Successful transfer to new PC

[Rcik]

Praise rather than an issue:

With extra time with the bank holiday, I took the plunge today and transferred RailMaster from an old laptop, where the screen would go blank after a few minutes, to a newer laptop with windows 10. 

Given how long it took me to get initial set up right many years ago, I had been putting off doing this.  However, I have been amazed how much more advanced the process is these days. Whole process of deactivating, copying loco and group files and reactivating on new laptop was done in about half an hour. No problem with anti virus software, ports OK, immediate recognition of E-link and speedy download. Suppprt pages on this forum were great reference as well. RailMaster has really come on. Well done to developers and supporters on this forum, and really impressed with current operation. 

I didn’t manage to transfer pictures of non-Hornby locos but fixed this by reloading in settings. Message box in initiation also told me to use groups (mentioned 84 locos limit I think - I thought it was lower at around 65 but it was a few years ago that I tested that). 

One thing has puzzled me:  After downloading an evaluation version on the newer laptop, RailMaster knew it was me and retrieved product key and code without me having to input anything.  Does anyone know how it was able to recognise me?  (This was before I copied loco file or anything else across I think.) 

A real note of support for RailMaster from me. 

[Chrissaf]

After downloading an evaluation version on the newer laptop, RailMaster knew it was me and retrieved product key and code without me having to input anything.  Does anyone know how it was able to recognise me?

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Glad to hear that everything went so smoothly....usually we only hear about the disasters....so thanks for sharing some good news for once.

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With regard the auto-activation. This is a completely new event to me.....I have never heard of it happening ever before. Tis always a possibility that it is something HRMS added to the current latest 1.72 software release. But logic would say that the HRMS servers would need to have at least something to hook onto to identify you as a valid user. It couldn't be the PC serial number as its a new PC. Did you not enter anything at all, not a name, address, mail address etc not anything at all that might have uniquely identified you.

[Rcik]

Thanks for the reply Chris. I don’t think I entered my email address or anything like that, but I am a bit clumsy with computers and do tend to try things in a rush and lose track of what I have done. I was all ready with product key and code from original disk and then got confused as I couldn’t find the on screen symbol to activate. It was only after a few minutes that I realised it already had product key and was running on full version. I probably did something but was certainly surprised how easy it was to get RailMaster running on new pc. All good. 

[Augustus Caesar]

Good to hear that everything went well and very decent of you to praise the software and how easy you managed everything after following advice on this forum etc. As Chris says it doesn't happen too often but when it does it certainly makes everyone involved a little warmer inside.

 

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is that the deactivation didn't quite complete properly and the move to the new laptop simply read the data from the servers at Hornby and matched up to the data on your files copied over.

 

It would be interesting to know which of those files may hold the key or part thereof. It is not possible to have copied any part of your system registry if that is where the key is stored because you would have to know exactly what you were doing. Having the experience I have in this field I would have thought the key would be encrypted anyway within said registry. The data you originally typed into the registration form may be stored in one of those files copied over and it is more than possible they simply matched the data on the servers and the key would be entered... intriguing as to how Hornby would have write permissions on your drive though.

 

No worries anyway as it actually worked for you. I'm wondering if I should give this a shot but then again is it really worth chasing?

[Rcik]

Thanks for the additional reply and certainly no need to chase up. I am now wondering if the new(er) laptop I used was one I initially registered the software on c7 years ago. The laptop was my sons and has since had a complete system wipe before he passed it to me and a windows upgrade. I wouldn‘t have used the newer laptop on the railway for any length of time. When RailMaster downloaded yesterday it gave no indication of overwriting old files but maybe there was some details stored from the past. Thanks for the replies and all good here. 

[Chrissaf]

I am now wondering if the new(er) laptop I used was one I initially registered the software on circa 7 years ago.

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Ahhh a little light bulb has come on....

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When you originally said 'new laptop' I assumed you meant a brand new purchase one, not new as in a different laptop.

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We believe (no hard evidence to support this theory) that the HRMS servers log PC hardware serial numbers against the activation. For example the serial number of the motherboard. This is, we believe, part of their license checks and why the 90 day 'Evaluation' period still times out even if RailMaster is uninstalled and reinstalled later.

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So if you went through the 'deactivation' process on the 'old' laptop first, the HRMS servers would have put your activation key in limbo awaiting 'reactivation'.

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You now come along and install RM on this new different laptop but this laptop is not new to HRMS if there had been a previous valid RM activation performed on it.

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If HRMS do indeed store hardware serial numbers as suspected, then the fact that the different laptop had been wiped clean and upgraded with a new Windows OS would not have changed the stored hardware numbers against your account.

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Then it is possible that the HRMS servers saw the previously registered hardware with a new Windows OS on it logging on as part of the RM installation process, pending reactivation and having recognised the previously valid stored laptop hardware details it had in your account database it then reactivated the key on it.

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This now all makes perfect sense.....well to me at least as a logical theory.

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Note:: Regarding (no hard evidence to support this theory) this reported experience of yours is offering some significant evidence based support to this theory and making it even more likely to be true.

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[Rcik]

Thanks. Explanation makes sense to me. I should have been clearer in early posts. The newer laptop is only about 7 years old. The old laptop was getting on for 15 years old. I remember when RailMaster was launched, Hornby emphasised that the software had been designed to cope with older operating systems and my experience is it certainly can. 

[Augustus Caesar]

Caught in the same boat as yourself Chris. I hadn't thought about the 'older' laptop scenario but as long as it is explained and sorted that's great.

 

Your theory by the way is very sound. It, as you will know, will mimic Microsoft's and other vendor's ways of dealing with machine specific and single use licensing. Without going into all the detail here had I known, like you, that the scenario is what it turned out to be I would have reached the same conclusion.

 

There's not much more that can be added to confirm what has been surmised without getting into other realms.

Just happy it's sorted and that the 'wondering' is at an end.

For the 'note' you added Chris... quite agree.