shaneturner12
Tutorial Creator
I've got the same concern there, which is why I'm keen on getting a report from either DXDiag or my utility.
Shane
Shane
Trainz won't load? Help please?
- Thread starter TommyMardon
- Start date
With a windows experience rating of 1 it's not looking good.
shaneturner12
Tutorial Creator
1 is the lowest rating you can get, but I have a feeling that this is because it has not been re-rated yet.
Shane
Shane
TommyMardon
New member
By the way I tried this on my mates computer who has a dual processor but the same thing happens! Just crashes 
By the way I tried this on my mates computer who has a dual processor but the same thing happens! Just crashes
Shane can help on this one. Better still have a look on his site.
Try this though. Download+install direct x 9c redistributable, the latest version. Your system will tell you it's an old version, ignore it. trainz needs it to run.
TommyMardon
New member
Hey there, I've installed the Direct X for Vista from what I've seen on Shane's tutorial and it makes no difference! My brother has an Alienware PC which is very very up to date and can run anything. I'll see if he'll install Trainz to have a look and see if it works! either the game disc it self could be faulty or me and my friend's computer is missing something...
P.S.
Do you need the latest patches to run trainz?
Every time it tells me to update because there's a new version, this happens...
'Checking for available disk space for patching.
Searching for patches...
Downloading patch file...
Unpacking patch file...
Failed to extract the patch archive.
Patching aborted.'
My brother has an Alienware PC which is very very up to date and can run anything. I'll see if he'll install Trainz to have a look and see if it works! either the game disc it self could be faulty or me and my friend's computer is missing something...P.S.
Do you need the latest patches to run trainz?
Every time it tells me to update because there's a new version, this happens...
'Checking for available disk space for patching.
Searching for patches...
Downloading patch file...
Unpacking patch file...
Failed to extract the patch archive.
Patching aborted.'
Patches won't do you any good if your hardware isn't up to the task, and the fact that it runs a six year old game (TRS2006) fine means nothing since the minimum specs for TS2010 are a lot higher. The minimum hardware specs for TS2010 hadn't even been invented at the time TRS2004 was designed.
The CPU looks okay to me, the graphics is the probable culprit - it should say "256" or "512" if it was an actual video card, the fact that it gives an odd number like "286MB" indicates it's probably an integrated (onboard) chip which shares system RAM. Those can sometimes work if they're powerful enough, but they never work as well as an actual PCIE video card with its own dedicated VRAM.
You need to either run Shane's utility, or DXDIAG, or whatever that Windows 7 gizmo is to find out what the make and model of your GPU (video processor) is.
The CPU looks okay to me, the graphics is the probable culprit - it should say "256" or "512" if it was an actual video card, the fact that it gives an odd number like "286MB" indicates it's probably an integrated (onboard) chip which shares system RAM. Those can sometimes work if they're powerful enough, but they never work as well as an actual PCIE video card with its own dedicated VRAM.
You need to either run Shane's utility, or DXDIAG, or whatever that Windows 7 gizmo is to find out what the make and model of your GPU (video processor) is.
From your Trainz Diag report you have obviously not got DirctX9c or its not installed correctly, which Trainz 2009 upwards requires. The Version in Vista is not fully backwards compatible meaning it works with some cards but not others.
You probably also need to install the latest Nvidia drivers assuming it is actually an Nvidia card or chip. If it's an Intel card you may not be able to get OpenGL drivers for it. OpenGL is required so Content manager works.
We still need you to run Shane's diagnostics and post it on here, you click the link in his post then Utilities on the right side of the page or the third section down the page then System Information Utility, If you cant find it this is the page to download it from:
http://shaneturner12.awardspace.co.uk/trainzdata/index.php?page=system-info-utility
Click "Click here to download this tool"
Download it and run it then post the results on here please so we can stop trying to guess what hardware you have and get you sorted out one way or the other.
Win7 / Vista DxDiag is still DXDiag, a somewhat simplified inferior version to that in XP though and gives the higher total amount of memory available to graphics not the amount actually installed in the card, there are no diagnostics and it only reports the highest version of DX installed.
