MARK-2 Update - Serious Problems ?

[OTTODAD]

An ALPS user asking me to check why he has "Handle Off" problems running the Merci Delle Scenario, I tried to find out what the problem was after installing the MARK-2 Update and this was the response trying to run that Scenario:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=5883&stc=1&d=1218831229 http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=5884&stc=1&d=1218831229

Restored the BACK-UP of the Rail Simulator folder I took before installing the MARK-2 Update and had no problems running the same scenario.
Others reporting problems since having installed this update I STRONGLY recommend to BACK-UP your Rail Simulator folder before installing the MARK-2 Update !

I think I shall stick with the MARK-1 Update, the devil I know, Dynamic Brakes working not doing much for me ! ;)

O t t o

P.S.: So some of you think you got a problem then read this tread: :(http://www.railsimulator.com/en/node/4080

[blehmann]

After installation of Mk 2 it is advisable to go into the options menu when running RS for the first time and if necessary re-set the display resolution. I think it should be the same as the screen size on one's desktop (if one runs the full screen mode). Make sure that it works by pressing the Test button.

I had a couple of crashes of the game until I thought of going into the options menu and re-setting the display. Reason seems to be that Mk 2 installs more display resolutions and needs the correct one to be set!

Cheers

Burghard :)

[OTTODAD]

After installation of Mk 2 it is advisable to go into the options menu when running RS for the first time and if necessary re-set the display resolution. I think it should be the same as the screen size on one's desktop (if one runs the full screen mode). Make sure that it works by pressing the Test button.

I had a couple of crashes of the game until I thought of going into the options menu and re-setting the display. Reason seems to be that Mk 2 installs more display resolutions and needs the correct one to be set! :)

Hi Burghard !

The MARK-2 Update has added new screen resolution options to the already existing ones, which should not interfere with the ones set by users of RS in the MARK-1 Update's START OPTION choices, unless the new code does not take notice of previous settings, forcing users to make RS aware of them once more.

I had no problems installing the Update, but have problems running the ALPS route. I have not tried other Freeware add-ons yet and am not going to change my luck, sticking with the MARK-1 Update until the dust has settled ! ;)

O t t o

[livercup]

Otto,
The other freeware routes I have loaded work fine. It is something specifically with MK2 and Alps I would guess.
Tom

[OTTODAD]

I just realized something else.

I am using the RailSimEditor.exe to start all my copies of RS.

The MARK-2 Update has a new increased in size RailSim.exe but no updated RailSimEditor.exe and trying to start RS with the new RailSim.exe I have to use the Start - Options and again confirm the used Display settings, there being a new option Monitor Arrangements which need to be tested and saved before continuing to load RS !!!

O t t o

[blehmann]

The MARK-2 Update has a new increased in size RailSim.exe but no updated RailSimEditor.exe and trying to start RS with the new RailSim.exe I have to use the Start - Options and again confirm the used Display settings, there being a new option Monitor Arrangements which need to be tested and saved before continuing to load RS !!!

O t t o

That's exactly what I was trying to say with my post above, but I guess I haven't expressed it very well.

Cheers

Burghard :)

[Hack]

I STRONGLY recommend to BACK-UP your Trains Simulator folder before installing the MARK-2 Update !

OK, I'm lost. Why would we need to back up the Trains Simulator [sic] folder?

The MARK-2 Update has a new increased in size RailSim.exe but no updated RailSimEditor.exe

Nonsense. Both of my copies of RailSim.exe and RailSimEditor.exe each have a file date of 08.13.08. Didn't you say that at one point you had multiple copies of RS instaled? Could it be that the patch was installed to the location per the registry, and that you were looking at the wrong directory?

[OTTODAD]

OK, I'm lost. Why would we need to back up the Trains Simulator [sic] folder?

Well spotted, Marc ! I can always rely on you finding mistakes in what I write. Saves me double checking !

But think that most are intelligent enough to understand what I meant to say. ;)

Nonsense. Both of my copies of RailSim.exe and RailSimEditor.exe each have a file date of 08.13.08.

If you have the Mark-2 Update installed then you had better check your Rail Simulator folder !

O t t o

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/rsa/rs-copies-folders.jpg (http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk)

[dick8299]

I won't take the time to put a screen shot here, but wanted to reinforce what Hack said.

After installing MK2, my Railsim.exe file and Railsimeditor.exe file are both dated 8-13. In fact there are a total of 14 files dated 8-13 and the options.bin file is dated 8-15.

[OTTODAD]

After installing MK2, my RailSim.exe file and RailSimEditor.exe file are both dated 8-13.

I think that both of you need glasses or set your screen display to show larger text ! ;)

Below is what the MARK-2 Update has installed into a basic installs test copy of RS.

I like to see what is going to hit my computer before I install it !

