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Unable to install Elink Driver on new Windows 10 laptop, please help?


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Hi, I have just bought a new laptop with Windows 10. I have installed RailMaster version 1.62 but I now can not install CDC RS-232 Emulation Demo. In Device Manager there is no other, the USB Port right click to update driver says most upto date drive available from windows. The only place I can see Emulation Demo is in Devices and Printers as unspecified USB Comm 3.

All the threads I have read are upgrades from other operating systems ie Windows 7 or 8 and RailMaster was preinstalled. Has anyone manager to complete a fresh install to Windows 10, if so where am I going wrong?

Thanks for your time and hopefully help achieving  a solution.

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Jeff, hi and welcome to the forum.  we need a little more information. What controller will you be using. Is it elink, or Elite.  there is currently a problem, with Elink, and windows 10, and, i think you need to talk to Hornby support, if the former. Somebody better skilled than i, will probably be able to get your RM installed, for you, but i doubt it will connect. HRMS, are working round the clock to sort snag out. If you have an Elite, all is well. You will see from other threads, that many have reverted to windows 8, or 7,  in short term., where elink, is fine . A useful contact, is Mark Lodge, on  01843, 233, 525. He will be able to talk you through RM, installation, and will know update on windows 10,john

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Jeff, welcome to the forum.

Forum member AC (AugustusCaesar) will probably be able to give you the best advice once he sees your query. He is the instigator of the two locked RM Help threads located at the top of the RailMaster section of this forum. He also runs an external RailMaster dedicated help web site (links to it are in the locked thread). AC checks the RM posts on the forum fairly regularly, but this is a BH weekend, so he may be away.

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If you need to directly contact RM technical support for assistance and the internal RM contact feature in the 'Help' window is not working, then their direct e-mail address is support@rail-master.com

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RM technical support have the ability to log in to your new laptop remotely and install the driver for you. You do however have to install a small secure remote access communications application first, for them to do this. They will give details of the process.

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Hi again, I'm trying to use an Elink controller and Railmaster has install ok, I think, it is unable to connect to controller (elink) as I assume drivers are no installed. I will wait for a few more people to resd the thread and may be other a little advice. 

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Hi, jeff, what you have found, is exactly, what i said. You need, to  email, asap, as Chrissaf, has suggested. Nobody on the forum  has reported success, including our resident expert , Augustus caesar ,with elink connection, who himself, rolled back The sooner you let HRMS know, of your problem the quicker, will be the solution. They will probably , look to take over your machine, unless by now a solution exists. They have asked on previous threads to be contacted, in situations, like yours. john

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Version 1.62 is in Beta mode and has been made available to a few people to test and to see if it helps with conecting with the E-Link on Windows 10.

 

As far as I am aware it is not on general release as yet as I think Hornby want to release it when they know it is stable with both Elite & E-Link. !

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The bug introduced into Windows 10 by Microsoft is one where we are not in control of it.  It is a driver supplied by Microsoft through their automatic download system.  It was created in conjunction with the USB hardware manufacturer and we have no control over this at all other than to keep asking them to fix it.  Some PC manufacturers have released BIOS updates (in response to the introduction of Windows 10) which goes some way to fixing these problems on some models of PC.

Those of you who may be as pessimistic as us in relying on third parties to get on with the job as a matter of priority will know that we are working on other possible solutions.  These solutions affect the way RailMaster works, which is why version 1.62 has not been released yet.  This Windows 10 issue, although affecting only a relatively small number of users, warrants our priority in dealing with it.  Only when this issue has been resolved, tested and working correctly will we resume putting the finishing touches to the 1.62 maintenance release and making it available for automatic download.  There will still be a couple of outstanding issues on 1.62 however 1.62 needs to be released as soon as possible as it also contains support for new loco decoders and accessory decoders which have been released recently.

The work we are doing involves both RailMaster and the eLink firmware in an attempt to get around the bugs introduced in Windows 10 and the Microsoft USB serial port driver and we hope to have a test update available in the next few days.  In the mean time, those who upgraded to Windows 10 and are desperate to run their trains should consider rolling back to Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 for the time-being.

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JEFF, do you have a machine with windows7/ 8 on, that you could install RM, on, in the short term, that would at least allow you to  run your trains. Another solution would be a dedicated RM, laptop, which several of us have, freeing up your new machine. Ebay sell  them with XP, for £49, and xp, runs RM, beautifully. Its a blow, when you take such a big step, with a new machine, particularly, if you have young ones, clamouring to watch daddys trains, but with a secondary machine, you at least know, that other people using it, will affect nothing, progs/ files, as only RM, will be there. little fingers, cannot cause problems. Hope you can come up with something, to ease the frustration, as it may be a little time before windows 10, will run the elink. john

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Hi again, I'm trying to use an Elink controller and Railmaster has install ok, I think, it is unable to connect to controller (elink) as I assume drivers are no installed. I will wait for a few more people to resd the thread and may be other a little advice. 

Hi Jeff

As HRMS have said this problem is due to a Microsoft driver (although written by Microchip Technoloies Inc) that can't be updated by anyone bar them (Microchip) and also BIOS updates which may only be fixed by motherboard manufacturers and proprietory releases of said boards within company machines sold by vendors such as Dell, HP, Asus, Acer etc. etc.

