RM Unrecognised database format

[leer76]

Hi everyone,

After successfully overcoming a problem with the help of valued members of this forum i had only a few days ago i once again appeal for your help......

The computer crashed on me shortly after correcting my last problem giving me the dreaded "blue screen" and to cut a long story short I had to replace the RAM which I did successfully.

I would like to add that before i realised the RAM was at fault the computer had crashed many times on various different programs so when the hardware had been replaced I run a well known PC cleaning tool and checked the registry.

Naturally the first thing I checked when she was up and running again was RM but I was met with the following message:

C:Program Files (x86)RailmasterUnrecognized database format 'C:Program Files(x86)RailmasterResource.mdb'

Now RM won't run properly, I have empty dialogue boxes, and if you run track editor and try to configure points all the options are empty.

"No problem" I thought, I'll de-register it and reinstall it and it should be fine but i can't even do that because the buttons in the question mark tab won't work now at all.

Now what i didn't do was to check what was actually being removed when the registry cleaner was run so for all i know I may well have deleted an RM registry value

Does anyone have any idea as to what to do now?

I am running Windows 10 and RM version 1.72

Mod note - I have deleted some white space for you to use as an example of what the before and after looks like. The rest is up to you to sort out per Fishy’s request.

[Fishmanoz]

You are not running the latest v1.74.5. Try running the update to latest over the top of what you have, no need to uninstall, and see how it goes. Link at top of forum.

While what you have is out of the ordinary, problems almost never fixed by uninstall and re-install.

[P-Henny]

The Resource.mdb file contains all your loco settings and other important information. RM as you have found out will not run without it, as it is critical to RM's operation.

I've been invloved with PCs for the best part of 40 years, my first PC ran DOS overlaid with Windows 3.1 which at that time was nothing more than a DOS GUI. I have had virtually every version of Windows since, except W11. The one thing I have learnt in those 40 years is that these so called 'Registry Cleaners' and other PC cleaning utilities do far more damage than they repair.

If you are extremely lucky, then running the 1.74.5 installer, as suggested by Fishman, MAY repair your RM installation. If it doesn't, then you will have to start from a completely clean slate and reinstall everything from scratch including setting up your locos again.

This will require you to uninstall RM first, else the corrupted files will not be removed. Note that running the installer over the top of an existing installation does not replace the files that contain your layout configuration i.e xxxxx.PLN & Resource.mdb plus others.

You may be able to recover your track plan by saving the original track plan .PLN file. To help with that task, go to the Railmaster FAQ Index sticky thread and follow the guidance in FAQ8. Use the FAQ8 guidance to make backup copies of critical files before the current RM is uninstalled. Then once RM 1.74.5 is running again as a clean installation, copy the backup files into the RM program folder.

With regard Resource.mdb make a copy of the clean version RM creates first before copying the original version back into the program folder, in case your original Resource.mdb file is genuinely corrupted. Then if the original file crashes RM you will be able to restore the clean file into RM to recover. However that will require you to set up all your locos and points again.

Note that if you haven't been able to deactivate your RM license, then a completely clean uninstall & subsequent reinstall of RM is very likely to give you license activation issues. So pay special attention to the comments about 'Activate.dat' in FAQ8.

EDIT: ADDENDUM

An alternative to try first, is to open Windows 'System Restore' and see if there is a restore point that was saved prior to you running your registry cleaning & PC cleaning utilities. System Restore will undo any registry changes that were made if you have a suitable restore 'date & time' point to use.

To find System Restore, just start typing it in the Windows 'Task Bar' search box.

[Britannia Builder]

RM makes backup copies of resource.mdb within the railmaster folder - on my system there's a resource.bak and resource.mdb.xxx.bak where xxx is Sunday through to Saturday. It's possible that I made resource.bak manually, but I certainly didn't make the other seven.

I suggest that you rename resource.mdb and then try renaming the most recently modified of the backup files to resource.mdb. If the file has genuinely been corrupted recently, this may fix the problem without losing too much of your loco data.

