stepper motors not being driven

Hi all
I have just bought a three axis TB6560 stepper driver set with mach3 software from China. After several days of learning and you tube videos, I finally had all the motors acting properly, working off G-code programs. I was using a friend's laptop for this because it was handy! with his permission! I then uncoupled the board from this laptop to give back to him and substituted an old laptop of my own running XP.
With the same settings as the first laptop, the second laptop would not drive the motors. On the board, the two large leds lit and so did the five small leds when the laptop was powered up. only to switch off when the program was fully loaded. So, thinking it must be the laptop at fault, I then went back to the first computer, and on switching on, NOTHING. No motors turning, not even buzzing. The two large leds are on, the second small led from the left comes on and the axis leds barely glimmer when software is running some G-code, can just see them when the lights in the room are dimmed.
I'm stumped????
I have checked the settings over and over again and cannot see what,s wrong, pretty sure that I've done something silly? The computer is speaking to the board but not driving the motors.
Any help or ideas gladly received, have I released some demon smoke, or software instructions, or the laptop?????
RJN

I dont use Mach3 but I dont think Mach3 runs very well on laptops without an external motion control board.
Hopefully on of the Mach3 experts will come along soon and see if they can help you out.

Try the original laptop again as a test.

We would need to know what the LEDs are monitoring to make any comments on the board.

Looking through CNCzone, one person mentions that there is no flyback protection diode for the 12V line, which can kill the regulator, and also that there is no heat sink on the 12V regulator. This obviously changes from board to board but if your 12V reg has blown then that might explain why some things light up but only dimly.

Adrian.

the LEDs are lit because power is supplied, but the comms isnt, it suggest you are running in simulation mode, have you checked drivers, and comms channel?