Made a right balls up

[Crazy L]

Hi guys

I should post more often but I've not had much opportunity to use my machine until very recently, and since last week I have been playing,

Alas, I have a Denford mill. A micromill I think, not entirely sure to be honest, and it runs on Mach 3, v 1.8 something. Anyway, I thought it would be an idea to try for updates, so using my other pc I downloaded v3.something, chucked it on a flash drive and installed it on Machine pc..

Unfortunately, due to my incompetence, I overwrote the previous version, and now I am left with a machine that I can't use because the newer version tells me dll files are missing, and other stuff, so now it doesn't actually do anything.

Please help.

[AndyUK]

Hi guys

I should post more often but I've not had much opportunity to use my machine until very recently, and since last week I have been playing,

Alas, I have a Denford mill. A micromill I think, not entirely sure to be honest, and it runs on Mach 3, v 1.8 something. Anyway, I thought it would be an idea to try for updates, so using my other pc I downloaded v3.something, chucked it on a flash drive and installed it on Machine pc..

Unfortunately, due to my incompetence, I overwrote the previous version, and now I am left with a machine that I can't use because the newer version tells me dll files are missing, and other stuff, so now it doesn't actually do anything.

Please help.

Oops.

Oh well. Screenshots would be useful, but ultimately if Mach isn't installing the correct DLLs theres an issue. First off I'd try reinstalling after a reboot (if its trying to overwrite DLLs that are currently in use, it won't go well). Then I'd try downloading a few previous versions, it might be that the installer you picked is crap. You might have a restore point to go back to the old version which is worth a shot. After that I'd start thinking about trying a completely fresh Windows install.

[magicniner]

Unless the version of Mach3 you are using has specific faults which are addressed in later versions, and the later version doesn't have additional faults that are more intrusive (Most after the company changed hands do) there is no good reason to update as after Art Fennerty sold the company software development went to RatShit.
:D

[AndyUK]

Huh. Good to know :)

Is Mach4 worthwhile?

[magicniner]

My little 4-axis benchtop CNC mill runs Mach3 and works flawlessly, I can CAD/CAM a part and know it will come out spot on when I run the code, but I'm going with a DDSCVx.x stand alone controller for a larger mill conversion that's a WIP in my workshop.
From my point of view they took so long bullshitting vapourware before they could knock out a barely functional version of Mach4 that the world has moved on and for hobby machines reasonably priced stand alone controllers are the way forward, options are now available from under £100, just add drivers, PSUs etc. but no PC of any flavour is required, and that's how it should be with a modern professionally engineered CNC controller.

[Crazy L]

Hey guys

I went to fire up the mill PC today, and sweet FA. Nowt. it won't start, at all. My reckoning is that the hard drive is buggered. I only assume this as I put in an old drive I had kicking about from years ago (nothing dodgy on it by the way*) and it booted from that drive, so bios is ok. I swapped back over and nothing again. Monitor didn't even come on.

So maybe the issue yesterday was from a fucked hard drive. I have a spare tower in the loft, but it has vista on it so will have to partition the drive and put XP on there, then pop in the PCI card. Then, I will install the version of Mach I downloaded and see how I get on. Won't be today though, but I will keep you posted.

Magicniner, do you have a link/ or links for stand alone controllers I could peruse please?




*unless you like music and pictures of fetish models

[Crazy L]

Right, I found a driver and downloaded it. It came with a thing called driverupdater or something. Alas, I couldn't install the driver as driverupdater wanted the internet and my mill pc isnt connected so it simply would not install. I got the driver from elsewhere, and again, it came with driverupdater, and as such, wouldnt install without the internet. Bum

[cropwell]

Is this the chip on your printer port board ?

If so your printer driver is here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fjwgmfaue...sFt6cGSta?dl=0 You will have to copy the files to a memory stick and run the Moschip setup program form the stick.

[Crazy L]

Hi Cropwell.

I'm afraid not. the chip has no logo on it, just the aforementioned number and some other numbers. Such as: CH350L, 202205221, CH352PA5@1012, and 0413.

This is just for a driver, hahaha, before I even make a vague attempt at settings etc

Those stand alone controllers are looking really good about now, lol.

[cropwell]

Try this site http://www.johnmears.co.uk/9865IV_AA_Driver.htm