Problem with RailPro Assistant Upgrade

[MtRR75]

Last week I got RailPro Assistant downloaded (for the first time) on a borrowed Windows machine (Our family only has Macs).  I successfully downloaded some files.  Today, when I saw that there were new steam sounds available, I booted RailPro Assistant.  It notified me that there was a new version, and recommended that I upgrade.  I pushed the upgrade button, and some time later got a message saying that the upgrade was successful.  But when I booted RailPro Assistant, I got the old version.  None of the new files were present.

I checked the modification date on the RailPro Assistant file -- it was last week.

I searched the directories and found a file called RailProAssistant Package.exe, which had a modification date of today.  I booted this file and was given the error message that this file "is not a valid win32 application".

What am i doing wrong?  Keep in mind that I am a Windows novice.

[nodcc4me]

Are you trying to download it into Windows XP? It will no longer run on XP. If you are using a different version of Windows, try doing a full install instead of an update.

[melarson]

I, too, am experiencing problems with the new Assistant.  I'm running Windows 7 64-bit and have had Assistant Rev 2.02 installed and running for many months.  When I run the RailPro Assistant Installer (Rev 2.00) and answer all the questions (accept license, update or reinstall all, select networks), it does nothing for perhaps 20 to 30 seconds, then throws an error stating "Could not copy files from Ring Engineering!"  When I click that away, the installer unloads.  I've checked the firewall and the program (railproassistantinstaller.exe) has permissions on both Home/Work (Private), and Public, networks.  I'm wondering if the Ring server is experiencing problems or if it is just my network.

I will be taking the laptop home tonight to see if I can get it to install there.

Michael

[MtRR75]

Are you trying to download it into Windows XP? It will no longer run on XP. If you are using a different version of Windows, try doing a full install instead of an update.

Since I am a Mac guy, I don't know much about Windows versions (or how to tell what I am running).  The guy who loaned me the laptop said: "It is running Windows 7..., but really it is Vista." ---- whatever that means.

[nodcc4me]

If it is Win 7 or Vista, it should run. Try the full install option.

[MtRR75]

OK, I've got RailPro Assistant 3.00 running, now. There turned out to be two issues.

(1) The download button kept saying Ver 2.02, so I kept getting Ver. 2.02.  That was because FoxFire kept using the cashed screen instead of refreshing it -- even after rebooting FoxFir.  I had to empty the case first.  Then the new version's installer was downloaded.

(2) The second problem was that because I still had Ver. 2.02 in my Ring Engineering folder, somehow, the installer would not replace Ver 2.02 with Ver 3.00 -- even though the screen said that it did.  After I trashed the whole Ring Engineering Folder, and re-ran the installer, it did install the new version.

Now I can see the new sounds.

Thanks for your help.

[nodcc4me]

Glad you got it figured out.

[G8B4Life]

I, too, am experiencing problems with the new Assistant

Michael, I am able to replicate what your seeing trying to run the installer on my virtual Win7, though I haven't the foggiest idea why it's not connecting with the new RP server. I am investigating but if you still can't get it to load I can just provide the downloaded package and give you instructions to install it manually if you'd like.

- Tim

[William Brillinger]

Note: PLEASE be sure to let Tim Ring know about any issues you have with the new RPA software.

send an email to support@ringengineering.com

[MtRR75]

I already did.

[Alan]

I searched the directories and found a file called RailProAssistant Package.exe, which had a modification date of today.  I booted this file and was given the error message that this file "is not a valid win32 application".

Assuming the install/update completed correctly, you can launch (boot in your terms) by double-clicking either "RailPro Assistant" or "RailProAssistant.exe" in the <Program Files / Ring Engineering / RailPro Assistant> folder. Both are highlighted below. The former is just a shortcut to the latter.



Interestingly, RailPro Assistant does not insert itself into the Start Menu list of installed programs on Win 10. At least it did not on my two machines. I believe it is the first installed program I've seen have that omission. Seems a little sloppy on Ring's part. It does place a desktop shortcut. Pinning "RailProAssistant.exe" to the Start menu was my workaround.

