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How to Import patched ROM's.
By TehSpoopyKitteh and 1 collaborators
Simple guide on how to add patched ROM's to your playlists. I do not condone piracy, nor does Libretro. This guide is for demonstrative purposes only and is not at all promoting piracy in any way.
   
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Created by
TehSpoopyKitteh
Offline
Dr.Shadowds 🐉
Online
Category: Modding or Configuration
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
13 Sep, 2020 @ 7:22pm
23 Oct, 2020 @ 4:40am
3,870 Unique Visitors
63 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Simple and Easy to Do 
How to apply ROM patch using basic patch tool 
How to add your ROM to your playlist 
FAQ 
Comments
Simple and Easy to Do
This guide will teach the basics. Please note that no links will be provided, do not ask.

You only need few things, the ROM you made from your legit copy you own, ROM patch, and the patch tool. I suggest getting Floating IPS (Flips) tool, which supports bps, and ips formats patch which is nice. It's recommened that the patch is for the same region as the ROM, to avoid any issues.

What you want to do is make a copy of your ROM to keep a clean copy, and put it in safe place. It's recommended that your patched ROM is not the same name as your clean copy, so you know which ROM is what, so you don't get them mixed up.
How to apply ROM patch using basic patch tool
You would be wondering what patch tool to use, this would depend what format the ROM patch is in, which are pretty straightforward and same/similar steps for the patch tools, which there couple of them such as these.
- Lunar IPS <--- For ips format.
- Beat <--- For bps format.
- Floating IPS (Flips) <--- For ips, and bps format.

To apply patch to ROM using tool, run the tool, and click "Apply Patch" select your patch, then select your ROM, it will ask where you want to save, and just click save, it will make new file with the patch name, as it's that easy.
How to add your ROM to your playlist
Now to add your ROM that you had patched manually to your playlist is easy as pie in RetroArch.
There are two methods of doing this, either one works, choose one you feel comfortable doing.

This is the step to add your ROM's manually by UI within RetroArch.
  1. Go to "Import Content", then select "Manual Scan".
  2. Click on "Content Directory" navigate to the folder where the ROM is in, click on "Scan This Directory".
  3. Next is "System Name" choose the system the rom is for, now if there any specific core you need to use select "Core" and choose your core, if there no specific core you want to use, leave it alone.
  4. This is a must, "File Extensions" you want to put in the end part of the file format, example for SNES games the format is .smc, just type "smc" and press enter.
  5. Hit "Start Scan", and you're finish, you have manually added your ROM to your playlist under the correct system.

Pretty easy stuff, all you do now is just go to your playlist, click play on your ROM, and enjoy.

Alternative method of adding ROM's to your playlist Via text editor.
If you are new to RetroArch, or cannot seem to find a way to add a patched ROM using the UI, you should try following these steps. It’s here just in case the patch changes the header and CRC of the ROM file being patched.

  1. Follow the patching steps mentioned earlier, and do a scan on the original ROM file using RetroArch. This will add it to the play list. Then exit RetroArch

  2. Go to the patched ROM and copy the full file name (including the file extension).

  3. Open up the RetroArch folder in your Steam library and open the “playlist” folder. Open the playlist for the specific console using a text editor.

  4. Once in the text editor, copy and paste the name of the patched ROM over the name of the original ROM. Save it and exit the text editor.

  5. If your patched ROM is in a different folder, you’ll be able to change the path to the ROM that way as well, just remember to keep the same formatting.
FAQ
Q: Why do I need to make sure the patched ROM, is not the same name as my clean copy?
A: If you don't want to overwrite your copy, don't name them the same, and this will only cause you confusion in the RetroArch, when you have multiple same names in your playlist, so best to not have them use the same name.

Q: Why do I need to manually add my patched ROMs?
A: Due to RetroArch system if the game file doesn't matches with their system it will not be able to detect the rom. That why it's way easiser just to manually add them.

Q: Why do I need to navigate to where I keep my ROMS?
A: Unless you like long scan times, it's way quicker if you just help point it where to scan for ROMS.

Q: Why do I need to put in File Extensions under manual scan?
A: Unless you want to add every type of file under the playlist that including files that not even the ROMs, be my guess, but it's best to put in the file extensions as this will only grab the files with the said extensions, example if doing it for SNES game name like Super World.smc. you want to put smc into the file extension, this will only add all files that has .smc, and nothing else. Makes your job easy when dealing with multiple files.

Q: If I overwrite my clean copy using a patched tool, can I get it back?
A: Unless the tool provide option to unpatch that be the only way, if not then you need to make a another clean copy.
9 Comments
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TehSpoopyKitteh  [author] 25 Jun, 2024 @ 8:29am 
Small update. There is an online ROM patcher that accepts multiple formats…
TehSpoopyKitteh  [author] 12 Dec, 2021 @ 3:51am 
Those mostly still use IPS, though I am unaware of any patcher that supports GBA backup ROM's.
Niko 12 Dec, 2021 @ 3:48am 
what is the format for GBA games?
TehSpoopyKitteh  [author] 4 Oct, 2021 @ 7:37am 
@Yobo: I’m actually not sure if you can or not. You’d have to name the hacked ROM and the correlating box art the same if it is.
Yobbo 4 Oct, 2021 @ 5:23am 
Can you apply thumbnails to romhacks?
o vo pega na tua teta *fom fom* 15 Sep, 2021 @ 1:15am 
""""""""simple"""""""""
TehSpoopyKitteh  [author] 20 Feb, 2021 @ 9:00am 
@IZZMAN08

The playlists should be visible with all applicable cores. If you are trying to add a BIN/CUE style disc image, you’ll need to do a scan of the accompanying.cue file only. It also depends on the core you’re using.
IZZMAN08 20 Feb, 2021 @ 7:50am 
is this also how you do it for the dlc things? ive been trying to get this to work by doing load core but then i cant find how to play
``~Scre@m~`` 31 Oct, 2020 @ 7:18am 
for me it was more easier to set up default directory where all patched roms are.
then simply choosing "Load Content"-->"Start Directory"