mGalaxy forum

I was super excited to pay for a Lifetime license to get 7.0 and arcade room theme, but it looks like I've got some problems. Hopefully these can be fixed.

I'll first list the problems I'm having and then my step-by-step of what I did up until now.

My problems are:

1. mGalaxy overwrites Favorites.ini for MAME (see solution above)
2. mGalaxy Runway won't open after I run mGalaxy.exe once
3. No Logo artwork on new Arcade Room theme (see solution above)

What I've done so far:

• I installed 7.0 in the directory I had 6.0 installed in to save information. I ran runway and it was all there. With the new license copied in, I selected the new theme and pointed Logos to the big folder of PNG logo art that I have.
• After saving in Runway, I ran mGalaxy and it loaded fine, except my Favorites went from 208 to 54. I went back out and re-copied my 6.0 backup of Favorites.ini and XMLOUT.xml into the MAME data folder in UserSystems, overwriting the files there.
• I re-ran mGalaxy and the same thing happened. Favorites.ini was overwritten to 54 games. At this point I realized that my logo art never showed.
• I went back out and double-checked the Favorites.ini files. My 6.0 backup does have 208 entries. The current one in mGalaxy 7.0 has 54. I noticed Zoo Keeper was a missing game, re-ran mGalaxy and went to it in the main list. Marquee, Snap, Video all ran, and the game runs.
• I tried opening Runway and I would get the white box like it was about to turn on, and then it crashed. The box just goes away and nothing happens. Runway won't open. I rebooted, and the same thing happens.
• I installed 7.0 into the 6.0 directory again. Runway still won't open. I install 7.0 into its own directory and Runway there opens fine. I set up MAME again. I copy my 6.0 backup Favorites.ini and XMLOUT.xml again. Everything is setup, including the license file and 6.0 directory's catver.ini and nplayers.ini in the main mGalaxy directory. I quit and run mGalaxy.
• Same problem. 54 favorites....no logo art....When I exit and try running Runway in the 7.0 folder, it now won't open just like the Runway in the 6.0 folder. It seems to me that Runway breaks as soon as mGalaxy runs for the first time.

This is where I stand. One extra issue I just realized. When I setup MAME again in the 7.0 folder's Runway, I noticed the ability to select music and screensaver in mGalaxy is gone. I didn't see it anywhere. Was that killed from the new version of the program??

But that's the least of the issues at this point.

I'm running Windows 10 Home version 10.0.17134 Build 17134 on an x64 PC

***UPDATE to Issue #1***

Cause found and I believe problem solved. In 6.0 you could have names like this in the Favorites.ini file, "Zoo Keeper". If I had to venture a guess, 6.0 would look for that name in the XMLOUT file somewhere, or maybe specifically in the <Description> tags, then link that to the rom name?

Anyway, regardless of why, 7.0 Favorites.ini MUST have the ROM name listed. The name displayed within mGalaxy will still be whatever you have in the <Description> tag in XMLOUT.

All I did was add "zookeep" to the Favorites.ini and it showed up just fine.

I'll have to manually copy paste 153 rom names to my new 7.0 Favorites.ini file when I can (yay) but at least this problem looks to be fixed.

Still at a loss over Runway breaking and no Logo Art. I'm hoping Logo Art is similar to the Favorites issue where it's a new naming requirement issue.

To be continued....

***UPDATE to Issue #3***

Well I'm a god damned moron. sigh....

1) I forgot I moved the logo pngs to another folder so I was pointing at a blank folder.
2) Regardless, you actually have to TURN THEM ON!!! In my excitement I just assumed they would be on by default because that's what the example of the theme showed. So for anyone else out there as dumb as me, press "T" to open the Theme menu and click the "Use Image" button. Ta-daaaa lol smh

Now I guess the only issue is Runway breaking after running mGalaxy, but I think that's beyond me troubleshooting. Thankfully I don't need to go back into it. Looks like the background music can be setup within mGalaxy now. Odd that my Arcade Ambiance MP3 is playing from the old version even though the new menu inside mGalaxy doesn't show anything selected for Music. Must be in a setting file that doesn't display in the frontend for some reason.

Anyway, that's it for me. Now if only someone can port these to Linux so I can cram a Raspberry Pi into one of those Pandora sticks and run mGalaxy on the road.

Anyway, regardless of why, 7.0 Favorites.ini MUST have the ROM name listed. The name displayed within mGalaxy will still be whatever you have in the <Description> tag in XMLOUT.

Yes, there was indeed a change in the way mGalaxy handles favorites from v6.2 (you actually participate to the discussion at the time http://www.mgalaxy.com/forum/index.php? ... 44#msg3844)
...This is now indeed the rom name that is saved
This change is handled by the (internal) updater from version 6.0 to newer, so you shouldn't have to manually rename all your favorites...but there might be a bug , could you please try this:

1. Create a copy of your mGalaxy v6.0 folder
2. Install mGalaxy v7.0 in the same folder. DON'T LAUNCH ANYTHING
3. Download this test version of 'mg_filesupdater.exe' (attached to this message) and overwrite the one in the mGalaxy folder
4. Run mGalaxy_Runway

...and please report if the 'favorites.ini' file updates correctly

Looks like the background music can be setup within mGalaxy now. Odd that my Arcade Ambiance MP3 is playing from the old version even though the new menu inside mGalaxy doesn't show anything selected for Music.