I mentioned earlier that I had submitted an exception report to Avast back when I installed RPA 1.0. It must have worked. This is the message Avast delivered when I updated to the latest RPA version:

[melarson]

Michael, I am able to replicate what your seeing trying to run the installer on my virtual Win7, though I haven't the foggiest idea why it's not connecting with the new RP server. I am investigating but if you still can't get it to load I can just provide the downloaded package and give you instructions to install it manually if you'd like.

- Tim

My apologies for forgetting to post last night after trying the install/upgrade at home.  It worked, first time.  It took a while but it completed, and I started RA and verified the rev: 3.00.  So apparently there is something about my workplace network that disallowed this communication.  Can't imagine why though.  Once fired up at work I could see pictures, sounds, and light effects.  Oh well, I'm just glad it's now working!

Thanks Tim for checking this out.  I haven't the time to pursue it, especially at work, but it would be interesting to hear of anything you discover.

Michael

[G8B4Life]

Thanks Tim for checking this out.  I haven't the time to pursue it, especially at work, but it would be interesting to hear of anything you discover.

Michael

Glad to hear you got it working. To tell the truth it seems I've been chasing a dead end; on my virtual Win 7 I can make the installer and the RPA program either both work or both not work depending on which network adapter (bridged or NAT) the virtual machine uses.

I can only theorise that your works firewall didn't like something about the way the installer communicated. RPA 3 and the installer  communicate to Ring's servers using UDP and not TCP. It's possible that there was something about the packets that the installer was sending / trying to receive that got the firewall all hooked up where RPA itself doesn't have packet issues so RPA can communicate to RE's servers over your works network.

Interestingly, RailPro Assistant does not insert itself into the Start Menu list of installed programs on Win 10. At least it did not on my two machines. I believe it is the first installed program I've seen have that omission. Seems a little sloppy on Ring's part. It does place a desktop shortcut. Pinning "RailProAssistant.exe" to the Start menu was my workaround.

Ring's installer is not much more than a downloader that can run files. I haven't studied it much but given how simple the installer is the code to add a start menu entry is probably too convoluted to bother with.

- Tim

[Alan]

Ring's installer is not much more than a downloader that can run files.

Son of a gun, you are spot on. Thanks Tim. That will teach me to pay closer attention. It is an IExpress extraction package that doesn't 'install' anything. There are no associated Registry keys. One assumes when a program says "Installing" and it places itself in Program Files on C: that it is a conventional installed program. Now, I completely understand why no Start Menu entry. This also confirms Ring's server must be terribly slow. My computer is a screamer and my ISP is blazing yet the install took a very long time.

Oh well, doesn't matter. It works and that's all that's needed.

[G8B4Life]

It is an IExpress extraction package that doesn't 'install' anything.

Correct. A bonus of this method is clean up is very easy if one no longer needs RPA, it can be simply deleted. The USB driver would have to be uninstalled properly though.

To explain this for others that might be wondering what we're on about, All the RPA "installer" does is basically download an executable zip file and run it. It does the same for the USB drivers. You could do all this manually with about the same level of effort and one less file downloaded.

This also confirms Ring's server must be terribly slow. My computer is a screamer and my ISP is blazing yet the install took a very long time.

I've long maintained that Rings server is exceptionally slow. I've long had a sneaking suspicion about the server so I checked it out today and pretty well confirmed my suspicion; the server that serves RPA is probably sitting on a bench in his office. The IP address points to an adsl connection, not a web server. This means that the RPA server is most likely bound by whatever residential/business broadband plan he has.

I don't know much about broadband plans in the US but if they're anything like here then the upload speed (what the server is doing when it's sending us files) will be very slow. I really don't know why he can't put it all on the web server, the speed is more than frustrating when you realise that it takes 20 minutes or more to get a 2 megabyte file!!!!

Don't talk about your computer; it fills me with envy 

- Tim