New Computer Part 2

widdicombe · Post by **widdicombe** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:33 am

Thanks to the wisdom and guidance of the "community" my newly purchased computer will be arriving shortly!

A couple more questions........

What are the pros and cons of partioning the hard drive and should I install all Sim related applications on this drive eg. MSTS, Trainstore, Conbuilder, Route Riter etc.

Secondly, should I install again from the original CD's or can I just transfer over the folders containing MSTS etc.

Presumably I will have to copy some folders like Trainset and Consists to include downloaded stock and activities etc.

This could get complicated as many of the folders are quite large and my current PC won't write to DVD's

Yours in anticipation!

Dave

saddletank · Post by **saddletank** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:11 am

Can you connect the 2 PCs with a serial cable or get a hub and two networking leads and set up a simple 2-machine network? Hubs and cables are not expensive.

With an MSTS install running into many Gigs now I wouldn't contemplate transferring my main copy of MSTS to another PC without a network.

Martin

sbradey · Post by **sbradey** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:45 am

I'd agree with Martin, much easier if you can set up a network between the two. It will still take a long time to copy between the machines.

However, one comment in favour of starting from scratch. If you are like me, you have probably installed all sorts of things into MSTS over the last few years. I have found that, in fact, I don't actually use some of them, but am reluctant to remove them due to the chances of it kicking off the MSTS screen of death. I know many are easy to solve using other utilities but it can be a real pain sometimes.

Just some food for thought.

Simon

widdicombe · Post by **widdicombe** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:36 pm

Yes, a good point about starting from scratch.

I only have 4 add-on routes installed at present. Lack of disc space is one reason why I'm getting the new machine.

It's quite tempting to re-write some of my activities a bit better too.
I'm sure there are lots of paths and consists in there that I don't really need and I'm only now starting to be more methodocal about naming them.

Anyway it's propmted me to copy my trainset folder onto a couple of CD's which is something I should have done long ago......!

dkightley · Post by **dkightley** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 2:30 pm

One option to consider...

Install MSTS as a new installation......then copy everything from the MSTS directories from your old drive.

That way you get MSTS registered correctly...and your MSTS installation is as it was (including patches, add=on tracks, etc).

If you are competent at twiddling with PCs (and if it doesn't invalidte any warranty), you could temporarily put the drive from your old PC as an extra drive in the new PC so you can transfer files over....but you do need to know what you're doing!!!

Doug

ianmacmillan · Post by **ianmacmillan** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 11:18 pm

widdicombe wrote: Anyway it's prompted me to copy my trainset folder onto a couple of CD's which is something I should have done long ago......!

A couple if CDs ! ! ! ! !

My trainset backup is 16.4 GB

and that does not include the aliased common cab and sounds which weighs in at 2.4 gigglybits

All on a removable 160GB hard drive.

Tonysmedley · Post by **Tonysmedley** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:02 am

I have committed all my stock and consists to CD, but there are far more
than 2 discs!
Bitter experience has also ensured that all the "essential" add-ons like X tracks, UKFS, New Roads are also on back-up CDs
Transferring MSTS to a new hard drive I re-loaded MSTS, added the 3 MSTS up-dates ( from the Bala Hub CD where they are usefully included )
and then re-loaded the "essentials" and the stock and consists.
Re-loading the routes from 'official' original CDs should prove trouble free, after which you can transfer other routes,copied to a rewritable CD from your old PC, one-at-a-time, checking each one thoroughly before adding another.
The only snags I found were that you have to watch for a route overriding t-section data with an older version and that some stock items might also be overridden - I temporarily lost a nimber of loco crew and had to re-load these from the back-up discs.

widdicombe · Post by **widdicombe** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 8:24 pm

Thanks for the advice.

I now realise how lucky I am only recently getting in to MSTS.
My entire MSTS folder is only 6Gb and my trainset folder about 1.5Gb!!

I'm sure it is only a matter of time before it grows!

My other query was whether it was a a good idea to partition my hard drive and run MSTS on an exclusive drive.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of doing this?

Tonysmedley · Post by **Tonysmedley** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:10 am

MSTS and its associated programs like to be on the same drive, and many additions automatically load on to C drive. For that reason it could be argued that MSTS should be kept on C and other less "driev sensitive" programs on to another partition. But then you may get problems getting quick access to those other programs!

Tony

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:52 am

Tonysmedley wrote:MSTS and its associated programs like to be on the same drive, and many additions automatically load on to C drive. For that reason it could be argued that MSTS should be kept on C and other less "driev sensitive" programs on to another partition. But then you may get problems getting quick access to those other programs!

Tony

Hi
MSTS will run on any drive, without problems.
I have to say its proberbly the least 'drive sensitive' MS programme I have found.
Once installed you can copy it to whatever location you want...and by double clicking 'train.exe' , it'll start.
I personally keep the OS on seperate small (6Gb)IDE drive.
I also run without a swap file....and the internet cache on a seperate HD.....keeps things tidy.
Cheers
Jon

OTTODAD · Post by **OTTODAD** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:30 pm

Whitcomb wrote:What are the pros and cons of partitioning the hard drive and should I install all Sim related applications on this drive eg. MSTS, Trainstore, Conbuilder, Route Riter etc.

