hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi I wonder if anyone could please help me with a query regarding updating from the top of the page or when doing it when railmaster asks for to update and is it possible for the download to get corrupted when downloading and windows decides to update itself ? it’s just that I’m covering all bases as I have had problems with programming 2 decoders which is why I had asked about the decoder tester and the only things that I can think of is 3 things and that is railmaster was corrupted somehow or the decoders have given up the ghost but somehow I don’t think so or my elink is having problems and I’m just going down the list for to find out the reason.Also is it best for to use a registered copy of railmaster for the programming or can you use the evaluation copy for to program decoders as I can try and use my other laptop for to make sure that it isn’t windows working itself causing me problems with programming them as I don’t want to deactivate it and then reactivate it again on my other laptop thanks very much again Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Since there are no cost implications to installing the evaluation copy on the laptop, why not just install it and see what happens when you try using it to configure CVs. Remember that you will also need to install the eLink driver to the laptop FIRST, before running the RM installer. I would also have the eLink connected, powered up and the driver installed before running the RM installer (so that the RM installer can detect the eLink to set .INI parameters). But I would then still double check the .INI file to be absolutely sure that the correct .INI entries are there..Namely:Alternative comms=1Check controller=1.Also, if not previously done, check that your normal installation of RM has got those two lines at the end of the railmaster.INI file as well. The .INI file editor is run by clicking the bluish GOG icon in the bottom left corner of the RM 'Help' screen..Note: that RM only detects MAJOR updates for auto installation, it does NOT detect minor revision updates and/or installer files that have been posted to fix reported bugs. So even if you have version 1.67 currently installed via the RM 'auto update' process, this does not necessarily mean that you have the very latest version of RM installed..Whenever, you get a RM issue, no matter how insignificant, download the installer from the forum link and run the installer to over-write your currently installed version. There is no way, just by looking at the downloader file 'properties' to see what is or is not a later version. This is because HRMS are very lapse at maintaining the file version numbering scheme..Sometimes the later file on the download link, will fix your issue because it is a fixed file that has been posted to fix the same issue previously reported from another different user. There is no guarantee that re-installing the downloaded file, will fix your issues, but doing so gives you the best chance of a fix. Note: downloading the installer and running it, is usually the very first thing HRMS will ask you to do when you request support from them..I would also recommend, as a policy, that you keep a copy of each stable release installer file (at least one or two versions back as a minimum) so that you can re-install an earlier stable version of RM when the later version has serious bugs. As happened recently with the first few releases of the RM 1.67 version. I have copies of RM going all the way back to RM 1.55, a total of 39 individual installer files..Windows Updates do not normally affect currently installed Windows applications, assuming that the applications are written to very strictly complied with Microsoft application writing standards. If an Application vendor writes applications that do not adhere to Microsoft standards, then they could be affected by changes that Microsoft make to the Windows OS in a perfectly correct and valid update..Windows Updates can corrupt things, but that is rare, and is usually an issue with the Windows Update itself, rather than the third party applications on the PC. When a corrupt Windows Update occurs, it invariably affects many users resulting with MS pulling the plug on the update so that they can fix the problem..Having had my Windows Update fingers burnt in the past by installing them on the day of release and having stability issues, I now have a policy of delaying their installation for at least a week for any issues to be ironed out. One of the reasons I won't be replacing my Windows 7 Pro desktop with Windows 10 HOME edition. I will have to upgrade eventually, but when I do, it will be with the W10 PRO edition. The HOME edition of Windows 10 does not give any adequate user control (to my high standards) over how and when Window updates are installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi Christhanks very much again for your help and time with your reply it’s greatly appreciated I think that I’ll start working from the beginning again ie the latest version from the top of the page and then the ini file etc and at the same time try my other laptop as well and do exactly the same as above however on the safe side I have just purchased another copy of railmaster from hattons just in case so that I can just use one laptop for programming and the other for my layout and then see how it goes. I was just curious if it could have been corrupted when downloading it but all of your information will help me anyway thanks very much again Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Just to add and follow up to the statement I made in my reply......copy below:.Note: that RM only detects MAJOR updates for auto installation, it does NOT detect minor revision updates and/or installer files that have been posted to fix reported bugs. So even if you have version 1.67 currently installed via the RM 'auto update' process, this does not necessarily mean that you have the very latest version of RM installed..When RM 1.67 was released it had issues, further releases were made (see date list below) which made attempts to correct these issues. The final date in the list, is the version currently available. Now assuming that you allowed your RM PC to auto detect the update, and you haven't subsequently over-written it with a fresh manual download, then the RM version of 1.67 you currently have installed could be any one of the ones in the list dependant upon what date you actually allowed RM to auto update itself. Hence the recommendation to manually download and run the installer again../media/tinymce_upload/99fcd67940feb7eaadf8aa751358d99d.jpgChances are, given the short date range in the table, is that you have the latest version installed, but unless you know for certain what date you installed it on i.e you know it was in Jan for example, then you can't be 100% sure..It is possible for a download to generate a corruption of the resultant saved file, but this would be rare. Download and file transfer protocols do include a number of error checking routines to prevent this from happening, but that said, although rare, it has been known. I'm not thinking RM specifically here, but downloads in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi