Please help with mame2003 samples?

I just installed Retrobat 5.3 (Latest stable) and so far I'm loving it, but in the wiki it clearly says that I should place sample files inside the 'RetroBat\bios\mame2003\samples' folder. I have done that, but every time I load a rom that requires samples (i.e. Donkey Kong or Donkey Kong Jr.) it says that it cannot find the sample files. I have verified that I am running mame2003 core and have even tried placing the samples in all the different mame folders in the bios directory just to be sure, but it still wont work. I know the sample files are good because I use them in a EmulationStation-DE install I was using before I installed Retrobat.
Does anybody have any idea why mame cannot find my sample files?
Thanks in advance.

Hello,

You are using mame2003 or mame2003 plus libretro core ?

I am currently using mame2003. I have placed the samples in all of the mame core folders inside the 'RetroBat/bios' folder. For some reason the samples will not work. No matter which core I use nor which mame directory I place the samples folder.
Just for reference, in my bios folder I have folders for the following.......
mame, mame2000,mame2003, mame2003-plus, mame2010, mame2014, mame2016.
I have placed samples folders inside all of them and placed the sample files in all of them. I also verified that when I load Donkey Kong or Dk Jr. that I am running mame2003. But it still says that it can't find the sample files. I also know the samples are good because I have used them in my Emulation Station Desktop Edition install.

Can you show me your bios\mame2003\samples folder ?

I just tested and it works

Like I said, I have tested these samples with a prior install of Emulation Station Desktop Edition and they work fine there. But when I start mame2003 with RetroBat I get the message that no sample could be found when I load a game that uses them. I have also visually verified that I am in fact running the mame2003 core when I start the rom.

If you go in the retroarch menu while playing, you confirm that the option "use samples" is enabled in the core options ?

Also can you show your retrobat\roms\mame folder ?

If your wondering if the roms are named exactly the same as the sample files, yes they are. Also, in the file 'retroarch-core-options.cfg' the sample line reads 'mame2003_use_samples = "enabled"

Edit: I have discovered that I have 2 different 'retroarch-core-options.cfg' files. The first is located at 'F:\RetroBat\system\templates\retroarch' the second is located at 'F:\RetroBat\emulators\retroarch'.
I looked for the line 'mame2003_use_samples = "enabled" in the second and it was there. But it was not in the first .cfg file. I have since added it manually.
Upon reloading it will still not recognize my sample files.

I have been using the 'mame2003-plus' core instead and that one at least does not give the errors, though I'm not sure if its because it sees the sample files correctly or it simply does not need them for Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. I know later versions of mame do not need the samples, or at least not for the all same games.

Hi,
I tested with mame2003 and space invaders and the samples work fine, if I remove the samples file : I get the warning from retroarch and the log tells me that the samples are not found, if I place the invaders.zip samples file in bios\mame2003\samples, it finds the samples

I appreciate your help. I'll just chalk it up to a corrupt install or some weird bug then. I'm sick of trying to figure this one out. I've switched to the mame2003-plus core instead which doesn't seem to have the issue. Hopefully it'll get fixed in a update. Until then, thanks for your help. Much appreciated.