Routes not loading (all of the sudden)

[MontanaRails]

Well, suddenly (after making no updates to the game, or downloading anything), the C&O and every other 3rd party Route (NSAND, Bay of Quinte, etc) will not load any standard scenarios. The free roams work fine.

A standard scenario will go through the loading process, and get to the game screen, and freeze with an all black screen except for the F4 hud at the bottom. I've verified game cache, and it doesnt make a difference. I've tried re-installing the routes, and this seems to allow it to work one time, and then the next scenario I try, it freezes again. When I exit the program, I have a SBHH error.

I've never seen anything like this behavior before, and have no idea whats causing it or why....

[Toripony]

Wish I could help, but I've not seen/heard this problem either. I've had a problem with my route disappearing after every TS update; the files don't disappear but the route isn't listed in the route selection screen. I have to reinstall the route pak to get it back in the list again.

[MontanaRails]

Hmm...I've never had that happen.

Why is Railworks so unstable? I am getting so fed up with this program. At this point I feel like saying something I've never imagined I'd say; I may re-install MS Train Simulator.

Its not that things get messed up, we have all been there and deal with it. It is the price of updates. The problem is that RW is unlike any other game because screwy things happen for seemingly no reason at all. Files that work one day just all of the sudden wont work the next day. And there's no explanation. After an official update, one person may have routes disappear, one person has all non default rollingstock become corrupted, one may not be able to play the game because the update deleted the core exe program files....what a joke this is becoming.

I've done a HD defrag, HD health check, A/V scan, system restore, verify cache, and re-install the routes. Nothing works. They just wont load.

I have no choice now but to delete all the non-default routes; they simply don't work anymore.

[Toripony]

A bit premature perhaps, but if it comes to deleting, I would delete all of Steam and TS and get a complete new clean install from Steam. I think a lot of the unpredictable occurences are due to file corruption. Note that "Verify Game Cache" looks for the file and file size; if it exists then it moves on to the next file. It does not confirm if that file has been corrupted.

Every time I've gotten a TS upgrade, as soon as it reports "Steam has finished downloading...", I go straight to the Verify Game Cache util and run it; each time it has found 2-15 files missing . So far the only "corruption" type fault I've had is my route not appearing in the selection list.

A bigger suggestion to everyone.... if you do delete all of your Steam/TS and reinstall, as soon as it's done and Cache Verified and everything is working, make a backup copy of that entire Steam folder! Then in the future if you think you have corruption or files missing, just copy your backup copy over your live one, select "Replace files" and in less than 5 minutes you'll be back where you started from WITHOUT overwriting your 3rd party addins or waiting an hour for Steam to Verify Game Cache.

[LoneWolfDon]

Running the "Verify integrity of game cache" can sometimes take more than one pass to catch everything. Do it until it returns with a message like "No missing files found".
After that, from the initial RailWorks launcher, go to the Tools & Docs tab, then click on your Clear Cache button.

If that still doesn't fix things for you, then perhaps there's something else (background running program?) conflicting, or could be something with Windows or some Drivers have partially gone bad and may need fixing or reinstalling.

[MontanaRails]

Whats strange is that all the default scenarios work just fine.

The only thing thats changed with my computer is several windows security updates on 10/13/11. However, today is the first day I've noticed an issue. And, when I did a system restore, that should have caught that if it was system related.

And, I've just realized that verify cache doesnt seem to be working. I mean, working less than usual, since I've had it miss files and have to run it numerous times as well. But right now, as a test, deleted core Kuju files, and verified cache, and it wont replace them, even after several runs.

I guess I'm starting from scratch.

Just backed up my TS2012 folder, and clicked delete local content. Goodbye to all my 3rd party Routes, rollingstock, and locomotives. It would be WAY too much work to find, download and re-install it all. From here on out, its default only.

EDIT: I dont know why I didnt start this topic in the "Problems and Peculiarities" Forum...

