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Author Topic: How to Kill the Mach3 Process when it hangs with out reboot..........  (Read 6208 times)

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Offline poppabear

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sometimes when a Mach Crash occurs, (mach dissappears off your screen), but yet its process is still running. (i.e. if you double click the Icon to restart it, nothing happens).
Also when you pull up Windows Task manager and look under "Processes", you will see "Mach3.exe" running there but you will not see it under applicaitons as running.......
Even if you click on it in Task Manager>Processes and click "End Now" several times, nothing happens......

You have Two choices, Reboot the entire computer, (not fun), OR:

1).  Goto you Task Manager window (hit Control-Alt-Del) that should bring up a selection, choose task manager.
You will see the "mach3.exe" running under the "processes" Tab.
2).  Now, go to the menu bar above and Click View>Select Columbs..
3). In that window Tick the box for "PID" Process Number, that will bring up another columb in task manager so you can see all the PID's for running processes.
4). Now leave that window open.
5). Now pull up the Command interface (used to be the DOS interface), usually under: Start>(All)Programs>Accessories>Command Prompt
6). Now lets say for Example that you see that the "Mach3.exe" PID number is: 4048
7). Now in that Window after the cursor prompt type (case important here):  TASKKILL /F /PID 4048 /T
8). Now hit the enter Key, if you look at the Processes under task manager, you will see the "Mach3.exe" disappear
9). You can NOW restart Mach3 if you so choose.

I do alot of Playing around with Mach3 doing crazy stuff, VB, plugins, sometimes find bugs, and since I run a Vista laptop as my R&D computer, I got real, real, real tired of rebooting it (takes a good 8 minutes to reboot).  So I dug around in the command interface and found this little jewel, so far works everytime, and I can restart Mach and keep poking it......

Scott
fun times
Dang Scott...I could have used that SEVERAL times earlier today. Thanks for posting it.
Now that recovery is simple, try this: Mach3Turn...standard tool screen..enter 0101 then 0202 in the Tool# DRO..both work good.
Now enter 0303 or 303. It dies as you described. I have a post in General about it. I think the manual is wrong. Entering just the tool # seems to work fine. But why 101 and 202 is ok and 303 kills it is strange to me...I am easily baffled though.
Thanks again,
RC

Offline Hood

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Another way is to start the DriveTest, it usually kills Mach when its in this state. Wait until the prep is succesful and then you should get the Red message Pulsing Too Fast, you can shut the drive test down and Mach should again start. I keep a shortcut on my desktop ;)
Hood
« Last Edit: June 27, 2008, 06:56:09 PM by Hood »

Offline Hood

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RC as I said in your other post but probably didnt explain, I think the reason is that the DRO is for a tool number, the tool numbers in Mill go to 253 or something like that. Turn was adapted from Mill and I think that 253 tools are a left over thing, when you type 202 its ok as its under 233 but if you type 254 it will be over the max.
 Really an offset DRO is needed in turn, I asked a while back for it but Brian is busy and really its a low priority thing so it will come eventually I think.

Hood
« Last Edit: June 27, 2008, 06:57:23 PM by Hood »
Yes, I see that in Mill..256 tools. Makes sense now. It's weird how it blows Mach's mind though.
Thanks,
RC
254...it takes, 255 kills it.
And the Driver Test..........works every time!
Thanks again,
RC

Offline poppabear

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Hood,

    didnt even think about the Driver test, THANKS!!!!1

scott
fun times