 

While some companies ARE updating BIOS chips on their boards but not ALL are. This a shame as some of those are involved here. Windows 10 loads a driver called usbser.sys into its library for use with the eLink unit and RM and this file is loaded by itself whereas previous Microsoft O/S's have used this file with one or two others in conjunction which helped load the necessary properties for the USB system to work properly with the attached hardware.

 

It makes no difference sadly whether or not you upgrade to Windows 10 or have a clean install done by yourself or a totally new machine with Windows 10 already installed. Some of these machines will suffer with older BIOS versions or at least new ones that do not contain the relevant code to work with the eLink unit when using this usbser.sys driver. This is precisely why HRMS are currently attempting to ask these people to effect a fix for them as sales of this product will drop inevitably as the wait goes on and buyers don't see it being sorted.

 

So, where do you stand? You could attempt to have support take over your machine if you really are in a position where NO other solution, like a rollback or whatever, is an option where you could go back to Win 7 or 8/8.1.

As this is not available to you on a new Windows 10 machine you should do as mentioned above by myself and other members and contact support but at this stage as it is unlikely a fix will be forthcoming.

 

You may also try one other thing... look at the manufacturer of your machine and visit their website. Go into support and download any BIOS upgrade you may see and install that to see if your machine is one of those which can benefit from such an update. If the update is successful and the eLink works then great. If it doesn't work this will prove you will have to wait, like myself, and others, for a fix.

Keep in mind that this is in everyone's interests that a fix is found as other hardware will undoubtedly fail also using this driver.

 

When updating your BIOS chip please be VERY careful and read instructions properly before attempting such an update. Things can go wrong quite easily. Having said this I have updated several hundreds of machines over the years and not had a failure. If you have an option to save your BIOS code before flashing the new code to the chip then DO SO first.

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Hi, thanks for all the very indepth answers people have posted. It seems odd to me that the problem seems to be blamed on the driver but the hardware and software associated  with Windows 10 is being asked to be altered. Sorry, I'm not going to attemp to update the BIOS on a brand new computer. I think HRMS are passing the buck here. Hornby and other manufactures of any item need to invest and keep up with the times. My phone can show me a person live on the other side of the world, order pizza, pay for it and have it delivered, so why can't a little black box make a model train move back or forward. I quess I have to sit back and wait and see what help I am offered!!

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"jeff_gibbings"  We are most definitely not "Passing the buck" as you put it.  This problem was introduced by Windows 10, not ourselves.  We now have to work around what they have done.  It is not a question of "Keeping up with the times" when Microsoft introduce a bug in their new operating system and this is a grossly unfair representation of what we do.  It is widely known that millions of users of Windows suffer problems when a new version of the operating system is launched.

As stated before, we are working hard at finding a way around the Windows/Microsoft Serial port driver bug so we are not passing the buck.  If we were doing so we would be saying "Tough, let's wait for Microsoft and the USB hardware manufacturer to create a fix".  We are not doing so.  In fact the moment we heard of this problem (despite our having done extensive testing on pre-retail Windows 10 systems, on a variety of hardware platforms) we started work on looking for a solution.

Fortunately, the majority of customers see that we are focussed on resolving this issue, with or without Microsoft's help.  We are continuing to work hard to find a solution to this issue, nothwithstanding the kind of comments proffered by you.

 

 

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1.62 beta does have some updates to try and fix W10elink problem. They did not work. I therefore assume HRMS want to try again with their fix before release 1.62 to one and all. By the way the fix has made RM more robust in W8.1.

If these W10/Elink problems are only affecting a small percentage of users, then why are the vast majority of users who have had no problems at all with W10, being made to wait until this problem is fixed. Why can't they rollback the W10 fixes from the 1.62 beta version, then release it. They can then concentrate their efforts on v1.63 for the W10 fixes.

Ray

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Ray, this problem with elink, affects all windows 10 people on here. it will also affect  a lot of new purchasers. Surely there is nothing outstanding on RM, updates, that cant wait.  HRMS, have a major problem on their hands, through no fault of their own, directly due to windows 10, and  Microsoft.    Only Elite people will not be affected, and they have to make an adjustment. I have great sympathy for HRMS, who may in the end, have to come up with a radical solution.  It is only right at this point in time, they prioritise. Sales must be protected. Thats my view , any way john

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 I've been searching for weeks for a Windows 10 problem with that other programme we've spoken about WTD.

Seems they don't use usb/serial port drivers, so there are no problems.

SPROG have posted a fix for the USB problem on their website.

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Ray, this problem with elink, affects all windows 10 people on here. it will also affect  a lot of new purchasers. Surely there is nothing outstanding on RM, updates, that cant wait.  HRMS, have a major problem on their hands, through no fault of their own, directly due to windows 10, and  Microsoft.    Only Elite people will not be affected, and they have to make an adjustment. I have great sympathy for HRMS, who may in the end, have to come up with a radical solution.  It is only right at this point in time, they prioritise. Sales must be protected. Thats my view , any way john

Hi John,

It only affects those Elink people who ignored the advice of HRMS and yourself, not to upgrade to Windows 10. There are lots of faults which I have reported through the RM help system over the last year which have still not been addressed and the delay since the March update is diminishing my enthusiasm daily. I cannot develop programs in a satisfactory manner because of one particular fault.

Ray

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