Is MSTSBIN still installed

[ivatt]

I have had to swap my main XP drive recently.

On the old drive I had a host of TS add-ons installed including the official patch, MSTSBIN, Xtracks, UKfinescale to name a few.

I did a fresh install of MSTS on the new drive but don't recall applying ther patch, silly of me. I then copied over my complete Train Simulator folder from the old drive.

Everything seems to be working fine.

I recently came across a topic on the forum http://www.trainsim.com/ts/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=31&topic_id=507#558 that included a transparent switch (points) monitor I hadn't seen before and when I enquired I was told it was probably installed with MSTSBIN.

I did a search of my TS folder but couldn't see any obvious signs of MSTSBIN or the monitor and this not only triggered my memory about the patch ut also whether MSTSBIN was still installed.

These are copies of my Train.exe version.

Can you tell me if MSTSBIN is still installed and if it is, where would I find the switch(points) monitor and install it?

I should mention that I do get the extended F5 diagnose panel display mentioned in the MSTS manual.

Thanks

[OTTODAD]

Hi Chris !

The date of the Train.exe is the indicator of which version it is.

December 2001 is the Patch 1.4 version from Microsoft and all other train.exe dates indicate the MSTSBin version which has installed it, backing up the 1.4 patch train.exe and other files into it's MSTSBIN_BACKUP folder.

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/Attachments/up1/114846.jpg

The above dates are in UK format !

You should un-install the 1.6 patch and install the latest 1.7.0103 patch, the Highmem versions if your computer has more than 512 Mb Ram and the other if not.

Selecting the "Transparent Monitors" option when installing a MSTSBin patch should give you these transparent monitors !

O t t o

[ivatt]

Hi, having a problem.

I've run the uninst_mstspatch 1.6.1022 and it removes the MSTS_BACKUP folder but doesn't recreate the un MSTSBIN patched version of train.exe. I've tried this a couple of times now and get same result. Fortunately I had backup versions of TS that I could copy the offending files back again to keep TS working.

I think I read somewhere by OTTODAD(?) that this is a problem with that version of MSTSBIN. I'm sure all the train.exe versions I have are with MSTSBIN installed so I don't have a "virgin" train.exe with update I can use just to install the latest MSTSBIN.

I'm going to continue searching on my drives, just in case. What should I see when I click version in properties to confirm it's un MSTSBIN patched version.

I was thinking of doing a re-install of TS over writing the root folder, then update and see what happens then. I would of course have to copy over all the sub-folders I have with my backup versions so as not to lose things like xtracks, UKfinescale and the routes/ activities/ consists I have installed. Also what about string.dll & dialog.dll, does TS install create these or are they purely an MSTSBIN creation?

Would this work do you think or is there another way to work around it.

PS

Just been reading the UKTRAINSIM forum and if I'm reading OTTODAD correctly installing the train_update.exe file will overwrite the MSTSBIN version. Very useful for people like me who have messed up MSTSBin un-install.

I followed the link given for the download but it doesn't work. Bit confused as to whether this is what I install from the MSTS CD or not. I have a trainupdate.exe file on my drive but it's only 1,984 KB so obviously not the same thing.

[ivatt]

This is developing into a "I wished I'd never started this" problem.

I have now done a reinstall of TS, applied the trainupdate patch (February 2002) mentioned above and my file version is now 1.16.5.912 and Patch v4.1.

I have deleted the MSTSBIN_BACKUP folder and the uninst_mstspatch 1.6.1022 and it's log file. I have not touched dialog.dll or string.dll.

TS is working, the good news, but only one of my routes is showing (the bad news) and that is the first alphabetically in my routes folder.

I did have RoutesonOff installed but have uninstalled that, just in case, and made sure there isn't a .trk or .off in any of the route folders but still only one route shows. Not even the default routes show.

I have not modified or copied any of the sub-folders and on looking I still have an xtracks folder for example.

I want to sort this out before I install the latest MSTSBIN.

Fortunately, I still have mini TS version so I am able to continue using TS.

Any help resolving this would be much appreciated before I go mad!!!!

[OTTODAD]

As you are using TRAINSTORE this may be related to you not having done what you think you did before installing the MSTSBin 1.7 patch !

You do not have to touch TRAINSTORE prior to installing a MSTSBin patch and it will carry on where you have left it !

You should have all your installed routes in the Train Simulator\ROUTES folder and the individual routes folders which contain a *.trk file and have at least one Activity / Path should be visible after you have started MSTS !

For future reference, the MSTS-1.2 / Patch 1.4 Train.exe must have a December 2001 date !

O t t o

[ivatt]

Hi Otto

Not sure what I did but it's all gone pear shape, spent all afternoon getting nowhere. Haven't been able to get the missing routes back.

Previously copying over all the folders from one TS installation to another worked but not this time. I was using RouteOnOff not Trainstore but think it must work the same as the folders would normally have either a .trk or .off file.

All my routes were as per the versions I can still use, i.e they were in the correct place and they all had .pat files so logically no reason why they shouldn't show unless RoutesOnOf makes other changes. Thought that by uninstalling RoutesOnOff this might cure this if that was the case.

The problem all stems from trying to uninstall the 1.6.1022 MSTSBin patch so as to be able to update to the latest version. This, as I said earlier, didn't restore the unpatched version of train.exe and from then on things went from bad to worse.

