Railmaster freezes

[agander]

Hi all

Starting with a new kit, I couldn't get Railmaster to run.  It started, but would always freeze on setting signals. That was with version 1.44.  After many attempts, I switched to the download - version 1.61 - but that froze even sooner, never got to Activation.  I found in the log that it always finished at the same place -

Checking licence - No license file present.

I've contacted Support and am expecting contact back for them to analyse and hopefully fix, but thought I'd post in sase anyone else can shed some light.

[96RAF]

You don't say what you are installing on or its version number - (e.g. laptop Win 8.1).

You don't say if you have a licence code and if you have got as far as to input it.

You say it froze - at what point in what procedure - loading the application, after inputting the code, or what.

All a bit vague really.

A step by step of what you have done so far would help us to help you.

[agander]

You don't say what you are installing on or its version number - (e.g. laptop Win 8.1).

 

[Me] OK, a bit of tunnel vision here.  Apologies.  It's a desktop, if that makes a difference.  And XP.

You don't say if you have a licence code and if you have got as far as to input it.

[Me] I'm not sure what the license code is.  If you mean Actication Key, then I did mention that -

[Me] " I switched to the download - version 1.61 - but that froze even sooner, never got to Activation."

You say it froze - at what point in what procedure - loading the application, after inputting the code, or what.

[Me] Again I think I gave that. -

[Me] "It started, but would always freeze on setting signals. That was with version 1.44....After many attempts, I switched to the download - version 1.61 - but that froze even sooner, never got to Activation."  If there's more that would help, let me know.  Just a little bit more.  On starting RM, it asked for the set I was using, which was the Western....  On 1.44, it opened the RM window, but froze on setting signals, and its clock stopped, and I had to reboot to recover.  On 1.61, again the preliminary dialog and then"Please wait" or similar, then nothing, and again a reboot was necessary

All a bit vague really.

A step by step of what you have done so far would help us to help you.

[Me] I hope that helps.

[Me] But what on earth does this mean"Checking licence - No license file present."?  And why not output something useful, instead of just sitting there?  That one is for the developers, by the way.

Thanks.

{Edit for typo}

  

[agander]

You don't say what you are installing on or its version number - (e.g. laptop Win 8.1).

 

[Me] OK, a bit of tunnel vision here.  Apologies.  It's a desktop, if that makes a difference.  And XP.

You don't say if you have a licence code and if you have got as far as to input it.

[Me] I'm not sure what the license code is.  If you mean Actication Key, then I did mention that -

[Me] " I switched to the download - version 1.61 - but that froze even sooner, never got to Activation."

You say it froze - at what point in what procedure - loading the application, after inputting the code, or what.

[Me] Again I think I gave that. -

[Me] "It started, but would always freeze on setting signals. That was with version 1.44....After many attempts, I switched to the download - version 1.61 - but that froze even sooner, never got to Activation."  If there's more that would help, let me know.  Just a little bit more.  On starting RM, it asked for the set I was using, which was the Western....  On 1.44, it opened the RM window, but froze on setting signals, and its clock stopped, and I had to reboot to recover.  On 1.61, again the preliminary dialog and then"Please wait" or similar, then nothing, and again a reboot was necessary

All a bit vague really.

A step by step of what you have done so far would help us to help you.

[Me] I hope that helps.

[Me] But what on earth does this mean"Checking licence - No license file present."?  And why not output something useful, instead of just sitting there?  That one is for the developers, by the way.

Thanks.

{Edit for typo}

  

 

 

 

[agander]

Sorry about the duplication.  Misunderstood if the reply had taken.

 
 

[Augustus Caesar]

If you are running RailMaster under Windows XP you shouldn't have any problem really.

The only issues you will be facing will almost certainly be machine based rather than RailMaster itself.

My first point to you is do you have an antivirus product such as Norton or McAfee installed? If so some of your problems will be based around those. Get rid and use the programs I outline on the RailMaster Help Site I have built for this kind of issue. Sound harsh? I'm afraid it is when it comes down to those programs causing grief with their firewall being too aggressive.

Secondly, there may be some extraneous reason apart from the above... have you allowed Windows Firewall to let RailMaster communicate with its own site? If not you will have to clear that hurdle too. This is also explained on the site.

If you remove any of those a/v products you have (even if you have paid for them - sorry) and then install the advised programs on my site and, of course, these are advised by other members too and then opened your firewall you should see a difference.

It is NOT down to the version of RailMaster you are running and nor is it down to activation crashing said software.

The thread outlining this site is as follows...

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/railmaster-help-site/?p=1

And the site itself is:

http://octaviancs.com/railmaster/rm.php

Both will open as new tabs so you can jump back here easily without losing your page. Once you have cleared up any of these issues and scanned your system with the three tools recommended then if the issue persists then come back to us.

Hope this helps.

 

 

[96RAF]

Hi agander

Just to clarify what I called licence code is what is known as the activation key.

AC has covered everything else I was going to say, such as installing and running under Administrator rights, which as you are using XP doesn't apply and turning off your AV and making RM an exception in your firewall - all well covered by him on the ref'd sites.

Keep at it.

[agander]

Thanks for those replies.

In the midst/early hours of the problems, I realised I had two firewalls so shut down the second,

but it made no difference, sadly.

This is an old installation of XP, although up-to-date.  I have been thinking of a reinstall, once

I backup.  We'll see if I can manage that.

Thanks again.

