Please always format your drive before installing PCUAE
I have updated the Dummy Walkthrough Guide below.. Updated… 18/04/2024, THEVIC20 added.
You can now use PCUAE on THEVIC20 now but need to flash PCUAE nandb to THEVIC20‘s firmware, look below:
You can use the menu that comes with the PCUAE Installer setup now, it will help you copy the nandb to your THETHEVIC20, you will need to install it to C:/Games folder on the PC, and not on the PCUAE USB Drive – DOWNLOAD LINK
Or you can use the FAKE UPDATE(theC64-9_9_90.bin) that in PCUAE and run it from THEVIC20’s Updater once you have installed PCUAE on to the PCUAE USB Drive, look HERE to find out how to update THEVIC20.
You should be able to do the same on THEVIC20 as on THEC64, they both work the same way, so continue walkthrough after you finished flashing the PCUAE Nandb on to THEVIC20.
If you want to run PCUAE on all models(THEC64, THEVIC20 and THEA500) so only use one USB Drive and switch between them by taking the USB Drive out one model and then putting it in another then download the PCUAE – AIO64 version from the website but you might need both versions of PCUAE – AIO64 for THEC64 and THEA500 and install them both on the same USB Drive then its will be a complete PCUAE All In One Setup for all Models.
Download PCUAE from here too: projectcarouselusb.eu new info on how to below now.
You now install PCUAE in parts in PCUAE Manager, if you only want to use only parts of it, you now export the games to the PCUAE USB Stick to USB://THEC64-CAROUSEL-GAMES folder, export each folder from PCUAE Manager to the USB Stick after you have installed PCUAE to your USB Stick, more below.
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**IMPORTANT** Only Favorites 1 Gamelist need exporting if you do not then it will come up with a message saying no Favorites 1 gamelist and then load the games from the firmware, the other gamelist do not need to be added so after that you can then add whatever gamelists you want too so make your own in PCUAE Manager.
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PCUAE Dummy Walkthrough
1. How to install PCUAE Manager, Modes, PCUAE Website
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You can install PCUAE in TWO ways: PCUAE Manager, The PCUAE Website
PCUAE Manager can be downloaded from HERE. To Install it double clickthe Left Mouse Button on its exe file you downloaded and then press the Accept Button then press the Install Button so it installs it to your PC then to start it click on the PCUAE Manager icon on the Desktop.
You can use it to download PCUAE(THEC64/THEVIC20/THEA500) in parts and export the games(views) to TheCarousel, if you have downloaded PCUAE Manager then do not click on this link.
When installing PCUAE from PCUAE Manager it will load a Installer Setup Menu so you can select what version of PCUAE you want to install, PCUAE CBM Editionfor RGL Commodore Machines or PCUAE Atari Edition for THE400 Mini, Atari 2600 Plus and Atari Gamestation Pro Machines.
MAKE SURE you select PCUAE CBM Edition(for RGL Commodore Machines only, not THE400 Mini) in the Installer Setup Menu, it will then download it and run it then you can install it on the PCUAE USB Drive.
For THE400 Mini only:THE400 Mini is included with the PCUAE Atari Edition now so you will need to download that from the Installer Setup Menu so NOT PCUAE CBM Edition, its in 2 parts.
If you want everything included in PCUAE then download PCUAE AIO – PCUAE All In One from the PCUAE WEBSITE and click on the Download link on the Home Page(You will need to register on the website to be able to download) and then select your machine from the `Downloads Home` page from Here then click on the PCUAE link to download PCUAE AIO.
2. About USB Stick
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Please check your USB Stick and If you have not already formatted your USB Stick, format it in FAT32 and make sure its formatted with MBR Master Boot Record.
Now plug it in to your machine and see if you can see it in the carousel, you will see a USB Icon appear on the bottom dock or if you have used the same USB stick to update your machine then it should work with PCUAE and you can go to `Now we can continue…. `, if it does then you can go ahead and install PCUAE, if not then you will have to try another stick or fix it with Rufus, look at the topic below `Problems with USB Stick and Its Not Working With PCUAE` if you need to fix the USB Stick to get it to work with PCUAE, if the USB Stick works ok then move on to `Now we can continue….`
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Problems with USB Stick and Its Not Working With PCUAE or the machine
1. Only read this if your having a problem with your USB Stick and not been able to format it or your machine can not see it or if PCUAE is not loading properly on it, if not then just continue to `Now we can continue….`
You can format it this way too if you wish so its using MBR and FAT32 .