Regards, John

[leer76]

I'm fairly computer savvy but I'm no microsoft certified technician

I can't open v1.74 from the update link, i have forced the download but it says i need permission to open it.

I have created the backup as per chrissaf instructions but because I have now lost the ability to deregister the product I am really worried about uninstalling it.

I run system restore yesterday after i had reinstalled the new hardware purely because of the issues i had leading up to the computer crashes, (what kept happening was it would at any random point just go to blue screen and shut down but i spent so long attempting unsuccessful reboots I may well have corrupted the hard drive), if I try to run it now its telling me i have no restore points and to create one which is obviously no good at this point.

I have created chrissaf backup and I'm assuming it contains data related to the activation key but nothing jumped out at me when i opened the folder but I'm assuming it would work.

Before i go ahead and uninstall (last resort) is there anything else i can try? I know there's a fella on YT who knows his stuff (as you all do) with anything RM but can't seem to find this problem on there

[P-Henny]

Just to clarify.

Activate.dat is a text file and only contains the information that was originally used to activate RM. It does not convert the Evaluation version of RM to an Activated version.

If you do clean install RM, it should open as an Evaluation version. It may possibly not open, but instead display with a message along the lines of '90 day evaluation period has expired, please activate with a key'.

If you copy the original 'Activate.dat' file into the program folder and then open the RM form requesting a key reset. The information contained within the 'Activate.dat' file will pre-populate the form with data that matches the original activation request. This should eliminate errors relating to submitted data not matching that held on the HRMS servers. That is the function of the file and all that it does.

Note that the key reset request form had a bug in it that gave a 'false' email address doesn't match error message. This is allegedly fixed in version 1.74.5 which is why it is important to install this latest revision 5 version.

See also, this previous thread:

https://uk.hornby.com/community/forum/problem-down-loading-railmaster-345519?ccm_paging_p=1

Given everything you have said in the last reply regarding blue screens and possible HDD corruption. If I was in the same situation I would strongly consider 'biting the bullet' and do a complete Windows 10 re-install using the inbuilt Windows Recovery utility, then you know that Windows will be clean.

[leer76]

I am able to see the activation key in the "?" tab in RM but I am unable to use any of the buttons so I can't contact Hornby customer services.

If I email them on support@rail-master.com and explain the problem and provide the key will they deactivate it for me? (not sure on response times)

I think this is going to be the only way i can get this resolved

[P-Henny]

The key number is also shown in the 'Activate.dat' file.

You can try asking HRMS to deactivate as long as you do explain that your intention is to activate again later. HRMS are very suspicious and may think that you are asking to deactivate to get round the 'no passing on to others' license T&Cs.

If you can't deactivate, it is not always a 'show stopper'. My RM Laptop had a Motherboard failure thus I was unable to deactivate my key. On my new Laptop I used my saved copy of the 'Activate.dat' file to poulate my key reset form on the new installation (as I described in my earlier reply).

Once I submitted the form, my key was reset within 20 minutes. I assume it was an automated process as it didn't take very long. I got a mail acknowledgement telling me it was reset successfully. Whether that reset would have been as painless without using the 'Activate.dat' file I couldn't say.

I strongly advise that in the form you use the 'my HDD has failed' option for the reset request reason, rather than RAM failure.

P.S. The RM integral help system sends messages to 'support@rail-master.com', not Hornby Customer Services (HCS) who have no involvement with supporting RM as all support is outsourced to HRMS who own RM as a software sub-contractor to Hornby. HCS do however own the support for the eLink & Elite hardware.

You really can't know what your 'last resort' is until you have gone through with running the RM 1.74.5 installer over the top of your corrupted installation. You were given good advice by Fishman, but you don't appear to be taking it on-board. Guidance was given in my previous reply & links regarding getting round the false security triggers relating to the installation file download.

The download and running of the installer .exe file issues are almost certainly due to the fact that RM is a Windows XP application and likely to have 'outdated security certificates' or at least certificates that are not compliant with current Windows 10/11 specifications. It runs on Windows 7 to 11, but it is not designed specifically for these later Windows Operating Systems.

