ALEX.exe ambush crash

[donions]

I know this has been discussed on here before but I cant find any recent updates on it since 2.5 was released.
I really want to play a Roman campaign using the alex.exe but it crashes on the load-up of the Hannibal Lake Trasimene battle.
I copied the Alex_Only formations_ai from the important stuff folder and placed it in the corresponding data folder for my campaign(Rome one turn), but it doesn't seem to take.

The annoying part tho, is that it did work a couple times, however it was only when the preferences seemed to reset. The ambush would load with Alex.exe but all of a sudden the resolution was back to 1024x800, unit size was back to normal, camera settings were back to default etc...I'd close the game and try to edit preferences so I'd have huge unit size and resolution again, start a new campaign, but now the ambush crash was back.
I'm certain it has something to do with the preferences.txt or the preferences in the launcher; which preferences.txt is the main file? There's the .txt file in the main RTW folder in the preferences folder, then the preferences.txt file in each campaign folder? Should they match content?
ps. I did open the preferences in the launcher and goto other RS2 parameters where the formation options are and experimented with the settings there, but no luck.

I realize this problem has been addressed before and there's no known easy fix for it, but I found it strange that the ambush battle did work with alex.exe under certain circumstances. Tho I couldnt tell you how I created those circumstances. I know it was alex.exe because my Triarii didn't have shield-wall.
I also noticed on the occasions when the ambush did load, I couldnt see Hannibal's army on the campaign map, same goes for the 2nd Carthaginian army, until I tried to move; they were actually hidden. But again this was when the unit size and resolution etc. were set back to default unbeknownst to me; so I'd close the whole game, start again with the settings I'd want and the ambush crash is back.

Any help would be appreciated. Sorry for rambling on.

Do alex.exe users just auto-resolve ambushes/avoid them? Sounds like the best .exe with this 1 exception.