The smaller a partition the easier it is for the read/write heads of a hard drive to find data in it, reducing "Stuttering" in MSTS, rather than have it scattered over 100+Gb in many computers, also more time consuming defragging a HUGE partition !

My WIN-XP system drive partition is 10Gb, more than enough and takes 3 minutes to create a NORTON GHOST IMAGE for, essential for restoring it should the O/S or it's Registry get messed up, I prefer to use rather than a "Registry Restore Point" !

Other programs, if they give you an option where to install them into, can be installed into any logical drive partition and if they need to know where MSTS has been installed will find out from the REGISTRY. Others have options to SET the MSTS path to wherever there is a folder with a TRAIN.EXE in it, such as MINI Routes.

Secondly, should I install again from the original CD's or can I just transfer over the folders containing MSTS etc.

Presumably I will have to copy some folders like Trainset and Consists to include downloaded stock and activities etc.

Correct ! This is the procedure for all re-installs of MSTS, providing that all of your previous MSTS worked and you had no problems with some add-ons ! All of the previous folders should be copied into the new ones, especially the GLOBAL , ROUTES and TRAINS folders and the route folder of MSTS containing the 1.1 updates.

MSTS can be installed into any available drive partition of sufficient size, say 30 - 50 Mb and utilities for it such as TRAINSTORE installed afterwards in case they have to look into the Registry for it ! The TML-Berlin Underground and ROUTES-OnOff being 2 of such programs.

This could get complicated as many of the folders are quite large and my current PC won't write to DVD's.

You should get yourself an external USB-2 hard drive of at least 120 Gb and after partitioning it into smaller logical drives use it to BACK-UP anything on your old computer you may want to transfer to the new one, documents, Outlook or Outlook Express address book, photo albums, music, MSTS, etc.

Easier done than networking 2 computers and at the same time creating an essential copy of all you do not want to lose !!!

Hope this help !

O t t o

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 12:57 pm

OTTODAD wrote:You should get yourself an external USB-2 hard drive of at least 120 Gb and after partitioning it into smaller logical drives use it to BACK-UP anything on your old computer you may want to transfer to the new one, documents, Outlook or Outlook Express address book, photo albums, music, MSTS, etc.

Hi
Having just lost my USB2 backup drive

...........When I complained I was told by the manufacturer........MS don't currently recommend USB2 for critical information, they recommend Firewire.
So just be aware that USB2 drives under WinXP are certainly not bomb proof.
Cheers
Jon

OTTODAD · Post by **OTTODAD** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:04 pm

jbilton wrote:Having just lost my USB-2 backup drive ...........When I complained I was told by the manufacturer........MS don't currently recommend USB-2 for critical information, they recommend Firewire.

Strange ! What make was this USB-2 drive ?

Been using a USB-2 LACIE 120 Gb since it first appeared, then a LACIE USB-2 40 Gb "Portable", USB card readers, a USB-2 memory stick and recently a MAXTOR USB-2 400 Gb external drive with my WIN-XP and WIN-98SE computers and have not had the slightest hint of problems with any of them, nor heard of any in the computing media !

Am also not aware that MICROSOFT do not recommend using USB-2 external drives with WIN-XP, shooting themselves in the foot for providing it for all sorts of external USB-2 data media, Flash Cards, Memory sticks and all sorts of hard drives, CD and DVD writers, etc ? Would you like to ask Microsoft to confirm this manufacturer's statement ? Sounds like a feeble excuse to me, blaming MS rather than a mechanical or drive circuit board problem ! Handling it with care is also advisable !

If they do not recommend using it with WIN-XP then which USB-2 supporting O/S do they suggest to use it with ?

O t t o

jbilton · Post by **jbilton** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:45 pm

Hi Otto
As you say 'Handle with care'....as it is an on going issue.
I will not mention the company involved....(but you have mentioned them).
I understand MS are only saying that USB2 to an IDE HD is the possible corruption, everything else is fine.
I'll post back the outcome.
I just wanted to make others aware they are not bomb proof....and from what I've been told, far from it.
Cheers
Jon

OTTODAD · Post by **OTTODAD** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:34 pm

jbilton wrote: just wanted to make others aware they are not bomb proof....and from what I've been told, far from it.

Hi Jon !

Did a bit of snooping to find reports of similar total failures but could not find any.

What is suggested is to test this drive with another WIN-XP computer to establish whether it is the drive or perhaps it's driver which is faulty.

I take it that the drive runs and it's LED is lit ? What is the response when you plug it into one of your USB ports ? Is this USB port usable with other USB devices ? NTFS partitions on it are also not visible to WIN-98SE.

O t t o

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