Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up

Here's a copy of a problem log I sent to MS trainsim support. Couldn't find anything in the forum matching this situation, but thought perhaps someone else had a similar problem and figured out how to fix it.Problem Description: I have been running MSTS for about a year now under Windows ME. I just did a clean install of Windows XP Pro, and re-installed all of my applications. After installing MSTS again, I started the program either from the desktop icon, or the programs menu and receive the license acceptance window. Upon selecting "accept", the system re-boots and displays a Microsoft Windows error "The system has recovered from a serious error..." - with options to send error report or not. I sent the initial error report on 6/11, whereupon I received a Microsoft Online Crash Analysis article entitled "Error Caused by a Device Driver". The first paragraph states "Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with specific information about how to resolve this problem at this time." and "A device driver installed on your system caused the problem, but we cannot determine the precise cause."After reading the remaining suggestions in this notice, I noted that I had originally attempted to install Adaptec Easy CD creator, which I learned was incompatible with W XP. I could not run an uninstall, but cleaned it from my harddisk per the Roxio website instructions. After doing so, I continued to receive a "Devices or applications disabled" notice whenever I started Windows, which refered to a CD write driver. I then performed a system restore to a point prior to installing CD creator, and the "disabled" notice cleared. Upon re-installing MSTS, I continued getting the same system crash when accepting the license agreement each time I tried to start the application.I am selecting the automatic collection of info from my computer to send to you with this request. Please leet me know if you need to know anything else about the circumstances of my use of MSTS.All other applications appear to run fine, but MSTS continues to crash the system with the error refering to some renegade driver which I cannot find. Have also tried running MSTS with the update available at the MSTS site. During installation of MSTS, I ensured that my Norton antivirus was deactivated, and any programs I could were closed. I noted that I could not close MSN messenger, becuase it said other applications were using it's features, though I cannot detect any running applications. Are there things I can do short of wiping everything out again, and re-installing windows XP from scratch to allow MSTS to function under the XP Pro environment. I purchased XP largely to help stabilize MSTS's performance.Marty Soholt
Problem Area: Setup
Frequency of problem: Always Happens
Operating system / version: Microsoft Windows XP Professional - 5.1.2600
Computer manufacturer and model: Dell Computer Corporation , L933r
Processor model and speed: I586II, 930 MHz
Memory (RAM): 391.472 MB
Uploaded files: system.ini; win.ini;

Marty
Box Elder County, UT
Home of the Golden Spike

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RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, chucksc, Jun-15-03, 11:59 PM, (1) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, Bing, Jun-16-03, 00:58 AM, (2) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, CharlieB, Jun-16-03, 01:10 AM, (3) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, LARKIE, Jun-16-03, 03:43 AM, (4) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, 6330trainfan, Jun-16-03, 05:38 AM, (5) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, wsieffert, Jun-16-03, 09:10 AM, (6) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, Bing, Jun-16-03, 10:01 AM, (7) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, pwillard, Jun-16-03, 03:13 PM, (8) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, damk, Jun-21-03, 09:25 AM, (9) RE: Just upgraded to XP, now MSTS crashes on load-up, Bing, Jun-21-03, 10:04 AM, (10)

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OK Marty just a couple of questions....
Is this a clean install of XP or an upgrade????
If an upgrade did you leave MSTS on there and just try to run it?????
Have you tried runnning MProfile.EXE??????
Have you tried re-installing MSTS?????Chuck Schneider
(Virtual) CEO
North American (Virtual) Locomotive Works

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LAST EDITED ON Jun-16-03 AT 00:59 AM (EDT)

Why don't you try starting TS from train.exe and aceing out the dumb movie? Some of the original FAQ files covered this. I wouldn't use launcher on a bet, if that's what you're doing.Sounds like you also have a big, fat registry problem. In all my years of computing, which began prior to the GUI being even a gleam in Dollar Bill's eye, I have never seen a pile of crap the likes of the registry. Win98 reg was not the easiest to work with, XP is near impossible. This is the way they saved us from too many, overly complicated .INI files? Gee, if Redmond improves me any more I may not be able to start my machine. Bing

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Marty...I run MSTS under Windows XP Pro. My first question to you is: Have you installed the latest XP service pack and allowed XP to install all the automatic updates?Question two: Have you gone your video board's web site and gotten the latest driver for the board?My third question is: Have you downloaded and installed either DirectX 8 or 9?Finally, Have you run dxdiag to make sure DirectX has everything it needs?By the way, you should feel privileged. In two years of sending MSTS error reports to Microsoft, I have never gotten a response from them. Nor have I ever seen a discussion on any MSTS forum by anyone else who has. Charlie

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Just how clean was your clean install Marty?
Did you wipe your HDD by overwriting with "0"'s or "1"'s first?(takes 2-4Hrs,depending on disc capacity).
Utilities are available from HDD companies to do this,well Maxtor and Seagate anyway.
If you do that then on rebooting,you're in the same position as somebody that's just built a new box.Install the OS of choice,then motherboard drivers,graphics,sound,modem etc.
Install Norton,then go on the web,and give "Microsoft Update" a whirl,as you may get upgrades and additions to the above drivers.Only when all is clear on this front,should you try installing MSTS,and seeing if it will run.It should.After that,if all is well,you can try installing drivers for your CD creator and seeing if they interfere with MSTS.I suspect it's a missing\corrupt mobo driver at fault.Good luck.

