Well tonight I got the machine jogging smoothly.
Possible fixing agent was make port LPT2 on PCI board to operate as EPP.
Now I have to repair all the damage done by re-install, set up my tool height macro and get back to where I should have been before the old computer started hanging and get on with what I wanted to do a week ago.

Thanks for all who have helped me.

Rob

And a packet of HobNobs for the bloke that said the magic words that fixed it 'ECP won't work'.