Cannot update UKTS freeware packs?

[davejc64]

Why when I download and then try to install the latest UKTS freeware packs, it keeps looking for and says it can't find the installation files, when it's obvious that I have them because I clicked on the installation files to install in the first place, never had this problem before?

[Fodda]

Unfortunately you can only install the UKTS Freeware Packs ion one place.

I have two copies of TS. My original which I keep running offline as Railworks 3 (TS 2012 if you prefer) until TS 2013 has been fully play-tested by myself, and a clean new TS 2013 install on another drive which I use online for updates, and to actually play the game. I'll merge or update the second one once I'm happy enough to drop TS 2012 completely.

As it took forever to update TS2012 with all the UKTS uploads I like (locos, scenarios routes and assets etc) and all the Freeware Packs, plus all the Euro and US downloads I have, they are now not on my new TS2013 install. I wouold like to install the Freeware Packs in both installs of RW but can't.

Is there a way around this?

[davejc64]

I've only got TS2013 installed in one place, and as I said I have never had any problems installing the updates to the UKTS freeware packs before, I don't get why the UKTS freeware packs are asking for the installation files unless some of the files are missing from the UKTS freeware packs?

[laurall]

dave
don't know if this helps but if you right click on the ukts logo and extract to a folder there will be a zip file right click on it open with windows installer and it installs also there is the option now to manually install from the folder you extracted to. Hope its what you wanted cos I can never get them to install right away these days.

Richard

[lenfish]

Having a similar problem with the pack updater which is telling me I only have three packs installed when I have most if not all installed. My Railworks installation path has not changed, could it be something to do with TS2013?

Regards,

Len

[davejc64]

dave
don't know if this helps but if you right click on the ukts logo and extract to a folder there will be a zip file right click on it open with windows installer and it installs also there is the option now to manually install from the folder you extracted to. Hope its what you wanted cos I can never get them to install right away these days.

Richard

Hi Richard,

Thanks for that suggestion, installed first time from the installer once it was unzipped, looks like there might be a problem with the auto extraction process when you click straight on the UKTS Freeware logo thingie, I did notice that when I used that method the auto extractor did pause for a short while, I'll drop Jim a PM to see if he is aware of it.

regards,

Dave.

[nobkins]

Hi Everyone,

Let me give a little bit of background on how the installer works:

The actual install is carried out using a MSI file (Microsoft Standard Installer). This can incorporate compression but the compression used is very poor so I actually turn off compression of the files in the MSI.

The compression side of things is done using a 7ZIP self extracting archive. 7ZIP compression is very very good (1Gb down to 100Mb for some of the packs).

So this is how the process works:

1. Downloaded Pack (EXE file)
2. Double click it
   Self extracting EXE extracts the included MSI and required files to a temporary location defined by windows
3. When extraction is finished the last thing the self extractor does is try run the MSI file
4. The MSI file now actually handles the installation of the content

I have PM'd Dave back asking for more info. To me it sounds like step 3 is failing but I have just tested the last two packs I updated (UK Wagons and Clutter) and both got to stage 4 with no issues on my machine.

Anyway hopefully Dave will come back with some more info so I can sort it out.

Hope the background info is useful. As a back up you can just open the EXE with 7ZIP and then copy the relevant files to the appropriate place. It is designed deliberately to allow this for those people who want to see exactly what is being installed (advanced users). There are down sides to doing this but most of them are not applicable to "advanced users"

Jim

[Fodda]

Thanks for all that explanation Jim. Does part of the installer copy geopdx files across to repaints though? Or as it's all freeware do the packs contain all the geopdx files needed?

Cheers

P.S. Jim. I've tried opening and/or extracting an exe file with 7-Zip, but all I can see is one .msi installer file and a large data.cab file which is full of incomprehensible compressed files. How can I open a UKTS Freeware Pack .exe file to manually drag the contents to my Assets folder please? I'm not scared of advanced options.

[rcetank]

Having a similar problem with the pack updater which is telling me I only have three packs installed when I have most if not all installed. My Railworks installation path has not changed, could it be something to do with TS2013?

Regards,

Len

I only have the free 2013 upgrade but have upgraded UKTS freeware packs 3 times using the UKTS updater since with no problem.
All my down loaded files show up plus the ones I have not downloaded.

[nobkins]

P.S. Jim. I've tried opening and/or extracting an exe file with 7-Zip, but all I can see is one .msi installer file and a large data.cab file which is full of incomprehensible compressed files. How can I open a UKTS Freeware Pack .exe file to manually drag the contents to my Assets folder please? I'm not scared of advanced options.

Ahh yes I forgot to mention that not all the packs use the method that allows you to extract by hand. It is a feature I only added relatively recently and not all packs have been updated with new content since I developed the technique. Sorry about that (doh!).

Does part of the installer copy geopdx files across to repaints though?

It depends on the pack. The majority of packs do not. However, those packs that provide re-skins for DLC or involve any payware reskins will copy GeoPcDx files to relevant locations. This is done by a batch file which is run by the installer automatically. The Batch file is normally just in RailWorks\Assets and has a filename that clearly indicates what it is meant to do.

So if you wish to install the Class 170 pack by hand for example. You would extract all the files to the Assets folder (including the batch file) and then run the batch file just by double clicking on it. You may have to "run as administrator" depending on your operating system.

Jim

[august1929]

For some reason I can't download "Blocks-Lofts-Bridges #1" at all - all others updated, but this one refuses to start downloading!

I like the idea of being able to extract the files by hand

(Edit - turned off my Anti Virus and it downloaded!)

Rod

[Fodda]

Thanks for that info Jim. Seems the two packs I tried it with must be the non-updated ones.

And thanks for the news on the Payware reskin packs as well. Everything is crystal clear now.

Oh and one more thing... Thanks for all your (and the team's) effort and time in producing these packs for us all.

[nobkins]

No problem. Just enjoy them