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Author Topic: Should I scrap Vista for XP?  (Read 20786 times)

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Offline Jeff_Birt

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2008, 09:11:22 AM »
I think all this anti-Vista smack talk is rubbish. It sounds like to me that your parallel adapter does not work properly with Vista. So, it is a driver issue.
Happy machining , Jeff Birt
 

Offline Hood

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2008, 09:21:40 AM »
Jeff, show me where anyone has suggested that the problem is other than the driver, PCI card or a Mach setup problem, I certainly havent. What I have said is Vista is a memory hog and likes to take control away from you and if you dispute that fact then I think you must work for Bill :)

Hood

Offline Jeff_Birt

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2008, 09:23:41 AM »
Quote
Hood the laptop i bought HAS 2 gig ram Intel duel core CPU, with vista about as fast as a snail.

Forgot this comment: Laptops are problematic with Mach anyhow. I had issues getting Mach to run properly on my older Dell Latitude properly it was running XP. I did all the power management tweaks (look for thread here called something like "how to use a laptop with Mach"), and got it sort-of working. It is VERY likely that power management is handled differently with Vista on a laptop than with XP and nobody has put together all the tweaks to make it work. In my case I had an older desktop that was going to run the machine anyhow on the machine so I switched over to it and have had no issues since.

If you really, really want to use your laptop then look into using a SmoothStepper board. It connects via USB and moves the pulse generation off the PC. I think it will solve your issues.

As a side note I have been running Vista on the laptop I am using now for 8 months or so (don't have Mach on here) and have no complaints. 99.999% of all anti-Vista complaints I have read are bunk. Something happens on the PC so folks mindlessly blame Vista.
Happy machining , Jeff Birt
 

Offline Jeff_Birt

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2008, 11:04:46 AM »
Hood, look at posts 1, 3, 6, 7, 8....and no I don't work for 'Bill' (exactly the kind of mindless comments I was referring to.), in fact I would say most comments in this thread have done nothing to help out the OP...

Let's compare memory to shop space. You have a 2000 square foot shop and N number of tools. Are you going to figure out how to cram all your tool into as little space as possible (and keep tripping over everything when trying to work) or are you going to figure out how to make the best use of the space you have available? I bet you choose the latter. You wouldn't use up every square inch as you may need to bring items in/out, but you would lay your tools out to take the most advantage of the space you have available.

Operating systems 'should' treat memory the same way. If you have two gigs of memory then the OS should make the most out of that space, not cram every application into as little RAM as possible (and wind up with big slow swap files).

As you said Hood, the problem lies in the driver or Mach set up (most likely), my bet is on the driver as most drivers suck (Machs LPT driver is great though). The OP should be certain that he has the proper driver installed, sometimes the default one that Vista (or XP) chooses are 'generic' and do not fully support all of a devices functions. The biggest issue probably is that it is a laptop. A quick search would reveal all number of problems with Mach and laptops. I would again suggest that a SmoothStepper would be the way to go.

Happy machining , Jeff Birt
 

Offline Hood

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2008, 11:51:52 AM »
The reason most in this thread have not helped out is for two reasons, firstly he has another thread running and secondly and most importantly is what he was asking in this thread, ie he was wanting opinions on what people thought of Vista and whether anyone has Mach running with it. As I have never tried Mach with Vista  I cant give an answer to that but I have messed with enough computers in the last year that have Vista on them to know that it needs copious amounts of memory to perform at even a slow pace.

 As for my comment regarding working for Bill, obviously you didnt see the emoticon, it was said in good humour.

Your analagy about the shop space and memory has gone way over my head, my take on it is if you have 2Gig of memory and run XP you will need 4 times that to run Vista at anything coming near to a similar speed. XP in itself is not efficient with memory but compared to Vista it is positively frugal.

Your comment regarding the laptop is also misplaced as from what I see Phill is not saying he tried it with Mach, he is merely confirming how much of a memory hog Vista is with normal day to day aplications. Also I fail to see where the OP says he has a laptop, if its a PCI card he is using then I would think it be a desktop.



Oh and also I fail to see anyone in the posts you mention saying that it is Vistas fault, well maybe in post 1 but that is the OP himself so that doesnt count :)

Just myt thoughts on the matter, obviously yours differ and I respect that and it will give the OP all the more to go on to make his mind up reagrding which OS he decides to use with Mach.

Hood

Offline Kristin D

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2008, 01:28:48 PM »
Well now that the Vista/XP/Linux thing has been beat to death, I would seem we are back to a hardware issue if there is no voltage on the cable pins. So I Propose the following again.

1- I can't recall (since this thread is split in two) if the cable its self was ever checked for continuity pin for pin to make sure it is wired straight through.
2- Seems there was a mention that the driver installed was a download from the net because "I could not figure out the CD" according to the OP
3- Time to remove the hardware, reboot and start clean, perhaps even try a different slot if avalable and install it with the driver provided on the included CD.
4- Has this card been tested with the most obvious thing, a printer?
5- Since the OP does not own a copy of XP that does not seem to be much of an option, adding a HDD & buying XP would probably be more than just buying a PC already loaded with XP, there are plenty of off lease machines cheap.

Kristin


PS- Thanks Hood for bringing this back around to the topic.

Offline CT

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2008, 05:03:35 PM »
I appreciate all the comments, am sorry for the thread split (I know now I should not do that) and will attempt at responding to all that are relative:

1. It is a Desktop
2. This may very well be human error and is why I could use some help.
3. I am not sure how to fix the port issue.

Kristen,

1. I did check the cable pin to pin (OK).
2. I downloaded the driver online because the instruction sheet that came with it did not say anything about what to do for Vista (Culprit?). So, I went on line and let it determine whether it was capatible with Vista and figured it would tell me if it was not. In fact, whenever I go into the driver files it says it is working fine. I am a real newbie to this so, I believe what it is telling me.
3. You are saying I should remove the PCI slot card & driver only? (Only have the one slot)
4. If I send it to printer, it does everything but lay down the ink. (Ink was old) It would not work at first, I had to eventually go into port setup and click the pooling box and all the ports available. Not really sure which one it was. Should I redo that and determine this?
5. It sounds like a cheap lease machine is the way to go before adding XP to this one. I thought I was doing the right thing by purchasing a new computer dedicated for this purpose and thought I did enough investigating. Maybe I didn't!

Thanks again

 Colin

Offline Hood

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #17 on: May 29, 2008, 05:10:21 PM »
If its working with a printer then it seems that the port is working fine and looks like its a setup issue with Mach. Please attach your xml and we can have a look and see if anything is amiss. In the meantime go to the Mach3 Folder and run the DriveTest.exe (Mach needs to be shut down when doing this) Also look in device manager and make sure the Pulse engine is installed.
Hood

Offline CT

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #18 on: May 29, 2008, 05:21:02 PM »
I don't mean to ask a dumb question, but do you mind telling me how to do that XML thing?..Do I need to be online? Also, I do not remember seeing a pulse engine in the device manager. Did I miss that too? I will look again now. Thanks Hood

I did check for the pulser engines (Mach3Driver??) It is there and status says it is working properly. I will do the other stuff as well.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2008, 05:30:38 PM by CT »

Offline Hood

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Re: Should I scrap Vista for XP?
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2008, 05:29:30 PM »
the xml you will find in the Mach3 folder, if you are just using the standard Mach3Mill profile that will be its name. Copy it to the desktop and then rename it, you can then go to the forums full reply form (press reply button rather than using the quick reply) you will then see additional options where you can then browse to the xml you have renamed and attach it. Rename it CT.xml or similar, that way the forum will accept it.
Hood