How do I do that ? I temporarily rename the Rail Simulator folder to Rail Simulator-MAIN and then rename my basic folders/files Rail Simulator-INSTALLS folder to Rail Simulator to install whatever into ! ;)

Being happy with what has been installed I then rename all back to their previous names and install whatever into the proper Rail Simulator folder, having made a BACK-UP of it first.

O t t o

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=5898&stc=1&d=1218846875

[Hack]

Try cutting back on the medication, Otto. Me thinks you've misread the instructions on the bottle. :rolleyes:

[dick8299]

Otto,

Why would you doubt what I tell you?

[OTTODAD]

Otto, why would you doubt what I tell you?

Because the date of the RailSim.exe you quoted is not the one the MARK-2 Update has installed on my computer and now that you have shown me a screenprint of your Rail Simulator folder, the size of your RailSimEditor.exe has shrunk from 4726 KB to 353 Kb, my 14.August 2008 MARK-2 Update has not even installed on my computer, as you can see from my screenshot !

What the hell is going on here ?

Have RSDL released the first download with a RailSim.exe dated the 13.August and then changed the download with another one dated the 14.August, I downloaded today, having removed the downsized RailSimEditor.exe ?

O t t o

[MikeSimpson]

Hi Otto,

There is a new RailSimEditor.exe available on the RS downloads site, which is the 352 kb one you should now have.

One thing I have noticed apart from all the problems I have outlined on the uktrainsim site is that they have apparently added code to stop you using things like Game Jackal to avoid having your DVD in the drive.

As you know, I had the EU and US versions of RS installed. one on D: and the US on C: - Once more they gave no option as to which version you wished to upgrade and it decided the one on C: was the one to do.

Unfortunately this one was the standard US issue, so I have no way of updating my York-Newcastle route.

Mike

[tonyman2005]

OTTO i dunno what you did but i downloaded and installed the Mk2 patch friday without problems.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z150/KoHMercenary/16456465456465465413213.jpg

[Hack]

As proud as RSDL may be about their program, I highly doubt they anticipated a dozen or so separate installs of the sim.

My honest opinion, Otto, is that you have things so fouled up that I'm not surprised the update didn't stick. I believe what is best is to make back ups, delete all traces of RS, reinstall, add the updates, and then carefully restore the back ups.

The easiest method is to use the Package Manager to create the required files, and then use these to reinstall once you have everything up and running. Without this, I'm afraid you're in for a long and frustrating time in getting the whole lot to work properly, not to mention doing RSDL and the community further disservice by claiming something doesn't work, when there's a strong chance it was your multi-install of the sim to begin with.

FWIW, the days of multi-installs are dead, and RSDL have provided a fairly efficient means to organize the sim. Why you choose not to take advantage of this is known only to you and God.

[OTTODAD]

OTTO i dunno what you did but i downloaded and installed the Mk2 patch Friday without problems.

I just downloaded the patch today and my RailSim.exe is dated the 14.August and I have no new RailSimEditor.exe, as you can see from the screenprint showing what the patch has installed !

O t t o

[OTTODAD]

Hi Marc !

Once again your are not reading what I am saying, ignoring the facts I am displaying evidence of.

My Main RS:

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/rsa/rs-main-menu.jpg (http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk)

and all copies of RS are updated with the same whatever and consequently function the same.

http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk/rsa/desktop-08-08.jpg (http://www.otto-wipfel.co.uk)

The reason for having MINI copies of RS is the same as in MSTS, they load faster and what I do in them does not affect the MAIN RS !

It seems that you just can accept that some of us prefer more efficient ways of using our Train Simulators and computers !

Not to mention doing RSDL and the community further disservice by claiming something doesn't work, when there's a strong chance it was your multi-install of the sim to begin with.

Now where did I say that the MARK-2 Update did not install into my MAIN RS ?

There is however ample evidence in all the RS forums that many had problems trying to install the patch and then make RS work !

O t t o

[OTTODAD]

There is a new RailSimEditor.exe available on the RS downloads site, which is the 352 kb one you should now have.

Hi Mike !

What is this cut-down version of the RailSimEditor.exe for, the new RailSim.exe can not do ?

Any info on that somewhere and where is it in the RS Downloads section, I can not find a trace of ?

O t t o

[Hack]

It seems that you just can accept that some of us prefer more efficient ways of using our Train Simulators and computers !
Yeah, right Otto.

Some of us are forced to use these cumbersome modern computers, while you tinker and toil away at your efficient DOS apps. Sheesh. Give me a break will ya'?

Now where did I say that the MARK-2 Update did not install into my MAIN RS ?
As evidenced by the jist of your comments, not to mention several of the file dates displayed in your directory screen shot - or do my eyes deceive me?

