Just disable the softlimits and see if it works, button is right below the DROs at the right on the main programme run screen.
 It kind of sounds like you have the Softlimits set wrong but a pic of your machine would help clarify, if you have such a thing.
Hood

i forgot to mention -- it does this even though i deactivated the soft limits button on the main screen

i will pic the machine

OK if it does it with softlimits disabled then thats not your problem.
Hood

i sent a reply w/ a picture but it hasn't shown up. i will try again

Hood, i have tried to send a pic 4 times now, keep getting a message saying that there is already a file w/ that name, but i have renamed the file every time.

LOL, sounds like you are a bad picker of names Think you have my email address if so just mail it to me.
Hood

news: i turned the pc off and started it up again and the jogging is back to normal. i'm going to leave the soft limits button off and deal with that another day, but i still have the file load problem. do i have to get Artsoft to send another download link in order to reinstall mach?

Just download from here http://www.machsupport.com/downloads/Mach3Version3.042.020.exe

Hood

do i have to get Artsoft to send another download link in order to reinstall mach?

Nope, just look here at the tabs at the top, downloads. Just download and install it. If you have a Mach licenses it should find it during instalattion. I make it a habbit to back up all my stuff and save to a thumb drive. Screen sets, xmls, custom macros, Licenses, etc.

Brett