Want to reload Railmaster on new computer but old one has failed and can't deactivate RM to reload it. I have original CD and activation key.

[Wild_Swan]

I expect this problem has appeared before but can't find details on forum. Can't see it in the on-line manual on Hornby web site either. My old laptop no longer connects to internet and has HD problems so need to reinstall RM on another laptop. I've got original disk and activation key or could download new RM. How can I reinstall RM on new PC without being able to deactivate RM on old one?

Thanks for any info!

[P-Henny]

I've done it twice with no issues.

First of all, I would use the download RM if possible rather than the CD as the CD will have an 'out of date' RM version.

Secondly, if you can, try and get a copy of the 'activate.dat' file from the old installation program folder. If you can extract a copy of this file then also save copies of the files listed on page 132 of the RM manual plus the 'railmaster.ini' file.

Connect your controller (eLink or Elite) to the new Laptop and let Windows install the driver using plug'n'play. I suggest following the guidance in FAQ1 located in the 'Railmaster FAQ Index' pinned sticky thread at the top of the RM forum for this task.

With the controller powered up and the driver loaded install the download version of the RM installer file which will install RM in evaluation mode. See the 'Railmaster Download' pinned stickies for help with that task as Windows will probably protest that the download contains a trojan (this is a false positive). You may have to jump through a number of security hoops to get a successful download.

Copy all the files I have mentioned above into the new Laptop RM program folder. This is not essential but it makes everything so much easier if you can, particularly the 'activate.dat' file.

Test RM in 'evaluation mode' to ensure the controller is detected and the controller icon is green. Again, the FAQ1 guidance will help if you don't get a green controller icon.

Now (and only now) try to activate RM with your original CD Key. This should throw up an error that the key is not valid and offer you a form to fill in to have your key reset. If you have been able to recover the original 'activate.dat' file and copy it to your RM Program folder then the form should appear pre-populated with all the correct data you used the first time you activated RM on the original PC. If this form data doesn't exactly match what you originally entered, then the activation will fail. This is why recovering the 'activate.dat' file is so helpful. Particularly if you can't remember what you originally entered the first time.

In the form, select Hard Disk failure as the reason for the reset request. I believe the process is automated and you should get an email response quite quickly if the reset is successful. In my case it took less than 10 minutes to complete the reactivation.

I suggest that once you are back up and running, that you follow the 'back up guidance' in RM FAQ8 and create the documented 'batch' file to protect yourself should this happen again in the future.

P.S. And yes, this reactivation information has been requested in posts many times, but the search function is so dire it is difficult to find.

[ModelerXYZ]

If the computer has failed, Hornby Railmaster support can deactivate it for you, you need to contact them.

XYZ

[P-Henny]

That's exactly the function of the form I described in my reply. To request HRMS [Hornby RailMaster Support] to reset the key, which is the same as deactivating it.

You should only need to contact HRMS direct if the form process doesn't work.

HRMS want to be assured that the original key purchaser is making the request to prevent the key being transferred to someone different. Hence the form data needing to be a match to the orignal submitted data.

[Wild_Swan]

Thanks very much for your swift responses, P-Henny and XYZ, just what I needed to know. I'll see if I can manage to extract the activate.dat (to help with reactivation) and other files you mentioned, looks like those will also get the new version in line with the old once running.

Thanks again,

Bill

[96RAF]

Which would be great if they responded to e-mails, even those forwarded by Hornby Customer Support!

 

 

Several times in the past I have made direct contact with HRMS to confirm they are alive and well in response to members concerns about tardy contact and in each case I had a response at latest the next day. Often they either never receive the members email or if they have replied they hear nothing back, so assume all is well, when likely what happens is the HRMS reply went into the members junk folder or bin.

Going thru’ Hornby Customer Services is little different from doing it yourself, as they have the same contact details that we do.

[P-Henny]

@Stuart3...... Use a different email address to send your mail from. A family member or a friends for example and ask your family / friends to forward any replies back to you. Or create a 'public' Internet web based mail address on say Gmail and use that.

I suggest this, as there are documented evidence (historical) that some HRMS mails are answered but for some reason lost in transit and don't get through to the original users ISP mail.

Also what email address are you using to send your mail. The correct one is "support@rail-master.com".

When using the integrated 'Help Request' do you get a delivery acknowledgement from within RM. This normally happens within 30 seconds or so as it is automated. If you don't, then your RM software installation and its interaction with your Windows Security software is blocking your RM generated messages. This is another commonly reported issue. Again, using someone else's Internet ISP Broadband connection can resolve this.

A recent forum user who had similar communication issues, took his RM Laptop into work and used his office Internet connection and eveything went through OK first time.

[gilbo2]

On the topic of the "Request Reset key..." form, I had a need to use it last week but when pressing the green tick, nothing happens, the form stays as it is without being sent. Checked every field filled out as required and with AV / firewall off. Any other suggestions on how to get the form to work?

[P-Henny]

@gilbo2

Sorry no. Other than the things I have already suggested regarding using different ISP BB services. The form has always worked for me, so no experience to draw upon with regard it not working.

You could try running the current latest RM installer over the top of your current installation in case it is a SW glitch that can be fixed that way. Other than that no further suggestions come to mind.

[OssieB]

My experience over the last two weeks may have some bearing on not being able to communicate with HRMS. I have been trying to change my operating Railmaster over to a newer laptop, and have not been able to de-activate it on the current laptop. I then noticed that the internet icon was blurred out and not bright as it should be. I then checked on the newer laptop and on two other devices I have de-activated copies of RM on and had the same failure to connect to RM server. Now this happened to coincided with a problem I had with my ISP router, so I suspected that the connection problem was something to do do with the router. Yesterday, I took one of my laptops to my daughters house and connected to their internet, logged on to RM and straightaway it connected to the RM server, suggesting that there may be problem going through my router.

So today, before contacting my ISP tech help line, I decided to check if there was still a problem connecting to RM server. To my relief, all four devices connected as they should do. This would indicate to me that the RM server has been down for about two weeks, perhaps in readiness for the promised update?