Elite v1.44 is out.

[Augustus Caesar]

Fishy... I grasp your meaning at this point so apols if I didn't get it first time.

You're right in that many attempts were made occasionally to get things working but apart from one or two glitches I have nearly always been able to get things done first time... maybe with help from my own knowledge, particularly with USB drivers etc., but also with a tad luck maybe?

I do believe that once the USB side of things (and the firmware update I said was needed rather than Microsoft rewriting a driver that worked for everyone else) began to get worked upon there have been less problems and issues to deal with which can only be good.

[96RAF]

The key to getting the Elite updates to work reliably was to have the installer match the data delivery rate to the acceptance rate of the machine it was updating on, effectively either feeding it across page by page or line by line or word by word according to how fast the host pc could read it without errors.

 

Once that 'fault' had been recognised it was just a case of calibrating the feed rates and picking a sensible number of options - in the case of the new installer PC Types 1, 2 or 3.

 

The USB problems were mostly associated with comms errors in getting the Elite to talk to RM. Update comms errors were usually a result of incorrect setup, solved by introducing the 15-20 second wait procedure. The older installers also had bootloader issues in that if an update failed you had to uninstall bootloader and the installer would install it again. How things have changed.

[RDS]

... So is it worth installing ...

Thank you. (sorry for the delayed response)

[Chrissaf]

Upgraded my Elite this evening to 1.44. First time, no quibble, all initial testing seems OK. Used 'PC Type 2' setting (on Intel i5 processor). Download took 3 minutes 15 seconds to complete. Elite rebooted into 'Standard' mode.

[pidder]

Chrissaf  You know I have had no success using my HP laptop running W 10 64 bit, can I ask what make of PC you use?

[Chrissaf]

@Pidder, This one by ACER.

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Purchased in 2013 specifically to be dedicated for the use of RailMaster. When bought, it was a Windows 8.0 machine, subsequently updated to Windows 8.1 and then the free Windows 10 update which was unsupported by ACER. It has a 15" Touchscreen. At the time I bought it, having a Touchscreen was one of my 'must have' red lines. This meant that my choices were limited in 2013, particularly in the sub £1,000 price range. I paid £520 at the time and was the cheapest 'respected brand' Intel i5 15" Touchscreen I could find, but I would expect Touchscreens to be a lot cheaper these days. I am really happy with my purchase It has given me no issues to date. I did upgrade the RAM from the factory installed 6GB to the max 8GB just for the heck of it, as memory was so cheap when I did it. It also has an integral DVD RW drive on the side. As mentioned before, it is an Intel i5 processor Laptop PC.

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The only thing it doesn't have (that I miss) is a Hard Disk activity LED. It is very hard, without this indicator, to tell when the Laptop is just plain busy doing something, particularly when doing Windows Updates that seem to take forever under Windows 10. You can't hear the HDD being accessed either. My 'workaround' for this is to resort to opening 'Task Manager Performance Monitor' to see disk and memory activity.

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Being a Laptop purely dedicated for RM, I have removed all the 'bloatware' and ''trial software' that normally gets loaded on a new PC purchase, it is bared down to the bone. It is effectively a 'One Application PC'. Apart from RM, I have installed the absolute minimum of third party software, a couple of useful utilities is about all, plus my preferred ESET NOD32 Anti Virus. My Windows 7 Pro Intel i7 Tower Desktop (unbranded, made by PCSpecialist) is my main production PC for all my other PC related activities.

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This particular ACER model will, of course, now be obsolete and not available for new supply. But I would expect many of its physical features to be incorporated in current models.

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PS - Got the dreaded 'you are not logged in error message', fortunately I had saved this reply to the clipboard before clicking the 'save post' button, so able to paste it back in.

[96RAF]

Are you sure there isn't an HDD activity light Chris.

My HP has the tiniest pinprick led on the right hand side front corner along with a similar sized mains power connected led.

Rob

[pidder]

Thanks. A lot to pay,just for a controller.

[Chrissaf]

@Rob, nobody more surprised than me regarding lack of disk LED. First time I've come across a PC not having one. There are three LEDs, power on, power charging & DVD tray activity. Believe me I have looked very closely for a HDD one (not even a software on screen one).

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@Pidder, maybe so regarding expense. Everything is relative. During the Thatcher 'Stocks & Shares' trading boom years in the City (London) I made money faster than I could spend it. On paper, I would meet the criteria to be considered wealthy. So I am fortunate to have bigger budgets to work with to pursue my hobbies.

[pidder]

Chris   As you say,    possibly my priorities are different 

[96RAF]

Revised changes log issued for v1.44 listing all changes by revision from v1.4.

Tried to copy and paste the document using an iPad but it turns out to be impossible.

Rob

 

  

[Chrissaf]

Done it for you Rob.....but only the 1.44 part. The original document, extract below is taken from, lists all changes since version 1.4 (changes from 1.3).

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[96RAF]

Thanks Chris.

I note I was logged out twixt then and now due to no input.

