Hornby railmaster activation on Windows 10

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi has anyone any idea how to activate on Windows 10 it keeps on saying that my activation key is incorrect and to run as administrator which I have done but I still get the same message it also says for to add it as administrator for the internet security as well and I have done that as well but it still won't let me activate the software

I would be very grateful if anyone can point me in the right direction

Thanks

Hedley

[Augustus Caesar]

Hedley

 

Welcome to the forum... If by adding as administrator for internet security you mean adding the program to the firewall then may I suggest, if you any Anti-Virus software that has its own firewall installed that you disable it and use Windows Firewall instead.

If you install RailMaster for the first time with Admin rights (no matter what version of Windows) and follow the instructions it will eventually ask if you wish to allow the software through the Windows Firewall to which you would say yes. RailMaster will not activate without access to the RailMaster servers and you must get past the firewall to do so.

Both Norton and McAfee software can be notoriously difficult to manipulate correctly for certain software of which RM is one.

At the top of this sub forum you will see two links, one to my own Help Site which is specifically for getting RM installed on Wndows 10 and is fool proof. A second will offer other help which may be of use if the first doesn't work for you. They are both equally as good as the other.

Try those out as the problem you give does not really cover all bases with the information you supply. That is not a criticism of any sort though... it merely means saving time by having a look at the two sites linked to mentioned earlier.

If neither work then give us the exact error you are coming up against step by step if possible.

Your key will show as incorrect if you are typing it in incorrectly of course but also for a few other reasons so it wise to check the install if not done with Admin rights.

[Fishmanoz]

Just confirming what AC has told you, this will have nothing to do with W10, it will be your AV stuff blocking you.  As well as the content on AC's site, you will also find RM has put a guide about it on your desktop when it installed.

 

And don't forget to download and install the latest version of RM from the link at the top of this forum before doing anything else.  If you ran your original installation as administrator, then you don't have to with any updates, they will be administrator as well.

[Fishmanoz]

Since very early days of W10 when there was a driver problem, there hasn't been an issue with running RM on W10.  There have been a number of initial setup issues from W8 on that mean you have to do more to get it operating correctly.  You've just solved the first of these, which has ever been present, and that is identifying the correct com port, won't work on any Windows if you don't do that.  You don't seem to have described updating the driver by searching for an updated one in Device Manger, that is the next step, but as you say it's working you probably have.

 

Youve also now avoided AV blocking which stumps quite a few, many of whom think they have fixed it when they haven't.  This one has been getting more difficult as AV products have been getting more aggressive, read Norton and McAfee here.  This also gives the appearance of there being later Windows problems when it's not to blame at all.

 

There is then a final step for ongoing reliability, getting the correct lines in your ini file.  This is also covered in multiple threads with Chris providing the definitive detail.  If you haven't seen and followed one of those, go to the second top locked thread at the top of this RM forum, Setting Up and Getting Started and go to the last post, originally from HRMS where they cover it.

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi all, thanks very much for your help regarding the activation of railmaster however I had tried always for to disablel the firewalls etc so I had ended up taking my computer back to square one and the factory settings and starting afresh with windows defender, but as I was waiting for it to finish the set up I had noticed something that I had missed as well which was that my router could have it's own firewall settings as well as the antivirus software and that's where my problem was and not the antivirus as far as I know as I had mc affee installed which had gave me a run around as well for trying to allow the railmaster access 

so thanks very much again for all of your help 

hedley

[Fishmanoz]

So I'm taking it you didn't go to look at AC's site as recommended?  I'm almost certain routers are covered there, there is also heaps on here on them if you do a search in the forum.  AC certainly covers McAfee and why you should steer well clear of it, some find it ok but in general it's a pest.

 

And you started again from scratch with Windows?  Lots of advice on here telling you that is completely unnecessary to fix an RM problem, Av or otherwise.

 

Can we take it you are all activated and running the latest version of RM now without problem, good communication with the controller and all the right settings in your ini file?  On that, look at Chris 's last post in the CV problem toptic currently right below this one.

[hedley_reynolds]

Since very early days of W10 when there was a driver problem, there hasn't been an issue with running RM on W10.  There have been a number of initial setup issues from W8 on that mean you have to do more to get it operating correctly.  You've just solved the first of these, which has ever been present, and that is identifying the correct com port, won't work on any Windows if you don't do that.  You don't seem to have described updating the driver by searching for an updated one in Device Manger, that is the next step, but as you say it's working you probably have.

 

Youve also now avoided AV blocking which stumps quite a few, many of whom think they have fixed it when they haven't.  This one has been getting more difficult as AV products have been getting more aggressive, read Norton and McAfee here.  This also gives the appearance of there being later Windows problems when it's not to blame at all.

 

There is then a final step for ongoing reliability, getting the correct lines in your ini file.  This is also covered in multiple threads with Chris providing the definitive detail.  If you haven't seen and followed one of those, go to the second top locked thread at the top of this RM forum, Setting Up and Getting Started and go to the last post, originally from HRMS where they cover it.