You probably also need to install the latest Nvidia drivers assuming it is actually an Nvidia card or chip. If it's an Intel card you may not be able to get OpenGL drivers for it. OpenGL is required so Content manager works.
We still need you to run Shane's diagnostics and post it on here, you click the link in his post then Utilities on the right side of the page or the third section down the page then System Information Utility, If you cant find it this is the page to download it from:
http://shaneturner12.awardspace.co.uk/trainzdata/index.php?page=system-info-utility
Click "Click here to download this tool"
Download it and run it then post the results on here please so we can stop trying to guess what hardware you have and get you sorted out one way or the other.
Win7 / Vista DxDiag is still DXDiag, a somewhat simplified inferior version to that in XP though and gives the higher total amount of memory available to graphics not the amount actually installed in the card, there are no diagnostics and it only reports the highest version of DX installed.
TommyMardon
New member
Here are my results in order! And for anyone who asked my desktop is a Dell Inspiron 530! Thank you all.
shaneturner12
Tutorial Creator
I can see the problem straight away, and it's as me and fran1 suspected.
The problem is indeed graphics card related.
Most Intel graphics cards cannot handle Trainz properly, due to no or little OpenGL support.
You still need to check that your DirectX is up to date though.
Shane
P.S. There is one thing you can try, but it's not guaranteed to work. Visit http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect/graphics, and follow the instructions to check for driver updates.
EDIT: Looks like the Dedicated Memory figure is reading incorrectly, but I think that's graphics card related, as mine reports correctly.
The problem is indeed graphics card related.
Most Intel graphics cards cannot handle Trainz properly, due to no or little OpenGL support.
You still need to check that your DirectX is up to date though.
Shane
P.S. There is one thing you can try, but it's not guaranteed to work. Visit http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect/graphics, and follow the instructions to check for driver updates.
EDIT: Looks like the Dedicated Memory figure is reading incorrectly, but I think that's graphics card related, as mine reports correctly.
Last edited:
TommyMardon
New member
Cheers for the help! I will have a look when I get home! I have downloaded direct x from your site and got the vista one so it could be corrupt as when Trainz is running it says 'direct x 9' on the task bar as if that one is running! Should it be a different version running? I may just remove all my direct x installations and start from scratch. Also do patches matter as I stated on a previous post that it won't let me patch trainz, I wrote what it told me as well if you look! If none of this works then I'll see if my brother will let me have his old computer because it has specs 100 times better than mine and his is a gaming PC
shaneturner12
Tutorial Creator
The links I provide are the official Microsoft links for DirectX updates.
It's the same for XP,Vista and 7.
The Redistributable version is the one you want.
If Trainz is set to run in DirectX mode, then it will use DirectX 9.0C.
Shane
It's the same for XP,Vista and 7.
The Redistributable version is the one you want.
If Trainz is set to run in DirectX mode, then it will use DirectX 9.0C.
Shane
gearhead2578
New member
IMHO Even with the directx update there will still be issues with that graphics card. Probably worth picking up another one, I only paid $60 for mine and it does 10 & 12 just fine, but first check if the GPU is on-board and make sure the mobo is capable of running an add-on card - also on an older machine make sure it's even got a PCI-e slot.
According to the review it can come with an Intel integrated graphics as the base model or an nvidia 8600 GT, worth checking that there isn't a second graphics connector on the back just in case!
Should have a PCIe slot according to this http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd530/en/OM/HTML/parts.htm#wp1184332
Should have a PCIe slot according to this http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/inspd530/en/OM/HTML/parts.htm#wp1184332
shaneturner12
Tutorial Creator
Euphod,
Apologies if this offends you, but are you psychic? I cannot see any driver version or date, which concerns me.
Shane
Apologies if this offends you, but are you psychic? I cannot see any driver version or date, which concerns me.
Shane
I was hoping it was the one with the 8600 gt, might have given a glimmer of hope.
TommyMardon
New member
When I have the display settings set to open GL it won't load at all, just comes up with an error straight away, through direct x it goes to the black screen as if it's loading then it comes up with the thing to close program
I will look later on updating my graphics card! My best take is seeing if my brother will let me have his old computer and get it working properly!
I will look later on updating my graphics card! My best take is seeing if my brother will let me have his old computer and get it working properly!