VEXED!

[doublespan398]

Help required!!

Trains Sim 2016 is unable to open into main Drive/Route page - access is through the Steam portal (not DT icon), initial opening procedure only displays
Sim logo page, sometimes with, or with out, full display of option buttons. Complete shut-down of PC ensues, usually this procedure needs to be gone through
at least twice, before access to in-game routes, sessions, etc, is available and functional.

Methods to resolve this problematic issue have to date been, do a full game re-install, as well as a cache verification, the later finding 1370 invalid files.
After a repeat of the verification process all invalid files were supposedly re-validated (!?), though neither of these attempts to solve the problem have been effective
in resolving the issue.

Once access is gained to respective routes, etc, and after repeated shut-downs, the in-game performance is virtually fault free, other than faulty content, or some other
superfluous anomalies.

Any assistance, or help, in resolving this enigmatical, and vexing, problem would be appreciated.

[buzz456]

First before suggestions a few questions. Was this working OK prior to recent problems? Do you have any/many workshop scenarios in your game? Have you loaded any third party routes recently?

[doublespan398]

I'm not 100% sure but 'Start- Up' was working fine up until about 3 weeks ago when I downloaded a 3rd party route as well as a few add-ons for that route .
No workshop add-ons, or other 3rd party material to date other than what I've mentioned.

[buzz456]

I don't know if you have RWTools or not but in any event I would suggest unloading (delete) that route and see if your problem goes away. Let us know what the route is and if you're not that familiar with doing that someone will help you through the process. It's unlikely it's any assets causing this problem. Usually if somethings goofy is going on with a asset it just won't show up or causes a problem when you are loading a route not when you're just trying to start the game.

[doublespan398]

Regards for your assistance Buzz,
The route in question is 'RW & A Lakeside' I would be of the same opinion as you, that if there were any issues with loading the game, or the running sessions.
Then any such anomalies would have suggested that the route in question may be the villain re the start-up woes.
However the route checks out fine in all dept's. But if push comes to shove, I'd rather have the start-up function doing it's thing, than retaining a faulty route
if that is indeed the source of the fault.

If any of your members are able to post some directions as to how I need to go about deleting the RW & A lakeside, and it's dependencies/add-ons, I would be grateful.

One other matter that you may also be able to advise on, though I may need to start a new post on this one(!?).
I'm keen to acquire a few workshop add-ons, the 'Majestic Falls' run being amongst them. But 'no can do' without the 'Stevens Pass' route.
Seems I'm not alone in this boat, with one dude having started a petition to try and get the route re-stated.
So not holding my breath on this one, but considered it worth inquiring as to whether you or anyone else may know of some way that
I' might be to able to grab a hold of a copy of the Steven Pass route.

[buzz456]

The RWA route has been loaded by hundreds if not a thousand people so it's unlikely it's the problem. I would look to other assets you loaded at that time for the problem. One thing to check on the the infamous PonTrack that causes all kinds of problems. Run a search of your entire RW folder to make sure that it's not there. If it is delete it.

[Chacal]

Yeah I'm betting on PONTrack.bin.

[doublespan398]

Many thanks for your advise re the start-up hassle. You may well be right about the Pontrack issue - however seems I've cracked the problem
by running successive file validations.

[buzz456]

Double span,
You should still take a peek for the ponta I or there will be reoccurring issues if it is present.

[doublespan398]

Yep still having issues, as I mentioned in the previous post, I thought I had the problem licked .
So just to update - TS2016 will not open correctly if a new route, or a workshop add-on has been
added to the game. Once a dual validation has been completed TS2016 opens without issue.

So to carry out removing 'pontrack' as you have advised, I will need to ask for assistance from
either yourself or an RA member to carry out both the finding of the 'pontrack' asset, and the deleting of the thing
and any of it's dependencies.

Any help, and, or assistance with the task would be much appreciated.

[buzz456]

Go find this in your Steam folder. Take note of the path in the box. Your Steam folder is probably on your C: drive. Type PONtracks where I circled it and then hit search. It will fins any instances. Just delete them one at a time until they are all gone.

PONtrack.jpg

[chrisreb]

Does the problem occur when you add any further scenarios/routes and does it crash on the startup splash screen when the message' saving scenario database' appears? The reason I ask is that would indicate you have breached the unspecified limit to how many scenarios/routes the Sim can handle. If this is your issue (test by creating a new Routes folder with fewer routes, temporarily renaming the main Routes folder) you may have to split your routes over 2 or so Route folders and SDBCache.bin files.

May not be your issue but thought I would mention it anyway.

[doublespan398]

'Onwards and upwards' as the man once said.

Search for PONTrack resulted in a 'No items matched your search' attempted to locate under various other file names but same result.

Something however that came to light while the 'open game' was minimised, and then failed after attempting to go to full screen, was as follows. . . .


Error Failed to create vertex buffer ( Error Failed to create vertex buffer (D3DERR_INVALIDCALL)

FILE Dx Common\cHc Vertex ManagerDx.cpp LINE: 1234


A TS colleague who I have also sought advise from re this issue ( 2 heads are better than 1) - has advised that the above data (D3DERR_INVALIDCALL)

points to a video card issue, requiring an up-date.

Once that option has been eyeballed, and attended to, we may hopefully have a closure to this enigma .

[chrisreb]

'Onwards and upwards' as the man once said.

Search for PONTrack resulted in a 'No items matched your search' attempted to locate under various other file names but same result.

Something however that came to light while the 'open game' was minimised, and then failed after attempting to go to full screen, was as follows. . . .


Error Failed to create vertex buffer ( Error Failed to create vertex buffer (D3DERR_INVALIDCALL)

FILE Dx Common\cHc Vertex ManagerDx.cpp LINE: 1234


A TS colleague who I have also sought advise from re this issue ( 2 heads are better than 1) - has advised that the above data (D3DERR_INVALIDCALL)

points to a video card issue, requiring an up-date.

Once that option has been eyeballed, and attended to, we may hopefully have a closure to this enigma .

I get that message when minimizing and then trying to return to the game when in the 2D menus but less often if in 3D game but does not impact on it starting. Still it would be nice if that was your issue

[doublespan398]

If life could be so easy -
As there's been a few comments, views, re this 'Vexed' post, as such and if anyone's still interested in developments. I've noted the recent attempts to fix the problem
in this up-date.

Video card update carried out, updated Train Simulator2016 to most recent game release pack, Dynamic ip status checked, double verification
procedure carried out, plus a few other minor tweaks. RW & A Lakeside Route removed from Railworks files, as well as checking for any PONTrack files.


Despite all of the above, the problem still continues to persist to some degree. The dump message that was being displayed after the game crashed
on successive opening attempts. Has not been present, though no doubt this would be to my now closing the game after start-up failure
via the 'Task Manager'. It seems that my only present option is to open game, exit, retry opening. This arrangement although not totally satisfactory,
does allow me to actually get on with running Sims.

It was unfortunate that I needed to exclude RW&A lakeside from my route lists, and in no way reflects any defect on that particular routes part.
However as the fault started occurring around the time I installed that route, it was an option that needed to be put to the test.
I have also added several add-ons from the workshop, though these have all been installed after the initial problem was becoming persistent.

Thank you very much for all your input and advice.