Play larger maps, 3GB enabler
Sometimes Sid Meier’s Railroads simply crashes for no fault of the player or the map maker. When this happens it is likely because the game ran out of memory and when it went to go do that one more thing it found that it couldn’t, so it crashes.
Luckily there is a fix for this. It is called the 3GB enabler and was originally made for another game that suffered from this bug, Stalker. I have edited the files so that they work with RailRoads.exe. Download the files from the bottom of this post and make sure you read the Readme I have copy pasted here:
Edit: If you are running the 32bit versions of Windows Vista or 7 you must skip the “Directions” section and instead follow this post to make 3GB enabler work under Vista & 7 due to the lack of boot.ini.
****** VERY IMPORTANT: IF YOU ARE USING AN x64 OPERATING SYSTEM: SKIP THE “DIRECTIONS” SECTION.
Introduction:
This is for intermediate to advanced Windows users.
Follow the instructions carefully…the risk is minimal, as long as you backup your RailRoads.exe.This will enable RailRoads to use over 2GB of memory in the application space. It uses conventional tools using a batch file so everyone can see nothing suspicious goes on.
This tool will automatically set the header in the RailRoads.exe so that it can address more than 2GB memory.
Normally XP will only address up to 2GB memory for applications and 2Gb for the kernel.
If we add a boot.ini switch /3GB, then XP is allowed to address up to 3GB for applications.
But unfortunately only applications that are enabled with “IMAGE_FILE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE” header can utilize more than 2GB of the space.I highly recommend you look at some official information here at microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx
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Directions:
First you need to tell XP/Vista that it can use more than 2GB of RAM for applications.
Manually edit your boot.ini file by adding ” /3GB /Userva=2900″ to your boot.ini (no quotes).
Your boot.ini is normally read only and you will need to change that temporarily while you edit it.
To do this, right-click the file and untick “Read Only”. After editing the file, restore the Read-only status.
To Edit it manually you can find it on the root of your system drive or
go to system properties/advanced tab, settings under ‘startup and recovery’ section, then hit edit.Mine looks like: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Windows XP Professional” /FASTDETECT /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /3GB /Userva=2900
Yours maybe different, the only thing you should change is add ” /3GB /Userva=2900″.
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Now for the tool to enable RailRoads to use more than 2GB…
*** Important: First make a backup original of you RailRoads.exe, by renaming the copy to Oblivion.exe.original ***
The tool will add the “LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE” header for you to your executable.
Copy RailRoads.exe to this folder.
Doubleclick startme.bat then the menu walks you through.
1) Hit the A key to add the large address header.
2) Press any key to continue.
3) When back at main menu hit ‘V’ to output the headers in text so you can see the values.
4) Now you can check to see if it is enabled. Scroll to the top and look for section “FILE HEADER VALUES”. Look for a line in that section that says “Application can handle large (>2GB) addresses”. It’s the tenth line down in that section. If you see that line then the executable is now enabled for >2GB, you are done.
5) Copy the enabled RailRoads.exe back to your Sid Meier’s Railroads! folder.
6) To avoid any strange issues with future patches, I suggest you rename your 3GB capable RailRoads.exe to something else like RailRoads3GB.exe, then make a shortcut to it on your desktop. In the meanwhile, keep the original where it belongs and you will avoid any possible patching or online issues.At anytime if you want to remove the large address header then you can restore you original backed up exe or use the app and use the Remove function and it will remove the header. Once you run (R) to remove the header you have the original exe back, the MD5 hashes do match.
No strange side effects have been witnessed, but glad I can play some big games now.
Alright, since you have read the above this link will download the 3GB enabler edited for Sid Meiers Railroads. Do not forget to listen to the readme’s warning and skip the “directions” section of the instructions if you have a 64Bit operating system.
I am not quite sure if this is still revelent.
I think Vista service pack #2 took care of it.
It didn’t, I had SP2 and Rodea’s large map was still crashing right until I used this patch.
Also IMHO this is not a problem that microsoft can fix since it is a problem with the exe and not the operating system.
I have read the readme file, but I still not sure where to put the files, can you please explan it to a dummy like me. Thanks
You need to put the files in the in the my programs/2k/sid meier’s railroads folder.
Hi,
thanks for the tips. It seems that I have a problem with the .exe file: at the end of the list (after pressing “V” and seeing the modifications) I read this:
“Fatal error LNK1106: invalid file or disk full: cannot seek to x14ef367″
Any advice?
Thanks
Are the files in the correct location? ie are all the files you need stored in the same folder as the script?
Hi,
first, thanks for the quick response.
The answer is yes, I put all the files in my Railroads! folder. This after trying it the way you explained, moving railroad.exe in a different folder with the .bat file, editing the file then moving it back.
Ok then you’ll have to try the manual method that coconut explains here: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1090651
If encounter an error when following that guide please take a screen shot of it and mention where you are encountering the error, this way I will be able to know where the problem is.
http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian/mswinswdev/msdev_lnk1106ifodf.htm
That link mentions that your hard drive might be full, are you sure it isn’t?
Apologies is this is teaching grandma to suck eggs, but it might just be Vista’s UAC getting in the way. Try right clicking the batch file and selecting ‘Run as Administrator’.
Hey I have windowss 7 and have the same memory problem however Windows 7 no longer has a boot.ini and the other way
system properties/advanced tab, settings under ’startup and recovery’ section, then hit edit.
does not work as when i click on the startup and recovery button and go in there is no edit button. However patching the game file is fine i just cant figure out how to tell windows 7 to let it use more than 2gb.