The arcade room theme INCLUDES an ambiance sound..this can be muted in the theme preference panel!

mgalaxy wrote:

Looks like the background music can be setup within mGalaxy now. Odd that my Arcade Ambiance MP3 is playing from the old version even though the new menu inside mGalaxy doesn't show anything selected for Music.

The arcade room theme INCLUDES an ambiance sound..this can be muted in the theme preference panel!

LOL I'll be damned. I always used one of those Arcade Ambiance MP3s floating around and could not tell the difference. Are you using on of them? Either way, that's one less thing to worry about. Thanks!

mgalaxy wrote:

Anyway, regardless of why, 7.0 Favorites.ini MUST have the ROM name listed. The name displayed within mGalaxy will still be whatever you have in the <Description> tag in XMLOUT.

Yes, there was indeed a change in the way mGalaxy handles favorites from v6.2 (you actually participate to the discussion at the time http://www.mgalaxy.com/forum/index.php? ... 44#msg3844)
...This is now indeed the rom name that is saved
This change is handled by the (internal) updater from version 6.0 to newer, so you shouldn't have to manually rename all your favorites...but there might be a bug , could you please try this:

1. Create a copy of your mGalaxy v6.0 folder
2. Install mGalaxy v7.0 in the same folder. DON'T LAUNCH ANYTHING
3. Download this test version of 'mg_filesupdater.exe' (attached to this message) and overwrite the one in the mGalaxy folder
4. Run mGalaxy_Runway

...and please report if the 'favorites.ini' file updates correctly

Thanks for the info! Ok, I did this and I think the problem with Runway being broken is stopping me from testing this.

Just to be clear, my 6.0 folder is not pure. I installed 7.0 into it already, and I ran mGalaxy, which seems to be connected to Runway not working. That's the folder I copied to try this. So even with the new mg_filesupdater file copied in, I can't open Runway to finish the test

The only way for me to get Runway to work is to install 7.0 into a new directory. Let me know if this process will help you test the Favorites issue:

1) I install 7.0 into a new directory and launch Runway
2) Setup MAME in Runway and then exit Runway
3) Copy my backup of Favorites.INI and XMLOUT.xml into the newly created MAME UserSystem folder
4) Copy the updated mg_filesupdater that you posted here to the mGalaxy directory.
5) Run Runway again

The only way for me to get Runway to work is to install 7.0 into a new directory. Let me know if this process will help you test the Favorites issue

No, this won't work! This is the way to go to get back to v6.0 and update to v7.0:

1. Download and install mGalaxy v6.0 to a NEW folder, let say "mGalaxy_Transition" (http://www.mgalaxy.com/downloads/mGalax ... taller.zip)
   At the end, DON'T RUN ANYTHING
   Open the "mGalaxy_Transition" folder, then "Data" and delete "UserSystems" folder
2. Go to your current mGalaxy folder( the one you updated from 6.0 to 7.0)
   Copy this folder: "mGalaxy/Backup/6.0.0.0/UserSystems" to "mGalaxy_Transition/Data" folder.
3. Download and install mGalaxy v7.0 over "mGalaxy_Transition" folder. (http://www.mgalaxy.com/downloads/mGalaxy_Setup.exe)
   At the end, DON'T RUN ANYTHING
4. Download the beta 'mg_filesupdater.exe' (see attachement to this message)
   ...copy it (and overwrite) to "mGalaxy_Transition" folder.
5. Run mGalaxy_Runway from "mGalaxy_Transition" folder.

Voila! You should now have all your files properly updated.
So the important information here is that when you're updating to v7.0 mGalaxy will create a "Backup" folder with your previous data saved inside!

mgalaxy wrote:

The only way for me to get Runway to work is to install 7.0 into a new directory. Let me know if this process will help you test the Favorites issue

No, this won't work! This is the way to go to get back to v6.0 and update to v7.0:

1. Download and install mGalaxy v6.0 to a NEW folder, let say "mGalaxy_Transition" (http://www.mgalaxy.com/downloads/mGalax ... taller.zip)
   At the end, DON'T RUN ANYTHING
   Open the "mGalaxy_Transition" folder, then "Data" and delete "UserSystems" folder
2. Go to your current mGalaxy folder( the one you updated from 6.0 to 7.0)
   Copy this folder: "mGalaxy/Backup/6.0.0.0/UserSystems" to "mGalaxy_Transition/Data" folder.
3. Download and install mGalaxy v7.0 over "mGalaxy_Transition" folder. (http://www.mgalaxy.com/downloads/mGalaxy_Setup.exe)
   At the end, DON'T RUN ANYTHING
4. Download the beta 'mg_filesupdater.exe' (see attachement to this message)
   ...copy it (and overwrite) to "mGalaxy_Transition" folder.
5. Run mGalaxy_Runway from "mGalaxy_Transition" folder.

Voila! You should now have all your files properly updated.
So the important information here is that when you're updating to v7.0 mGalaxy will create a "Backup" folder with your previous data saved inside!

And that's a wrap! Done and it worked flawlessly. Ran mGalaxy and Runway runs just fine right after.

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. That arcade room skin, with the music, and LOGOS!!!! Ahhhh my arcade setup is perfect now IMO, but I look forward to new stuff in the future.

Thanks for all the help.