There is however ample evidence in all the RS forums that many had problems trying to install the patch and then make RS work !
I never said otherwise, but it's my opinion that it's not strictly an OS or RS version issue. My suspicion is that something else is causing the issues.

[NorfolkSouthern_37]

i downloaded it, installed it, and ran it for 10 minutes before i went to work. all that took about 12 minutes.

[MikeSimpson]

I have now managed to get it running, my problem was that I bought both the EU and US versions of RS, but Kuju or RSDL or whoever thought up the bright idea of having 2 versions only used one Registry entry for the two versions.

So installing the EU first, then the US second, I ended up with the registry pointing to the US version. Thus the update only updated that version.

Unfortunately, my main version was the EU one on D: drive and there was no way to update it without a lot of fiddling about.

Now everything works, except that 2 routes refuse to load, ALPS as Otto reports above and my own route (6 months of work), both of these give the error message
'Unknown version of serialized binary file' and crash to the desktop. No mention of what file is causing the problem (maybe something from the Newcastle-York route which has been updated, but as it is not in my US version of the route, it is now missing?)

Mike

[boleyd]

Quote from install doc:

III. KNOWN ISSUES
=====================

Saved Games are not compatible with Upgrade Mk2. This is due to the signalling and route updates provided. These will not be deleted, but instead renamed
so that you can copy them into pre-Mk2 installed copies of Rail Simulator if you wish.

[OTTODAD]

Quote from install doc:

III. KNOWN ISSUES
=====================

Saved Games are not compatible with Upgrade Mk2. This is due to the signaling and route updates provided. These will not be deleted, but instead renamed so that you can copy them into pre-Mk2 installed copies of Rail Simulator if you wish.

Hi Dick !

I think that this refers to F2 saved running scenarios and not add-on routes which were saved prior to MARK-2 ?

I just checked Jim Ward's US routes and they had no problems with signaling, despite him having done some clever things with them, but only one of the ALPS scenarios does not crash RS Mark-2 !

O t t o

[OTTODAD]

"Unknown version of serialized binary file" and crash to the desktop.

Hi Mike !

Yes, that's what I get too when trying to run the ALPS route's scenarios, even the Freeroam one but not the "Merci Per Cimalago". :(

To be sure that I did all I should when installing the MARK-2 Update, I installed it again and using both it's RailSim*.exe to load RS had no problems other than the ones in the ALPS route, which as far as I am concerned is serious, it being one of the best RS routes to date !

So in order to be able to run it I have moved it into the MARK-1 RS-MINI copy of the ALPS route until Pedro can sort out what causes it to crash ! ;)

Perhaps some can now see what the advantages of using train simulator MINI ROUTES are, which was useful testing various versions of MSTSBin, not all of them doing what users wanted them to, or doing something they do not want done.

Those interested it creating some for RS, simply copy the contents of the installed from DVD Rail Simulator folder to somewhere else on your hard drive/s, have RS DELETE all the routes not required by it and then Shortcut to it on the Desktop.

In the case of the ALPS route that copy has to have the MARK-1 Update and it's RailSim.exe or RailSimEditor in it of course !

Here is my updated with RS MARK-2 Shortcuts WIN-XP desktop:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=5904&stc=1&d=1218892538

So where is that BACK-UP of the Mark-1 Rail Simulator folder ? ;)

There is nothing in the update's relnotes.txt to say whether the RailSim.exe or reduced in size RailSimEditor.exe has to be used to load RS, nor that the first time running either the Start - Options have to be confirmed and tested,

Apart from the small RailSimEditor.exe not requiring the RS DVD any more, as Marc pointed out, but the RailSim.exe still does and the RSE still allowing the -NoSplashScreens switch, what other purpose does it have other than being a "Launcher" for RS ?

There appears to be new RSPackager files, but what is the Oct.2007 version for in the Packager folder and other old files in the Redist folder.

Which of these two versions would be used when clicking on a *.rpk file, I can not see a "Open With" File Association listing for in the Registry ?

Academic as far as I am concerned because I would use only your RS_Tools_TMB to package routes and assets. ;)

How are you getting on with upgrading it to include used by add-on routes Freeroam Assets ? ;)

On the subject of good old DOS, what is the purpose of 3 BATCH files in the Rail Simulator folder which are supplied with it, I can see what they are doing but not why and when ?

Take care, O t t o.

[seaboardairline]

Hmmm....think I will wait a while before I install MK2, which I generally do with all and any upgrades to any program! I have Otto's freeroam Alps and don't want to lose it!
Arthur

[tdwolf]

when loading game the window tells me that it cannot load
Creating Main Window and locks up
then
Error window displays
Railsim Launcher App. has stopped working

push to close program

After loading MK2 i cannot get the grogram to work

everything worked fine with MK1

Please help

[MECEng255]

My railsim is crashing after the installation. I uninstalled everything and started from scratch - It all worked up until the latest update.

