Getting started with Open Rails

[Procopius]

I chose not to install Windows on my computer for about five years. Then I installed virtualbox, a virtual machine program, and installed Windows 10 and MSTS. Recently I discovered that in a virtual machine, MSTS only runs at about 6 frames per second. That's OK, but can be a bit jerky. So I broke down and installed Windows 10 on my hard drive, dual booting with Ubuntu Linux. Now I'm getting 60 frames a second in most of my current activities, so I wish I'd done it before. Now I want to get Open Rails set up. The manual doesn't really help. The Installation Manual is old and doesn't really help. Is there no tutorial? Anywhere?

I've installed OR in c:\OpenRails. Is that good? Should I go back and install it in \Programs or \Programs(86)? Where should I put the content (routes for OR only)? Because I have a MSTS installation already on my hard drive the Content button did not activate -- how do I download stuff? I ran a Marias Pass activity running the ESE locomotive -- how do I put my head out the window? I've looked at a couple of YouTube videos, they don't really tell me anything.

I appreciate any help I can get. I really don't need much -- I did this five or so years ago, I just don't remember, and OR is not the same.
--
Roger

[adreid]

Hi Roger,

Here are the answers for some of your questions:

You have installed Open Rails in a GOOD place - DO NOT install it in \Programs or \Programs(86)!
If you already have content for MSTS installed, you do not need to move anything.
If you are using Open Rails 1.6, the Content button should be active, and will open a window with two tabs (Auto Installed, Manually Installed). Select "Manually Installed", then click on the Add button. Navigate to the folder containing ROUTES and click OK. You should now see an item in the drop-down list for Installation profile, and when you select it, a drop-down list for Route should allow to select the desired route, etc.
If you are running Open Rails 1.5, click on the Options button, then the Content tab. Click on the Add button. Navigate to the folder containing ROUTES and click OK. You should now see an item in the drop-down list for Installation profile, and when you select it, a drop-down list for Route should allow to select the desired route, etc.

Regards,
Dan

[rdayt]

Do not install MSTS or any content to the default location.
C:\trainsim is as good as any. Keep it away from any system folders. Folders created by Windows are protected by the OS and can and will create problems.

Randy

[charland]

So just curious why people keep warning newbies not to install anything in Programs 86? When I first got MSTS it installed itself in Programs 86, that was in 1999 and everything including Open Rails and ORMGNY have been there ever since. I'm not alone, just wondering why people keep saying never to

[superheatedsteam]

Understanding the Protection of C:\Program Files (x86)

What is C:\Program Files (x86)?

C:\Program Files (x86) is a directory in Windows operating systems where 32-bit applications are installed on 64-bit versions of Windows. This folder is separate from C:\Program Files, which is designated for 64-bit applications. Why is it Protected?

The C:\Program Files (x86) folder is protected to maintain system integrity and security. This protection prevents unauthorized changes to installed applications, ensuring that only users with administrative rights can modify files within this directory. Common Issues with Access

• Access Denied Errors: Users may encounter errors when trying to run applications from this folder without administrative privileges. This is due to the folder's write protection.
• Read-Only Behavior: Some applications may behave as if they are read-only when installed in this directory, even if the properties do not indicate this. This can lead to issues with saving settings or configurations.

[charland]

Big difference between "can lead to issues" and "do lead to issues". In the last 26 years I've had "never lead to issues".

Paul :-)

[baldwin]

While it seems that SOME have zero problems with using the Program Files folders, others do report problems, so the mantra, "do not install in these folders" became the norm, and if followed, removed one item that could cause problems and was one less thing to worry about when trying to assist people with problems.

[rdayt]

There have been so many people here over the years that have had so many problems because they used system folders.
I feel it's best to move beyond the days of XP and recognize system folders can be a problem and install elsewhere.

Randy

[geepster775]

I cannot believe we are still litigating this issue among people with known acceptance lags.

[baldwin]

Roger
Basically, anything you could do in MSTS, you can still do in Open Rails. If you have the Open Rails start page open there is a button marked Options. Clicking that will open a page with tabs along the top. One is labelled Keyboard and lists all of the different actions available and the key strokes to make them work. The keyboard menu is also available in game by pressing F1.

Mervyn

[pwillard]

Many people got so tired of trying to explain to people the pitfalls related to Windows protected folders (as the explanation for a person's unexpected operational problems) that they just adopted the stance "Just avoid these folders" and in the long run, it *is* good advice.

Ultimately, there should be an understanding that Open Rails has no official default location (unlike MSTS) and it can be installed in locations that are "user's discretion" AND that content can also be located "anywhere" on your file system and has no requirement to exist where your OpenRails "program" lives... in fact, that is the one thing that is discouraged.

As an example, My Open Rails installation is on my Drive D in a folder called D:\programs\OpenRails and all my content is located in D:\ORTSWORLD. Updating OpenRails is as easy as deleting the contents of my OpenRails folder and replacing it with what I downloaded.