Trying to set up the ESS card  there is good communication with the configuration software but when I install the plugin it seems to install correct but when I start Mach there are no choices for smooth stepper cinfig

Any help would be great

Do you get the option when Mach starts to choose which device to use, ie Parallel Port, ESS etc?
If not go to function configs menu and choose reset device select then restart Mach.
Hood

its very easy. i think you dint install the m3p file in your pc that y its not showing

yes i did reset the device and when the device option menu pops up what should i be seeing

As for the current plugin goes it seems to install correctly but i don't no for sure is there a way to check

thanks adam

You should see SmoothStepper......... in the list, if its not there then the plugin is not installed correctly or you have too many plugins active from other devices and thus it is off the list.
To check if the plugin is installed go to your Mach3 folder then the plugin folder and you should see the plugin there, it will have a .dll extension, if its still a m3p extension either double lick it or manually change it to .dll.
If you have Mach installed to a location other than C:/Mach3 you may have to manually place the plugin in the folder.
Hood

does any have a good resource how manually change the file type from Mp3 to .dll file type for the ESS plugin

You do NOT manually change the file type. You just double click on the file and it will be installed.

You can change it manually if needed by making sure you have the "hide known file extensions" option in Windows unchecked, then its just a case of renaming with a dll rather than a m3p extension.
It is a handy way to do things if trying another plugin as you can rename the previously used plugin from a dll back to a m3p and then if you  need to reinstall it again at a later date it just needs a double click.
Having said that as Jeff mentioned you should just need to double click the m3p file, is that not working?
Hood