[leer76]

Hi Paul

I did follow fishmanoz advice and download the update, after forcing the download i was unable to open it as i was met with the following message:

"Windows cannot access the specified device path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item

I then tried the download through firefox, again the download was successful but i was met with the same message when i attempted to open it

Having re-read your last post i followed the link regarding downloading through edge but again the same message.

I also tried the downloadable zip file but it says it is no longer available.

I don't know whether this is relevant but as a footnote I have noticed that in the RM folder the "resource" file and others all have the wrong programs associated with them, Resource for example seems to be associated with Microsoft Powerpoint!!, others are associated to "FoxPro" (whoever that is) .bak and.pln files aren't associated with anything. I say this because either yourself or someone may know why that has happened and may shed a bit more light on the subject

I don't very often open program folders and at no time did I ever open the RM folder so rather stupidly I had never made a back up, so forgive my ignorance but after following chrissaf advice from FAQ8 have I just not made a backup of the corrupt files?

If I open the RM backup i created, the file extensions just don't look right, a "VCD video file" for example is attached to the "Activate" file although the properties state it as a .dat extension

[P-Henny]

"Windows cannot access the specified device path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item"

Not an error message I have seen myself (fortunately for me), but I suspect that it is either a HDD error message or it is being triggered by your Anti-virus. You haven't stated what AV you are using, some are more aggressive than others. Just as a diagnostic experiement, pause your AV protection. If you still get the same error message, which I suspect you will, then it seems to me that you have some serious Windows corruptions. Particularly with the very odd observations you are describing with the FAQ8 backup process. Which by the way works fine for me.

Personally, if that is the case then I would go back to my 'bite the bullet' suggestion and do a full Windows Recovery clean install and start again. But before that you could try running DISM & SFC, these are in-built Windows DOS utilities to repair damaged Windows System Files and HDD file indexing tables.

Run DISM using the following command (needs to be run in a 'Command Prompt' window with administrative rights).

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After this completes run (in the same window without closing it first).

SFC /scannow

Note the spaces before the / included in both commands.

To close the 'Command Prompt' window after running the commands above, type 'Exit' followed by pressing the 'Return' key.

If either of these commands won't complete successfully, then I conclude that your HDD &/or Windows is probably seriously corrupted.

Use with caution, I had a badly corrupted HDD that got worse after running these commands. I was planning to reinstall Windows anyway if these utilities failed to repair, the outcome was that a Windows clean install just got priority upgraded from 'may do' to 'must do'.

EDIT: Rog (RJ) in the post below makes a good point. To run the installer file it is advised in the RM manual that you right click the file and choose 'run as administrator'. But even that said, the file should still open without administration rights and not give your error message. Well it did on my Windows 7 PC when I forgot to use the right click option.

[Rog RJ]

@leer76

Did you remember to run the install as administrator?

[leer76]

Was just googling DISM and SFC as i was unsure what they were, i notice it checks for corrupt files and replaces them so fingers crossed, i did see however it recommends running SFC first but i have followed your advice Paul and will run SFC afterwards.

If it doesn't work I have an option to do a "fresh" install of Windows. I will probably do that as after attempting System Restore earlier I discovered the restore point I used only yesterday no longer exists.

Incidentally as you mentioned before I am using a free version of Avast AV

I will report back my findings.

[leer76]

Hi Rog,

Yes i did run as administrator

[P-Henny]

I found running DISM first worked better for me to find errors. I don't think it really matters, as I have seen guidance on the Internet suggesting both order of running as being viable.

No reason why you should not run SFC twice.

SFC followed by DISM followed again by SFC if you want to be 'belt n braces'.

[leer76]

Paul

Quick update: DISM completed successfully however the following error was reported which means nothing to me but may to you

"The term "SFSSFC is not recognised as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file or operating program, check the spelling of the name of if a path was included, verify the path is correct and try again"

This was the only error thrown back, I am running SFC now

[P-Henny]

The 'cmdlet' is an aspect of Windows Powershell which is a core Windows operating system component.

