WillemMJ Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 eLnk and Railmaster was the main reason I started a hornby layout. If i had known windows 8.1 was not supported properly, i would not have bothered.Anyway, anyone got any idea how i can fix the constant rebooting of software, elink and laptop in all those hit-and-miss attempts?Remove cable, reset elink, restart railmaster suggestion are not welcome. I want to know why windows 8.1 sees the usb serial elink connection but railmaster cannot. What to do?option 1 ruled out: reboot railmaster, reboot elink, wait 5 seconds, start as administrator, call a guy at hornby or railmaster.so any option 2 available? (while typing this post, elink decided the temperature outside is correct again so it connects......) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Welcome to the forums Willem. For a start, there have certainly been some on here who have suggested that RM won't work on 8.1 but this is simply not true. Don't believe anyone who says so. 99.9% of those who report initial issues with RM have actually not set it up correctly despite thinking they have and that they have followed all of the instructions to the letter. So let's check your Setup. Go to the DCC forum to the Majestic with eLink thread and work your way through the questions I ask in the second post on page 1. Once you can answer yes to all of them, things should have improved. If not, it is time to email RM Support from within the Help window of RM. They are very helpful, responsive and will sort you out in short order. But if you don't get an immediate automatic acknowledgement, your AV will be blocking you, so turn it off and try again. And given your worry about being able to see the com port, note 2 of the questions relate to this, one being correct port number and the other using the correct driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillemMJ Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 Thanks for your reply. Pretty sure I can answer all of your questions with yes. It seems to work if you get the timing just right. Start windows, start elink. Wait 5 minutes (i am assuming windows needs to load stuff in the background), plug in the usb from elink. Wait another 5 minutes. Start RM and watch it fail (99% of the time) to connect to DCC or take a long time to connect. IF it does connect after a minute, you can be sure it doesnt work.So, close RM, unplug USB, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in and start RM.Procedure above works in 90% of the times. But this should be much easier.The only thing i am not sure about, is the installation of the correct driver. Think I did but as i remember it, windows was very fussy when installing the driver, even when updating the driver. Didnt allow me to point to the correct driver (because there isnt any...only win7 and vista).Might be on the CD i got but cant use that one. Havent got a dvd player in my laptop (do they still sell those ????, bit 1986 to me).So its probably the driver and i probably need to download it somewhere but I do not know where (think I did it) and definately not sure how one can tell if you are using which driver...Would love some help to get mine setup but you have to agree that the installation procedure is tricky, to say the least. Maybe someone should offer their services to RM or Hornby because dont even get me started on the mobile apps (when it works, it is soooo cool....unfortunately...it rarely ever does). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrook62 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I have had rm working on windows 8 and then windows 8.1 with hardly any problems I get the updates ok though rm on 1.60 now there is the odd time about 2 times a week where it don't sync up and reconise the elite but apart from that everything is fine.the only different is I don't use a elink on my setup have you tried elite only connected to you laptop? to see if thats works ok. if it works ok then the elink is at fault somewherehope it helps as their is rm on 8.1 and works finemcrook62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Willem, you don't need to look anywhere beyond your RM folder for the correct driver. It is part of all the installation of updates from Powerpos. Still problems? Then email RM Support as I said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody52 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hi Willem, can I take a guess and assume that you also have trouble running some other programs on your computer? 5 minutes to start up WINDOWS would suggest that you have registry problems, viruses or a seriously underpowered computer.I spent days cleaning up 2 laptops that had been brought to a standstill by a teenage grand daughter who insisted on dowloading everything she could any time it was offered. Times you quoted were about the same to start up these machines and also load programs. Once you could get a program running it would be very unstable.If so, then its time to get your computer working properly before worrying about RM.Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Willem, option 2 simple, HRMS, will take over your laptop, sort all connection problems out, and hand it back, fully functional.. You have to contact them through Railmaster, or if not, email. You then download a link, and they sort it all. