Mame keymapping problems under Windows

Question

I have an XArcade controller that I occasionally use to play classic arcade games on M.A.M.E using my Windows 10 laptop. The problem is that the default key mappings end up regularly causing the Windows desktop to activate or even cause the screen to rotate (control-alt+arrow keys.)

Is there a better keyboard mapping that will still allow simultaneous keypresses but prevent Windows interpreting them and messing up my game? Alternately is there some reliable utility or version of M.A.M.E. out there that will temporarily get Windows to stop paying attention to those combinations?

Answer 1

I figured out the two sources of my problem. First, I use Launchy, which activates with alt-space. The second xarcade button is by default "alt" and the third xarcade button uses space. So pressing both activates launchy on the desktop. I'm could just exit launchy before starting M.A.M.E. to solve that problem.

The other problem that happens is the screen rotation. Buttons 1 and two are control and alt respectively, and the joystick maps to the cursor keys. I'll just remap Mame's default "button one" to be some other unused key besides "control" and remap it on the Xarcade to match. That will solve both problems in one swoop.