System Configuration

[jwat147]

@mitu,
Ok, I formatted the SD card. I downloaded and installed the retropie image as indicated and then plugged it into the RPI. Nothing on boot. Shut it off, reinstalled all of the content that I had backed up when I first bought the SD card, prior to today's crash, and plugged that back in to the RPI and still nothing.

[mitu]

@jwat147 What does 'nothing on boot' mean ? It doesn't boot at all or you just get an error in Emulationstation as before ? How did you write the image - did you use Etcher or another tool to write the image ?

[jwat147]

@mitu By boot, I mean when I turn on the RPI. After I turn on the RPI nothing happens on the TV screen. I didn't use any programs to write the image. All I did was download the image, and drag the image to the formatted SD card. After it copied, is when I did everything else. DO I need to use etcher to write the image for retropie? If so, what do I do with the back up information that saved on my computer. Am I able to copy the files to the SD card after everything else is complete?

[mitu]

@jwat147 https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/ - has everything you need, including a video. Yes, you're supposed to write the image with Etcher on the card, it's not drag'n'drop.

[jwat147]

@mitu Ok, so I did everything as described and the RPI works. When I got to the part in the video about transferring the ROM's to the appropriate files, I can't find them on the back up that I made. Not sure how they work in this particular instance if the RPI has to read files in a specified place. Not sure if there is anything else that can be done at this point. If not, lesson earned I guess.
Moving forward, if and when I am making and changes to say, themes or any thing in retropie, probably safe to say that I should be saving changes??? If so, where is the specific place that I should save any changes at.
Thanks for you help today!!

[mitu]

@jwat147 Saving changes - you probably mean backup ? Use Win32DiskImager to take a backup of your SD card - https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Updating-RetroPie/#making-a-backup-option-1 - or just copy your files over the network - https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Updating-RetroPie/#making-a-backup-option-2.
I don't know how you backed up your existing card - if you didn't use something like Win32DiskImager, then I guess it's not a valid backup ? What files do you have from the previous image - it's an .img file or a bunch of files like kernel.img, etc. ?

[jwat147]

@mitu I didn't use Win32. Drag and drop like a traditional file... Here is a screen shot of the backup file.

[quicksilver]

@jwat147 looks like you just copy/pasted the contents of your boot partition.

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Updating-RetroPie/

The above page should help, specifically the section on making back-ups is what you are looking for.

[jwat147]

@quicksilver thanks for the information. I use Mac, so Win32disk won't work. Looks like there is a section for OS to do this or even RPI clone. Both seem a little over my head, but I will look into this so I don't have a repeat like I did today.

[mitu]

@jwat147 For macOS, use ApplePi-Baker instead of Win32DiskImager, works the same.

[jwat147]

@mitu thanks, will do

[jwat147]

@mitu Do you have any preferences for where to get ROMS at? Since my system is back to normal, and that's all I am missing, I cold just do it myself. Looking at [removed] and once a ROM is downloaded, there are two files downloaded. A .nes and a .zip what goes in the ROMS folder on RPI?

[quicksilver]

@jwat147 https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/2/forum-rules

We don't discuss where to get ROMs here. Please refer to the forum rules.

[Clyde]

@jwat147 Welcome to this forum and to the Retropie community.

There's a section in the Docs about NES including where to put which kind of ROMs. Please read it and ask any remaining questions here.