Running ROMs from USB

[morpie]

Hi All,

Got a Pi3 running RetroPie 4.1. Have been running my ROMs from USB using the automatic method suggested here:

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Running-ROMs-from-a-USB-drive

... and have had some success. Occasionally though, the ROMs are not present when booted and I have to re-enable the USB Rom Transfer service and reboot the system, and they usually show back up. I am not sure what causes this. Someone told me using the manual method would alleviate these problems.

When I performed the manual method, I got through to the end okay, and when rebooting, it told me I had no ROMs in my folders (which i didn't), so it said no games were present. OK.

When I put the USB into my computer and added ROMs, and then back in and rebooted the Pi with the USB... it still didn't show any ROM's for some reason. I know the ROMs are the right format and in the right folder, but assume there is an error I am making somewhere that is hindering my success in using the manual mount process.

Is there a way to make sure the Automatic doesn't mess up, or is the Manual method the one to pursue? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[felleg]

Just to make sure I understand... do you want to run roms from USB, or you want to automatically copy them from USB to the pi and run them from the pi's SD card?

Manual mode is better for the former, and automatic mode is better for the latter.

[dankcushions]

@felleg that's a different thing. there are automatic and manual modes of running games from external drive. this is not to do with rom transfer.

[felleg]

@dankcushions Ah.. The reason I asked my question is because I use a USB stick to store PS1 games, and run from the USB stick because memory is less expensive that way. I had to disable the automatic copying of USB files for this to work.

Sorry I couldn't be of much help!

[morpie]

Copying from USB - I got that... not what I am trying to do.

I want to store and run them from USB. Like I said, the automatic method in the link worked for me... most of the time. Sometimes the ROMs didn't show up.

I was told the Manual method is what I want - as it is more dependable and less likely to give me the problem the Automatic method was giving me.

Perhaps that is bad advice I got, and the automatic method is just as good? If so, should I stick with it? I am having trouble with the manual method getting the ROM's to show up and can't figure out where I am going wrong.

[dankcushions]

@morpie the manual method works fine. i used it for months. i wrote that part of the guide :) if it hasn't worked for you you must have made a mistake - i can only suggest checking all the various files again. you could also check out the various folders via the command line.

that said, i've been running the automatic mode for a couple of weeks and had no problems. ultimately i was going to remove the manual method from the guide as there's no need for a complex method if we have a simple one. i'm not sure i understand why you'd get issues :/

[morpie]

@dankcushions said in Running ROMs from USB:

hasn't worked for you you must have made a mistake - i can only suggest checking all the various files again. you could also check out the various folders via the command line.

Thanks Dank... I am gonna make a few tweaks tonight. Based on your suggestion I will stick with the Auto method. I am pretty new to all of this so I am sure there is something I missed. That said, using manual method was smooth, it did transfer all folders to the USB... it was adding the ROMs that seemed to be my hurdle.

[TimZett]

Sorry for poking into this old thread again but same issue here even with automatic method.
-Mostly - on Pi startup or reboot, all ROMS stored on the USB are missing.
When I restart Emulation Station they show back up.
Must be a bug.

[omen_peter]

@TimZett said in Running ROMs from USB:

If I restart Emulation Station they show back up.
Must be a bug.

The same thing happens to me (I use a WD Elements external hard drive). I'm not sure it's a bug as such. I've always just assumed it is down to EmulationStation loading up on first boot before the external device can be read. As you say, restarting EmulationStationfrom the menu solves it.

[TimZett]

@omen_peter said

...I've always just assumed it is down to EmulationStation loading up on first boot before the external device can be read...

...or here also on reboot ;-)
If what you wrote is the case, it might be a nice "feature request" to make ES wait for the USB devices being read, especially because it's a documented feature of RetroPie to source out ROMs.
Hence I still would call it a necessary fix, not really a feature.

[dankcushions]

@TimZett i think it's on you to add a boot delay to config.txt or something like that.

https://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/33037/how-to-add-delay-at-boot

[TimZett]

@dankcushions Thanks for that link. I will try it.
Right now when I booted up the Pi it "mounted" the ROMs perfectly. So it seems to happen spontaneously - weird.