Import Troubleshooting: Missing Games, Duplicates, and Wrong Platforms

Import problems usually fall into four different categories: a game is already present but hidden from the current view, a file was left out of the import candidates, two library records represent the same game, or a game was assigned to the wrong platform or database record. Identify which result you have before deleting anything or repeating a large import.

1. Check whether the game is already in the library

1. Create a Data backup with Tools > File Management > Create Data Backup....

2. Clear the Search box and any active filters.

3. Select All Games in the sidebar.

4. Turn on View > Show Hidden Games temporarily.

5. Search for part of the expected title and then part of the filename.

6. Check the expected platform and similarly named platforms in the sidebar.

7. Use List View when you need to compare fields such as Platform, Application Path, Source, or LaunchBox Games Database ID.

An alternate display title, Sort Title, Hidden flag, active filter, combined version, or unexpected Platform can make an existing game look missing.

2. If a file never reached the Ready to Import list

Work backward through the wizard. The most common causes are:

• The wrong file or source folder was selected.

• The selected folder depth did not match the chosen workflow.

• The file was excluded as a non-game support file, or LaunchBox selected a preferred descriptor from a related group of files.

• Force importing duplicate games was disabled and LaunchBox found an existing game with the same path or parsed title for that platform.

• A disc, region, or revision was combined with another matching title.

• MAME or FinalBurn Neo options filtered a clone, unplayable game, BIOS/device-style entry, bootleg, prototype, mechanical game, mature title, or another selected category.

• A platform-specific importer expected a different layout, such as a descriptor file or an extracted game folder.

Single Platform source folders

Tools > Import > ROM Files > Single Platform accepts individual files and folders for one platform. Folder scans normally include subfolders unless Import files only from the folders you selected is enabled. Special platforms such as PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox, ScummVM, Arcade, and FinalBurn Neo use platform-specific detection rules.

Multiple Platforms source folders

Tools > Import > ROM Files > Multiple Platforms treats each direct subfolder of every selected root as one platform row. On Confirm Folders, verify each row's Folder Name, Full Path, Platform, and Scrape As, and remove rows you do not want. LaunchBox then scans within each accepted platform folder; nested category folders are not interpreted as additional platforms.

For example, select D:\ROMs when it directly contains D:\ROMs\Sega Genesis and D:\ROMs\Sony PlayStation. If your layout is D:\ROMs\Consoles\Sega Genesis, select D:\ROMs\Consoles as the root or use Single Platform imports.

See Single Platform Imports and Multi-Platform Imports.

3. Check extensions, archives, and multi-file games

Import detection and emulator support are separate questions. A file can be listed by the importer but still be unusable by the selected emulator.

• Confirm the candidate has the intended extension and is not a checksum, text, artwork, save, or other support file.

• Confirm whether the emulator loads ZIP, 7z, CHD, cue/bin, GDI, M3U, ISO, or extracted folders directly.

• When several same-named files belong to one game, LaunchBox may prefer the format associated with the platform, for example, a cue sheet instead of one of its BIN tracks.

• Keep cue sheets and every referenced track together with unchanged filenames.

• Do not enable archive extraction by assumption. MAME sets and some multi-file formats should normally remain intact.

• For multi-disc games, decide whether the emulator expects separate discs, an M3U playlist, or combined versions in LaunchBox.

4. Understand duplicate filtering and combining

With Force importing duplicate games disabled, the ROM wizard excludes candidates it identifies as already represented. Current checks include the saved application path and parsed title within the platform; PlayStation 3 and Vita imports also use platform-specific title identifiers. This means a candidate filtered before the final page will not appear there as a separate “skipped” row.

The separate Combine ROMs with matching titles into a single game option groups matching parsed titles during the import. Regions, revisions, discs, and hacks only combine when LaunchBox resolves them to the same title; filename quality and naming tags therefore matter.

Review Ready to Import carefully

The Ready to Import grid is the set of candidate rows that will be submitted when you select Finish. It shows Title, File, Extension, and Disc. You can edit a proposed Title or delete an unwanted row. Review Platform and Scrape As on the earlier platform pages, and review emulator, file-handling, duplicate, metadata, and media choices on their respective pages.

If many rows are wrong, go Back or cancel and correct the setup. Do not finish solely to see what happens.

5. Confirm whether two library entries are really duplicates

Before deleting either entry, compare:

• Application Path in Edit > Edit Metadata/Media... > Launching.

• Platform and LaunchBox Games Database ID.

• Region, Version, Release Type, and Source.

• Storefront identifiers or launch URLs.

• Additional Versions and Additional Apps.

• Play Count, Play Time, Last Played, notes, custom fields, and playlist membership.

Two covers with the same title can represent different files, regions, revisions, or storefront editions. Conversely, differently named entries can point to the same file.

Combine or expand related entries

To group related library records, select at least two games and use Edit > Combine Selected Games.... The Root Game dialog initially selects the first selected record, so deliberately choose the record whose title, metadata, media, play history, and main launch path should remain visible. LaunchBox keeps that root record, converts the other selected launch definitions into additional versions/apps beneath it, and removes the other selected records from the main library.