2. If you have installed PCUAE before and it works fine on your USB Stick then go a head and install it and continue the walkthrough below, if you have not installed PCUAE before then please check your USB Stick first before installing PCUAE, cause the carousel can be funny with some of them and PCUAE will not work on them, so make sure the USB Stick works with your machine first and you can see and load the files from it in Classic Mode first, then you can go thought the walkthrough with no problems.
3. If you have a problem with PCUAE not booting, it could be the USB Stick your using, you might need to try a different one, RGL recommend using a 32GB USB Stick with MBR boot sector, it does not work with GPT, a 64GB USB Stick is not recommended but does work but might not with PCUAE, PCUAE can be funny with some USB Sticks, but it cause of the way the Firmware reads the USB Sticks so it not really PCUAE thats doing it, its the carousel and the machine’s firmware that has a problem with your USB Stick.
If you have not already format your USB Stick, then format it in Fat32 and make sure its formatted with MBR Master Boot Record.
THEC64 Mini/Maxi and THEVIC20 does not like:
a) GPT – GUID Partition Table, it only works on a normal MBR – Master Boot Record
b) Bootable USB Sticks – It does not work on them, if at any time you have used the USB Stick as a Bootable Drive like in Rufus to boot the setup for Windows or Linux then it will not work with PCUAE, look below to fix it.
FOR Mac OS Users:
Mac OS X – If you copy the files manually with MAC OS X then it will not work, Mac OS X adds it own files (.DS files) and damages PCUAE and stops it booting properly.
Use Blue Harvest – www.zeroonetwenty.com/blueharvest/ to remove all the files that MacOS adds to the USB Stick that mess up PCUAE then it will work in your machine.
Rufus
You can use Rufus to fix your USB Stick if THEC64 Mini/THEC64 Maxi/THEVIC20 can not read it or not read it properly or you have used it as a Bootable Drive.
Look below on how to fix it, thanks jj0…
There are two things that you need to get right for THEC64 to recognise the USB drive:
- It needs to use the partitioning scheme MBR.
- The filesystem needs to be FAT32.
To do this:
On a Mac:
Use these instructions.
On a Windows PC:
You can look on theHow To Geeks website on How to Format a USB Drive in FAT32 inWindows 10/11 its link isHERE.
or useRufusbelow.
You can then delete the extra files that are on the USB drive and use it in PCUAE.
Look at this picture below for the settings in Rufus, you can name the USB drive `PCUAE USB Drive`.
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Now we can continue….
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When PCUAE gets updated it will be updated in PCUAE Manager or on the PCUAE websiteprojectcarouselusb.eu or as smaller updates using the PCUAE Network Updater inside PCUAE, to use that you need PCUAE Network Mode working and need a compatible Ethernet Adapter.
3. How to install PCUAE
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If you have downloaded PCUAE AIO(PCUAE All In One) from the PCUAE website from above then click on its .exe file to install it and go to Point 2below – 2. Change drive letter.
You can install PCUAE Main version, Main can be installed from PCUAE Manager, its a version of PCUAE thats in parts, it so if you do not want everything you can download only the parts you want to use, click on the PCUAE Tab inside it and it will download PCUAE for you and then take you through installing PCUAE.
or Install PCUAIO(PCUAE All In One) from the website, if you wanteverything in PCUAE, all Modes and that. PCUAE Manager includes the Carousel Games now too.
1. How to install PCUAE in Parts from PCUAE Manager
Open PCUAE Manager by double clicking on its icon of the PC desktop, it will ask:
PCUAE main setup v3.3.5 is available.
Do you want to download this version now?
You can install it to a USB drive later from the PCUAE menuClick on Yes Button and it will start downloading the latest version, it will not take long, then it will ask do you want to install PCUAE, click on Yes button again to start the PCUAE Install Setup so you can install PCUAE.
You can manually download PCUAE too by clicking on the PCUAE Tab and you will see `PCUAE Install to a USB drive` to install PCUAE click on that item.
PCUAE Manager will then ask:
PCUAE v3.3.5 is available.
(Current install file: pcuae-3.3.4-main-4all-no-modes-no-games-standalone-setup.exe).
Do you want to download and install the new version?Click on Yes Button and it will start downloading the latest version, it will not take long, then it will ask do you want to install PCUAE, click on Yes button again to start the PCUAE Install Setup so you can install PCUAE.
2. Change drive letter to your PCUAE USB Stick, Mine is Z letter, `USB Drive (Z:)`(2.2.2), now click on Browse button(2.1.2) to find your USB Stick, if you need too, click on your USB drive(2.2.2) then press OK button(2.2.2).
