Rainmeter allows you to display customizable skins on your desktop, from hardware usage meters to fully functional audio visualizers.
You are only limited by your imagination and creativity.
Rainmeter is open source software distributed free of charge under the terms of the GNU GPL v2 license.
Get started »April 12, 2025
June 26, 2021
Whether you’re revisiting Metal Slug , Street Fighter II , or Super Mario Bros. arcade editions, make sure your BIOS files are in place — and enjoy the authentic arcade experience that MAME faithfully preserves.
Here’s a draft text explaining the role and usage of BIOS files for MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). You can use it for a guide, FAQ, or blog post. bios for mame
| System | BIOS File Name (in MAME) | Notes | |--------|--------------------------|-------| | Neo Geo | neogeo.zip | Required for almost every Neo Geo game. | | Capcom CPS-1 | cps1.zip | Contains Q-Sound and system ROMs. | | Capcom CPS-2 | cps2.zip | Includes key security data. | | Nintendo PlayChoice-10 | playch10.zip | Includes the menu and BIOS ROMs. | | Sega System 16/18/32 | Various (e.g., segasy16.zip ) | Often bundled with driver files. | | Konami GX | konamigx.zip | Used for high-end Konami arcades. | Just like regular game ROMs, BIOS files are placed inside MAME’s roms folder. They must remain zipped and with their exact original filename (e.g., neogeo.zip ). Do not unzip them. Whether you’re revisiting Metal Slug , Street Fighter
Without it, you’ll often see an error like: “Required ROM/BIOS image not found” Here are a few frequently needed BIOS sets: You can use it for a guide, FAQ, or blog post
If you’ve ever tried to run certain arcade games in MAME and were met with a black screen or an error message, chances are you were missing a vital component: the BIOS. BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System . In the context of MAME, a BIOS file is a small piece of low-level software originally stored on a chip inside an arcade machine’s motherboard. It contains the essential code needed to boot up the hardware, manage inputs, display graphics, and run the actual game cartridges or ROMs.
Rainmeter uses very little hardware resources and will run perfectly well on any PC using Microsoft Windows 7 through Windows 11.
Create and modify your own skins in a simple language that's easy to learn. Rainmeter is not just an application, it is also a robust toolkit.
Over the last few years, a thriving community has built up around Rainmeter creating beautiful skins and helping each other.
Here's a small collection of creative desktops made by the Rainmeter community.
