Adding folder for ROMS

raspberry79

I don't have any Roms downloaded on the computer yet.
So, can i just create a retropie folder on the USB drive and connect it to the Raspberry Pi 4. and enable the USb rom service and let it start
Create the ROM folder structure and then add roms.

sleve_mcdichael

Yes.

windg

@raspberry79 said in Adding folder for ROMS:

I don't have any Roms downloaded on the computer yet.
So, can i just create a retropie folder on the USB drive and connect it to the Raspberry Pi 4. and enable the USb rom service and let it start
Create the ROM folder structure and then add roms.

Just create a folder on your usb with this name : retropie-mount and then plug it to the RPi4 and boot the system. It will create automatically the nessesery folders for bios, roms...

sleve_mcdichael

@windg said in Adding folder for ROMS:

Just create a folder on your usb with this name : retropie-mount and then plug it to the RPi4 and boot the system.

retropie-mount is only if you want to keep the USB device always plugged in to your RetroPie and have the roms stay on the USB. If you want to use the USB only as a temporary transfer medium so the roms end up on your SD card and remain available even while the USB device is not connected, the folder must be named only retropie.

windg

@sleve_mcdichael
Sorry, i thought that he want to run roms from usb

raspberry79

@windg
So, first i enable rom service on the Pi4
then go over to the PC and create a folder on the USB Drive ratropie-mount
then reinsert it in the Pi and reboot to start creating the folders and i can then go back to the computer to start adding the roms.

windg

@raspberry79 said in Adding folder for ROMS:

@windg
So, first i enable rom service on the Pi4
then go over to the PC and create a folder on the USB Drive ratropie-mount
then reinsert it in the Pi and reboot to start creating the folders and i can then go back to the computer to start adding the roms.

Better have a look at the wiki here : https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Transferring-Roms/

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
So after i create the rom folder structure on the USB drive, then do i go back to disable the usb rom service and the go back to the laptop and start adding my roms to their location.
I know that the roms are zip files, do i unzip the roms and copy them to the folder locations on the USB Drive

sleve_mcdichael

@raspberry79 said in Adding folder for ROMS:

@sleve_mcdichael
So after i create the rom folder structure on the USB drive, then do i go back to disable the usb rom service

Not if you want it to do anything with the roms after you put them on the USB drive, like finding them or seeing them.

I know that the roms are zip files, do i unzip the roms and copy them to the folder locations on the USB Drive

Most roms can be unzipped.
PlayStation roms and (sometimes) N64 roms must be unzipped.
Arcade roms must not be unzipped.

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
When downloading roms, how to tell that this or that must be unzip or not
Is it that when downloading roms some is downloaded in a unzip folder and other just downloaded in a zip folder.

sleve_mcdichael

@raspberry79 said in Adding folder for ROMS:

@sleve_mcdichael
When downloading roms, how to tell that this or that must be unzip or not

You can check the docs page for each individual system/emulator.

Example lr-fbneo for arcade uses .zip or .7z while lr-pcsx-rearmed for PlayStation 1 uses any of .cue .ccd .chd .exe .iso .m3u .pbp or .toc (note, no .zip or .7z).

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
So, i enable the USB rom service on Retropie and it didn't take a few seconds to add the empty folders so i can add the roms to them.
Once i connected the USB drive back to the laptop, i look at the Rom folders i got folder like Atarie GBC short for Gameboy coler and other game console name, but can i rename them rom folders so it will make it easier for be for know the names of them.

sleve_mcdichael

@raspberry79 no if you rename the folders, EmulationStation won't be able to find them.

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
Ok, what if one of the roms got into the wrong rom folder

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
So, i got some roms now.
Most of them is in the zip folder and the others are just .7z fils
So, i just unzip the zip files and the rest in .7z or other types just leave along

sleve_mcdichael

@raspberry79 said in Adding folder for ROMS:

@sleve_mcdichael
Ok, what if one of the roms got into the wrong rom folder

Then move it to the correct rom folder.

@raspberry79 said in Adding folder for ROMS:

@sleve_mcdichael
So, i got some roms now.
Most of them is in the zip folder and the others are just .7z fils
So, i just unzip the zip files and the rest in .7z or other types just leave along

Most emulators can handle both .zip and .7z formats without any additional effort. Check the individual docs pages for each system to see what formats are supported by its emulators.

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
What about Retropie.

sleve_mcdichael

@raspberry79 what about it?

raspberry79

@sleve_mcdichael
Do retropie 4.8 which is the newest version run these types of files

sleve_mcdichael

@raspberry79 "RetroPie" is not an emulator. Check the docs page for each individual system e.g. SNES:
https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Super-Nintendo-Entertainment-System/

Accepted File Extensions: .7z .bin .fig .mgd .sfc .smc .swc .zip