TS 2024 failing to load (fixed to a fashion)

[musical_pete]

Hi,

I've read several threads recently regarding TS failing to load beyond the initial screen - "updating scenario database" as mine failed to load for the last month no matter what I did, verifying files twice, full fresh installation from Steam server with every trace of TS removed beforehand, but it still wouldn't load past that screen, up to 10mins at a time before dumping to desktop. During this time I had changed no NVidia settings nor anything else, there had been a Windows update and an Nvidia driver update both of which had never caused issue before on many occasions.

Tonight, finally, I was able to load TS and play a scenario - only after I had deleted my Railworks folder and replaced it with a backup from a year ago, such that it reads TS2023 at present BUT it WORKS.

I had verified files, reinstalled, replaced Windows batch files, freshly installed DirectX, tried different launch options and MANY other things - done all of the things suggested in threads here and various other places, and nothing worked - nothing. I then manually reinstalled TS2023 by shifting around 700GB of files over several hours and it now, finally, works once more - didn't even need verifying after I'd wholesale pasted in my Railworks folder backup from a year ago, just worked straight off the bat including 3rd party content I'd already uninstalled while trying to make it work, because I replaced everything with the data that worked 100% perfectly a year ago including the 3rd party stuff.

I don't know what *they've done with TS2024 recently but it has caused problems for a good number of people, myself having enjoyed it since 2009 accepting that my many thousands of pounds worth of DLC had become kaput, ready to sack it off as a loss.

Now, *they may not be TS2024, Dovetail, RSC etc but something somewhere has worked its way in recently to brick the software for several people and I know it's nothing to do with GPU settings as I've changed nothing while TS now works again with an older installation... something has happened, and it may only affect a small number of people, but something has happened that has bricked TS2024 recently. I'm now happily driving after over a month of failed attempts and I'm now running TS2023 again, not 2024. If it updated back to 2024 and fails to load again, there will be a class action lawsuit against DTG.

[Iron Knights]

VC++ re-distributable Has installed before run, an update from MS ? Works for me.

[Wolfsun]

Based on you fixing the issue by reinstalling older files I recommend trying turning off your Virus scanner if you have one. It may be what's blocking the game (with new files) load? 10 or 15 years ago that was a pretty common thing to have to do. Now? Not so much. Can't hurt to give it shot though?

If turning off the virus scanner let's you load TS 2024 with all new files contact the scanner creators and tell 'em your virus scanner is blocking the loading of TS 2024.

FWIW I get a false positive on new games I buy once or twice a year from Bitdefender and/or Malware Bytes. I generally acknowledge and wait a couple of weeks or a month or so until the issue resolves itself due to most people contacting the virus scanner devs who then resolve the issue.

[Cambridge Bob]

Having the same load problem for months now since last update.
Recommendations from the two above are just guesses, not solutions.

[Cambridge Bob]

OK. Just got the game to load for the first time. Launched it directly from my desktop shortcut and did not launch through the Steam app. Works,

[Faust[er]]

Delete SDBcache in railworks\Content folder. Once you do that and restart the sim your scenario database will rebuild. I suggested this on another forum a few days ago to someone facing this issue and this solved it for them. I've had to do it myself a few times over the years.

[Felix.AVMP]

Would be interesting to know, which version exactly is working for you now.

The pre-TSC 2023 April patch, or the one post it?

Please, have a look at the exact number, when TSC starts.

[Iron Knights]

V77.6B works for me, but then again, I can't recall one time it wasn't starting. Win 10 Home.
Rest is in the profile but I keep a very clean PC and Windows is leashed & strapped to a chair.

[Felix.AVMP]

Well, I meant the OP's.
77.6b works for me just fine.

But it is impossible to dismiss the number of reported issues with TSC2024 posted over last few months by various players merely just as a coincidence.

I think, that you are "on to something" with the VC++ redistributable, but - without exact information, which version works and which does not work for affected players it is impossible to make any meaningful conclusion.

[Bob]

Originally posted by Fauster:

Delete SDBcache in railworks\Content folder. Once you do that and restart the sim your scenario database will rebuild. I suggested this on another forum a few days ago to someone facing this issue and this solved it for them. I've had to do it myself a few times over the years.

I have a no load problem now, highly irritating. I've looked for the railworks\Content folder but don't see it, how can I find it? Thanks

[arktiem]

I had the same problem of the sim not loading. The fix for me, and everything has been working fine since, is to run the game in the DX12 experimental mode when you hit play and it asks which version you want. If you set it to open something by default, just check the settings for the sim and change it from there. I almost gave up trying to run the sim before finding this fix. Good Luck!

[Bob]

Originally posted by arktiem:

I had the same problem of the sim not loading. The fix for me, and everything has been working fine since, is to run the game in the DX12 experimental mode when you hit play and it asks which version you want. If you set it to open something by default, just check the settings for the sim and change it from there. I almost gave up trying to run the sim before finding this fix. Good Luck!

Hi thanks for that idea tried it didn't work. After choosing 64/32 or DX12 the screen goes blank, after a couple of seconds it goes back to the game screen and the 'stop' box reverts to 'play.' A couple of days before I purchased and loaded Pacific Surfliner and it worked fine, played it a few times with no problem. I then downloaded a couple of workshop scenarios which I have since deleted. I'll run the file integrity see if that helps.

[Bob]

Originally posted by Bob:

Originally posted by arktiem:

I had the same problem of the sim not loading. The fix for me, and everything has been working fine since, is to run the game in the DX12 experimental mode when you hit play and it asks which version you want. If you set it to open something by default, just check the settings for the sim and change it from there. I almost gave up trying to run the sim before finding this fix. Good Luck!

Hi thanks for that idea tried it didn't work. After choosing 64/32 or DX12 the screen goes blank, after a couple of seconds it goes back to the game screen and the 'stop' box reverts to 'play.' A couple of days before I purchased and loaded Pacific Surfliner and it worked fine, played it a few times with no problem. I then downloaded a couple of workshop scenarios which I have since deleted. I'll run the file integrity see if that helps.

Latest, this doesn't make sense but here it is. After going into files and trying exe files at random when I hit 'RailWorksDX12_64 exe' the game started. Played it came out. tried it again, it worked again. I then started the game on the main page 64bit and it opened and ran. tried it a few times, now starts fine from the product page. No idea how it happened, just glad it did. Thanks.

[arktiem]

Glad I could help! Take care!

[musical_pete]

Originally posted by Felix.AVMP:

Would be interesting to know, which version exactly is working for you now.

The pre-TSC 2023 April patch, or the one post it?

Please, have a look at the exact number, when TSC starts.

v74.8a apparently.

Unable to use Workshop but not bothered at present. Tempted to leave things as they are for now until a patch or advice from TDG appears... could verify files to update to 2024 v77.6 again but that might brick TS again? I did several verifications with no luck before manually reverting to the old backup Railworks folder that was from September 16th last year, all 360GB of it with the 3rd party stuff I still had installed at that point which funnily enough works fine again...

Must point out that trying different tricks with the .exe files to load did nothing - attempting to run outside of Steam, run as admin etc... I tried all that weeks ago along with ensuring all was well within NVIDIA control panel.

Will wait and see what transpires while carrying on in older TS2023 form...

[Felix.AVMP]

Thank you!
This means, that your machine can run patched version of TSC (unpatched was something like 72.x) and that it most likely has all the necessary runtimes installed.

Well, the rest is up to you... if you feel brave enough and if you have enough storage and time etc., you could backup the currently working version and try to verify and upgrade to 77.6.
And see what happens.