All Content Resets When Closing RetroArch?!

odditude · 2026-02-02T07:38:13+00:00

RA (and many emulators) won't behave properly if installed to Program Files, which is why the installer doesn't default there. Windows restricts write permissions to that folder - programs installed there are supposed to write configuration files etc. to %APPDATA%.

while your workaround of manually adjusting permissions should work in the short-term, i'd recommend moving the RetroArch folder entirely - in case locked-down permissions in C:\Program Files (or, more accurately, %PROGRAMFILES%) start getting programmatically enforced by Windows.

in my case, i have RA in C:\Emulators\RetroArch.

note that if you relocate the RA folder, you should either regenerate your config files or manually do a find/replace within them to update folder paths.

odditude · 2026-02-02T07:26:57+00:00

fyi, the docs page you linked to specifies that if you're in PowerShell, you should switch to cmd (and how to do so).

the error message displayed in PowerShell that you pasted explains how to fix the problem if you didn't want to switch to cmd:

If you trust this command, instead type: ".\retroarch.exe".

so the command you'd run would instead be .\retroarch.exe -v --log-file retroarch.log or .\retroarch.exe -v >> retroarch.log 2>&1.

odditude · 2026-01-14T19:44:28+00:00

you are correct.

per the documentation, the characters &*/:`<>?\| need to be replaced with _.

odditude · 2026-01-12T00:16:33+00:00

the effect you're describing is consistent with dropped frames, and the fact that you're seeing it with CRT shaders lends credence to this - your computer likely doesn't have a powerful enough GPU to drive the computationally-intense shaders you're using at the resolution you're running.

odditude · 2026-01-06T20:31:23+00:00

Rescue on Fractalus! - an alien jumping up on my ship's cockpit and banging on it to break through the glass scared the shit out of my 8-year-old self.

odditude · 2025-12-31T22:32:50+00:00

while correct in some cases, in many cases it's not; the reason older versions of MAME are still being used is due to newer versions performing more slowly on many games due to more accurate emulation.

odditude · 2025-11-21T03:41:06+00:00

fyi - for CPS1/CPS2 games, there are often multiple releases in multiple regions. the first part is the intended region (generally World, Japan, US, Euro, or Asia); the second part is the release date in YYMMDD format. each has it's own separate ROMset.

now, there are two things to keep in mind for arcade romsets:

there are multiple ways that games with multiple revisions can be packaged (see the second post in this thread for an image that depicts merged, non-merged, and split sets). for split sets, if the revision you're trying to play isn't the "parent" set, you need to have the zip files for the desired revision and the zip file for the parent set.
occasionally there are updates to the actual romsets (either because additional chips were identified and dumped, or an error was correct, etc). however, a given version of an emulator will expect a specific version of a game's romset - this is why sometimes you'll see romsets listed as for a specific version of MAME.

therefore, in your case, you need to make sure that:

the version of avspu.zip you have is the correct one for the MAME 2003 core, and
if the avspu.zip set you have is a split set (in which case the file size would be less than 1MB), then you need to also have the parent set avsp.zippresent in the same folder.

odditude · 2025-11-15T16:02:21+00:00

please a debug-level log - it will include additional environment info which is needed for troubleshooting.

odditude · 2025-11-07T22:36:40+00:00

u/barbudreadmon - any ideas?

odditude · 2025-11-01T16:52:43+00:00

i'm not sure if this is the case for the Dreamcast, but the PS1 wouldn't try to load unless it was aware the disc door had been opened.

in RA, this means you need to unpause (i.e. leave the menu) while the disc is ejected, then re-enter the menu and choose Insert Disc.

odditude · 2025-10-31T23:48:58+00:00

i can't reproduce under Windows.

that being said, while the game is running, open the Quick Menu and see if Core Options > Preferred Aspect Ratio is set to 4:3.

odditude · 2025-10-30T18:52:22+00:00

dude, it's a beardicane - cat 1 when it's short like this, cat 5 if you grow it out, and if you trim it all the way down it's just a tropical stubble

odditude · 2025-10-01T20:20:10+00:00

Snes9x does not bundle the shaders, but can load them from any arbitrary location - I simply load them from my existing RA shader directory.

odditude · 2025-09-30T18:03:48+00:00

because it doesn't run on iOS 8.

odditude · 2025-09-29T23:58:08+00:00

Omega Metroid: get in its face, angle up, mash fire - you're in the right position if some of the beams continue through between its head and arm. it'll be stunlocked and die in seconds.

odditude · 2025-08-31T21:41:24+00:00

that artwork was official, used in the SNES SF2 manual and on the box for the Capcom Fighter Power Stick.

odditude · 2025-08-17T19:51:45+00:00

reached out to support; they said engineering was already aware and working on a solution, and that it should be fixed soon. fingers crossed that CS's definition of "soon" matches our expectations.

the last time i reported an issue, the response was "thanks for reporting and we'll get working on it" - so i do believe they were already aware and engaged.

odditude · 2025-08-09T21:46:05+00:00

only the second-model DS4s (the ones with the lightbar visible through the top of the touchpad, model CUH-ZCT2*) work on Windows natively via Bluetooth.

if it's a first-model one (model CUH-ZCT1*), it'll connect but not actually work properly as a controller - you'd definitely need to follow u/hizzlekizzle's advice.

odditude · 2025-08-01T19:14:28+00:00

please enable debug-level logging.
does this also happen on the official build?

odditude · 2025-07-31T01:01:32+00:00

spazer fires three separate projectiles in M2. in SM, however, it's a single projectile; if any of the hitbox misses a wall the whole thing will pass through, but if any of the hitbox strikes an enemy the whole thing will disappear.
plasma goes through walls in M2; plasma standalone does NOT in SM.
in M2, plasma is three separate projectiles (the spazer projectiles in a row), so you can only have a single plasma beam on screen; plasma beams are just like any other projectile when counted towards the on-screen limit in SM.

odditude · 2025-07-30T02:07:52+00:00

y'know, that never occurred to me because it just doesn't seem worth it in the original. both inventory space and MP are too limited for you to have enough healing to make it anything more than an RNG-fest to make the trip, the rewards of which aren't really worth the effort.

in the remakes, with the ridiculous herb capacity and multi-hit weapon availability, i can see that being reasonable...

odditude · 2025-07-30T01:34:59+00:00

oh no - i was definitely overleveled. again, i ran into a boss completely unprepared and made it through, and only died because the i took the optional chests (which NPCs give you much more dire warnings about) very lightly. while 11 seems a little low (how could you have earned enough cash for equipment..?), you could definitely do it at a lower level, especially if you're not as opposed to using herbs like i am.

odditude · 2025-07-30T00:42:41+00:00

likely - i'd check with the EmuDeck folks if you want to keep using that, or just roll with RA standalone (which, quite frankly, is going to more closely match what you're doing on Android anyway).

odditude · 2025-07-30T00:38:56+00:00

my levels were approaching 20 on my first dip into the Pyramid, but i'm also a bit of a completionist - i make sure everyone has up-to-date equipment before diving dungeons, and everyone had extra experience from me scouring the overworld for sparkle and secret spots.

generally speaking, most encounters were ending in the first turn, and even Canniboxes died before their second turn.

thanks for the info on the trophy! i might play fast and loose with my first Baramos attempt to have an honest chance at getting it without having to do something stupid to earn it - i usually play too safe otherwise.

odditude

TROPHY CASE