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Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« on: August 15, 2012, 12:05:20 PM »
Hi all,

I have searched all over this Forum, looking for a solution to my problem. If it is there, and I am sure it will be somewhere, I cannot find it.

I joined this Forum just a couple of days ago, after my attempts to correct the problems failed miserably.

Please feel free to move this Post the correct area if necessary.

Now, a short explanation about my setup.

I purchased a home built Router, about 4X 4 feet in cutting area, several years ago. The computer with it was running XP and Mach3 was licensed. The router was slow, but otherwise, everything worked fine. I have not used it as often as I planned to. I know very little about the workings of Mach3, so I generally left it alone because it worked.

I have 2 computers, both running Mach3. My Desktop computer is a HP Touchscreen and Windows 7 Home Premium, is my development computer. I use DeltaCad to produce the DXF files, then CamBam to produce the gcode. Then I run the gcode thru a licensed Mach3, Version R3.043.022, also on the desktop computer. I do this simply because I have a tendency for oversights and I don't like to keep walking from the garage to the house to correct things. Probably something to do with my age.

When I test run the gcode, it seems to be okay.

Now, to the machine computer, which runs on Windows XP.

For a short while now, maybe a couple of months, I have noticed cutting errors, in the form of unprogrammed arcs, appearing when the cutting was under way. Thinking that the computer might have been on during a storm or power failure, I decided that a Windows re-install should be done. At this point, before the re-install, Mach3 was performing well, except for the aforementioned random arcs.

However, long story short, I ended up with a computer that would not start at all.

I purchased a refurbished XP computer, re-installed Mach3, ran the last gcode I had used. All of this resulted in the same problem. Random arcs. However, an added problem is that now Mach 3, although the license is installed, will only run in demo mode. Additionally, with the replacement computer, I am now seeing extra circles showing in the Table/Job view when the gcode is loaded. These do not show when I test the same file on my desktop computer.

Does anybody have any idea what could be the problem? (other than perhaps the Operator).

This is driving me crazy although, at my age, perhaps I can use it as an excuse sometimes.

Seriously though, I really need help.

Sorry that it turned out to be such a long Post.

Regards and thanks in advance.

Albert

Offline Hood

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Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2012, 03:55:47 PM »
Can you attach the code and your xml and I will see if I can find the problem.
Hood
Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2012, 03:59:36 PM »
Sounds to me like you need to go into GeneralConfig and set Incremental I,J, then make sure your license file is in the Mach3 root directory.

Regards,
Ray L.
Regards,
Ray L.
Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2012, 06:56:31 PM »
Hi Hood,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I have attached both files for you.

When I run the NC file in Mach3, it shows a large circle, starting at the base of the image and occupying a large portion of the image, as well as a very small circle at the top left of the image.

When cutting, the part of the smaller circle which is outside the correct cutting line.

Loading the file into my desktop, no circles will appear, so you probably will not see them. I ran it late yesterday and found that it cut correctly on the first pass, then wrong on the next 2 passes, where the outside part of the small
circle cut, then on the 4th pass, correct cutting, the wrong for the next 3 passes. Then the machine stopped due to the Demo limitation.

Regarding the xml file, it was created by the person I purchased the machine. I know that it controls the machine the way he wanted, but I do not have the knowledge to set one up for myself.

I am just off to work now, but I will run it again later today and try to pinpoint the line number where it starts to cut wrong, although I remember it was around line 250.

It is set up to cut 6mm MDF, using a 3mm Endmill and cutting 6.5mm deep.

To HimyKabibble, the Mach License is definitely in the Mach3 Folder, but I am not sure about the other suggestion you made. I will check it after work today.

Thanks again,

Albert

Offline Hood

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Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2012, 02:59:35 AM »
The xml loaded here and the file shows correctly, I am wondering however if that is definitely the profile you are using on the machine? Could you possibly be loading a different profile when you start Mach?
Regarding the licence, if it is definitely in the correct folder then I would say to email license@machsupport.com and tell Scott you are having problems with the licence and include a copy  in the email so that he can see if it is corrupt.
Hood
Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2012, 07:17:51 AM »
Hi again, Hood,

Thank you for your effort in trying to help me out. Can I ask what operating system you tested my files on? This is my line of thought now, in an effort to do some simple elimination.

When I first bought the Router and XP computer, I transferred the license & Profile from the XP to the Windows 7 computer. Windows is generally upward compatible where files are concerned but not always

downward compatible.

When the XP crashed, I placed the files i needed onto the new XP via USB stick. which I had copied from the Win 7 computer.

This would mean that the license and Profile would now be in NTFS format. Is an XP system able to read and use the NTFS file format?

With a bit of messing around, I can access the original files from the original XP hard drive and copy them directly to the replacement XP, bypassing the Win 7 computer.

While it can't do any harm, it is worth a try.

Another option would be to install Win 7 (32 bit version) on the XP.

This is me clutching at straws but it can't do any more harm.

Thanks again,

Regards,

Albert

Offline Hood

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Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2012, 07:42:36 AM »
I tested them on an XP OS, its all I use. I dont think your problem has anything to do with copying from a different OS and XP is NT file system by dafault so unless you specificaly formatted the drive with FAT32 before the install then it will be NT.
Is there a chance you have installed Mach twice to two different locations and you are starting one and you have placed the licence in the other?
Hood
Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2012, 08:59:35 AM »
"This would mean that the license and Profile would now be in NTFS format. Is an XP system able to read and use the NTFS file format?" - There is no such thing as "NTFS file format".  The file contents are precisely the same, whether you're using DOS, Win 3.x, 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP. Vista or 7.  Only the directory structure and on-disk data organization are different between FAT and NTFS.  The file formats have NEVER changed.

Regards,
Ray L.
Regards,
Ray L.
Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2012, 05:56:28 PM »
Hi again,

I guess there are many possibilities for what could be wrong. The obvious thing to do here is too erase and start again. Thanks to both of you for your help and knowledge.

I will uninstall Mach3 wherever I find it on disk and start again. It worked well once, so it should work again. I still have an uninstalled version of everything on the original XP hard drive which is currently out the XP, so I

will clean the current XP drive and start again.

Again, thanks for all your help.

Best regards,

Albert

Offline Red

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Re: Problems With Mach3 under Windows XP
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2012, 12:28:54 AM »
Hi Albert,
I had two versions of Mach 3 installed - one was the trial version in \programs, the other the licensed version in \Mach3. I had strange things happening. like buttons stopping working, things freezeing mid-cut. I got rid of the extra version and things stabilised.
Red