User:Jackos

IMPORTANT: This is a wip.

Determining Good Dumps

This process is automated with programs like clrmamepro, ROMVault and RomCenter, which provide extra functionality (like rename your ROMs to match those of the ROM set), but you can always do it manually using a MD5/SHA1 verification program and getting the hash you're interested by opening the .DAT file with a text editor.

You don't really have to do this if you already have a good ROM set.

The Basics

First of all, you need to know with what you're going to deal:

• ROM or Read Only Memory files.
• .DAT or database files, which contain the correct hashes for verificating your ROM collection.

You may ask yourself how the groups who provide the .DAT files know their dump information is the correct one. Groups like redump have a well defined process for dumping, which consists on conserving the most possible information of the media.

Manual Method

With only three steps, this method is better if you only want to check one ROM. For a full ROM set, see the Automatic Method.

Required Files

• A hash calculator like HashCalc or WinMD5.
• The .DAT file for the system you're interested in.
• Your ROM.

The Process

1. Open your ROM file with the hash calculator.
2. Open the .DAT file with Notepad and:

A. Search for the hash you got earlier.

B. Search for the ROM name and compare the hashes.

If you couldn't find the hash, you probably have a bad dump.