Railmaster Folder

[St1ngr4y]

Those users who run on Windows 7 onwards will be aware of the extra folder called "C:Program Files (x86)". I believe this was introduced so that applications capable of using 64-bit architecture could be kept in the "C:Program Files" folder while 32-bit applications could be kept in "C:Program Files (x86)". Recently, my previous computer died on me and I had to purchase a new base unit. I reinstalled RM into "C:Program Files (x86)Railmaster" and restored from a backup my hundreds of RM program files, layout file, resource file etc. I had the software deactivated so that I could reactivate it on the new machine. Everything went fine until I noticed that my programs which contained commands to play sound files, were not actually playing the sounds at all. When I examined the programs using the editor. I realised that on the old machine, Railmaster must have been installed in the folder "C:Program FilesRailmaster", and that is where each program command to play a sound file was looking for the file. At first I was mortified that i may have to amend hundreds of programs to amend every command to play a sound.

However, I thought of another solution, which I thought I would share, in case anyone else comes across this problem. All I did was to create another Railmaster folder in the "C:Program Files" folder, the a new folder called Sounds inside that one:-

"C:Program FilesRailmasterSounds"

All that was needed then was to copy the contents of 

"C:Program Files (x86)RailmasterSounds" into 

"C:Program FilesRailmasterSounds"

then all of the programs start working again.

Ray

[Augustus Caesar]

That's cheating... but effective!!!

What you're actually saying here is that the backup files must have a different path for the sound files encoded in the original set.

If you can open your backup files one by one you should be able to find that path and alter it to point back to the correct 'C:/Program Files (x86)/RailMaster/Sounds' folder.

If you do that it shouldn't break stuff unless there is more than one file containing that path. I assume here that the original somehow installed to the 64 bit folder and not the x86 one? There is no other explanation for this if that is the case.

[St1ngr4y]

Hi AC,

Can I ask you this - if the old machine was 32-bit architecture, would a Windows 7 installation still give you both flavours of Program Files folders, or only one without the (x86)?

Ray

[Augustus Caesar]

On any version of Windows that is 32 bit you would expect to only see the Program Files folder which is 32 bit. You won't get a 64 bit folder and no 64 bit program will install. You would get a runtime error or similar.

The difference is on 64 bit versions where THAT folder name above becomes the norm for 64 bit program installs and Program Files (x86) is for 32 bit only.

Most programs will install automatically into the correct folder for their bit versions but if you choose a manual install there will be issues if you choose to put a 64 bit program into the 32 bit folder.

Windows is quite clever in this respect and protects its own system structure quite well in these instances.

[St1ngr4y]

So that is why RM installed into "C:Program Files" - there wasn't a "C:Program Files (x86)" because it was a 32-bit machine.

Ray

[Augustus Caesar]

That's correct. On a 64 bit machine the installation defaults to C:Program Files (x86)railmaster

So copying your files from the older OS and Program Files folder to this one will have the incorrect paths included in their code.

[Fishmanoz]

Challenge HRMS - include a fix for that in ProPack's auto save feature please. 

[St1ngr4y]

Challenge HRMS - include a fix for that in ProPack's auto save feature please. 

And/or change RM programs so that the folder in which the Railmaster folder is installed is assumed in programs for sounds. It is for chained programs, why not for sounds too?

Ray