
> > switched to mame_dos.
> > I couldn't get arcadeOS to run from the
> autoexec.bat file so placed
> > a small BATCH FILE I found on the net in the
> startup folder of
> > windows, this works well for starting the machine,
> but have a small
> > problem on exiting. The batch file is ment to
> close the arcadeOS
> > then shut down windows, the only problem is it
> only works 1/20 times
> > (ish).
> > The batch file looks like this:
> >
> > @echo off
> > arcadeos
> > rem pause
> > CLS
> > C:WINDOWSRUNDLL.EXE user.exe,exitwindows
> >
> > When exiting arcadeOS the folling window pops up:
> >
> >
>
*********************************************************************
> > c:windowrundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows
> >
>
*********************************************************************
> > YOU MUST QUIT THIS PROGRAM BEFORE YOU QUIT
> WINDOWS.
> > CLICK OK TO QUIT THE PROGRAM AND WINDOWS,
> > OR CLICK CANCEL TO CONTINUE RUNNING THE PROGRAM
> AND WINDOWS.
> >
>
*********************************************************************
> >
> > Of coarse which ever I click the machine shuts
> down and powers off
> > as it should..
> >
> > Can anyone see what the problem is..?
> >
> >
>
>
> Have you tried removing Windows again using the
> BootGUI flag? If you
> don't start windows you won't need that stuff in the
> batch file - and
> as you are now using mame_dos, you shouldn't need to
> start windows
> anyway...
>
> Nige
>
>

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DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by cold rain (coldrain_uk@yahoo.com)

 

[guddler]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?

Now you have the unenviable task of tracking down DOS sound drivers for that built in card. Least i think you need dos drivers when running in command mode under 98?

Now starts the hard part :O)

Martin.

 

[Guests]

[ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
My suggestion would be to use the MAMEWAH frontend. Much cleaner and
easy to set up than any other in my opinion:

You can get it here:

http://mamewah.mameworld.net/

A good message board for MAME forntend software issues is here:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=3

Cheers

T

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
You guys are great, I know I have been a pain, thanks.

I guess I could always dig out the old ISA soundblaster 16 I have in
the games room somewhere.......

Should be easy to get the drivers for that



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by coldrain_uk (coldrain_uk@yahoo.com)

 

[guddler]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?

Unless they've implemented it since i last looked it wasn't too clever with real arcade monitors though being more targetted at PC setups.

 

[guddler]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?

Check the Dell support site first, they _CAN_ be quite good with maintaining old drivers for a lot of their machines as long as it's not a bang up to date machine.

Right, need to crack on now!

Martin.

 

[John Bennett]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
Mamewah is awesome - if you want to run multiple emus, and one of the best
looking fronts for just MAME. I have it as the front end on my cab to switch
between Mame / Laser Disk / Nintendo / Sega etc. I've just upgraded to a
shuttle though as I set it all up on a refurbished Pentium just to get it
all going, and watching Dragons Lair / Space Ace in slowmo is not great fun!

The great thing about Mamewah is the support - 'Minwah' (Steve) the guy that
wrote it, is always on the forums helping people out, and also most people
there I think use it, so you'll get an answer to any Q.



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by TJ (tony@djhalo.com)

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
I have to agree, MameWah Is the mutz nutz.

I have always got my OLD drivers form www.driversguide.com.

You have to register, but its free. Its never failed me yet.



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by (totallyout2lunch@hotmail.com)

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
I managed to get the drivers from DRIVERSGUIDE.com and all is
running well.

Still using arcadeOS at the moment, it has some funny quirks and I
may ditch it yet in favor of Mamewah, see how it goes.

I am now gutting my cocktail cabinet and was wondering if anyone on
here needs/wants the old parts (everything except the coin mech and
controls) I really would like another cabinet, upright or cocktail
and was hoping to do a trade with someone.

If not it goes on E-bay.

Thanks for all your help.

Coldrain



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by coldrain_uk (coldrain_uk@yahoo.com)

 

[John Bennett]

RE: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
Just quit all the faffing around, and install a modded Xbox in there...
The new version of MAME supports virtual memory, so it runs the larger
ROMs very well now.

Pros : Very very short bootup time
You can switch it off without worrying about damaging the file
system
you don't have to go through a shutdown procedure
Already has a neat front end
Outputs Composite or RGB video for connecting to a 15Khz
monitor

I've already built a cab with a PC in it, with an IPAC and ArcadeVGA
display. It took me ages to find DOS drivers, and then go off and write
a front end (although that probably took me longer to download Visual
C++ 1.52 than it did to write the 32-bit DOS app which acts as my front
end).

The Xbox solution took about an hour (including modding).



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by David Cowan (david.cowan@vissci.com)

 

[guddler]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
How are you interfacing the controls to the xbox?

Martin.

 

[John Bennett]

RE: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
http://www.geocities.com/armad1ll0/systems/Xbox_stick.htm

or

http://fp1.centurytel.net/retroarcade/box_control.htm



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by David Cowan (david.cowan@vissci.com)

 

[Macro]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
Before you start with the driver nonsense, if it's a plug and pray SB16
style card, then you will need to go into the bios, find the option that
says 'plug and play OS installed' and set it to 'NO'

otherwise, the bios will not allocate any resources to the card, because
it expects the OS to, but since you are no longer loading the OS, it
gets no IRQ etc.

(took me ages to work that out when I was setting mine up!)

 

[John Bennett]

[ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?

I love my consoles to much to have them modded and hack the joypad
for the control setup.
I feel no remorse about ripping a PC apart....

CONS:
Invalidates my X-box warranty
No spare X-box...

Burnout3 would make an excelent driving cab game thou.....



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by coldrain_uk (coldrain_uk@yahoo.com)

 

[Macro]

Re: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
Whats the speed of the x-box version like nowadays, I must admit to
sticking the x-box under the telly to play on, since mame-x at the time
gave me sound glitches running some of the lower spec things like
rainbow islands

>

 

[John Bennett]

RE: [ukvac] Re: mame cabinets, problems with invisble windows..?
All of the old ROMs run fine (Galaxian, Galaga, Puckman, Rainbow
Islands) as well as most of the older Neo Geo roms. Even the vector
stuff like Star Wars, Star Trek, Lunar Lander run great.

The only ROMs I've had problems with are the solid 3D stuff (even
something like Stun Runner which the Xbox should naturally play without
breaking sweat) are unplayable. I suspect newer versions of MAMEoX will
begin to support DirectX and so this stuff will speed up.

Generally though, its well worth a look.



DATA Imported from archives: originally posted by David Cowan (david.cowan@vissci.com)