[chrisreb]

My railsim is crashing after the installation. I uninstalled everything and started from scratch - It all worked up until the latest update.


I had to chose the options on the start screen first to select a screen resolution first before it would work.

[tdwolf]

thanks for the info

once i changed my resolution to 1074-768
from 1280-1024

it works

[M1ckran]

I've heard that a change of screen resolution can solve problems. Also, making sure that you are set to one screen (1x1) and try using English if your OS uses another language.

You could try running RailSimEditor instead of RailSim.exe. Doing this also has the advantage of running without the RS DVD in the drive.

Sorry to be boring but I've had no problems at all.

Edit:- One chap reported that he reapplied Mk2 after the first try wouldn't run, and everything worked.

Michael

(PS Glyndwr's quiet)

[ohanlon]

(PS Glyndwr's quiet)

Yes reckon they barred him, gone for good I would think, use to put forward some good questions always seemed to be very truthful in his remarks he did, will be sadly missed.

ohanlon

[Hawk]

I just installed the MK2 patch and other than having to change the resolution I haven't had any problems.

5929

I installed the update today, the 17th but the file date shows the 13th, the day I downloaded the patch.
Both desktop shortcuts work fine for me.

[M1ckran]

(PS Glyndwr's quiet)

Yes reckon they barred him, gone for good I would think, use to put forward some good questions always seemed to be very truthful in his remarks he did, will be sadly missed.

ohanlon

I hope he's not barred permanently, especially without a moderator's announcement.

He's certainly a character and he can raise some good points. I suppose he can be a little abrasive, and he does sometimes speak bluntly without considering who might be offended, but I will miss his sense of humour.

Swindon Works must have been an interesting place to work. God help his gaffer!

Of course, he could be busy routebuilding and creating new assets right now!

Michael

[USRailFan]

(PS Glyndwr's quiet)

Yes reckon they barred him, gone for good I would think, use to put forward some good questions always seemed to be very truthful in his remarks he did, will be sadly missed.

ohanlon

Repeatedly throwing out personal insults against the development team is rarely a good idea. Especially not when many of them are bordering on the kind that can get you fined (or in jail) for libel.

[Hack]

Repeatedly throwing out personal insults against the development team is rarely a good idea. Especially not when many of them are bordering on the kind that can get you fined (or in jail) for libel.

Mike's comments were neither libelous or illegal. Nevertheless, Mike did break the forum rules, which is why he was removed. I believe he can post elsewhere on the forum (if he chooses), however.

[Stumbl]

Is it worth hunting up my dvd key to try and reinstall it?
thx for the info :)

[OTTODAD]

Is it worth hunting up my dvd key to try and reinstall it?

I have retained my CD/DVD drive emulator, just in case, but loading the MARK-2 RS with "C:\Program Files\RailSimEditor.exe" -NoSplashScreens in it's shortcut does no longer require the RS DVD in it's drive and loads RS like greased lightning ! :D

O t t o

[RSDLadam]

If anyone reall does miss mike, he is actually a member of the official Rail Simulator forums. Provided he continues to conduct himself in an appropriate manner of course.

[ee16csvt]

Saturday morning I had a little run out from Slough to Padd with a 166!

Noting all the usual issues that I receive during this scenario … screen stutter plus the usual 3-minute screen freeze at the throat of Paddington stn. All this running under RS mark 1.

I trots of to work at 1400, to help run a real railway, gets home just after 2200 and installs “upgrade MK 2” … and then have a little run out again from Slough to Padd with a 166. The screen stutter isn’t as bad and the usual 3 minute freeze at Paddington throat was only 3 seconds.

But, the one thing I noticed was the braking of the 166 which is now, as mentioned in the readme file accompanying the upgrade regarding dynamic braking, much improved and getting near to the real life experience of driving, or should I say stopping, a turbo! Or will I be told I was just imagining it!!!

Plus the flashing yellows at Didcot on the down main provided a more realistic approach to the high speed crossovers, all that was needed was to be thrown about in my seat as was the case with a class 47 or 50 at 70 mph at that location! … happy days!!!

Well, MK2 works for me … so far!!!!!

As for Mike … He’s out there somewhere. No doubt sharpening his pencil ready for his next reply.

PB

PS .. when I say above a “real railway” that’s not really the case, not anymore… Bring back British Rail!!

[Stumbl]

well , works for one... responses are underwhelming , lol.

Otto , I don't really care how you did anything.

ahhhh well , I can't find the key , anyhow. Have a great day , folks.

[OTTODAD]

Otto , I don't really care how you did anything.

That's fine with me !

I shall make sure not to offer any advice in response to your problems in the future !

O t t o