When you are installing are you definitely choosing to install the port driver?
Have a look in cevice manager and see if the pulse engine is there.
Look in the Mach3 folder and double click on the OrdinaryDriver.dat and see if that helps, if not then try the SpecialDriver.dat, if not then go back to the ordinary.
Not sure on the specs of your computer but you may need to do the optimisation steps which are outlined on the downloads page.
A licence will not help you if you are having issues like that.
Hood