VPinMAME settings in two places
What it means
You might be editing settings in one place while VPinMAME actually reads from the other.
Why it happens
VPinMAME can be configured through either an .ini file or the Windows registry depending on version — both existing at once usually means a leftover from a reinstall, and it's ambiguous which one is actually in effect.
How Pincab Toolbox detects it
Both VPinMAME.ini on disk and the HKCU\Software\Freeware\Visual PinMame registry key exist at the same time.
Check your own pincab
Pincab Toolbox is a free Windows scanner for Visual Pinball X and PinUP Popper. It finds and explains problems like this one. No account, no telemetry.
Download for freeCovered: Visual Pinball X (10.x) and PinUP Popper. Not covered: Future Pinball, Pinball FX, Visual Pinball 9 and the other frontends (PinballX, PinballY).