Trainz Issues

TrainzDude439

New member
Hey guys,

So I have Trainz 12 (which was bought off of Steam), and it's currently giving me many reasons to throw my laptop across the room. The reason I say this is because of this: so I'm building a new map for my own enjoyment, and whenever I'm right in the middle of something, getting ready to save, it freezes and crashes for no reason at all. I have taken this up with the big guys at N3V Games, and they gave me some complicated steps to fix the problem, which took a good week to actually complete the steps (we were communicating over email, so this may be the reason why it took a week). After I completed the steps N3V Games gave me, I tried loading Trainz 12 up again. The game didn't crash for about two days, then started crashing again. I don't know what to do at this point. I'm hoping someone on this forum has had the same issue, and knows how to fix the problem. Please let me know what you guys have done to fix this problem.

Thanks,
TrainzDude439
 
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What are your PC specs ?

Your PC may not be able to run Trainz
 
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Well, first of all, you should alter your email address so trolls/robots can't snap it up for SPAM mills.

Second, we need a LOT more information before making any sort of guess as to the problem. This is a laptop, so it could very well be your video chip is heating up (or incapable of running Trainz) and causing the crash. Are there any entries in the Event Viewer? What operating system are you using? Have you registered your game? There are no versions following your username. Some legitimate users on Steam are having problems registering their game, so I won't say more.

Bill
 
I would very much have my doubts about successfully running TS2012 on a laptop unless it's got a decent spec and really good processor cooling.
 
Your specs look good, but how well does your laptop keep itself cool? If your CPU starts getting too hot it will throttle down and eventually lock up causing a crash.

Edit: There's free software called Speccy which is very good for showing what the temperatures of all the components in a computer are while it's running. I've found it very useful for helping to fix cooling problems in my own computers.
 
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Start with getting your game registered to your account. Yes, that also goes for the Steam version. That way we at least know you have the game (legally). To do so, go here:
https://www.auran.com/planetauran/SN_Enter_Serialnumber.php

Once you have a game registered to your account, you will unlock more access to this forum (like... the TS12 related support forum where this topic should be moved to) and more people are likely to help you.

Next, I suggest you share with us what N3V told you to do and what part of that you had problems with or did not understand. Be as specific as possible. In other words: Help us help you.
 
First, the game is already registered to my account. Second, here is the email they sent:

1st email convo:

Good Morning TrainzDude439,

Can you please confirm for me what build number your installation of Trainz has? The build number can be found on the bottom left or right corner of the initial launcher screen for Trainz.
Can you also please tell me if this occurs with any other routes, or just the one route?
Can you please tell me which version of Windows you are running Trainz on?

Kind Regards,
N3V Games Support Team



2nd email convo:

Good Afternoon TrainzDude439,

Please try the following.
Go into Window Explorer (or My Computer), and navigate to the Trainz folder (this will be located in your Steam folder, the default location would be 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\
Trains Simulator 2012\' or similar), and right click on the 'Trainz.exe' file, and click on 'properties', and then click on the tab called 'Compatibility'. Now set the Privilege Level to "Run this program as an administrator", then click on 'apply', then on 'Ok'. Next, open the folder called 'Bin', and locate the files called 'ContentManager.exe', 'TADDaemon.exe', and 'TrainzUtil.exe' and set the Privilege Level to "Run this program as an administrator" for these files as well.
Please also ensure that you have given Trainz and Content Manager full access in your firewall and anti-virus. Please try adding 'Trainz.exe', 'ContentManager.exe', 'TADDaemon.exe', and 'TrainzUtil.exe' as exceptions in your firewall and anti-virus.
Please then try running an extended database repair in Content Manager.
To do this, first remove all items from the downloads queue, then go to 'file', and then click on 'extended database repair'. Once the repair has completed, please restart Content Manager, and then try using the routes again.
Please keep in mind that from the 1st of September 2018, we have ended support for Trainz Simulator 12 and older (TS12, TS2010, TS2009, TC3, TC1/2, TRS2006, TRS2004, UTC (Trainz Ultimate Collection), Trainz 1.3) due to their age (4 years, and older - TS12 is now over 7 years old), and as such we no longer provide technical support for these editions, as well as support for any online function of these editions of Trainz software (including the download station).
Please see the following for further information on the Trainz Life-Cycle Policy:

