EZ Trak will not save programs

[Machsense]

NC Cams:

Good Morning.

Summation to date:

The hard drive size is 528 MB and when formatted is 504 or 508 MB.
The motherboard Pentium processor is 133 mhz.
I did not see a LBA setting on the BIOS.
I did note that the external and internal caches are enabled.


When running the original Bridgeport disk, version 2.25/4.43 the machine will load and save programs. When running the 3.08 version, it will not load or save programs during Run fucntion.

I have run scandisk and chkdsk and everything is fine.
I have unplugged the hard drive and the machine immediately identified this on reboot.
I can copy program files to the hard drive when in DOS. I was also able to create the PGRMFILES directory as directed by machinetek.

Some thoughts:

The machine has the capability to load and save programs when using version 2.25/4.43 software but not version 3.08. Maybe my copy of ver. 3.08 is bad. It is not the original Bridgeport disk.

If machinetek had a PGRMFILE directory on his machine, why do I not have it on my machine? Is the software written to set up this directory and it is just no doing it.

Thanks again for your time.

Kevin

[NC Cams]

In my case (ver 5 software) the Extrak did NOT want to run out of multiple directories. It wants EVERYTHING in the root directory of the drive, namely C:\.

IF you arbitrarily create a PGRMFILE directory, you can move stuff there via DOS. But I'd suspect that the Eztrak software will never look for it there because it isn't supposed to.

In my case, it won't and I even tried to cheat up the batch file in AUTOEXEC.BAT to try to get it to look elsewheres - no dice, didn't work.

By the way PGRMFILES is an illegal file name - too many characters. You can only have 8 characters in a DOS name.

Why does Machintek have PGRMFILE and you don't?

Maybe because of the software version.

Maybe because he create the PGRMFILE to store data in so as to unclutter the C:\ root directory.

Any time you have a non-factory disk, you have a possibiltiy of:

a. poor or incomplete copy of 3.08
b. inoperative copy, especially if it needs to be a SYSTEM DISK and it isn't.
c. damaged disk.

Why are you trying to used 3.08 if version 2.25 works???

What does ver 3.08 do (besides NOT WORK) or is supposed to do that ver 2.25 doesn't do (besided not give you grief)???

just curious???

FWIW: I upgraded from ver 5 to ver 6 of the Extrak software. Ver 5 worked fine - ver 6 was supposed to have engraving as an added feature. Paying for and loading ver 6 was the beginnning of the biggest PITA that I ever encountered with the Extrak software.

[machintek]

Ok, maybe I have fat fingers. the directory is PGMFILES. When saving a program you obvoiusly already know that the dot and extension are not used, The software puts it in automatically.
Yes, the 3.08 should work. Yes, the hard drive should work. Yes, it is very possible that the software is scrambled. Usually I do a clean install where I check FDISK, then format, load DOS 6.20 and then load the software and then load SYS.BEZ which I saved from before I began this as it is the file with the backlash and pitch error, etc. Note that the older machine software did not have pitch error (lead error) compensation.

George

[Machsense]

George:

Did you program your machine to write program files to the PGMFILES directory or does the software do this itself?

Kevin

[machintek]

if you are using MDI, you are automatically using the conversational part of the software and when you say save and run, it will save it to the hard drive and load it to the BMDC and if version 3.08 to the directory C:\PGMFILES. In that directory it will be seen as as an example 123456768.pgm. Early versions of the software saved a program to the root directory. They quickly found out that there is a finite limit to the amount of files allowed in the root directory and machines started crashing software. Thus they switched to the idea of a sub-directory. Even when you back up files to a floppy, the same limits apply.

George

[Machsense]

George:

I got the machine to load and run the program...

I created the PGMFILES directory on the hard drive as you suggested. When I did this the machine could now see the programs when I went to view them.

However, when I tried to load them, I would get the messsage "ERROR LOADING PRGM TEMP.TXT".

I went to the Utilities screen and found that the machine could read the PGM files due to the creation of the PGMFILES directory. I tried to view all OTHER files on the EZ TRAK and came up empty. There was a default <.>=TEMP.TXT that was displayed. When I hit this <.> there was a message that it could not be found. I'm not sure of the exact message but apparently the program was looking for the C:\TXTFILES directory. Following your logic with creating the PGMFILES directory, I created the TXTFILES and copied a TEMP.TXT file into it.

I rebooted the machine and IT WORKED!!

I could load and run a program.

I am going to try a couple of more tests. I'll let you know how it goes!

One glitch I have now is that the hard drive will not boot the machine up but at least I can load and run programs! I have to figure out if something in the BIOS is toggled and is not allowing the hard drive to boot the machine because I have verified that the software has been loaded onto the hard drive via the Bridgeport startup disk Ver 3.08.

If you have any thoughts on that please let me know!

Thanks for your help and sticking in there with me.

Kevin

Kevin

[NC Cams]

Go back to you BIOS (you should be good at it by now) and look for the page that gives you a boot sequence priority. You may not find it at first but it is there!!!

Set it to "C:\, A:\" or vice versa. Thus, the system will look at both C and A drives for the boot system files. Be sure to save the changes when you bail out and let the system finish/go thru the boot sequence.

[Machsense]

NC Cams:

Thanks.

You're right. With as many times as I have been there in the past couple weeks, I should be able to find it in my sleep!

Thanks for all your help.

So far, I can at least run programs, now I have to try it cutting metal.

Thanks again.

