Windows 11 laptop won't recognise eLink

[Dewi-363866]

I've just bought a brand new Hornby R1184 Western Express digital train set from a model store. I've installed the Railmaster software from http://www.rail-master.com/rm_setup.exe. I followed the instructions at

However, the Windows 11 laptop won't recognise the eLink. The eLink powers up with a green light, but it appears in Device Manager as "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)". I've tried updating the driver and I've tried uninstalling the device. I've tried all three USB Type-A ports on my laptop. I've read FAQ #1 and the RailMaster Help Site. I'm out of ideas except that I could try a different laptop when I get home, but that won't be until the end of next week. Any other suggestions?

[RDS]

Could I suggest that you read and follow carefully the last sticky thread at the top of this RailMaster section, entitled 'RailMaster Help Site' and follow the link at the top of the Post. Your question has been asked many times and is usually cleared by following the information given on this very reliable link.

Please let us know how you get on.

[Fishmanoz]

Given you say you’ve followed FAQ1 etc, let’s take this step by step - have you got to the stage where the correct driver (USB Serial Port) is installed on a Comm port numbered below 5 and have you then entered that port number in the RM Setup screen?

From my experience, there is no Windows 11 issue with this installation. While I knew what I was doing from scratch, I was able to do it without any problem using an Elite.

The first in my sequence was to update the Elite firmware to latest and that required the correct driver to be installed before I did it. Then I was able to bypass all the roadblocks to downloading the RM setup file. Then I ran it as Admin with the Elite connected and operating which ensured all the correct ini file entries were loaded too. From there, it’s just worked.

Our experience says that virtually all problems are soluble by following the procedure outlined in the FAQs or as RDS suggests. Usually it’s finger problems that is the issue with people thinking they’ve followed the procedure meticulously when in fact they haven’t. So I suggest you double check what you’ve done.

Last resort - contact HRMS and have them log into your system and fix it for you. But a way to go before resorting to that step.

[96RAF]

My money is on it being the wrong driver, as you say you have updated the driver.

Go into Dev Mgr, find the port being used by the eLink (which uses the same driver as the Elite), tick the box to delete the driver and then delete the device. Allow Windows to find the eLink and load its own driver. At no point should you use the Railmaster driver.

Note that whilst all this is going on Railmaster must not be running.

The other thing to look at is the track power connector as some digital sets were provided with an analogue connector that has a capacitor under the hump between the rails. If so snip it out and bin it as it will distort your DCC signal.

[P-Henny]

I've watched the linked video. There is one very important step of the installation that the presenter did not perform. see underlined edit below.

Once he downloaded the installer file (version 1.74.0 is not the latest one by the way - see Note1 further below) the presenter just ran the file.

It is very important that you right click the file in Windows File Explorer and choose the "Run as Administrator" option. Some members on here may say that you can just run RM as administrator from the RM installed desktop shortcut. But that does not always fix controller connection issues.

EDIT. Although the presenter did not manually choose the right click 'Run as Administrator' option. I noticed when reviewing the video again more closely that Windows 11 automatically offered the 'Run as Administrator' option, so this would appear to not be the source of your issue. But it would be prudent to use the 'right click' installer run method upon a RM re-install just to be sure.

I also disagree with his method of running RM first, before installing the eLink driver. It is much better to have the driver loaded before installing RM for the first time to ensure the installer sets the .INI file configuration correctly. His convoluted route to correct the driver settings got there in the end, so credit to him for that but his method is not the most optimum route to take. Reading their replies above, this install the driver first approach is a view also shared by 96RAF & Fishmanoz.