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_forward Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Willem, you sayquote....inutes (i am assuming windows needs to load stuff in the background), plug in the usb from elink. Wait another 5 minutes. Start RM and watch it fail (99% of the time)unquote... try plugging the usb cable in BEFORE you switch on the computer - then the correct driver will be found automatically I suspect.procedure should be1) connect everything2) switch on (plug in) elink3) start computer4) start railmaster should now work first time every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony_forward Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I have had rm working on windows 8 and then windows 8.1 with hardly any problems I get the updates ok though rm on 1.60 now there is the odd time about 2 times a week where it don't sync up and reconise the elite but apart from that everything is fine.the only different is I don't use a elink on my setup have you tried elite only connected to you laptop? to see if thats works ok. if it works ok then the elink is at fault somewherehope it helps as their is rm on 8.1 and works finemcrook62 User has stated he has an elink - why bring elite into it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Tony, thats exactly as i said on majestic post, Dummies guide, which i have posted before. The only thing i would add is WAIT until all drive lights go out on computer, before starting RM. It does then work, every time. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornbyRailMasterSupport Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We have read this thread with some interest, and whilst we have not been contacted about this either through the Help Request system or by email, we can observe the following. If it is truly taking several minutes to start Windows then there is an issue there before you do anything else. It is possible that you have bloatware or other programs grabbing a lot of the CPU or RAM's resources on the PC (or even an undetected virus). We do not know if this is a new computer that came with Windows 8.1 or an old computer that was upgraded. In the case of the latter, many computers do not support Windows 8.1 100%. You can try removing any un-needed programs and then using MSCONFIG to stop any un-needed programs or services from running when you start your PC (you will need to search on the Internet for more help on this - there is plenty). Assuming then, that you have a relatively clean and stable computer, under no circumstances should you have to wait minutes after plugging in the eLink's USB cable etc. It takes seconds to get everything going, assuming a stable Windows environment and correct installation of RailMaster and exceptions in your antivirus/firewall software. If we take this one step at a time, your first priority is to ensure that your Windows installation is stable. If you are using an old PC that was upgraded, you might want to 'downgrade' to Windows 7 as this is far more accepting of older hardware. When you have done this, let us know and we can go on to the next step, the Windows driver for the eLink. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Is the eLink driver a problem then HRMS.Who provides the eLink drivers for Win 7/8/etc.My USB sniffer shows someone called Microchip against my eLink and Elite ports.Obviously not just Windows as there is the documented preference during RM/eLink/Elite installation to use either the dedicated driver or let Windows find one depending upon Windows version.The sucess rate of RM installation seems to depend a fair bit upon a carefull choice at this stage. Any comment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 HRMS, hi, its the wait bit, that needs emphasising, eg, letting all the hard drive lights stop flashing, before clicking on RM. Many of us have found, that this little wait, just a few seconds, allows a faultless connection every time. If you go straight in, there are occasions, when it does not connect. Bearing in mind some of us live in funny places, this little pause/wait does appear to work. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody52 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Hi guys, Willems problem is his computer. Until he gets it cleaned up and operating properly he won't be able to run very much on it succesfully. Thats why I asked if he is having problems with any other software on it. Any computer that is taking 5 minutes to load the operating system is going to have problems doing just about anything. It doesn't matter what version of Windows he is using unless he is trying to run a version of windows that is not compatable with his computer. It is not a mater of waiting a few seconds for evrything to load on, it is taking him another 5 minutes to start RM after waiting 5 minutes for his operating system and Start Up Programs to load.Peter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Willem, if you are having trouble following HRMS's instructions on cleaning up your Windows, email them now. Don't wait until Momday morning, they work 24/7 - do it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrook62 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I have had rm working on windows 8 and then windows 8.1 with hardly any problems I get the updates ok though rm on 1.60 now there is the odd time about 2 times a week where it don't sync up and reconise the elite but apart from that everything is fine.the only different is I don't use a elink on my setup have you tried elite only connected to you laptop? to see if thats works ok. if it works ok then the elink is at fault somewherehope it helps as their is rm on 8.1 and works finemcrook62 User has stated he has an elink - why bring elite into it?Hi just stating that if rm and elite work ok and he has no problems then he has to look at the elink Mcrook62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcrook62 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 @Mcrook62You're missing the point!! Go back and READ the original post. He hasn't got an Elite, he's only got elink and rm. So he doesn't know if "rm and elite work ok". Comments about 'elite' just confuse the issue. Of course you "have the right to make a statement that may help someone" (though in this case your statement doesn't help) but you also have a duty to read the question. Ok you know more than i do but you don't have to be a upright stiff jump up know all get on my wick the point of a forum is to try and help even if sometimes your wrong we are only human well some of us are anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 @kiwi3685There is no need whatsoever to respond in that tone to someone. OK, he made a mistake, we all do at times but there are far better ways of pointing it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The way its all getting grumpy I thought the forum had jumped onto Facebook, where this type of lash is rather moderate.