[Toripony]

You shouldn't have to abandon 3rd party routes; 500 people are driving the Alleghany in TS'12 (as far as I know.... only a few have reported to me that they can't and we fixed all but a couple just by reinstalling).

[mikesimpson]

Hi Tori,

I suspect that a Verify Cache will catch any garbled files. It will do a CRC check to make sure that each file is 'exactly' the same as the one on Steam and replace it if not. This is how Steam can check/replace any file you have manually altered yourself, even if only one character is altered and thus the file length is the same as the original.

Mike

[MontanaRails]

I'm just tired of chasing after things that need to be updated, especially now that so many assets are not TS2012 compatible. I spend a LOT of time trying to make sure my RW install is clean and formatted efficiently and correctly, with numerous backups. But when things happen I cant figure out, it is no longer fun. When its that much work just to keep it running, its time to back off the addons. I didnt even have that much installed (my entire RW folder was 16.7 gbs). Its just too frustrating. And this latest issue was so strange and catestrophic to the install, and seemingly nothing had provoked it. Yesterday all was well, today its not. Like I said, I tried everything from antivirus scans, to system restore, to replacing the files from a good backup, to verifying cache over and over...and nothing would fix it. So if a fresh install doesnt fix it, I guess I'm just 'done' with Railworks. I will have no other choice; there's no way I can afford to re-install windows for one game.

Assuming it does work ok after the reinstall, I guess I wont abandon 3rd party software, but for my own peace of mind, I'm only going to be installing assets that are 100% TS2012 designed, ready, or optimized. I'm tired of chasing after assets several times per scenario, and having to change alpha channels to stop white textures or changing brake settings on locomotives so they're not cartoonish, or fixing the emissive properties to stop textures from glowing, replacing horns and freight car sounds...it just goes on and on.

I'll certainly miss the C&O Alleghany, it was a gorgeous route, and ran flawlessly in RW2. But I just had too many issues with it once TS2012 came out. I finally tuned the graphics settings for a pretty solid 30 fps on almost all default routes with everything set near "High", but frame rates were still poor on the Alleghany. Found quite a few missing textures, too. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing this all had something to do with it finally failing to run. When a route references hundreds of different assets, I cant imagine that's good for performance.

I've given RSC so much positive attitude, patience, and time to get the core program stabilized, and it just hasnt been happening. It truly seems with everything they fix, they break something else. Its like running in place. Like I said, I never thought I'd be the one with this attitude, and I apologize for the negative mood with this thread, but this is just getting so old.

[spec5sx]

@MontanaRails
You're not alone my friend. Last night while editing my route, I tried to lay down some trees using an Asset Block. I double clicked on it and the game froze. No SBHH, no nothing. I killed the process and stared the route back up. When the route loaded I noticed all of the track was gone.

Much to my surprise, The track was all above my head. 1000 METERS ABOVE MY HEAD!. I wish I would have taken some screenshots, but I had steam coming out of my ears. Your complaints about stability are well warranted. I've had the world editor crash on me 10 times in a two hour period. Since the last update my copy has crashed 51 times.

[Toripony]

Thanks, Mike. I've wondered if it does a CRC check. I know it used to replace any modified file, but in the last version of RW2 I thought it stopped doing that. My loco brake (edited manually) and sound (installed) modds stayed and weren't overwritten until the TS upgrade replaced every file (it seemed). Maybe my Steam was broken.

I am editing with TSX off. I encourage folks to give it a try.

p.s. I think the "sprung track" is the worst fault RW/TS can make. There are only two recourses and both of them *(&%&. Sorry to hear it happened to you.

[chrisreb]

Unfortunately if the corrupt file is non default verify cache will not help.

I have to run my US freeware routes with a different asset set to my main one to get them to work. I just renamed my Asset folder temporarily and did a verify cache to create a second one into which I installed afresh the required assets for these routes and just swap the folders as required. It was the only way to get these routes running after verify cache refused to solve the issue.= and m only way out without a proper error message.