# MAME file format

**URL:** <https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/mame-file-format/1152>\
**Category:** Emulators\
**Tags:** grayarea\
**Created:** [August 1, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/mame-file-format/1152 "2018-08-01T22:44:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lasvegas](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/lasvegas/32/769_2.png) [@lasvegas](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/lasvegas)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/mame-file-format/1152/1 "2018-08-01T22:44:10Z")

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I have a large collection of MAME roms but from an old version. Is there a specific format that the zip files have to follow to run in this version? Every rom I’ve tried, tries to load but just exits back to the Launcher.

LasVegas

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**Author:** ![Cquentel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Cquentel](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Cquentel)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/mame-file-format/1152/2 "2018-08-02T05:42:21Z")

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Hi.  
I had the same issue and I edited the action.config file of Mame to run fbalpha\_libretro.so instead and it worked.  
Extension file is still zip.  
Charles

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lasvegas](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/lasvegas/32/769_2.png) [@lasvegas](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/lasvegas)\
**Post date:** [August 2, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/mame-file-format/1152/3 "2018-08-02T17:41:16Z")

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The version of Mame installed appears to be “Mame 2003-plus” based on the Hi-Score folder created. So, I’m guessing the ROM set needs to be from version 0.78. I’ve tested with a couple of older sets and also the newest set. The older sets didn’t work at all. Many of the newer set work, but most don’t.