Or If you know what drive letter your USB stick is on already then you can highlight the letter(K:\) in the long box next to the browser button and change it to your USB stick drive letter… like: from K:\ to Z:\ then click on OK button and then press the Install button to install PCUAE on to your USB stick (Z:).
This might show older pictures but PCUAE Set up has not really changed that much.
2.1. Change USB Drive Letter and then click on OK button
2.2. USB Drive and OK button
3. Now click on Install button(3.1.3) to copy PCUAE to your USB Stick… now wait for it to complete, it may take a little while, depends on how fast your USB Stick is and if its PCUAE Main or PCUAE All In One, I recommend using a USB 3.0 or higher, then it will transfer the files quicker, you can even use a SD Card and SD Card reader if you want too, I use a SD Card with mine, it is a ANKER SD Card Reader on it.
You can use a SATA SSD Drive too just make sure its formatted in MBR and FAT32.
3.1. Click on Install Button and it will start copying PCUAE to your USB Stick
3.2. Copying Files over now
Once its closes the setup, its finished, PCUAE is now installed on your USB Stick.
Go to Part 5. How to Install A Mode for THE400 Mini.
4.PCUAE Mode and Exporting the Games for THEC64 Only
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1. PCUAE Mode will boot once you have added games to ‘PCUAE USB Drive:\\THEC64-CAROUSEL-GAMES’ folder.
PCUAE USB Drive:\\ is generic for the PCUAE USB Stick Drive Letter, not all USB Sticks will have the same drive letter.
2. PCUAE Manager should ask if you want to export the games over to your USB Stick after you have installed PCUAE, if you want the games then click on the Yes button and export them to your USB Stick.
3. Make sure you have exported Favorites 1 gamelist from PCUAE Manager into PCUAE(‘PCUAE USB Drive:\\THEC64-CAROUSEL-GAMES’ folder) otherwise it will boot into the Firmware Carousel and its games in the firmware so `Firmware Mode` will load and it will disable PCUAE Mode, its the first gamelist it looks for to start up PCUAE Mode.
4. PCUAE Manger can now detect what USB Drive has got PCUAE on so when you plug it in your PC it will detect it and if you go to `File > Export > Export To Carousel` it will say `PCUAE USB Detected (O:)` if you plug you USB stick in the PC or if you run Gadget Mode/USB Mode on THEC64 Maxi/THEVIC20 it will detect it, make sure you have installed PCUAE on the USB stick first, it will not detect it otherwise.
5. Now select the folders you want to export in the Left `Select gamelist views to export:` box, HOLD Down CTRLkey on the PC Keyboard so you can select more then one view/folder with your mouse and click the Left Mouse Button to highlight them:
6. Make sure the `Select Target folder to export to:`has ‘PCUAE USB Drive Letter:\\THEC64-CAROUSEL-GAMES’ folder in its box,not the one shown, then click on right arrow(—>) in the middle of the two big boxes to add them to the right Export box then click on Export Button and wait for it to complete the export to the PCUAE USB Drive.
7. Once it has exported the games over then you can put the USB Stick in the machine.
REMEMBER… If no exported Favorites 1 gamelist in‘PCUAE USB Drive Letter:\\THEC64-CAROUSEL-GAMES’ folder then `Firmware Mode` will load instead of `PCUAE Mode`.
5. How to Install A Mode.
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1. To download a Mode just use PCUAE Manager to install it, select a mode from PCUAE Tab and wait for it to download then install it to your USB Stick like when you were installing PCUAE from the PCUAE Manager, you do it the same way.
2. If you want to add the Modes Packs then install them the same way as above, Click on `PCUAE Tab` then `Mode Packs` then click on `Install Amiga Mode`, `Install Atari Mode`, `Install Linux Mode`, `Install Retroarch Mode` or `Install Vice Mode`.
It will ask if you want to download them, Click on Yes Button and PCUAE Manager will download them, and click on Yes Button again to start the Install to install them to your USB Stick.
3. Change drive letter to your USB Stick… Mine is Z letter, now click on Browse button to find your USB Stick.
4. Now click on install button to copy the Mode to your USB Stick… now wait for it to complete… once it closes the setup file its finished.
5. Now eject the USB Stick first before you remove it for your PC, now take out the USB Stick from the PC and plug it into your machineand turn it on, and wait for PCUAE to boot up, ones it does then you should see all the games on the carousel now if you have exported the games and PCUAE Mode is now activated if not then you will see the firmware boot up in Firmware Mode.
6. Running PCUAE for the first Time
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For THEC64 Only, go to part 7 in this part for THE400 Mini.
