MSTS issues. Won't run or shut down without ctrl-alt-del.

[pjd123]

Hi, I have started a new thread as the other one I was posting this problem on wasn't titled correctly and I was posting on an earlier thread I had created about something totally different.
Basically MSTS became very unstable and it was suggested I uninstall everything and then reinstall it all into a different directory to the standard one that windows 7 uses. I have done all this and reinstalled route riter and that gives my simulator a clean bill of health after lots of head scratching.
I now have the issue of being able to play the standard routes but not shut the sim down without ctrl-alt-del but, Highworth which is the only none standard route I have installed runs for about a second then freezes and closes the game itself. Can anyone shed any light on this please?

[pjd123]

You lot must think I am a total idiot keep posting problems on here...

So sorry about that. I seem to have cracked it. I changed my display to 16 bit colour so as to stop activity editor from playing up. I have left it on 16 bit colour since then. My problem outlined in the post above has been cured by putting the graphics back up to 32 bit colour. I don't know why but I'm not complaining it works!! Now I am going to go and install loads of other stuff and probably break it again!

[markpullinger]

Hi it is probably because launcher.exe hasn't got administrator privileges - make sure that mprofile.exe, launcher.exe & train.exe all have run as administrator privileges & it should be happier.

[steam4me]

Hi it is probably because launcher.exe hasn't got administrator privileges

If you install MSTS to a folder outside "C:\Program Files", you don't need administrator privileges (my experience of 2 desktops and two laptops on W7, none of which have MSTS set to administrator privileges, all of which have MSTS installed to "D:\1MSTS").

Changing the colour level won't alter the need for admin privileges.

[pjd123]

I guess I shouldn't complain.. I had a days fun with MSTS after the last install.
I have downloaded Lydbrook and Looe, played with them yesterday, great fun. Only trouble Lydbrook comes with no activities, so I went into route editor to make an activity. Logged out, went to play it and nothing. I get as far as the drive a train, take a train ride screen. Click on drive a train and the sim closes down. End of. No errors nothing. I haven't edited anything I shouldn't have. I think I should uninstall MSTS and accept the fact that I'm just not meant to have it.

[pjd123]

Hi, I can get it to load if I remove all consists. If I put in an undrivable consist, ie a truck it will load, but as soon as I add a loco, it won't load.

[steam4me]

Hi, I can get it to load if I remove all consists. If I put in an undrivable consist, ie a truck it will load, but as soon as I add a loco, it won't load.

Without "adding a loco", can you run a default MSTS consist?

I'm thinking that you may have installed a MSTS-Bin loco into a default MSTS installation. This often leads to CTDs as the light specification is wrong.

[pjd123]

Hi, I can't run MSTS even with just the default Dash 9 in the consist file! If the Consist folder has nothing in it, it will get to the second screen where you select route, but obviously can't go forward from there as there is no consist to drive.
Thanks, Phil.

[jbilton]

Hi Phil
Its a bit difficult to follow this thread, as you obviously keep altering things between posts.
If your adding new routes its important to read the readme's which will tell you if you need to add, Newroads, Xtracks etc.
Certainly its important to update the Tsection after installing a route.

I would suggest you delete all the extra routes, and run the repair from the CD.
Hopefully then you'll be able to start and run a default route.
Which will be a good base to start from.

Then make a backup, which you can use if things go wrong.

Cheers
Jon

[pjd123]

Hi Jon, I can assure you, I have been following the readme's to the letter. I have, since reinstalling everything again and installing MSTSbin and the update found it to be running poorer, so I uninstalled BIN and it improved vastly. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to my problems. Obviously, not having BIN narrows down what I can install.

[slipperman12]

Hi,
Jon's not the only one who's confused!! A few days ago, you posted this :

Hi, I can't run MSTS even with just the default Dash 9 in the consist file!

yet subsequently, you have posted to other threads that you are running Highworth and Lydbrook routes, presumably successfully since you don't detail any problems!

I have, since reinstalling everything again and installing MSTSbin and the update found it to be running poorer, so I uninstalled BIN and it improved vastly.

This, as Spock would have said, isn't logical - the important thing is the size of the executable, train.exe. This is 4.65MB in a completely default setup, but is only 3.90MB after applying the MSTS upgrade; the size doesn't change after installing MSTSBin 1.7. Of course, none of the default stock uses the Bin patch, so its presence shouldn't make any difference.

Cheers,
Ged