Morning all, I have just got myself a new PC and have re-installed TS2021. Whilst all my DTG add-on's and Steam Workshop routes/scenarios have reinstalled, the many scenarios I created on my old PC have not transferred over. Is there a way of transferring these scenarios over to my new PC, other than uploading them to workshop? Is TS covered by Steam Cloud?
Just copy the entire Railworks folder to your new PC and everything will be back where it was on the old PC... everything. Always have a back up of your Railworks folder. If you only want to copy the scenarios over, then into each route folder that applies to the scenarios you want, and just copy scenario folder, and paste it into the same route on your new PC. The route folders aren't named as you woudl think though, and are usually just a string of numbers, so finding what route is what can be tricky unless you have TS Tools or something similar. While taking longer... I'd just copy the whole Railworks folder. It will take a while... go and do something else for a while... come back when it's finished.
This would be relatively easier if I actually owned a USB :P. Surely in the world we live in now, there must be a way of transferring the railworks folder remotely? Both the old and new PC's are Dells and both run on Windows 10 so I believe there's a feature that enables files to transfer over. Also, since I've now got a Railworks folder on my new PC, will the old folder simply overwrite the one on my new PC? I did start re-installing all my AP DLC yesterday too which are already on my old PC. This is the first time I've done something like this hence my questions
Sure... both machines will have a shared, or public folder, so see if you can see each machine on the home network. If you can, just copy the folder over. Yes, if you tell it to when it prompts you. Which is what you want. You need to get some form of fast, large capacity removable storage though. How are you currently doing back ups?
If you are copying Scenarios you only need to copy the route folder of each - but you need yo know the hex number of each route. An easy way is to copy the Content Folder and you get all routes and scenarios. As Pookeyhead says it is worth backing up your Railworks folders and you can buy a 1TB Portable drive from Argos for under £45. Steam can give you new copies of everything you purchased but all the repaints, non steam routes and trains don't get transferred Peter
Yeah I only really need the routes folder so I will probably just copy that. I can easily redownload my AP/JT and ATS content. I've not really considered having a backup option as I only really got back into TS over lockdown but now I've got a new PC this is something I'll consider doing. So what's the easiest way of transferring the contents folder between two PC's connected to the same network? Via Bluetooth?
In Windows > Settings > Update and Security there is Delivery Optimisation In that section is "Allow Downloads from other PCs" ticking that on both might work Otherwise I don't know. Pookeyhead is a bit more computer literate than me and he might be able to help. For £45 I would just get a Portable HD from Argos
P749 If you are copying Scenarios you only need to copy the route folder of each What about any associated "custom" assets that may also be needed?
Tried this, unfortunately It didn’t appear to work. I do however have 1TB on a OneDrive I have through my university which I hardly use (explains why I didn’t mention it in the first place), could I perhaps transfer my Railworks folder to my new PC using OneDrive?
Yes, you could copy the required folder into One Drive and let it upload then download it on the other one and move it. The two devices probably can't see each other due to firewall settings. Although if both say they are on the same 'private' network it should work out of the box This also may help, particularly the section on network discovery : https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...ndows-10-b58704b2-f53a-4b82-7bc1-80f9994725bf
Precisely. It's a worthwhile investment. I's not only Train Simulator you'll need to back up. Unless you bought the PC just for TS, you'll have other things on there you'd be upset if you lost. That will make it less of an ordeal, but as Peter Hayes also mentioned, some scenarios may have reliance upon other assets that may not be immediately obvious. Unless you are fully aware of what each route, or scenario needs to run, it's better to just copy the entire RW folder back over. Yes, it's massive... and yes it's a pain, but so is going through each of your scenarios to ensure they are working because you can't remember exactly what each one needs. Yes, you could, but how fast is your upload speed, and how big is your Railwork's folder? Assuming an average UK upload speed of 10Mbits/sec, that will be a LONG time if your Railworks folder is a few hundred Gigabytes in size. It is a solution though if you are prepared to do it, and once done, you could use a sync program to only upload any new content on an incremental basis. Downloading it again when needed will be a lot faster. There are many reasons why two PCs on the same home network may not see one another, but here are the most usual reasons but I'll go through them one or two at a time until we've identified the issue rather that just machine gun you with every possible cause. 1. Are both PCs on the same Workgroup? Open "This PC".... then right click the background (not a drive or device) and select Properties...which will open the basic System Properties. Make a note of the Workgroup and check that both machines are on the same Workgroup. If not, click on "Change Settings" in the above section... Click on "Change"... ..then type in the name of the desired network in the "Workgroup" field. Click OK to close.. click apply and close on System Properties as well... then reboot (It will have already informed you that settings will not take effect until you reboot). Can you see each machine on the network now? If not (or they already match), let me know and we'll move onto the next thing to try.
