Elink registration.

[Hoagy.]

Hi. My old laptop finaly packed up.  How do I register the full cd I have, on another Laptop. I was unable to de-register railmaster from the the first machine.??

[Chrissaf]

If the CD you have has already been used once i.e. that was the one originally used on your knackered laptop. Then you can't register the key on the new Laptop until the key used on the knackered laptop has been deactivated. If you can't do that because the old laptop is completely unusable (won't start).

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Then send an email explaining the situation to support@rail-master.com

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In the email include as well as your written request as to why you want your RM Key deactivated:

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1. Name.
2. Address.
3. Email address you used when you set up the activation the first time.
4. RailMaster CD Key number.

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Don't bother using the CD to install the application on the new replacement PC, that is a complete waste of time. Download the very latest copy from the download link at the top of the forum RailMaster section. Assuming your replacement Laptop is Windows 10, then connect your controller and install the Windows 10 driver BEFORE running the rm_setup.exe file you download. IMPORTANT: right click the file and choose 'Run as Administrator'. Also, have your controller connected and powered up with the driver loaded in Device Manager before running the file.

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If you can still access the files on your old Laptop hard drive (even though you can't load Windows from it). Say for example, putting your old hard drive in a caddy and connecting it to your new Laptop as an external drive. Then you may be able to recover the files documented on Page 132 of the RailMaster manual. You could then copy those recovered files to your new PC (after it has been successfully activated). Doing this, would recover all your previous personal settings, locos and track plans.

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You may also need to amend some entries in your "railmaster.ini" file to make it compatible with Windows 10. These modifications (Alternative comms and Check controller) are documented in the sticky post at the top of the forum RailMaster section titled "RailMaster: Setting Up & Getting Started". Look for the Windows 10 section near the bottom of the page. Review the other sections of this page as well to ensure your new installation and key activation goes smoothly (once you know the key has been deactivated by RailMaster support on the previous account). The comments about Windows 10 are also applicable to Windows 7 and Windows 8.x

[Fishmanoz]

By rights, if you do your new RM setup the way and in the order Chris has described, your ini file will be correct with all of the correct entries.  However, could you check this and report back to us either way.

[Hoagy.]

If the CD you have has already been used once i.e. that was the one originally used on your knackered laptop. Then you can't register the key on the new Laptop until the key used on the knackered laptop has been deactivated. If you can't do that because the old laptop is completely unusable (won't start).

.

Then send an email explaining the situation to support@rail-master.com

.

In the email include as well as your written request as to why you want your RM Key deactivated:

.

1. Name.
2. Address.
3. Email address you used when you set up the activation the first time.
4. RailMaster CD Key number.

.

Don't bother using the CD to install the application on the new replacement PC, that is a complete waste of time. Download the very latest copy from the download link at the top of the forum RailMaster section. Assuming your replacement Laptop is Windows 10, then connect your controller and install the Windows 10 driver BEFORE running the rm_setup.exe file you download. IMPORTANT: right click the file and choose 'Run as Administrator'. Also, have your controller connected and powered up with the driver loaded in Device Manager before running the file.

.

If you can still access the files on your old Laptop hard drive (even though you can't load Windows from it). Say for example, putting your old hard drive in a caddy and connecting it to your new Laptop as an external drive. Then you may be able to recover the files documented on Page 132 of the RailMaster manual. You could then copy those recovered files to your new PC (after it has been successfully activated). Doing this, would recover all your previous personal settings, locos and track plans.

.

You may also need to amend some entries in your "railmaster.ini" file to make it compatible with Windows 10. These modifications (Alternative comms and Check controller) are documented in the sticky post at the top of the forum RailMaster section titled "RailMaster: Setting Up & Getting Started". Look for the Windows 10 section near the bottom of the page. Review the other sections of this page as well to ensure your new installation and key activation goes smoothly (once you know the key has been deactivated by RailMaster support on the previous account). The comments about Windows 10 are also applicable to Windows 7 and Windows 8.x

Hi Chris.   Many thanks for your very detailed reply. .... Unfortunately.!  The replacement Laptop I have, is also 'getting on'. (Very like me.)  a Dell precision M90. Running Windows 7 ultimate. This machine cannot run Windows 10. 