If you are experiencing issues with an unsupported edition of Trainz, then we would recommend that you try asking for assistance on our forums, which can be found here:

Kind Regards,
N3VGames Support Team



3rd email convo:


Good Morning TrainzDude439,

In some cases Windows may hide known file extensions (ie the '.exe' part of the filename), in this case you will need locate the file called 'TANE' that is shown as an 'application'. Alternatively, you can make Windows show the file extensions by following these steps:
1) Open File Explorer (aka Windows Explorer, Explorer, etc)
2) Click on 'View' near the top of the window
3) Tick the option for 'File name extensions'
Please then try following the instructions in my previous reply again once you have done this.
If you require any assistance with any other issues, please submit a new ticket through the helpdesk website
Kind Regards,
N3VGames Support Team



4th email convo:

Good Morning TrainzDude439,
There are several different reasons that Trainz may crash, unfortunately most are outside of our control.
Often it may be due to hardware, including hard drives, becoming unstable either due to age or due to becoming too hot. I would first recommend that you check the temperature of your CPU and graphics card (ie using software such as speedfan), and that you try running a defrag on any hard drives (not solid state drives) in your computer.
Otherwise it may sometimes be due to other software that may be running on your computer. I would recommend checking for what other software is running, and see if turning off any non essential programs helps.
It's also possible that there may be corrupt or damaged game files, or content files, in which case you may find that re-installing Trainz may help.
You can backup any downloaded content, or content that you have created, by going into Windows Explorer (or 'my computer'), then navigating to the Trainz folder. In here you will find a folder called 'UserData'. Within this folder will be two folders called 'original' and 'local (there will be others, however these are the two we need to look at). The 'original' folder contains all assets that you have downloaded from the DLS, in the 'original' condition from the DLS. The 'local' folder contains any items that you have modified/installed manually (using the 'import content' option), or items that you have created. Please backup both folders to another location on your hard drive, then re-install Trainz.
Once you have re-installed Trainz, and applied any appropriate service packs, use Content Manager to import the 'original' folder. This may take a long time depending on how much content is in the local folder. Once the 'original' folder has imported, import the 'local' folder. Please overwrite any files when asked, as the 'local' folder will contain the modified versions of assets. Once the import has finished, click on the tab called 'open for edit'. Now press 'ctrl' + 'a' on your keyboard to select all items, then press 'ctrl' + 'm' to commit them. The process of committing the items will take a long time, and it is best to leave it to run overnight. Note, if auto-commit is enabled, then you will not need to commit the files from the open for edit tab, unless you have overwritten files from the 'original' folder.
However please keep in mind that we no longer provide support for Trainz Simulator 12. If you are experiencing issues with an unsupported edition of Trainz, then we would recommend that you try asking for assistance on our forums, which can be found here:

Kind Regards,
N3VGames Support Team
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KotangaGirl: Your specs look good, but how well does your laptop keep itself cool? If your CPU starts getting too hot it will throttle down and eventually lock up causing a crash.

Edit: There's free software called Speccy which is very good for showing what the temperatures of all the components in a computer are while it's running. I've found it very useful for helping to fix cooling problems in my own computers.



I just downloaded it, and it says that my CPU is at 35*C, and my Storage (SanDisk 119GB) is at 38*C. what does this mean?
 
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Those are idle temps for your laptop. What are they when TS12 is running? If the system heats up, it will shutdown, or crash the program that's running by throttling back and killing it. The Intel graphics chip too maybe part of the issue. Instead of running in Open/GL, switch to DirectX.

Ensure you have DirectX 9 installed. You can download that from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34429

To switch to DirectX, you need to start up Trainz. At the Options button, click on Display Settings and switch that from Open/GL to DirectX. (Note: I'm not at my computer where TS12 installed so I my have the screen mixed up - I'm going from memory here).