Chris thanks very much again I’m just about to start downloading from the link and I’ll check everything from scratch and also the ini file I have just started my spare laptop with railmaster which I had downloaded at the weekend but I have a new message on my screen asking me if I want to update with a new minor update in 1:67thanks very much again Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi ChrisI have just checked the ini file on my laptop that isn’t registered yet and I’m in the evaluation control panel and it said that one of my listings ie Alternative coms=1 isn’t recognised and that it will be ignored so is that with the copy of railmaster and the update not being registered thanks very much again Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 two mm required in comms not one..Edit the .INI file entry to add the missing m and that should fix the error message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi Chris thanks very much again and it just goes to show that us old guys forget how to spell and I wouldn’t care I was looking at your reply with it on as well when I had changed the ini file but thanks very much and I really do appreciate everything that you have helped me with Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Don't worry about it. In the early days of RM ownership I had to keep on reminding myself that it was two mm and not one m. I've written it down in text now so often in the forum, double mm is now ingrained into my memory. I think it is because in most other computing areas, "Com" is spelt with one m. Trust HRMS to be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Yeah I have noticed that rm have some strange things going on at times and I thought that it was me well at least I can always blame the program and not me if I make a mistake especially when changing CVs but thanks again Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi Chris when I had restarted rm I had got the message to say that I had one entry in my ini file wasn’t recognised and when I had put the extra m in it has sorted that part now Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Just to add hedley, corruptions are rare, incorrectly setup installations of RM are common for new users and incorrect ini files one of the more common setup problems. We know you already had RM on your laptop before you opened this topic. Did you install your eLink driver and have the eLink powered up before you first installed it? If not, not to worry, you don’t have to start again, but you do have to check and edit your ini file as it won’t have the correct entries. And no use hoping that if you now install the latest from the link with eLink driver and powered up that the ini file will be fixed. RM updates do not overwrite your ini file, they assume the one you have is correct and you don’t want it changed. You could of course change the name of your current ini file and do an update with eLink powered up as the update will then write you a new one and it should be correct. And just to note, everything Chris and I have told you here is in the sticky threads at the top of the forum. They are there to do exactly this - help you to get your RM installed and set up correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Hi Fishman thanks very much again for your help and on my main laptop had the correct ini file but my spare didn’t have it but as soon as I had re write the last 2 lines at the bottom of the file but I had missed an m but Chris reminded me that I had only put one on but since then I have added it to the file and it seems to be ok but I’ll have to try both computers one at a time tomorrow and see if that everything works properly but I’ll let you know how I get on.but when I had first asked I had thought that I had a few things that it could have been and I was just wondering if it could have been a corrupted download but as you and Chris said that it’s highly unlikely for it to be so that ticked that one off the list also it is probably what I’m doing that is causing me the problems but I’m just going down through my list and then I’ll know exactly what it is as I’m still learning about dcc and I still get confused with doing different things as well as trying to do something different each time I startup railmaster but thanks very much again and I do appreciate it Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 Hi Chris and Fishman When I had changed the ini file everything seems ok now also it’s possible for to change the CVs in the evaluation copy of rm but the only drawback with it is that you can only have 2 locos at a time so it’s worth getting the disc from Hattons for £5 and that way I can have all of my locos on both laptops and using one for my layout and my other one for the servicing and running in as well as checking the CVsbut thanks very much to both of you guys for the help and advice which is always top class and very informative and great appreciated Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 What that goes to prove Hedley is that your eLink is fine as it it reads / writes CVs on the Laptop. If the same eLink connected to the PC is still not behaving, then it must be a PC / RM issue on that PC. It may not be RM, but an issue with the physical USB port you are using on the PC. Check to make sure it isn't a USB3.0 port. RM and eLink work best on USB2.0 ports..EDIT: Just spotted your other post in the RM CV topic. It would appear that you have now got both your Laptop AND PC (another Laptop?) now fully functional. So my USB3.0 comment above is probably now redundant. I am leaving it here because it is still a valid point regarding suitability of USB3.0 ports for other readers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 Hi Chris I think that could have been the problem but since I have changed the USB port everything is now starting to work better so it’s possible that I have had it in a usb 3 port at the beginning and with changing it has made a big difference and I can use both of my laptops now with RM and I have also invested in another copy of railmaster for the code so that I can put all of my locos in so I don’t have to keep on changing the loco list in the evaluation copy for to read and change the CVs as it was worth paying the price of it anyway thanks very much again for all of your help as I’m slowly getting there and I have learned a great deal from all of you and all of the help and advice for to get up and running as well as everything else on the forum Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissaf Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 You won't need to load all your locos and track plan manually into the second (new RM) Laptop, just copy the files listed on page 132 of the manual from the previous Laptop to the second Laptop and you should end up with the second RM being a clone of the first.....if that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hedley_reynolds Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 Hi Chris thanks very much again for your help and advice as that’ll make it a lot quicker and easier than copying everything bit by bit Hedley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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