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Sorry - smack on the wrist accepted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornbyRailMasterSupport Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The eLink and indeed the Elite are based around widely used microcontrollers which are in used in millions of USB devices around the world. In the days of Windows XP you would specify the eLink or Elite driver and it is indeed still supplied with RailMaster. This is also true of Windows Vista, although that is a different driver, again shipped with RailMaster and documented. With the advent of Windows 7 and Windows 8, the driver is automatically downloaded from Microsoft. Microsoft have have a repository of hundreds of thousands of drivers for all sorts of devices on a PC and the automatic download function generally does a good job. HOWEVER, and this is a big however, not all computers that we have seen will automatically download the driver. This could be the way the motherboard and base USB subsystem drivers work on those PCs, in which case you can manually specify the RailMaster folder which also contains the Windows 7/8 driver. Something that confuses people is the level of drivers. The eLink/Elite driver (downloaded from Microsoft) is the top level driver for the eLink/Elite which creates a Com serial port on top of the USB system that already exists on the PC. The USB system itself has its own set of drivers, so there are in fact several drivers involved and accessing the Elite/eLink not just the final driver you install. We have also found, in very rare cases (currently we believe only three instances) where the base USB system driver (before even getting to the eLink/Elite driver) may have been designed for and optimised for Windows 7, with the drivers having been developed for Windows 7 doesn't seem to work correctly on some Windows 8 PCs and we have a theory that some of those machines may have been assumed to work fully bearing in mind Windows 8 is largely based on Windows 7. We have proven that when those PCs were 'downgraded' to Windows 7, suddenly everything worked perfectly, yet using the very same eLink/Elite driver (downloaded from the Microsoft driver repository). Now you see that it can get a little complicated. In the vast majority of cases, however, the complications outlined above do not occur. It is a handful of users who have the problem and then when reinstalling the driver it works. Currently, the only reported issues we have with eLink/Elite connecting to a PC at start-up is when that PC is running Windows 8.1 and invariably this problem can be resolved by doing the following:- 1. Uninstall the current driver (remember to click the delete driver box)2. Power down the Elite or eLink, wait a few seconds then power it up again so that Windows sees it3. Windows will either have a go at downloading the driver itself automatically, or invite you to select a driver, in which case click on manually find the driver (or words to that effect) and simply browse to the RailMaster folder. Windows will then use the Hornby supplied driver When switching on a computer, the reason you may need to wait a few seconds for the computer to 'fully' boot up is that the USB subsystem may be initialising later rather than earlier in the boot process. Normally, all hardware drivers are loaded first and therefore the moment you see the Windows desktop you should be able to start RailMaster. You can either switch the PC on with the eLink/Elite already switched on, or switch the eLink/Elite after starting Windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1ngr4y Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Sorry - smack on the wrist accepted.I don't think admin were referring to your post, RAF :-)Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Sorry - smack on the wrist accepted.I don't think admin were referring to your post, RAF :-)RayMy post was one of the ones deleted, as I had a pop about fubb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96RAF Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 @HRMS - very useful explanation about the drivers - thank you - and hopefully it will allow anyone having installation and setup problems to do a bit of realistic self help before reporting in that they would like you to reinvent the wheel for them again.Although I have never had much in the way of installation problems with Win 8.1 and RM, apart from the odd internal update failing, I do have a long standing problem in that I cannot update my Elite from Win 8.1 using any off the several suggested methods from HCC. No doubt this has much to do with the way HP configure their pcs as you have suggested.Not that I am asking you to help sort that one out, as I keep an old XP notebook on stand-by just for the Elite scenario, but then I'm not expecting too many Elite updates will be required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St1ngr4y Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Sorry - smack on the wrist accepted.I don't think admin were referring to your post, RAF :-)RayMy post was one of the ones deleted, as I had a pop about fubb...They would have to delete yours, otherwise people wouldn't know which post you were referring to :-)Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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