1. Remember to eject the USB Stick first before you remove it from your PC, now take out the USB Stick from the PC and plug it into your machine and turn it on, you can do this before you add the Mode Packs to make sure PCUAE is working… turn on the machine and you should see the firmware load up now and the carousel screen, you need to run a fake update thats on the USB Stick that part of PCUAE install, just like if you was going to update the machine firmware, just in case you do not know how…
2. To run PCUAE for the first time, you need to run a Fake Update from within the Carousel that in PCUAE on the root of the USB Stick.
3. When I say press Fire below, you can press RETURN or Enter on the keyboard instead too.
4. Highlight `Spanner Icon`(Device Settings) then press Fire.
5. Then Highlight ‘System Information‘ then press Fire again.
6. You will see a Fake Update in there called “theC64-9_9_90.bin”
7. Now select `Apply Button` and then press Left Fire again, PCUAE will start and you will see a black screen for about 30 seconds and you should see a blue screen on the screen and its saying:
For THE400 Mini
You will see this screen if you run PCUAE on THE400 Mini after you flashed the firmware with PCUAE nandb and plugged in the PCUAE USB Drive, you can now continue with the walkthrough on THE400 Mini.
and it should check if the autoboot startup script is installed on the firmware and if it not then copy it to the firmware to activate Autoboot Mode so PCUAE can boot by itself.
and then do a reboot so it can boot form Autoboot Mode and then load up PCUAE Mode if it includes Favorites 1 view/folder or Firmware Mode if not.
PCUAE should be working now, enjoy…
I hope this helps..
To Load The Mode Changer Menu, to change the Mode PCUAE is running
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On THE400 Mini… When the Carousel has loaded so your in PCUAE Mode, press and hold down the S button, left corner button and press Ring Left button to run the Mode Changer.
When the Carousel has loaded so your in PCUAE Mode,press and hold Menu buttonthen press and hold Right Triangle button(2) on THEC64 Joystick(or CTRL and F5 on the Keyboard) for 2 seconds then it will start loading The Mode Changer.
You will see the PCUAE logo on the screen and see it checking what Modes are installed so you know what is available, then the Mode Change Menu will appear, its will show all the Modes on the Menu so highlight the Mode you have installed to load it from boot up and it then will load that Mode for you, the Mode might have info on the Mode your loading so just press A button too skip it, if it included a Menu then pick a option you want to load inside the Mode then it will continue to load that Mode and the option you picked with it too so like `Enable Amiga Mode` and option `Workbench 1.3`, so PCUAE will load up Amiga Mode and loadWorkbench 1.3 in Amiga Mode too.
Here is a picture of The Mode Changer Menu
Shortcut Keys and Buttons are below.
5. You should see it loading the Mode now and see it on the screen now…
All Done.
Spannernick.
End of Walkthrough.
Some Tips and the shortcut keys
Press and hold down the main key/button down and then press the other key/button down and hold BOTH down for 2 seconds.
TIP:
To bring up PAL/NTSC Screen once PCUAE Mode has loaded up and you see THECarousel, press and hold Menu button then press and hold C button on THEC64 Joystick for 2 seconds and it should do a reboot and when PCUAE Mode loads up again you should see the language screen then the PAL/NTSC Screen on TheCarousel, like its the first time you turned it on…
Language Screen
and then… The Video Output PAL/NTSC screen
Main keys and Buttons in PCUAE:
About PCUAE Shortcuts.
Look on the TV screen as PCUAE is booting to see what they are now.
PCUAE Boot Menu
THEKEYBOARD.
CTRL + F3 – PCUAE Settings menu
CTRL + F5 – PCUAE Mode Changer
CTRL + F7 – PCUAE Reset
CTRL + DELETE – PCUAE Restore Toolkit v2.1
THECXSTICK.
Menu + Fire – PCUAE Settings menu
Menu + Ring Left – PCUAE Mode Changer
Menu + Ring Right – PCUAE Reset
Menu + Ring Up (TOP) – PCUAE Restore Toolkit v2.1
THEGAMEPAD.
Menu + A – PCUAE Settings menu
Menu + X – PCUAE Mode Changer
Menu + Y – PCUAE Reset
Menu + B – PCUAE Restore Toolkit v2.1
THEJOYSTICK.
Menu + Right Fire – PCUAE Settings menu
Menu + TR Right – PCUAE Mode Changer
Menu + Left Fire – PCUAE Reset
Menu + TR Left – PCUAE Restore Toolkit v2.1
More info in the PCUAE System Menu about the PCUAE Shortcut Key/buttons.