 

hi fishmanoz I'm very grateful for your advice but when I asked the original question I had a few days off looking at the forum and I was in a sense pulling my hair out so I had reverted back to square one as I'm very new to everything dcc and model railways in general so after I had done everything from the beginning I had no problems setting up everything and I'm now up and running with the update in place but I'm slowly doing things one by one as my layout is still in the development stage and I have just finished the setting up the point motors and the decoders with my track plan and railmaster 

thanks very much again for your help and advice and also everyone involved 

hedley

 

[Chrissaf]

Hedley, may I humbly suggest that you refrain from using the 'white arrow in blue box' button. This is not a 'reply to this post' button. Doing so, makes it extremely difficult to see what new text you have added, as it is embedded incorrectly within the yellow quote box. The best way to reply to a post (it isn't necessary to re-quote all the contents of a previous one) is to scroll down to the bottom of the page and place your reply in the empty 'Reply Text Box' and click the Green 'Reply' button.

[Fishmanoz]

Good advice from Chris, Hedley.  And there is only one thing you can achieve from an uninstall followed by a clean install that can't be achieved automatically simply by updating to latest from the link over the top of your existing, that is correct a railmaster.ini file if it wasn't correct in the first place.  It will be installed correctly from scratch if you have your controller turned on and the correct com port selected and the right driver.  But that is easy to do anyway without the hassle by deleting your existing ini file, then updating over the top with your controller on and connected correctly.

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi Chris and fishmanoz I'm very sorry for using the arrow and blue box, I'm very new not only to dcc and railmaster but also to forums in general and I had thought that it was like the reply button  on emails and that's why I had used it.

However as I had said that I would like to thank everyone who had replied to my question regarding Windows 10 and also the reason I had went back to square one was that it was a new computer purchased for to use railmaster with my layout, and the computer had not only Norton av and fw but also McAfee security as well so when I had reset my computer I had uninstalled both software from the hard drive before I had installed the railmaster and relied totally on Windows defender for the security as I only intend to use this computer on my layout with railmaster.

Thanks very much again to everyone

Hedley

[Chrissaf]

.....and I had thought that it was like the reply button  on emails and that's why I had used it.....

.

Hedley (apologies unnecessary), you are not the first and you won't be the last to make the same assumption. The regular contributors have been campaigning to have the blue button removed, but the campaign is falling on deaf Hornby ears.

[Fishmanoz]

As you've removed the "nasty" AV products, you might like to checkout AC's separate site from the link at the top of the RM forum and see his recommendation for 3 free products to do a complete job without being invasive.

 

And no wonder you had problems first up with Norton and McAfee competing for control of your laptop, that's just asking for trouble, and getting it!

[hedley_reynolds]

I wouldn't care but I thought that your only allowed 1 av on Windows systems however the manufacturer of my laptop put both on and I didn't realize until I had went back to square one and found it.

Thanks very much for the tip about the products on AC's site I'll have a look at it and take it from there

[Augustus Caesar]

@hedley_reynolds

 

The reason why two anti-virus products should not be run on the same computer is because one will see the definition files of the other and believe that those are viruses in their own right. The definition file contains strings of data that are read (like a database) by the main program that downloads them frequently and will use them as it should. However, a second program will detect those strings and invariably will want to quarantine or wipe them out thus stopping the first program working properly.

Some anti spyware and malware programs are now including their own anti-virus tools and they are now clashing with each other as well. If they do then each one should inform you of the possible clash when installed.

 

What probably happened to you in your case is that both programs will be a trial (or one could be a full feature program) and you are offered the choice of whichever to use. The only other explanation is that one is a trial version and the other is merely a browser protection version of the main program. There are various instances of this so from the text I offer up you at least should see what was installed to your machine. No manufacturer or retailer will install two full AV products on a new machine ready for sale. Part of that is for product endorsement by vendors who wish to see their product on particular machines or at least on those where an offer is good enough.

[hedley_reynolds]

Hi AC thanks very much again for the info however I have now activated it successfully but I have done something else and I'm at a loss now at what I have done so I will start another topic and someone out there is bound to know what I have done wrong.

Thanks very much again

Hedley

[Augustus Caesar]

No problem Hedley... glad you are all sorted re activation.

[dave_armitage]

Hi see you are having the same probs as i am i have been at it for a week now still not sorted i have reinstalled the prog many times so sent an e mail they sorted id for me by connection to my computer and sorted a couple of things great i thought was running fine they told me it was an old copy so was inputting a few things i thought great only prob i have now is its reverted back to evaluation copy and now said can't can only put 2 things in honestly this thing would make a nice bird scarers well if thats hornbys help i don'think much of it and am waiting for hornby to get in touch again. I don't know where not go next i don't think anyone over here uses is i get the impression they don't want to use it

anyone wants to buy an elink.

Cheers DaveA

[Fishmanoz]

Dave, working backwards:

• no one is likely to want your eLink as they have to purchase a licence to go with it. Your licence cannot be re-used.
• where is “over here” that no one uses it?
• on your activation issues for a start, adding to a 4 year old thread is not a good idea, then not fully describing your issues compounds things in trying to give help. It is almost always best to start a new thread.
• multiple reinstallation is not useful. It’s very unlikely to solve the usual problems people have
• given you had (HRMS?) log onto your computer and solve your problem, describe just what you have done since that ended with it reverting to evaluation?
• if you are describing that subsequent to activation, you have just downloaded the latest version over the top of your existing activated copy, this is very unlikely to cause it to revert to evaluation
• I trust you didn’t upgrade by deleting/uninstalling the copy you had and installing the latest from the link? This is not the way to do it, you should just install it over the top of your existing (see above, deleting and reinstalling isn’t useful). However, as long as you have your licence key, you should be able to re-enter it successfully

Please come back with more info as asked for above. RM and eLink work perfectly fine on W10 although some tweaking is often necessary. The tweaks are well understood by users here.