 

 

[RDS]

Hi agander

You should not have to re-install (I assume you mean of XP) and it is quite possible it would not help in itself anyway.  The only thing though that may happen is by starting again with your operating system, you will get the chance to load RailMaster first and then other applications one by one.  Assuming RailMaster then works OK, this will enable you to identify which if any of your other applications are causing the problem.

I and many others on here can confirm that RailMaster works perfectly with XP and in fact I have just purchased a second copy of RailMaster to run on an XP Desktop away from my layout.

[Augustus Caesar]

Thanks for those replies.

In the midst/early hours of the problems, I realised I had two firewalls so shut down the second,

but it made no difference, sadly.

This is an old installation of XP, although up-to-date.  I have been thinking of a reinstall, once

I backup.  We'll see if I can manage that.

Thanks again.

 

 

 

Just to try and help a little further re your comments above... you don't say which firewalls you have installed and which you turned off. This is vital to know that you have the right one working with RM as others will stop it in its tracks. Forgive the pun... didn't realise I had put that in there... :-)

So, which one is on and which one is off? Just turning off a firewall doesn't mean it isn't still working in the background. You have to remember that other code that goes with these programs I mentioned above in my last post to you could still be running via shared code and the likelihood is that part of the firewall routines will still be accessed by that software. OK the firewall per say won't be 'running' fully but it may have code interfering in some other way.

If you do go for a full reinstall, which shouldn't really be absolutely necessary but it can solve issues at a swipe, make sure you install Service Pack 3, as you'll know anyway, as you are running XP. Make sure any other updates available from Microsoft's site can be downloaded (these are now downloaded manually) if you wish to utilise them. If not it is not wholy essential... especially if you install the a/v tools I recommend on my own site. Install all drivers for the hardware and THEN install RailMaster. In Windows Firewall only you should allow RM access to the Internet and outside world. Once that is done then register the software as doing so before the firewall is allowed to let RM through will debar access.

The instructions on the site, if followed, WILL work for you.

[agander]

OK, and thanks to all.

Success, so far at least.

I finished up wiping installation, not exactly what was intended.  Got XP re-installed after a few attempts

(I stopped using Windows), but had lost the internet connection.  Eventually found which of several

Driver CDs to use and got that sorted.

Downloaded the demo version again, and completed activation.

Hopefully, I can now move on to actually trying to get  my loco in motion later.

I won't post further, unless anyone wishes, or I get stuck again.

So, thanks again for the assistance.  Much appreciated.

[96RAF]

Always good to here that someone has achieved what they asked about. Well done.

[agander]

OK, and thanks to all.

Success, so far at least.

I finished up wiping installation, not exactly what was intended.  Got XP re-installed after a few attempts

(I stopped using Windows), but had lost the internet connection.  Eventually found which of several

Driver CDs to use and got that sorted.

Downloaded the demo version again, and completed activation.

Hopefully, I can now move on to actually trying to get  my loco in motion later.

I won't post further, unless anyone wishes, or I get stuck again.

So, thanks again for the assistance.  Much appreciated.

 

 

 

[agander]

Sorry to be a bore, but more trouble.

Now, I can't get elink driver to install.

I click setup, and it starts, but fails trying to load .net Framework 4.

It says to check the setup logfile, but I can't find the location

'CDOCUME~1agaLOCALS~1 etc, but expanding that, I have no LOCALS folder,

and using search doesn't locate the file name either.

 

HELP, please

[Augustus Caesar]

That's easy. You need to have the .NET Framework v4 installed on your system before a lot of things work.

That's available from Microsoft's update site but as you are running XP which is no longer supported by them you can download directly from here...

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851

The download will open up in a new tab and you MUST have Service Pack 2 before you can install Service Pack 3 and probably other updates for Windows XP too before the framework will install.

If you want any of the Service Packs here's the links...

Service Pack 1a:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=19751

Service Pack 2:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=28

Service Pack 3:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24

 

You don't need to install SP 1a as SP 2 should contain those updates already. So install SP2 then SP3 and then the framework. From that you should be able to install RM again from the start so it correctly picks up the driver.

Hope this helps.

[agander]

That's easy. You need to have the .NET Framework v4 installed on your system before a lot of things work.

That's available from Microsoft's update site but as you are running XP which is no longer supported by them you can download directly from here...

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17851

The download will open up in a new tab and you MUST have Service Pack 2 before you can install Service Pack 3 and probably other updates for Windows XP too before the framework will install.

If you want any of the Service Packs here's the links...

Service Pack 1a:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=19751

Service Pack 2:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=28

Service Pack 3:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24

 

You don't need to install SP 1a as SP 2 should contain those updates already. So install SP2 then SP3 and then the framework. From that you should be able to install RM again from the start so it correctly picks up the driver.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for all your trouble, but I did earlier install SP3, 2 was already in.  Got .NET etc installed.  The problem was that I couldn't install the elink driver, but eventually found the new instructions.  So sorted that, but still no movement.  Went to check the power connection to the track and could feel some vibration.  Remade the connection, and lo, there was movement.  Not a lot, but some, and a bit intermittent.  I'm just using one length of track up to now and wiped it and found  some deposit, and that has helped.  So I now need to make a little circuit and do some running in.

A big thanks to all here.

Looking good now!!

  

[Augustus Caesar]

Glad to hear you have some progress. OK it may not have been the .NET etc. but it was what I picked up from your post and it, as always, may just help somebody anyway.

If you have some traction on the track after cleaning maybe a little attention to wheels may help. You may have done that also too but sometimes even new loco's could do with some light oiling of their motors?

It's all good experience so keep going and you'll eventually win the little battles and then the great war and have loco's zoomin'....