Rob

[Augustus Caesar]

@pidder

 

The make of PC or laptop is totally irrelevant to the updating of an Elite or eLink unit. The only difference in some to others is with badly soldered or not fully wired USB sockets or a USB socket that is v3.0 and not completely backward compatible.

 

What you should note is that any manufacturer of PC or laptop will invariably never build their own components and even rarer use their own motherboards.

They buy in pre built boards that go with cases styled by themselves for the user to wonder over and they stick their own badges on them.

The likes of HP, and most others, will use motherboards by the likes of Elite, ECS, Asrock, Biostar, MSI, AOpen, Foxconn and occasionally Asus. It just depends upon what specs they want and then they tie the boards to other hardware like memory, processor, and sound... all of which are specific to that board. Other hardware is not important and this is where they claw back costs by putting in low spec stuff... like a low spin rate HDD, basic case, cheap DVD writer etc.

 

From that, at least, one can firmly say, without fear, that, as stated, the update will not be down to any make of a PC or laptop unless they are poor in design and quality in their own right.

I never, ever, buy a fully built PC for a client. I ask what they want to do with them and what they foresee themselves doing in a couple of years after purchase and then guide them to a fresh build with scrath components where the machine will be upgradeable sensibly and also almost future proof as far as it can be.

 

You may know most, if not all, of the above already but it may be useful to others too to know what they are getting when buying a prebuilt PC. Laptops are just the same except, of course, they cannot really be custom built but can be upgraded in several ways including processors etc.

[pidder]

AC Thanks for your further advice. I appreciate what you say regarding components. What I do wonder about is, firstly, whether HP do have some manufacturer installed software which might be at variance with the Hornby update, or whether I might have installed something, such as Malwarebites or antivirus which might have the same effect. In my case it was the first time I had tried an update on my Elite, which had worked o.k. before.Think I must just write it off to experience.

[Dazzler down under]

Well I've got nothing to loose the last update stuffed my elite, hopefully this one fixes it.

[96RAF]

What I do wonder about is, firstly, whether HP do have some manufacturer installed software which might be at variance with the Hornby update,

My desktop PCs are both HP Win 10 and my laptop is also Win 10 and all of them update my Elites to any rev state (fore and aft) no problem so its not a manuf associated error.

Rob

[pidder]

Rob   here's another duff one. Waiting to hear if Fishmanoz has had anything from Adam. 

[Augustus Caesar]

It is unlikely that AV software would play a part on any failed update to the Elite. AV software will not check against firmware updates to any hardware. They are not geared to that end at all.

Imagine if they were... you wouldn't be able to update anything at all. The only time they would have looking at those areas is when you download the file initially from the web where they check for viruses within the file itself.

After that they leave it alone. Malwarebytes, as I have advocated for a long time now, is the least likely of all to cause any issue with any software really unless it is already infected and picked up during one of its scans.

Your system firewall is the area where you must get communication to the outside world right as far as these units are concerned. For that you only need Windows own Firewall. The rest will give nothing but grief. Simply disable them or don't use the software.

 

The most likely causes of a unit like the Elite not updating are as follows: faulty unit of course, dodgy cables (USB) - extremely unlikely, incorrectly installed driver, incorrect port connection,  bad file download (unlikely), using a USB 3.0 port purportedly compatible with previous versions USB 1 or 2 when it isn't. There are more but you will get the gist.

The OS is not likely to play a part regardless of what you read elsewhere... the fault is more likely to be a consequence of something else which makes the OS look responsible. All Windows OS's have had issues with the Elite... some more than others but is that design, user fault, or software blocking things? Various posts on here suggest a bit of each... with the vast majority being user related - unwittingly, but user related all the same.

Just to reiterate the manufacturer of the PC or laptop (or more precisely - the manufacturer of the motherboard) is not to blame unless dodgy components have been installed like I have suggested before. The one laptop make that DID have issues was a Lenovo model or two which used incorrectly wired USB ports when users attempted to connect eLink units and was discussed at length on here.

[pidder]

AC  Have read your latest comments. Think I must just write this off to experience and wait for Hornby to bring out something different, such as the Bachmann but with proper wireless, not infra-red, control.  

[Augustus Caesar]

Just a shame as a whole unit of folk attempting to help you out couldn't get your unit going again.

I would still consider asking Hornby for a second opinion by sending it back to them. Another 'techie' may take a different perspective... one never knows.

[pidder]

AC Thanks again for your suggestion, I'll certainly consider it.

[Spireblade]

If it's not broken, should I fix it?

 

Is it worth risking? I currently have no issues with the Elite. Is there really anything new in the update that will benefit me? I am basically running locos and changing points and led signals, not bothering with programs etc at this point. Running Windows 10 and the lack of info in the PDF past windows 8 isn't reassuring.

 

Cheers

[96RAF]

@spireblade

download the update folder and the changes log tells of each and every fix/improvement since v1.4.

there is also a new how to for win10

armed with that info you can make a choice as to update or not.

[Spireblade]

Cheers RAF