Fix a MAME game that is not listed or reports an unknown system
Ask the exact MAME executable or core for its supported short names before touching files. Use `-listfull` with a title fragment, launch the returned short name, and then audit that name. If the build does not list it, renaming a ZIP cannot add support; use a version that actually contains the driver or re-check the title and hardware.
Do this in order
- 01
Record the exact MAME/core version and the human-readable title you expected to find.
- 02
Run `mame -listfull *fragment*` against that same executable, or search the frontend’s system list generated by the core.
- 03
Use the returned short name exactly; do not assume the display title or archive filename is the launch name.
- 04
If the short name exists, run `mame shortname -verifyroms` and confirm the configured ROM path.
- 05
If only files are unknown, run `-romident` on your own authorized dump to see whether this build recognizes any images.
- 06
If the driver is absent, stop renaming files and compare the official release/source history before choosing a different version.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Symptom | Likely layer | Decisive check |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown system name | Wrong/obsolete short name or absent driver | `-listfull` on the exact executable |
| Listed but hidden in UI | Frontend filter or stale database | Clear filters and compare the core-generated list |
| Listed but audit says not found | ROM path or archive naming | `-verifyroms` plus configured `rompath` |
| ROM identified as another set | Wrong revision or clone | `-romident`, then inspect target version relationships |
Display titles and short names are different identifiers
MAME uses compact system names on the command line and longer descriptions in user interfaces. The official `-listfull` verb prints both. Searching it is more reliable than guessing a short name from punctuation, region, or cabinet artwork.
A frontend can add favorites, playlists, or metadata, but that presentation does not change which drivers the bundled MAME core contains.
A rename cannot create driver support
An archive filename helps MAME locate a set, but the contents still need to match the selected driver’s expected files and hashes. If the driver is not in the executable’s list, changing the ZIP name cannot make it appear.
When a name changed across versions, use the target build’s current name and audit output. Preserve the original lawful dump and provenance rather than repeatedly editing the only copy.
Use ROM identification as evidence, not permission
`-romident` can report whether file contents match ROM images known to that MAME build and returns distinct results for all, some, or no files identified. It is useful for your own unknown board dumps.
Identification proves a technical match only. It does not prove that a download, redistribution, or public upload is authorized.
Use list and identification commands only with files you are entitled to inspect. A recognized checksum is not a license to obtain or share the ROM.