Frequently Asked Questions

General

Is ROM Validator free? Yes. It is open source under the GPLv3 license.

Which platforms are supported? Windows 10 and Windows 11 on x64 and ARM64. The user interface is WPF, so Linux and macOS are not supported.

Does it modify my files? Only when you ask it to. Validation reads files by default. Files are moved, renamed or deleted only when the corresponding option is enabled. Permanent deletion requires an explicit confirmation.

Does it download ROMs? No. ROM Validator never downloads ROMs or DAT files. The Download Dat Files button only opens no-intro.org in your browser.

Validation

Why is a correct file reported as failed? Open the log line for the mismatch reason. Common causes are a different dump (size or hash mismatch), a corrupt download, or a cloud-only placeholder that is not fully available locally.

Why are archives renamed? When the hash matches a DAT entry but the name differs, the file is renamed to the DAT name. Inside archives the entry is renamed and the archive is repacked. RAR archives become zip files because RAR creation is not supported.

What are the _success, _fail and _duplicate folders? They organize the results of a validation run. See Validating ROMs.

Can I stop a run? Yes, click Cancel during validation or Stop during hashing. Files already processed keep their results.

Data and privacy

What data does the application send? Anonymous usage statistics (application id and version) and bug reports for Warning+ events. Bug reports contain environment details and exception information, never your ROM files or file contents. See Screenshots and Application Data.

Where are the logs? %LOCALAPPDATA%\ROM Validator\Logs, retained for seven days. Click App Data to open the folder.

How do I take a screenshot? Press F8 anywhere in the application.

Development

How do I build the application? See Build from Source.

How do releases and documentation get published? See CI/CD.

How can I contribute? See Contributing.