Also.. when you open "Network".... can you see anything at all from the other computer(s) or devices? ...like this?
2. Do you have Network Discovery and File Sharing enabled? Open Settings, and select Network and Internet.... Select Network and Sharing Centre.... Select Change Advanced Sharing Settings.... For "Private Networks" set as below on both machines. For All Networks, set as below on both machines. If you still can't see the pother computer on the same workgroup, you can try setting Public Network settings as below... but normally it shouldn't be necessary.
Usually if you want to see any network drive easily (without hassles) you would set the sharing tab obviously and set FULL permissions on the drive you need access to that includes, Everyone, Authenticated users, System, Administrators, Users. This ensures you get full permission to the drive that you are trying to access and copying is easier. These can be removed after copying finishes. Don't forget too when you are copying across files from one network drive to another Windows can get funny about long file names and that may need to be addressed. I found after years of frustration that using synchronisation software (with filters set to only copy newer files and files that are not on the new drive - plus filtering out the usual TS dross, *.tgt, *.cost, *.bak and so on) was the easiest and fastest method of achieving the transfer, and long file names were not an issue. You can tell Windows until you are blue in the face that you don't need a password to log on to a network drive on another PC (even on the same homegroup) and on occasion it will insist that still have to do it. Then comes the day that you "lose" (or loose as they say in the vernacular) the password then the battle begins to get access to the drive!!
The initial transfer will still be massive, and will still essentially need to copy the entire folder. Also, advising a beginner (which he seems to be but will apologise later if he's not) to start setting filters for file types may not be a fantastic idea at this stage. Best to just dump the entire folder. Once he has achieved that, then I shall be advising him on how to maintain an incremental back up. Walk first.... run later.
Great advice here. Having just backed up RW folder, I’d just add it’s definitely an overnight job: leave it running. Although it might be from a few tens of GB to 100-200 GB, depending on the ‘size of your layout’, the RW folder comprises hundreds of thousands of small files that take forever to copy: while a single 4K video of 10GB will copy in tens of seconds, the same amount of small files will be into tens of minutes, possibly. I’ve never used any clouds, but I can imagine given typical broadband upload speeds, that this would take a long time.
PH The initial transfer will still be massive, and will still essentially need to copy the entire folder. Also, advising a beginner (which he seems to be but will apologise later if he's not) to start setting filters for file types may not be a fantastic idea at this stage. Best to just dump the entire folder. Once he has achieved that, then I shall be advising him on how to maintain an incremental back up. Walk first.... run later. I was just merely relaying my own experiences with TS file transfer - I wasn't advising anyone beginner or otherwise. I have transferred TS files since 2012 then a massive 20 GB to today a more manageable 400GB about 20 times - OS changes - HDD/SSD changes and so on and for ME, file synchronisation software works best.
I know... I use it myself. I use SyncBackFree by 2BrightSparks. Works like a charm, and is, as the name suggests, free. I also use it to sync my server to it's back up server.
You can also open the route properties file in Notepad and see which route it is. But Ts-Tools is easy as well, since you can see scenario folders and can quickly search that folder within Railworks\Content
So I managed to make some progress with this tonight and copied over the Railworks folder on my old PC into a public folder. Once this was complete, I was able to access this on my new PC and have started copying it over into my steam drive (steamapps>common) and I have left this overnight. Something that's slightly concerning is that I've not been prompted to overwrite the Railworks folder I have on my new PC yet, but perhaps this will come once all the data is copied over?
Yes, annoyingly, that happens towards the end. Once done, post again to let us know everything is OK, and I will then walk you through maintaining that back up, so it remains current at all times.
It appears that the computer lost connection with the older PC overnight and unfortunately the download didn’t complete. I’m trying again but it keeps getting stuck, although I can (just about) connect to both computers. Could be because there’s a lot of people connected to the internet however.
