Testing Testing - Not!

[Traveller54]

To try and get a route to run I have a completely clean RW2 with any the default content plus all the assets and route files for my target.
I have renamed my working 'RW2' to Original and placed the new one into the Steam folder structure - and when I try to start it it asks me to log in to Steam; I am?
(tried both on & off-line btw)
Any clues to get this project off on the rails please.
MTIA,

[Kromaatikse]

Probably the "ticket" for the executable has expired since you took the backup. You would need to verify the Steam cache to get a new copy of the main executable with a fresh ticket.

(In other words, this is how Offline Mode expires after several months.)

Of course, verifying the cache will also update to the latest version of Railworks and download all your Steam DLC. If that's not what you want, then try just replacing the Assets and Content directories rather than the whole thing, followed by clearing the blueprint cache.

[Traveller54]

Probably the "ticket" for the executable has expired since you took the backup. You would need to verify the Steam cache to get a new copy of the main executable with a fresh ticket.

Thanks for the feedback - but before I go through that process, I only got the 'new' set of complete files last week?
(Also, how come my 'active' version of RW2 has never suffered from this and I am, 99% of the time, running off-line?)
Lastly, how is this 'ticket' presented to my PC?
Cheers,

... later . just tried swapping the RailWorks.exe files over (even though my 'active' is dated much older then the 'new default)- no change!

[Kariban]

Tried simply restarting steam? I have to do that quite often for some reason ( possibly something in my firewall/execution control, I think ).

[transadelaide]

What I have found works best for this is maintaining the various different installations, all in the \Steam\steamapps\common\ folder. The one that is currently in use is named railworks, while the others are named full railworks, payware-only railworks etc according to what they are. If I want to switch, I just rename the folder in use to the more descriptive name clean install railworks, and the one I'm swapping in is renamed to railworks. The idea is that there is always one folder named railworks in place.

I then run the game not by opening Railworks.exe, but rather by clicking Play in Steam or using the Steam-created shortcut in the Start menu which points to steam://rungameid/24010. If you use this method you will not see the please login to Steam message because you will be running it properly from Steam, and it works both in normal or offline mode.

As usual, keep backups in case you make a mistake of some kind.

[gptech]

Where did this idea of having multiple copies of the game under the Steam folder come from?--To me it seems like a very fussy way of going about things, all that messing about renaming folders.
Why not just have a seperate install of the Steam client and RW for any of your multiples?---the Steam files themselves come to less than 0.4GB so duplicating those in these days of vast hard drives isn't an issue.
All you need to do is rename the shortcuts just the once, say to 'Railworks-Default Only', 'Railworks-UK Only' etc and away you go.

[Traveller54]

Didn't know you could have two+ copies of Steam installed on one computer ... tell us more please as this may help?

[transadelaide]

Where did this idea of having multiple copies of the game under the Steam folder come from?--To me it seems like a very fussy way of going about things, all that messing about renaming folders.
Why not just have a seperate install of the Steam client and RW for any of your multiples?---the Steam files themselves come to less than 0.4GB so duplicating those in these days of vast hard drives isn't an issue.
All you need to do is rename the shortcuts just the once, say to 'Railworks-Default Only', 'Railworks-UK Only' etc and away you go.

Um, it's because I would rather not be faffing around with multiple copies of Steam. Having ONE copy of Steam means that I'm not constantly logging in and out of different copies, which in itself saves a lot of time at each changeover. I timed myself and it took 14 seconds to open the common folder, rename one folder and then rename the other. All allowing a changeover while Steam was still running, and starting the switched version of RW with no extra wait and no worries about "please log in" messages.

[gptech]

Create a new folder, name it to whatever suits your conventions, copy over Steam.exe into it.
Running the file will cause Steam to re-install itself into the new location. Once thats done connect to Steam--you might get a message from SteamGuard saying you need to validate your PC, check your e-mail-- and start the download of RW going. If you have a nice clean copy of RW, stop the download and just copy that over into the new Steam install. Once thats done fire up the new version of Steam again and let it verify the game.
If you've elected to create shortcuts just rename them to reflect which copy of Steam is which.

EDIT:.Photo added

[Traveller54]

What I have found works best for this is maintaining the various different installations, all in the \Steam\steamapps\common\ folder. The one that is currently in use is named railworks, while the others are named full railworks, payware-only railworks etc according to what they are. If I want to switch, I just rename the folder in use to the more descriptive name clean install railworks, and the one I'm swapping in is renamed to railworks. The idea is that there is always one folder named railworks in place.

OK on this part - that is the way I have been managing the folders already.

I then run the game not by opening Railworks.exe, but rather by clicking Play in Steam or using the Steam-created shortcut in the Start menu which points to steam://rungameid/24010. If you use this method you will not see the please login to Steam message because you will be running it properly from Steam, and it works both in normal or offline mode.

OK, tried this and it didn't give me any 'Log in' message. But what I did when I ran my 'default' RailWorks folder set was a message box:
ERROR: Not a serialized binary file
FILE: ../API\core/cFxException.h
LINE:113
Sadly when I ran my active RW in the same way there was no change to the route I am trying to load and the dreaded SBHH still turned up! btw, I ran LogMate on this and that remained totally blank so no clues what is the problem (I know I have all the assets!)?

As usual, keep backups in case you make a mistake of some kind.

Naturally

[gptech]

Um, it's because I would rather not be faffing around with multiple copies of Steam. Having ONE copy of Steam

Each to his own, you faff about renaming things (with the possible problems of renaming the wrong one, in which case you have to work out exactly what you've done wrong), I'll faff about just having to click a few things (with the possible problem of clicking the wrong one, in which case I have to shut it down and click again)


Bear with me a while, I'll time how long it takes to switch copies here once I get home---damn Son of mine demands I go to the pub with him!!!

[Traveller54]

Look guys lets not start a 'mines bigger than yours' situation here!
I only asked a simple question and got two excellent answers, both of which I will explore and see if either solves my problem.
Stay cool, stop the clocks, and have a beer or a coffee whichever takes your fancy - please.

[Traveller54]

I may have stumbled across a problem zero byte files?
I seem to have accumulated 'a lot' of these in various asset folders so will spend the next ? days trying to resolve this and then try to get the route working!
Anyone else been down this path at all?
time!

[alanch]

I may have stumbled across a problem zero byte files?
I seem to have accumulated 'a lot' of these in various asset folders so will spend the next ? days trying to resolve this and then try to get the route working!
Anyone else been down this path at all?
time!

RW_Tools will find them for you.

[Traveller54]

I may have stumbled across a problem zero byte files?
I seem to have accumulated 'a lot' of these in various asset folders so will spend the next ? days trying to resolve this and then try to get the route working!
Anyone else been down this path at all?
time!

RW_Tools will find them for you.

True - but will it replace them?!