Now the stupid part.!! The Dell Laptop originally had the RailMaster installed & running when I first bought the Elink package.    After approx a year. I thought I'd transfare to the now knackered Laptop (Windows XP Pro) & use to exclusively for RM. All went well up to last week when, as reported it won't start, charge, clicks & straight off.

Before I put the original call out for help.  I installed the cd back on to the Dell & it even updated to the latest version of RM. However. I forgot that all the RM Files where still on from the original installation years back.

Now the stupid bit.!!  I've Unistalled the whole lot thinking I had to re-register the cd From scratch.

so I've installed the cd again & of course been left with the Evaluation version. Tried sending the reg form off to Hornby complete with Activation Key etc.   But comes back as a fail.

so I think your advice to contact the support team, is probably the best option.

This is the first time I've used this site & I thank all who have made, what are very helpfull comments.

Hoagy.

[Chrissaf]

Hoagy, please note my very final sentence in my original reply.

"The comments about Windows 10 are also applicable to Windows 7 and Windows 8.x"

Thus all my comments as written will still apply to your Windows 7 Ultimate. Including the comments about the railmaster.ini file, these are applicable to Windows 7 as well as Windows 10.

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It would be helpful if you didn't use the 'blue box / white arrow' button when making a reply. This is not a 'Reply to this post button'. It just duplicates all my original long post unnecessarily and can in some situations make it difficult for forum members to follow the text in the thread. It is always best to write the reply in the reply text box at the bottom of the page and click the 'Green Reply' button.

[Fishmanoz]

A couple of things to emphasise Hoagy: first, throw the CD in the bin and only ever install the latest from the link at the top of the RM forum.  Keep only the activation code.

 

Second, do a Windows Syrem Restore on the Dell back to before you uninstalled RM.  Then update with the link as above.

 

Third, there is a strong chance your HDD from the dead laptop will still work if you remove it and put it into a USB external hard drive case.  That way you can get all your old layout and loco files from it and copy onto the Dell.

 

And as long as you have all your details, HRMS will fix your activation key so you can use it again.  If you can't get through from within RM, the separate address support@rail-master.com will get to them.

[Augustus Caesar]

Hoagy, contrary to the idea Fishy gives about throwing away the CD and not using it to install RailMaster but instead use the latest downlaodable version is always best...

 

I would suggest, obviously, to use the latest downloadable version as stated but NEVER throw away that CD.

Why? Simple. I have had three people contact me privately through my Help Site on here asking for help because they couldn't download the latest version and get it to work. I asked them to use the CD to install RailMaster and then download and overwrite the original installation and this worked each time.

 

So, moral? Keep the CD but always use the download version first. The disk will be kept for emergency purposes only.

 

@Fishy

Sorry Fishy mate, absolutely nothing personal, but just HAVE to ask folk to remember this and ask of yourself, and other members who advise the same, that advice not be given to dispose of that CD purely for the reasons I give above where folk can at least, by a long-winded way, yes, get their railways working.

 

[Fishmanoz]

Thanks for the explanation AC, interesting and perverse.  I'll remember to suggest it goes in the bottom drawer next to the Select.   Wouldn't help me either, no drive in my laptop.

 

However, doing it this way will mean no one will ever get the correct ini file on initial setup, this only happens if you start by first installing the Elite/eLink driver, then downloading the latest, something we only proved works this week.

[Augustus Caesar]

With all my past experience working in IT and now for myself with all that stuff it always pays to keep original bits and pieces back somewhere along the line. I've amassed many tools even going back to the days of MS-DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1 and maybe even before.

 

They always have a use with some client who pops up out of the woodwork and has some antiquated old computer with an old MS Windows version or whatever. I'd far sooner keep that guy going than recommend an upgrade he would have made years back if he wanted to.

 

Same for disks when downloads don't work as they should whatever the reason. It keeps tings ticking over and if an odd tweak is needed to finalise anything then so be it.

 

I thank you for your response and that the drawer will now be your best mate when it comes to RM CD's... :-)