I'm going to give you a basic tip here. Don't leave it overnite if you know it can disconnect. Do a certain folder or set of folders at a time and monitor it. Do enough at a time that you can leave and come back in 15 minutes if you do need to get up. If you then see it failed that, do that particular set of folders again. Going at this piecemeal method means you will be able to just copy whatever bits you need. Also, if you installed anything from Just Trains, etc. on the old machine (things that have an installer), run those installers on the new PC normally (after putting other requirements in manually of course, such as if you need a train installed to add certain liveries), then copy everything else once these installations are completed.
Things not going great with my attempt at this! I've got a new machine and plenty of scenarios etc. I'd like to copy from my old box. I started off by zipping up the c:\Program Files(x86)\Steam\steamapps directory. I also zipped up the c:\Program Files(x86)\steamapps\userdata directory. I then installed Steam onto my new machine. There's not enough room for it on the C: drive, so I've placed it in the D:\Steam directory on the new machine. I then unzipped steamapps and userdata into the right places under D:\Steam on the new machine. I then tried to start up TS and it fired up, printed out the usual updating Scenario Database and then popped before it got to the main menu with the out of memory message. (I think that message is just basically the default exception handler for an unhandled exception). What's interesting is that although all I did was Zip up the files on my old machine, I get exactly the same crash now on the old machine! I guess this may mean it was broken to start with - although I was running it fine recently. Maybe I should validate the cache on the old machine and get it running there before starting the process all over again... Sigh!
Indeed. I'm doing that. Then I'll start again on the new machine. Sounds like I only need to copy the Railworks folder too - TS is the only Steam game I have.
Really, we shouldn't have to go through this pain. Steam should be able to do it for us. All that needs to be done is that you install Steam on the new machine. Then, with the old machine switched on and running steam, you ask steam to transfer all content to the new machine. The implementation of that is really simple. Steam on the new mahcine simply has to initiate a TCP/IP connection over the LAN to the old machine, and once that connection is established, it should be a doddle to transfer everything overy that connection.... Instead they end up with cheesed up customers, and a large bill in terms of supporting them. And there's the business case for making this easy.......
It does effectively. If you only installed stuff from Steam, you effectively just have to re-install Steam on your new machine and it will put everything back. It's only when you have 3rd Party content, freeware addons etc that you have this issue. Why should steam back up your 3rd party content that has nothing to do with Steam? What exactly do you want them to do? Why woudl Steam want to do this when you can just re-install your game files? The only reason backing up your Railworks folder is important is because most of us have content that has nothing to do with Steam... reskins, 3rd party trains and routes etc. If all you had was stuff bought from Steam, then you'd not need to back it up, and you'd not need to transfer your current install anywhere. You are suggesting Steam should be responsible for transferring your Armstrong Powerhouse content, or your Just Trains content, or your reskins downloaded from UKTS etc. Why should they facilitate the backing up of stuff that has nothing to do with them? Correct. If you have non-Steam content that is.
Because: 1 it improves their customer reputation - which makes people more likely to stick with them. Happy wife, happy life. 2 The cost of doing it (probably one engineer x 1 week = peanuts) is probably significantly smaller than the cost to them of dealing with all the support requests and moans and groans every time anybody wants to move their stuff. 3 It lightens the load on (a) their disk space (cloud), (b) their internet connections to their cloud and (c) Processor grunt of their servers. Why pay for disk space, intrnet bandwidth and processing power when, with a bit of software, all of that can be offloaded to a LAN using somebody elses kit? I work in the industry writing TCP/IP software. Trust me, I could get software to get a connection between two machines and copy a directory hierarchy within about a day, if that. The rest of the stuff would simply be intergrating it with Steam itself.
It will be a nightmare for them. If they even try to support the importing, maintenance and migration of third party software/files that has nothing to do with them, they're opening a massive can of worms for themselves. Then how come you are having so much trouble copying your Railworks folder from one machine to another? There is literally no reason for Steam to facilitate the migration of files from one of your home machines to another when those files are nothing to do with them. Would you like them to wake you up in the morning with a nice cup of tea as well? Seems to me like you are having trouble because you didn't check the available disk space on your new machine before copying the files over, then had to try again on a larger drive, and you also copied a TS install that was already corrupt, and you had no back up.. which is surprising for an IT professional.