Combining does not merge or rewrite ROM contents. Use Edit > Expand Selected Games... to recreate separate game records from eligible launchable versions. Utility apps, documents, and auto-run items can remain attached rather than becoming games.

See Additional Apps.

6. Correct a wrong Platform without breaking launches

For one game, open Edit > Edit Metadata/Media... and change Platform under Metadata. If the new platform has a default emulator, the single-game editor selects that emulator, disables DOSBox or ScummVM for the entry, and clears a previous per-game emulator command line. Review Launching > Emulation before saving.

For several games, select only the affected entries, open Edit > Bulk Edit..., and choose Platform. The Bulk Edit Wizard changes the Platform field and can offer to migrate associated media; it does not automatically replace each game's saved Emulator ID. Afterward, verify emulator assignments or defaults and test representative games.

Changing Platform does not move the ROM file. Do not create a duplicate platform just to fix a spelling or Scrape As problem.

See Platforms, Platform Categories, and Scrape As Explained.

7. Correct a wrong database match

A game can be in the correct local Platform but linked to the wrong LaunchBox Games Database record. Open Edit > Edit Metadata/Media... and:

1. Confirm the Platform and clean up the Title.

2. Select Search for Metadata.

3. Review the suggested and alternate matches.

4. Select the correct database record.

5. Choose which metadata to apply, then download or replace media separately as needed.

If an entire custom platform searches the wrong system, correct its Scrape As value under Tools > Manage > Platforms... before rematching individual games.

See Editing Game Details and Fixing Incorrect Matches.

8. Automated ROM import problems

Automated ROM Imports monitor each enabled platform's configured Games folder. Check Tools > Options > Automated Imports, then check the platform's Games folder and automatic-import setting under Tools > Manage > Platforms....

• Put the file inside the intended platform's configured Games folder.

• Make sure Enable Automatic ROM Imports is on globally and Disable ROM Auto-Import is not selected on that platform.

• Use Tools > Scan > For Added ROMs in Any Platform..., or select a platform in the sidebar and use Tools > Scan > For Added [Platform] ROMs....

• A scan can skip a candidate already represented by the same application path, filename/content check, parsed title, or platform-specific ID.

• When a watched game file is renamed in place, LaunchBox can update the matching main Application Path or Additional App path. A move outside the watched folder is not the same as a rename; update the path manually if necessary.

• The live file watcher monitors the configured platform folder itself. Adding a whole subfolder can trigger a recursive examination of that new folder, but later changes deep inside an existing subfolder may require a manual added-ROM scan.

If a file was moved, do not confirm a removed-ROM scan until you understand which entry it plans to remove. Repair the path instead when you want to keep the library record.

See Automated ROM Imports.

9. Storefront import problems

Use Tools > Manage > Storefronts... to verify the storefront connection, installed/all-games choice, automatic-startup import option, and target platform. Then use the dedicated importer or Tools > Scan > For Storefront Games....

When a storefront game is deleted from the LaunchBox library, its storefront identifier is normally added to LaunchBox\Data\ImportBlacklist.xml so startup and scan imports do not immediately restore it. To bring back one intentionally deleted title, run that storefront's explicit wizard under Tools > Import and select it again. Avoid editing the blacklist file unless you have a backup and understand the identifiers.

Storefront discovery also depends on the provider: installed state, account login, ownership, profile visibility, and local client data can all affect results.

See Managing Storefront Games in LaunchBox.

10. Use Audit for a large review

Open Tools > Audit > All Games..., or select a platform in the sidebar and open Tools > Audit > [Platform].... Audit provides a sortable table with fields such as Title, Platform, Application Path, database ID, metadata, media counts, and a Duplicate flag.

The Duplicate flag is set when another game shares the same title and platform, Application Path, or LaunchBox Games Database ID. It is a lead to investigate, not proof that one entry should be deleted. Audit also provides actions for editing, deleting, combining, and expanding selected rows, so verify the selection before applying a change.

11. When the game imported but will not play

Do not repeatedly import a game whose library entry and Application Path are already correct. Test the same file directly in the emulator, then check the emulator executable, Associated Platforms, default or per-game selection, command-line parameters, core, archive handling, BIOS, firmware, and permissions.

See My Game Won't Play in LaunchBox.

Safe recovery sequence

1. Back up LaunchBox Data.

2. Decide whether the issue is visibility, candidate detection, duplicate filtering, combining, platform assignment, database matching, automatic import, storefront discovery, or launching.

3. Test the correction on one or two entries.

4. Prefer repairing paths, platforms, matches, and relationships over deleting and re-importing.

5. If deletion is necessary, decline ROM-file and associated-media deletion unless those files are intentionally being removed.

6. Run one appropriate importer or scan and inspect its review list before finishing.

7. Verify metadata and launch behavior before applying the correction to the rest of the library.