Notes:

1. The latest version is 1.74.5 not 1.74.0 as he installed. Being a minor (but important) update, the auto update check when RM starts will not trigger the auto update process. The 1.74.5 version (if required) has to be downloaded and manually updated. The current MEGA link has been updated to version 1.74.5 so subject to your RM Installation timeline you may have already downloaded the latest .5 version
2. In the video he kept saying that links on Hornby website needed to be fixed by Hornby. They are not broken and the links although hosted on the Hornby website are pointing to an external website that is outside Hornby's control as the RM software is outsourced to a completely different company (HRMS) to Hornby. Any revenue from purchasing RM goes to HRMS [Hornby Rail-Master Support] not Hornby. They appear broken because as the presenter correctly said the HRMS website (where the RM installer software is located) is not a Microsoft certified source. HRMS was originally a software company called "Invicto Systems" that is now defunct and not trading under that company name.
3. RM also contains code to allow HRMS to remotely log in to RM and fix things (the log in cannot be performed without end user consent, so it is not a security risk) this code false triggers Antivirus software and Browsers to think that RM is malicious. Again, this is outside Hornby's control as they do not now own RM software, commercially all rights to the software have been handed back to HRMS who now own it outright.
4. The video presenter was using the Chrome browser, this browser actively blocks the RM download which is why he had to jump through several hoops to get RM to download and why clicking the Hornby website located links appeared to do nothing. The Chrome download issues are well documented on this forum.
5. Although the presenter in the linked video is one of the better ones I have seen. He is no RM expert. He obviously lacks knowledge regarding the false security triggers and Windows Browser issues that members of this forum have been living with (and had to resolve) since Windows 7 was made obsolete.

EDIT: 96RAF posted whilst I was preparing mine. I agree entirely with his suggestion regarding deleting the driver (YOU MUST CHOOSE THE DELETE THE 'SYSTEM FILE' OPTION ELSE THIS DELETION WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY). Then install the eLink driver WITHOUT RM RUNNING as per my posted reply above FOLLOWING EXACTLY the method described in FAQ1.

If you don't see the 'Windows Plug n Play has detected a new device' messaging pop-ups then the driver file deletion has not been done correctly and you will struggle to get the correct driver installed.

Pay very special attention to the section in FAQ1 that starts with the following quoted text:

"First things first

How many entry lines do you see in the .INI file. There should be about 30 to 40 lines of text. If there are less than that say about 6 to10, then your .INI file is corrupted, preventing correct controller detection and you need to re-generate a new .INI file."

In fact, pay special attention to ALL references to the .INI file in FAQ1. Controller communication issues are nearly always attributed to .INI file configuration errors. This is the reason that the controller driver should be loaded FIRST into the Windows environment BEFORE the RM installer is run for the first time. The installer needs to know what controller and settings are present so that the installer can generate a correctly configured .INI file. The video presenter would have known this IF he had been an experienced RM expert, that clearly he is not.

Finally, given the entry in your Windows 11 'Device Manager' is saying 'Unrecognised USB device'. You have not installed the driver correctly. After deleting the errored driver AND DRIVER SYSTEM FILE as recommended above. Ignore the YouTube video and follow EXACTLY the driver installation steps documented in FAQ1. If that does not fix your issue then resort to trying the method dicumented on the external 'Help Site' link. Note that the 'Help Site' is not related in any way to HRMS.

[Dewi-363866]

Thank you for your replies. I was out all day yesterday, I apologise for being slow in responding as a result.

Taking your replies, one at a time:

To RDS:

This morning, I read and followed carefully the 'RailMaster Help Site', including 'Prep Install', 'Anti-Virus' and 'Installation'. I still get "USB device not recognised" and "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)".

To Fishmanoz:

I've not got to the stage where the correct driver is installed on a Comm port numbered below 5. Windows Explorer pops up a dialogue box stating, "USB device not recognised". The device appears in Device Manager as "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)".

To 96RAF:

If I click on "Driver Details", Device Manager says "No driver files are required or have been loaded for this device". When I said I had tried to update the driver, I meant that I had clicked on "Update Driver", then "Search automatically for drivers". I have deleted the device but get the same "USB device not recognised" the next time I plug it in. I have not attempted to use the Railmaster driver.

The track power connector is a Hornby R8241. It does not have an analogue connector or a capacitor.

To P-Henny:

I have now uninstalled RailMaster as per the instructions on the 'RailMaster Help Site' under 'Prep Install'. I'm still unable to get past 'Connect RailMaster to USB Port' under 'Installation'.

The version that I downloaded from http://www.rail-master.com/rm_setup.exe identified itself as version 1.7.4. I have now downloaded but not installed v1.7.4.5 from the link at the 'RailMaster Help Site'.