Er? I haven't changed my target drive on the new machine - that's something you appear to have invented. I'm not having trouble copying the railworks folder over - that again is something you appear to have invented. You also asserted that I had no back up. Again wrongly. I've still got a working installation on my old machine and I've got a backup. Multiple backups actually. I run a full backup regime on my entire network. The only thing I take from those sorts of comments is that you appear to like making up stuff. That reduces my confidence in what you do say. So forgive me if I take it with a pinch of salt. It is simply not enough to copy the railworks folder over. It does not work. I've gone through the following process from scratch twice now, and it definitely does not work. 1. Install Steam on New Machine. 2. Install TS2021. Runs fine but missing content from old machine (obviously). 3. Copy entire railworks directory from old machine into same place on new machine. 4. On new machine validate local files. This triggers the new machine into re-acquiring content. That shouldn't be a problem, and it certainly hasn't been a problem in the past. All it will do is validate the content that it knows about. 5. Start TS. Still no "external content". Whoops. Conclusion: Simply copying the railworks tree isn't enough. But never mind, I've done a bit of digging and got it all working now - you need to shift other state over, not just the railworks directory. ;o) Personally, I think that if a company sells you a game which allows you to create content, then it's a good idea for it to help you to move that created content around with your installation. I don't expect them to make me tea. Or coffee, or hot chocolate. Nor am I expecting them to support/maintain external files/cotent either. But I do expect them to support the game they sold to me. And in that vein I don't think it's that unreasonable (or indeed difficult) for them to be able to shift installations about on LANs. Many other companies do help. The most obvious is mobile phone providers. They'll help you shift phone numbers and apps across to your new phone. Presumably because they've realised that by being helpful, they can win business! You can feel free to disagree with me on that one, but there's no need to be so rude. Such as the IT Professional rubbish that you wrote. The funny thing is you're almost certainly using my software every single day of your life. Not mickey mouse playing train games software either - although at one stage I was head hunted to get involved with Train Sim! (They couldn't afford me, and besides I've worked on real simulators, full cab mock ups and all!). I was also head hunted by the Chief Engineer at Brush Traction to do it with real trains too. Turned that one down too didn't fancy living in Loughborough.
Steam don't make the game. DTG does. Steam is merely a delivery platform and point of sale, so why should Steam help you move your TS files around just because Dovetail allow people to create their own content in the game? I'm sorry, but it's a ridiculous suggestion. Just copy the files yourself. I can understand a beginner needing some help with doing this over their LAN, but as an uber IT guru who creates software that apparently we all use every day of our lives, why are you finding this so difficult? Just copy the files. I've done it more times than I care to remember. It IS all you need to do, assuming everything in the Railworks folder is working as it should. Apparently, you seem to have an issue with your old Railworks folder having corrupt of missing files, so copying it over will also copy over the corrupt files, and you'll still have missing ones. Getting Steam to validate files will only fix content from Steam. If you have any third party or user generated content, that will not be fixed by doing this. If you have literally no third party content at all, then why are you even doing this at all? Obviously you must have 3rd party content... or you'd not be copying your Railworks directory over. This 3rd party content will not be validated or have new versions pushed to your machine by Steam. It has nothing to do with Steam. If you have 3rd party content that was installed using an installer script, like JT or AP stuff, then just run the installers again... which you will need to do on a new machine any way.
This is the official way to move steam games plus all add-on content to any drive anywhere The following instructions are a simple way to move your Steam installation along with your games: Exit the Steam client application. Browse to the Steam installation folder for the Steam installation you would like to move (C:\Program Files\Steam by default). Delete all of the files and folders except the SteamApps & Userdata folders and Steam.exe Cut and paste the whole Steam folder to the new location, for example: D:\Games\Steam\ Launch Steam and log into your account. Steam will briefly update and then you will be logged into your account. For installed games, verify your game cache files and you will be ready to play. All future game content will be downloaded to the new folder (D:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\ in this example) Moving a Steam Installation and Games - Steam Support (steampowered.com) Was this followed exactly?
Cutting back to the chase, I finally got my files transferred over. In the end I only transferred the content folder over but from what I can see, everything seems to be working as it should do!
