Using multiple installs of MSTS

Following the advice of many on the forum, I have set up multiple installations of MSTS to shorten the startup time. What files for each route need to be kept in the original install to allow the activity unpacker to work? It seems that the route file needs to be there, but files within that folder are needed?

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RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-31-03, 07:58 AM, (1) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, sixman, Jan-31-03, 09:32 AM, (2) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, OTTODAD, Jan-31-03, 10:24 AM, (4) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, downside, Jan-31-03, 12:16 PM, (7) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, downside, Jan-31-03, 10:06 AM, (3) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, mrmike, Jan-31-03, 02:20 PM, (8) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, downside, Jan-31-03, 03:11 PM, (9) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, mrmike, Jan-31-03, 05:39 PM, (10) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, downside, Jan-31-03, 05:55 PM, (11) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, downside, Feb-01-03, 06:14 AM, (13) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, mrmike, Feb-01-03, 08:32 AM, (14) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, downside, Feb-01-03, 08:58 AM, (16) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, OTTODAD, Feb-01-03, 08:52 AM, (15) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, grandpaOz, Jan-31-03, 11:39 AM, (5) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, jjsluce, Feb-01-03, 00:41 AM, (12) RE: Using multiple installs of MSTS, grandpaOz, Jan-31-03, 11:44 AM, (6)

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You need at least one MAIN Install of MSTS with all it's Default Routes.The next release of MSTS will hopefully use a Central Depository for Files, to be shared by Add-On Routes and do away with the present Duplication of Files, or Programmers referring to them in the various *.dat and *.ref files used by their Routes to get new scripts code for easier linking to these "Shared" Files ?The N.&.J.C. forinstance uses files from USA 1/2, EUROPE 1/2 and JAPAN 1/2. Best to have all the MSTS Default Shapes, Textures and Trains Folders installed, just in case an enterprising Add-On Creator uses them for a new Route ! Once a new Route has been installed and all the MSTS Default Files it needs copied into it's Folder, all the other Routes in that secondary MSTS Install can be deleted.MSTS will take less time to load, but the Route itself will not !Don't know how you did it, but when I tried a "MSTS in RAM" Test some time ago, needing more than one MSTS installed, I had to change 2 entries in the REGISTRY pointing to the version I wanted to be the "Active" one, doing what you intend to do, a MSTS with just one Route installed and running, in my case, in RAM.On the subject of LOADING and general Fetching Data from Hard Drives, it appears that the new SERIAL ATA bus for Hard Drives will supply only minor improvments of Disk Access speeds for some to come. It's main advantage to start with is easier cabling and the use of more than the current 4 IDE appliances possible at the moment.Will have to use SCSI Hard Drives when building my next SIM Machine after the next release of MSTS, coded for using DirectX-9, AGP 8x Graphics Cards and their improved Graphics Handling code as well as better Data-from-Disk pre-fetching and Caching.After installing new Photorealistic U.K. VFR Scenery for my FS2002 Pro, I am getting 50 FpS flying in it but still suffer this "Give me some Data, Disk, please" jerking ! So SCSI it will have to be !O t t o

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OttodadI have done as you said in creating a full MSTS install with all the default routes and all the add-on routes. I then create a new MSTS install and copy just the Route folder to this new install (Blue Ridge SUb as an example). My concern was do I need to keep everything in the 'Blue Ridge Sub'in the the full install MSTS location in order for the activity unpacker to work or can the shapes, world, etc. folders be removed from the 'Blue Ridge Sub' folder within the full MSTS route folder. I was just trying to pare down the size of the full MSTS install, but since I will not run this version, it may just be a moot point. (Hope I have overly confused the issue)

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Frank,Bill's reply should answer all your questions.Bill,No REGISTRY changes ? That's if you use the MINI Version all the time, which I don't.I don't worry about the Disk Space the Main MSTS with all the Add-Ons occupies, neither about the time it takes to load it, the location of it being what the REGISTRY has been told about on Install.But when I want to switch to my MINI Test Version, I have to let the REGISTRY know which MSTS I am going to use temporarily, installed in another Partition or in RAM and it's RAMDRIVE allocated Drive Letter. That is correct, yes ?I keep a copy of both versions of the REGISTRY, only one of which needing updating after another FULL Install, which rarely happens on my "Dedicated" Sims machine. O t t o

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If you use it in another partition I suppose the answer is Yes. I have two hard drives which both have a single partition. The registry information from the original install also works fine for all the others.Bill

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On my system I have over 20 versions of MSTS. In my Train Simulator Master folder I have a default install with all the default routes there complete except for the files in the ROOT of the ROUTE folder which have been zipped up. I only use the Master folder for route installing. The Trains folder contains all the consists and rolling stock I have. The 'extra' versions only have the rolling stock and consists required for that particular route.For activity installing I have a barebones folder which is called TS and gets renamed to Train Simulator when installing activities. This only contains a ROUTES folder and a TRAINS folder with empty TRAINSET and CONSISTS sub-folders. In the ROUTES folder there is a folder for each of the routes I use and in each is a copy of the .tdb and .trk files appertaining to that route - nothing else. You don't need to have an activities folder etc as the unpacker creates the folders during the installation of the activity. The unpacker needs nothing else other than those two files to install an activity. When it has unpacked I just cut and paste the folders installed (not forgetting the consists) into that route's version of train simulator.No registry changes are necessary as long as the instructions in another thread from GrandpaOz or jm1941 are followed to the letter (I followed jm1941's instructions). What is more Route Control, Conbuilder and Route Riter live happily with the multiple versions. The only utility I have that doesn't work is MSTS Activity Analysis but there is a way round that.Bill