I still have my other TS installs and I'm able to access these so for the time being all is not lost.

I've uninstalled my reinstall TS and removed all the folders and I've now got a clean basic install. If all else fails I will have to install all my add-on and routes over time. Fortunatley i have copies of my trainset, consists and activities folders so should be able to copy them back one I get the routes showing.

I'm a little confused at your comment that the the MSTS-1.2 / Patch 1.4 Train.exe must have a December 2001 date.

As installed from CD my train.exe shows:

File Version 1.6.5.912

Description Microsoft Train Simulator Patch v1.4
Copyright Copyright © 2001
File Version Patch v1.4
Created 11 December 2001, 23:27:28

I'm assuming this is what you are talking about.

If I look in my Update Patch for the other installations the readme says

Microsoft® Train Simulator Update
February 2002

Not installed the patch as yet until I see your reply.

Tried to download the v1.2 update from the new Microsoft site but get can't find server.

From reading topics here and on UK Trainsim from yourself and others MSTSBin 1.6.1022 has an uninstall problem by not restoring train.exe. Hopefully this will have been cured on the latest version? Pity the updates aren't cumulative to avoid uninstalling each time.

[OTTODAD]

Hi Chris !

When in the Windows Explorer or My Computer select View / Details in the top Tool bar.

You will then be able to see the dates the files were created or modified last. What you are showing us is not accurate enough unless you click on this File version line, still not showing you the date of the train.exe !

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/Attachments/up1/114909.jpg

When in RoutesOnOff click on this yellow folder icon and browse to where you have all your routes installed and it should show you all of them you can then select one or more from.

This can be done for any MSTS MINI copy's route folders !

O t t o

http://www.trainsim.com/vbts/Attachments/up1/114914.jpg

[ivatt]

Hi Otto

Have checked View>Show details and it shows my train.exe as

train.exe 4,764KB 11/12/2001 23:27 so that looks OK.

As you say clicking Properties<File Version just shows Patch v4.1 which was confusing me somewhat.

I'm not sure what I did wrong when I tried to uninstall MSTSBIN but clearly something, so I have decided to rebuild my fresh install of MSTS as I'm wasting time trying to resolve the problem any other way.

I will apply the trainupdate patch then MSTSBIN followed by the other extras I had i.e Xtracks and UKFinescale and the latest TSECTION.DAT (Build 35). I don't think there were any others but I will check the readme.doc files for each route I want to install just to be sure. The I'll copy over my trainset and CONSIST folders so I don't have to rebuild these.

This should then give me a clean install with just the default routes and all my consists that I can test. Once I know all is well I can start to add routes/activities one at a time.

Hopefully, if I keep add-ons such as RoutesonOff out of the equation until MSTS works with all my routes/activities, this should give me a fully functioning MSTS. I will be very wary about updating MSTSBin in the future!!!

I do have various driveraid versions I still want to use so I will have to copy these over as well at some stage.

If I've missed anything perhaps you could let me know especially if there is any utility/add-on you think necessary but I haven't mentioned.

It's been a bit of a learning curve. I'd always though that by having backup versions of MSTS (I usually backed up my entire Train Simulator folder) then it would be a simple case of copying back and over writing the troublesome version to get back to square one. I have used the copying method to create other versions of MSTS where I wanted a specific setup, mainly before finding RoutesonOff to disable unwanted routes (never could get on with Train Store) and this has always worked.

It would seem however that in some circumstances this isn't the case and has left me wondering if there are any hidden flags or modification to files that occur when a problem arises that merely copying files can't resolve.

[OTTODAD]

Hi Chris !

Can't find much wrong with what you are intending to do, but that 4764 Kb file size of the December 2001 Train.exe is wrong. It must be 3997 Kb.

After you have downloaded and installed the MSTS Version 1.2 / 1.4 Patch Update from the lower part of this page here:
http://www.microsoft.com/games/pc/trainsim.aspx#downloads

make sure that your December Train.exe then says that before installing MSTSBin 1.7 !

Take care, O t t o.

P.S.: You may also need NEWROADS, but if you got your TRAIN SIMULATOR folder backed-up somewhere then you should have all you need in it's GLOBAL\SHAPES folders. COPY / PASTE it's backed-up latest Tsection.dat into the newly installed GLOBAL folder and then COPY/PASTE the backed-up SHAPES folder into the newly installed GLOBAL folder and make sure you are being asked to "Overwrite" the existing one !

[ivatt]

Hi Otto

Just a quick update to say I have now completed a clean install of MSTS with all the extras and all is working OK even the MSTSBin transparent GUI option.

Still don't know why trying to uninstall MSTSBin causes such havoc and will be wary the next time but I suppose all is well that ends well.

Thanks for all your help.

PS Still not sure what MSTSBin gives me, as an "end user". I suppose I ought to read up on it more seeing as everyone says it's a "must have".

[OTTODAD]

Hi Chris !

The next time you want to install another MSTSBin update and there will be more, I hope ;-), make sure that you have used the last installed MSTSBin Patch version Uninst_MSTS Patch*.exe in the Train Simulator folder to un-install it first and that after having un-installed it check that the MSTSBIN_BACKUP folder in the Train Simulator folder has disappeared and that there is a December 2001 Train.exe in the Train Simulator folder before installing a new patch !

Anything not like that then report it in this forum !

Take care, O t t o.