The registration on the N3V server, even though you did it through Steam, does not always connect. So by contacting the helpdesk and putting in a ticket regarding your registration, you will:

1) Have access to other parts of the forum.
2) Have the ability to download via the Download Station (DLS)
3) Prevents others from bugging you to register because the program doesn't appear in your timeline - this indicates which versions are registered and you are in fact not a pirate, as well as, helps us know what version you are using.

With 20 years of Trainz versions in operation, yes it's been that long, we need to know the details because while they are similar they are different in many ways. It's the only way we know to direct the support to the proper version. We're not trying to be difficult here. Honest.
 
To me, display memory is quite low. It is an integrated graphics, and these are known for been inadequate, unless you use one of the newer generation CPUs. It may however "borrow" space from the virtual memory, but if you use an HDD, it will be too slow. Anyhow, I bought one of these ASUS TUF505 laptops and it play/performs TANE super good. Check it out, they are on special now for riduculous price.
 
Those are idle temps for your laptop. What are they when TS12 is running? If the system heats up, it will shutdown, or crash the program that's running by throttling back and killing it. The Intel graphics chip too maybe part of the issue. Instead of running in Open/GL, switch to DirectX.

Ensure you have DirectX 9 installed. You can download that from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34429

To switch to DirectX, you need to start up Trainz. At the Options button, click on Display Settings and switch that from Open/GL to DirectX. (Note: I'm not at my computer where TS12 installed so I my have the screen mixed up - I'm going from memory here).

The registration on the N3V server, even though you did it through Steam, does not always connect. So by contacting the helpdesk and putting in a ticket regarding your registration, you will:

1) Have access to other parts of the forum.
2) Have the ability to download via the Download Station (DLS)
3) Prevents others from bugging you to register because the program doesn't appear in your timeline - this indicates which versions are registered and you are in fact not a pirate, as well as, helps us know what version you are using.

With 20 years of Trainz versions in operation, yes it's been that long, we need to know the details because while they are similar they are different in many ways. It's the only way we know to direct the support to the proper version. We're not trying to be difficult here. Honest.



CPU is at 66*C right now. I have Trainz 12 open right now. I tried downloading DirectX 9, and it won't let me for some reason.
 
Running a CPU at 155+ degrees (F) can be fatal to a chip. This could very well be the source of your shutdowns and crashes. If the laptop is over a year old, you might want to open it up and blow the dustbunnies out of the ventilation path(s). An under-laptop fan table might help as well.

Bill
 
CPU is at 66*C right now. I have Trainz 12 open right now. I tried downloading DirectX 9, and it won't let me for some reason.

As Bill says that can melt your laptop. High CPU and GPU temps can kill the hardware!

You should be able to download that to your computer. Use a save as when you download it. Don't attempt from any other websites. There's also a copy in your Steam folders so it may not be necessary to download it.

...\Steam\steamapps\common\Steamworks Shared\_CommonRedist\DirectX\Jun2010

Scroll through and look for DXSETUP.

Right-click and run as administrator.

I'm more inclined to think it's the heat that's causing the crashing.
 
John is correct. Steam installs everything needed to run the game.

In your list of games, find the listing for TS12. Right click on the name and choose Properties. A new box will open with 5 tabs, click on the Local Files tab. Choose to Verify Integrity of Game Files.

Let it download and install any missing files.

If everything is OK then it isn't likely to be anything to do with the Steam install.

William
 
Looks to me like the Intel graphics is the problem. To run any sort of game on a laptop you need a proper Nvidia or ATI graphics processor and Trainz is particularly graphics intensive, particularly doing route building.
 
Running a CPU at 155+ degrees (F) can be fatal to a chip. This could very well be the source of your shutdowns and crashes. If the laptop is over a year old, you might want to open it up and blow the dustbunnies out of the ventilation path(s). An under-laptop fan table might help as well.

Bill

I've just given my Xeon computer a sweep out after noticing that the CPU temperatures had started to creep up a little and I removed a good deal of dust from the two heatsinks. Not everyone is brave enough to pull their computer apart and clean it, but it is something that should be done regularly, - especially laptops since they suck in dust about as well as a Roomba.
 
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