After running SFC, try running DISM again to see if you still get the same message.

[leer76]

Paul

Message from SFC:

"Windows resource protection found some corrupt files and successfully repaired them"

I'm now running DISM again within the same window so once again i will report back

[leer76]

Hi All

I have followed Pauls advice and run DISM again and it has come back without errors this time.

I am going to leave the powershell prompt open (i know Paul suggests i exit it once complete but just to be sure....) until i'm told otherwise. I just want to do everything in the right order. My guess is I'm going to be asked to restart the PC and try to launch RM.

I will wait on further instructions........

[Fishmanoz]

@AC,

Would be good to hear your professional advice on this to date?

[P-Henny]

Yes Leer,

If you haven't done it already, the next stage is to close the command prompt, reboot and retest to see if RM functions.

Also, try to run the 1.74.5 installer again and see if that now works. If it doesn't, then I still think that on this occasion reinstalling W10 will give the best outcome.

Please also review my new addition to your other 'Points only fire on start up' thread.

[leer76]

"Windows cannot access the specified device path or file. You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item"

Still getting this message and RM is still corrupt so I think after seeking everyone's advice I shall uninstall RM and reinstall a fresh version of windows. I have emailed HRMC and explained the situation so hopefully they can deregister it for me.

Thankyou Rog, John, Fishmanoz and Paul for your help in this matter, I will report back when I'm back online, Paul I have replied to you on my previous thread

[Fishmanoz]

Leer, could you please do us a favour when updating - go into each of your posts and edit out all of those unnecessary carriage returns, starting with your original post.

Remember, the forum software adds one to each new para so you don’t need to as well. And all he extra spaces at the bottom of your original post mean each new page starts half way down it too.

[P-Henny]

If I open the RM backup i created, the file extensions just don't look right, a "VCD video file" for example is attached to the "Activate" file although the properties state it as a .dat extension

 

 

To check the contents of the Activate file, open Windows Notepad.exe and then use the 'Open File' menu option to try opening the Activate file. This is a text file and should display intelligible text in Notepad. If it doesn't, then the file is truly corrupt. If it does open as text, then you can note down exactly what you entered when you originally activated RM the very first time.

P.S - Once your PC is completely rebuilt with a fully configured and working RM. Then use the FAQ8 Batch File to backup all your RM data for the future.

Good luck, I will follow your progress with interest as you update the thread.

[Britannia Builder]

I don't know if you had a chance to try restoring resource.mdb from one of RM's automatic backups within the railmaster folder, as suggested in my post 4 on page 1 of this thread?

If you did, and if it gave the same 'corrupt' message, it might be worth trying one of the earlier backups - you should have up to 7 of them, named by day of the week.

I think RM makes a backup each time you exit RM, so it's possible that backups on recent days have been making a copy of the corrupt database (if indeed it is really corrupted, and the message is not a result of some other problem).

Regards, John

[leer76]

Hi All

After a clean installation of Win10 and a laborious task of recovering important files off of onedrive (a task I never wish to repeat) I finally have RM 1.74.

I followed AC howto on his RM help site and what a fantastic site that is as I wanted to be sure I would get a good installation, I even went as far as on his advice removing AVG and just running Windows Defender.

I have created chrissaf backup and backed up the files but I need to spend some time now reinstating my Trackplan and adding my locos back in as obviously all my old RM files were corrupt and then I'll back up again.

I will say that HRMS have been outstanding, they replied to my email on Monday asking for more info, I replied and by Tuesday evening they had deactiveated the software ready for a clean install-fantastic

I am yet to go and try RM as I have a shed layout and the weather has been pretty grim of late but hopefully I will get out there over the weekend.

My next point is will I have to reprogram all the cv's for loco's and accessorys?

Finally Thanks all who contributed and to Paul and fishmanoz for there advise on this thread and if AC see's this thanks for the advice that you have produced on your site that got us over the line