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Hi Marty,Was looking at your computer specs, is the RAM amount ( 391.472MB ) your total or what you have left after XP has finished using what it needs.
Do you have any other programs running in the background that can be interfering with MSTS. Also as asked in one of the other posts - have you installed XP SP1, the service pack contains a fix for some of the problems XP has with some games including MSTS.Stew aka 6330trainfan
Albany WA Australia

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When you update the Operating System, whether from a WinXP update package or the full install, the installation only installs the basic drivers for all your peripherals, such as, MOBO controller chips, graphics adapter, sound, etc.For graphics intensive programs, you need to ensure you download and update the above peripheral drivers. Some of the controller chip vendors are Intel, VIA, SiS, AMD, ALi. Open device manager, open system devices and search for entries similiar to the following:VIA PCI to AGP Controller
Intel PCI....
SiS PCI...This will tell you what controller chips you have. Check with Dell or the controller chip vendor for updated drivers.Once you have the controller chips drivers updated. Update DirectX to version 9.0a. Lastly, visit http://www.guru3d.com/ for updated graphics adapter drivers. NOTE: the latest are NOT necessarily the best drivers for your system. Generally, the 40.72 are stable for GeForce 4 cards. You might have to experiment with the drivers.Once you have all the above accomplished, press start, run..., type dxdiag, OK. Let DirectX Diagnostic stabilize, select the display tab and ensure DirectDraw, Direct3D, and AGP Accelerations are enabled. Test each function. Select the other tabs and test each function.Try TrainSim again.

W. Sieffert

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LAST EDITED ON Jun-16-03 AT 10:02 AM (EDT)

Graphics card drivers is truly a crap shoot. I"m running
DX9 with 44.03 Detonator drivers, the results under WinXP Home (Ti-4400 and Athlon XP2000+) are excellent. Depending upon when the MSTS route was created, that is. Earlier third party routes don't show much improvement, the latest - expecially from professional shops - definitely show an improvement in rendering.This has less to do, AFAIK with DX9 (they aren't using it yet) than it does improved pixel shading and such. No question certain routes look better with the 44.03 - which are also the latest official nVidia Detonator drivers. Bing

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Graphics drivers are what did it to me. Once I upgraded, everythings been great.
Pete Willard
http://www.trainsimstuff.com

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What sound card have you got? Because we have this problem with Links 2003 which aswell is a microsoft product, and our sound card is Avance AC'97. Links worked on windows 98 and XP but on 2000, it rebooted on the settings screen or add a player screen. Try updating your sound drivers.

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Note to above: Adaptec Roxio CD software I would not say is "incompatible" with WinXP - it works with Home, thus ought to (famous last words) also work with Pro. For me, it has worked very badly, under both Win98SE and WinXP Home. I can almost live with the terribly restrictive way it works with Win98SE: The following does not apply to CD's which have been burned to be strictly "Read Only" on professional equipment - Games, software installaiton disks, library disks - it apples to CD-RW data disks. If I read from or write to a CD, open the tray and close it Win98SE refuses to resume operations, I have to reboot my system. Says the volume inofrmation has changed. By opening and closing the tray "volume"info has changed? How could it? NO one seems to know anything about this problem. WinXP: Same problem as above, plus writes to a CD-RW (yes, they are "fast" disks) are terrible, there is no other word for it. Plextor activity unit flashes continually for what seems like an eternity, even for the smallest transfers to disk. Open the tray, close it, same as above. Purchased and installed Nero CD software. No difference. Same problems.I threw in the towel. Already had a Iomega Zip250 internal installed in the Win9SE machine. Since I have an ongoing need to write files on one machine and copy them to the other, I purchased an external parallel Iomega Zip250 unit for the WinXP machine. Perfect operations going both directions. I can write to disk and copy to machine going either direction. I can insert, remove, reinsert the same or different disk any number of times. Iomega has never given me the least problem in any way. This isn't Roxio or Nero - it is Microsoft OS, no question about it. If you are wondering why parallel external Zip250: I flat don't trust USB, I have always had problems with it. I could have bought an external USB version of the Zip250, which is claimed to be powered by USB. Nope. I saw the crash on stage when Gates introduced USB. Aside from the humor - the look on Dollar Bill's face is something you would not forget had you watched TV news that night - it told me a great deal about USB.The new external Iomega Zip250 WORKS. It has a plug-in power supply, it never fails to automatically open Explorer when I insert a disk, it reads and writes and does so flawlessly. Well, isn't a parallel connection a lot slower than internal? No, because the Iomega does its business, the light blinks for a few seconds and it is DONE with buffering or whatever. Quickly. That's my rant for the day.Bing

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