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Bill,
How can I change MSTS Activity Analysis to work in my other installs? My Computer specs are in my profile
Mike
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LAST EDITED ON Jan-31-03 AT 03:12 PM (EDT)

MikeThe only way at present that I can find is to bring the route from the other install to your master folder or whatever you have run AA, do what is needed, and then move it back again.I intend to email the developer of AA over the weekend to see if a 'Find MSTS Path' facility can be added. But of course that will only work on the contents of the Trainset folder in that particular version.As you would be moving the route rather than copying the transfer each way takes place in a trice.Bill

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LAST EDITED ON Jan-31-03 AT 05:40 PM (EDT)

Bill,
Quite by accident, I found that a locomotive with an installer
changed the AA to the last install. The AA is registry dependent & all my installs have their own registry entry. I experimented with each install & each time AA followed the loco install. Now for the life of me, I can't remember what loco installer it was. I am going to try & find which one it was & let you know. I have a feeling that if the registry entry could be changed by a bat.file.or in some way affect the pathway. My Computer specs are in my profile
Mike
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That's interesting. Wonder why that happens.The paths for AA are set inHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\eto-software\MSTS Activity AnalysisBill

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Mike - just had an email from Ernst, the developer of MSTS AA, and he will change it in a few days to allow the path to be altered.Bill

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Bill,
Thanks a lot. Thats good news. Will he issue a patch to all of us who purchesed AA?
My Computer specs are in my profile
Mike
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MikeAll upgrades are free to those who purchased AA. The latest version is 2.12 available from http://www.eto-software.de/msts_english.htmI usually keep an eye on his site as upgrades appear there sometimes way before they appear in the downloads section.Bill

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Bill,forgot to mention that I am still working with Cenatek, manufacturers of RAMDRIVES and RAMDISK, to find out how much better and faster MSTS would run in RAM. Their RAMDisk for WIN-XP is expected to be available by the end of March.Taking the idea of having individual Routes versions of MSTS on your machine further, what is to stop you copying a Single-Route version into a RAMDISK and run it from there ? I intend to add 500 Mb of DDR Ram to my WIN-XP's 1Gb, 1Gb+ for a MSTS Route and the rest for WIN-XP Services, enough for what the latter needs. In my next SIM Machine I shall use a MoBo which is not linited to 1.5 Gb of Ram only and fill it to it's RAM Capacity ! I had a go before with a 600Mb MSTS-NEC-only on my WIN-98SE machine but had to abandone because of WIN-98's RAM Limitations.I still use my WIN-98SE as my Main Windows Work Horse, Internet and testing Downloads, using it's FULL MSTS Install which includes all ADD-Ons ever downloaded. The MSTS Route Editor is also far more stable in WIN-98 than running it in WIN-XP ! I now can appreciate Jim Ward's reluctance to change from WIN-98. After the Downloads have been found "Fit for Consumption" they are being added to my FULL MSTS Back-UP on my external LACIE Hard Drive, partitioned into FAT32 and NTFS Drives, including NORTON GHOST Clones of both my WIN machines C: Drives.From there they can then be added to the SIMS WIN-XP machine or not. Any changes made to Routes on the WIN-XP machine are then Backed-Up to the LACIE for transfer back to the WIN-98SE machine.Why not use "Networking" or "Peer-to-Peer", I hear somebody ask ? Because I want nothing but SIMS and WIN-XP Services necessary to run them on that machine. No Internet, Multi-Media, Virus Checkers or anything else interfering with running Sims.And the benefit of doing that shows ! MSTS FpS Ave.30, peaking at 60 depending on Scenery and the latest U.K. VFR Photoreaslistic Scenery for FS2002, added to LAGO's TERRAMesh-Europe, giving me outstanding Frame Rates too. Below the Private Airport near me at Gloucester I still fly from for Real now and then.O t t o

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Hi all, just reiterating 'multiple versions' see below :-
I have 28 on 'C' drive and 8 on 'D' drive, where I also have my backups.
see pics :-
I also use jm1941's idea and have shortcuts on the desktop, ( I don't like clutter, so have a little 'doovy' that lets me hide the icons)There's a lot of chat about Ramdrives, Registrys and Partitioning.......don't know a thing about those, but my method still works fine, haven't had a problem yet, (touch wood), and if I did,I have everything backed-up so it's easy to replace, (and you can only crash one route at a time !!regards and a Happy New Year,
grandpaOz

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Hi GranpaOz. I been following your ideas on multiple MSTS installs.
It works. Thank you. I have 20 installs an am very happy with them. May I ask you a couple questions?
How do you get your train shortcuts to be little pics of trains?
Where did you get that beautifull wallpaper?
Where did you get the 'doovy' that hides the icons?
Do you know that you can use TweakUI to remove the little arrows from your shortcut icons? If you donot have the TweakUI program, I will send it to you.
Johnsluce@essex1.com

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and here's the original instructions, again....

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