Any help much appreciated
Sam are you sure you are not on a 64-bit system? Is it still crashing when the game goes over 2GB?
yep still crashing when it goes over 2GB. Checked this by looking at system information as soon as it crashes and it always say 1.99GB used when it crashes. And i’m running on 32 bit windows 7 prof
Edit: Windows Task manager (performance Tab) and says 1.99GB used
Alright Sam I have a fix for you: http://www.sevenforums.com/performance-maintenance/26643-3gb-switch.html
That thread will allow you to do the same thing as the boot.ini would have done. If you have any problems with it you should be able to post there, although I expect you should be set!
Thanks a heap for looking for me. I have now applied the fix and will now go test it. *fingers crossed*
Well, I can only assume it has worked. My email says that you posted that an hour ago, had it crashed I would expect you to be back by now. =)
Yep finally got it to go over 2gb Phisical Memory usage and all is fine.
So anyone with windows 7 (32 bit), i’ll reclarify what to do. Do everything the same as with vista with the railroads file by modifying it with “LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE” but when it comes to modifing the boot.ini file you cant because it does not exist use this new method.
1. Open an elevated command prompt (right click on command prompt and run as administraitor)
2. type in bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVa 3072
Viola you are done
P.S. Remember to always boot up from the new modded railroads.exe as i forgot and started using the shortcut on the desktop forgetting.
I tried all this but everytime I go to run the game it says, Application error. Failed to find steam. Then opens a web page in my browser. Maybe I don’t need it? In task manager it says 848,430 in memory for smr. Idk i’m stupid on this stuff. any help would be appreciated.
It sounds like that is really a steam shortcut and not the railroads.exe. Where did you find this exe?
Steam\steamapps\common\sidmeier’srailroads\railroads.exe
My game locks up really bad after i put down tracks. It jumps to 900,000kb on the memory and after a few seconds it’s playable again. Would this help that at all?
No, your problem is not that the game is using too much memory but that the game has to recalculate the track paths.
The only solution to that problem is to get a more powerful computer.
I’m running the 965 Phenom II BE. AMD doesn’t make a more powerful cpu that i know of. Shouldn’t this be more than enough to run this ?
With enough track any CPU will bog.
Oh ok. It does say around 2 or 3k miles of track when it does lol. Thanks you for your help Warll. I really appreciate it alot.
Yeah that is a lot of track.
Please Help I can not Find boot.ini, can someone Help
This fix is only relevant if you have over 2GB of DRAM on your computer though right? My laptop is old, and I can only expand my memory to 2 GB . . .
It likely will not work, but there is a chance that it will help by allowing the program to use your virtual memory.
I feel kinda stupid, but when I open the startme file, go to the next part where it says choose A to add R to remove ect and hit A it says oblivion.exe has not been copied to this folder, and it has been copied. Can you help me?
Sorry springwater I had forgotten to change that error message (I should say Railroads.exe), what you need to do is move Railroads.exe into the same folder as the script.
You can find railroads.exe in the smr folder in “my programs”.
Yeah, I did that. Railroads.exe is in the same folder as the script.
What folder is the “startme” file in?
In the Sid Meier’s Railroads folder.
Here use this pre-patched file: http://www.mediafire.com/?oqvgqywwemd
Don’t forget to apply the 1.1 patch before you replace the exe.
Okay, thanks that worked. But now what do I do with the file? It says it’s missing a .dll file.
Which file, and when does it say that?
Oh, sorry. Bah I’m new at this. The Railroads file you gave me the link to. It says it when I click on Railroads to play it. I already did the three 3gb enabler. Ha, ha sorry this must be annoying.
Is the new railroads.exe in the program files / smr folder?
Yes indeed it is.
Would it be possible to do a reinstall of SMR? Once you have it reinstalled try following this manual guide: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1090651
If you run into a problem with the guide tell me where and what error you get.
Warll my game goes over 2gb on memory and i dont think i have the 3gb enabler Problem: it works fine for awhile but then suddenly it locks up and it says abnormal problem or something like that.
now it was loading it was taking a long time i alt+tabed out and got my task manager it said 2.25GB then i exited out clicked on railroads and it said abnormal progam termination and advice or anything.
Jared have you installed the 3GB Enabler patch?
I am new to Railroads, and am excited about this website. I have a laptop with 2G of memory. It’s newer, but the cheapey dell. Has there been any feedback about 2Gs using the 3Gb patch? I saw some preliminary talk above about possible use of virtual memory. No feedback though. I only want to mess with code if it’s necessary as I am a mediocre computer guy.
Also, are there recommended maps for us neanderthal 2Gbs dudes? I thought this might be a cool subsections of the map database.
The two maps I have tried, Europa and the first one on the list….a something about a real railroad crash when I load them.
Any hints for 2Gbs guys on lessening RAM use by Railroads to stretch our memory?? Graphic settings, etc?
Finally, impressive site. The idea of playing dozens of maps really is something exciting. I thought the downfall of RR Tycoon 2 was the limitation of scenarios.
Thx,
P.
Unfortunately the 3Gb enabler will likely not do you much good.
Try reducing the texture quality setting and reducing the number of trees.
Next to see if your problem is not enough ram try running the game in windowed mode and having task manager open at the same time and monitoring ram consumption. You can run smr in windowed mode by unselecting “run full screen”, and then selecting a lower resolution.
Good luck!
Thanks a bunch! I’ll try all of those.
P.
I need some help. I’m running a Windows Vista 64bit computer. I can’t seem to find Boot.ini. and this link http://www.mediafire.com/?oqvgqywwemd doesn’t seem to lead me anywhere. Could somebody send me a copy of their already edited Railroads.exe? Or post it.
Hi, im running windows Vista, after following the step by step instructions on how to install the 3gb enabler and installing it, my game crashes every time i try to run any map. i never had this problem until i installed this enabler =(
can any one help me out?
Try re-installing which will refresh the exe.