[JPowell]

Wasn't sure where to ask this general question. My computer is a basic box type machine, relatively new, windows 8 I do believe. I have screensaver setting completely off.

Every few days, sometimes more, sometimes less, the computer freezes up. Once in awhile I go into the shop and the machine <syil x5> spindle is running but it's not in motion and the computer is not locked up but will not stop or control the machine in any way. I have to turn off machine, unplug it and then reboot the computer. More often though, the machine will be spinning and not moving and possibly has even finished it's task, but the computer is frozen up. Might go for 2 days, might go for 5 days, I've had it freeze up in only several hours or less but that's less often. I can't figure out why the computer locks up or loses signal with the machine. I did try changing the parrallel cable, and I also tried doing a defrag on the computer but the defrag was at 0% so it wouldn't even do it..no doubt since the computer only is used to run the mill.

[JPowell]

Oh...just in case you ask...no the computer is not online. There's no internet in the shop. It can go online but would have to be unhooked and carried to the house.

[neilw20]

It is enough trouble getting reliable with XP, let alone Win 8.
I hope I never even see Win8. I bet it goes into noddy land.
Time

[JPowell]

Well, I don't think I can get it into win xp, I think i have to stay with win 8. You figure that's the real issue? Do other people experience this same problem? I have to think that eventually the computer is going to break due to turning it off or unplugging it the hard way. I hate to lose all my settings in Mach 3 too. I keep meaning to, and I guess I better get it done real soon, take photographs of all the settings because eventually no matter what I'm sure to need them. It took a long time to get them set up correctly.

[neilw20]

Just save the XML file. Did you read the TIME link?
There is just so much extra rubbish running in a PC now, the days of using it for real time stuff, and expecting it to work flawlessly are limited, at least using Windows.

[awerby]

That might be Windows trying to automatically update itself. I had the same thing happen in XP, even though the computer wasn't hooked up to the Internet. I'm not sure how relevant the Mach3 optimization document will be to your problem, since it's geared to XP, but it might be worth looking at if only to find some of the processes that you can turn off, like some of the power-saving features which often cause problems. This isn't a laptop by any chance? Where did you find a Windows 8 machine with a parallel port?

Andrew Werby
www.computersculpture.com

[neilw20]

Anything that uses DMA and IDE drives can interrupt Mach3.
This is because the interrupt levels preempt anything that Mach3 does.

[aprice12]

Is your computer running the 32-bit version of Windows 8? I'll second what awerby wrote above: make sure all power saving features are off. I have not used Win8 yet so I can't speak from experience.

New Mach 3 computers with Win XP / Parallel port are available on E-bay. I'll send you a link in a PM.