Everything was ok until I carried my control computer up to the house so I could download some training videos. I don't have internet in my shop. I had problems with getting the computer to pick up my wireless adapter. I went to the DLink support site and found the drivers and downloaded them and it still would not work. I then hard wired the computer to the cable router by eithernet cable and that worked. AS soon as I got a connection the computer started to go through the update thing. It downloaded about 6 security fixes and a couple more that I don't know what they are. I have a feeling these updates may be the problem because Mach 3 always worked before this happened. What it does is when I click on the Mach 3 icon a box pops up asking if I want Mach 3 to make changes to this computer when I click the yes box another box pops up asking if I want plasma or CNC plasma I click CNC plasma and the mach 3 logo pops up for a second or two then the machine reboots.

What have I done to my poor system?

I think I found my problem. Somehow automatic updates got turned back on and once I finally got it connected it installed all these latest security updates and one or two of them crashed the system when Mach 3 was loaded. I won't really know for sure if everything is ok until I can get it back into the shop and hooked back up to the table control box but at least I can load Mach 3 now without it shutting the computer down.

So, the moral of your story:
Do not take working machine controller out of the workshop and don't connect it to thr internet.
Local network is OK (for transfering files - GCode, from home to garage)

So, the moral of your story:
Do not take working machine controller out of the workshop and don't connect it to thr internet.
Local network is OK (for transfering files - GCode, from home to garage)

After many hours of searching I finally caught on to the no hookie to the internet.

Sadly I don't know if it really works or not. I bought this table almost 2 years ago and never got a chance to use it. The person I bought it from kept the plasma cutter and it was many months before I could scrape up the money for a new Hypertherm P85, then it took 8 months for the machine to come in. I was told there were a few updates for my programs that are on my computer. I never got the chance to even look for them because of the windows updates that loaded themselves and crashed my machine. I thought that automatic updates were shut off but for some reason they got turned back on.

Maybe you can tell me; my Mach 3 program is Version R3.043.006 is that up to date? I don't use it for anything but this plasma table.

You should be using R3.043.062 version (066 is much buggier an not oblainable on machsupport site)
I use Mach 3 on Windows XP for many years, and not connected ti Inernet, just to local LAN.
Never had any problems.

For CAD/CAM I run Win7 in virtual box (my basic OS is Linux).

Thanks  ZASto.....You will have to be patient with me because I have very little experience with this whole new world of CNC. When looking over the net I see hundreds of web sites offering downloads for Mach 3. inexperienced yes but I didn't fall off the turnip truck this morning either.

What you suggest is to roll back the version I have to R3.043.062. If that is correct, then just how do I go about that? Where do I go to get this version and what are the steps needed to be sure I end up where I need to be and not worst off than I am now.

The guy that had this table used it for little less than a year then decided he didn't have the time to learn it. He had a guy that was working for him that knew enough to get the table up and running and made a few parts but quit shortly after that for greener pastures. At the time I was thinking about buying one of those Plasma Cam machines and I happened by his shop one day and the next thing I knew I went from a small 4x4 table to this big 5x10 for less than I could have bought the Plasma Cam.

My youngest son is really good with computers and one heck of a welder. It was my hopes that he would help me get this thing up and running. Well that didn't work out so I'm on my own. I have plenty of time to spend on getting this up and running but what I don't want is to cause myself any more wasted time like I have gone through this past three weeks. My goal is to get the computer working like it should be so when I take it back to the shop I can go to work.

The only download site is this one that hosts this forum

https://www.machsupport.com/downloads-updates/mach3-downloads/

From your current installation, from c:\mach3 folder copy all .xml files to the USB stick, as well as all *.set files.
Then copy c:\mach3\brains folder to the stick if you have some brains used in your system.
Next, copy c:\mach3\bitmaps folder to the stick if you use some screenset different from derfault one.
And do not forget to copy c:\mach3\mach1lic.dat file to the stick, that is your license file.

Reinstall official version of Mach3 and copy back the files from the stick to the appropriate folders.

Ok, let me be sure I have got this right.

 I found 3) XML files in the Mach3 folder. They were plasma, plasmaCNC, Screen 4

3) set files, Plasma.set, 1024.set, 1024.l.set
Does that sound right to you? The rest of them I found ok.

Looks right to me.
So you use 1024.set which is "default one", but I guess that is bit modified.
.lset is for lathe

Do not forget the license file! Mach1Lic.dat

Thanks, I'll see what I can come up with tomorrow sometime and let you know how it works out.