Before uninstalling, I had about 30 to 40 lines of text in the .INI file. It contained "Alternative comms=1" and "Check controller=1" as expected for an eLInk.

I have followed exactly the driver installation steps documented in FAQ 1. I don't get to the stage where Device Manager is displaying 'USB Serial Port (COMx)" where x is a number.

I have also tried the method documented on the external 'Help Site' link. I don't see the hardware for the eLink listed as ’USB Serial Port(COM?)". I get "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)".

[P-Henny]

Thank you for the detailed reply which indicates that the most likely scenario is that the eLink controller unit is faulty, but difficult to prove without having another one to act as a substitute for testing.

eLinks with faulty USB ports in new purchases is not unheard of. The set is quite old and must have been sitting on the retailer shop shelf for some considerable time. The history of it is unknown, was the box in a factory sealed condition. Could it have been a previous customer return to the retailer?

Your options are to either return to retailer shop for a refund, or get a returns number from 'Hornby Customer Services' for a repair. If you have documentation from the retailer that proves it was sold as a brand new set with a recent date on the invoice, then I would expect the repair to be free under Warranty.

[Dewi-363866]

I just phoned Hornby on the telephone number given in RailMaster Help - 01843 233525. They said it sounds like a faulty eLink unit. They said I could return it to the retailer for a refund or a warranty repair. They're currently quoting 21-28 days turn-around for warranty repairs.

I'm going to try and find an older PC with USB 2.0 ports to confirm it's a faulty eLink unit and not an incompatibility with the USB 3.2 ports on my laptop. Otherwise, I'll take the train set back to the model shop for a refund.

[Dewi-363866]

Just read P-Henny's quick reply. Hornby has confirmed that the eLink controller unit is most likely faulty. I appreciate it's quite an old set and has probably been sitting on the shelf for a long time. It was the last one they had in stock. It was sold as new and the box looked unopened. All the manuals, parts, etc. were sealed. It's a very reputable model shop so I'm sure they'll give me a refund. An even better outcome would be a swap for a working eLink.

[P-Henny]

Have you activated the license key on the Windows 11 Laptop?

If you have, then you have two options.

Option 1) Deactivate the licence on the W11 Laptop before installing RM on the older test PC.

Option 2) Only install RM on the older test PC in Evaluation mode. If you try to activate the license on a second PC without first deactivating on the original PC, the activation will fail. For eLink testing purposes using RM in Evaluation mode is good enough.

TIP FYI once the PC you finally use is activated, keep a backup copy of the RM program file named 'Activate.dat' this file stores and displays all the information you used to activate the license key. Keeping a copy of this file can aid scenarios where you want to transfer RM from one PC to another or reinstall on the same PC.

Note. If you have activated the license key and you then return the set to the shop for the shop to repair and put into sold as 'secondhand' stock. The used license key will be completely useless to any customer the set is sold onto. Once activated, the license key is logged permanently against your email & address details you logged as part of the activation. This is part of the licence policing to prevent the activation key from being used by another party. This of course is the retailers problem not yours, but mentioned FYI.

[Dewi-363866]

I haven't activated the license key on the Windows 11 laptop. I reasoned there was no point in doing so until I'd confirmed that everything worked.

[P-Henny]

thumbsup

[Dewi-363866]

Good news. I took the train set back to the model shop and he swapped the eLink for another one. The new eLink worked first time. Thank you all for your advice.

[P-Henny]

Excellent news.

Don't forget that the RM support you will get from this forum greatly exceeds that derived from YouTube. YT presenters are more typically the 'blind leading the blind'. The RM Forum FAQ section is an excellent 'how to' information resource.

[96RAF]

Excellent news.

Don't forget that the RM support you will get from this forum greatly exceeds that derived from YouTube. YT presenters are more typically the 'blind leading the blind'. The RM Forum FAQ section is an excellent 'how to' information resource.

 

 

Absolutely agreed. YouTube, etc is fine, but you have to know as much as the presenter to know if what they are saying is BS or good info. FB is generally full of rubbish - as Paul says the blind leading the blind. I always try to refer any such enquirers back here where the advice has been substantiated as being of true value.