Kevin

[machintek]

To boot from a hard drive, the hard drive parameters must be set correctly as said above. But also it must have command.com and 2 hidden files. Booting means that it loads command.com. From that point the autoexec.bat and config.sys allows it to continue on to loading the EZTRAK software. What error are you seeing?
Way back when this machine was new, boot sector viruses were very common. Most were stealth viruses which means they took active measures to avoid detection and erasure. At this point in time, the hard drive having such a virus is a long shot.

George

[Machsense]

George:

The error I am seeing is:

"Non-System Disk or Disk Error
Replace and press any key when ready"

The hidden files (according to My Window XP Explorer) are

COMMAND.COM
AUTOEXEC
CONFIG.SYS
IO.SYS
MSDOS.SYS

Are the two hidden files you were talking about any of the above?

Also, in the course of performing the diagnostics on the machine, I have formatted the hard drive several times. Will this get rid of any suspected viruses?

Thanks,

Kevin

[NC Cams]

The files you mention are critical but not all of what you need for the disk to be bootable.

If you are trying to boot from a floppy, it has to be a "SYSTEM" disk. If the system is looking for a system disk you can copy any file you want onto it BUT it won't be a real SYSTEM disk unless the computer makes it so.

Hence, the SYSTEM disk is NOT something that you can simply "copy" or arbitrarily create, the system has to be loaded via the computer.

To turn a regular disk into a SYSTEM disk,

1. Exit the Eztrak program and tet into DOS on the 'Trak's machine, not on an XP machine!!!!!. Be at the C:\ prompt on the Trak.

2. Install the floppy that you want to turn into a SYSTEM disk into the A:\ drive on the Extrak computer, again, do NOT USE THE XP SYSTEM TO CREATE THE SYSTEM DISK!!!!!!!!

3. While in a C:\ prompt screeen, type:

sys a:

then press "enter".

4. The computer on the 'Trak will turn the disk into a SYSTEM disk and it should now boot just fine.

Again, you're best bet is to create the SYSTEM disk via the use of the O/S that is on the Eztrak computer system.

Finally, simply put, GET FAMILIAR WITH DOS 6 or 6.2 or 6.22 AND FORGET XP WHEN IT COMES TO DISK MAINTENANCE ISSUES WITH THE EZTRAK.

XP wasn't even a twinkle in the Extrak designer's eye when they created the program that runs the 'Trak so don't expect XP created DOS disks it to work or to work properly with the 'Trak!!!

[Machsense]

NC Cams:

Thanks!!

The machine is running off the hard drive!! I gone through the full cycle from reboot to running a program.

At a future date, I will try to recap and post the parameters and procedures that got me up and running.

Thanks again to you and machinetek.

Sincerely,

Kevin

[Machsense]

The following represents a report on finding a solution for a program loading, saving and running issue on a 1993 EX Trak SX Bridgeport Milling Machine with an upgraded motherboard and hard drive:


Original Problem:

1993 EZ Trak SX would not load, save or run programs.

When attempting to load a program while in the RUN screen, the computer could not find the programs that were loaded onto the hard drive. After displaying a message that it could not find any *.pgm files on the C: hard drive, the computer searched the A: 3.5” floppy drive.

A program file was located on the A: drive and selected to load. However, when the load button was pressed, the computer spit out an error

“ERROR OPENING PGM TEMP.TXT”

followed by

“ERROR – PRGM LOAD FAILED”.

I could create a program, save to the 3.5” floppy drive (not the hard drive) but I could not load it.

Equipment:

1993 Bridgeport EZ Trak SX Milling Machine modified to include a TYAN S1590S 100 AT133Mhz Pentium Motherboard with a hard drive.

EZ Trak software Version 3.08 (not an original Bridgeport disk)

Summary of Fix to the problem:

Computer System Diagnostic Checklist:

1. Fdisk
2. Format
3. Scandisk
4. Checkdisk
5. Loaded and ran a computer game on the Bridgeport computer.
6. Re-format disk.

Changes to the EZ Trak software version 3.08 that fixed the problem:

1. PGMFILES directory added to the C: hard drive.
2. TXTFILES directory added to the C: hard drive.

Problems that came up during troubleshooting that were not the original problem:

1. The computer could not find the C: hard drive after a re-format.
Fix: Ran fdisk DOS program and created partition on C: hard drive.
2. The system lost the ability to boot up from the C: hard drive.
Fix: Ran the sys.com command from the to make C: hard drive bootable again.
Sources of information that helped solve the problem:
1. CNC Zone.com
A. machinetek
B. NC Cams
2. ComputerHope.com
A. DOS command definition and instruction website.

Conclusion:

Original locating and saving problem resulted from the EZ Trak version 3.08 looking for the PGMFILES directory on the C: hard drive and not finding it. By creating the PGMFILES directory AND storing the *.pgm files in it, the locating and save function could now be used.

Original problem of programs not loading into the computer to run, resulted from the EZ Trak version 3.08 looking for the TXTFILES directory on the C: drive and not finding it. By creating the TXTFILES directory on the C: hard drive and moving the temp.txt file to that directory, the programs were now able to load and run.

Recommendations:

1. Run diagnostic checks on the computer to make sure the computer is working correctly.
2. For any system boot problems, focus on the DOS programming first.
3. If the failure occurs after the MS-DOS start-up and during the Bridgeport program loading, focus on the EZ Trak software load.

If anyone has any comments or questions, please let me know.

Thanks to NC Cams and machintek for their help.

Kevin

[moghul]

The following represents a report on finding a solution for a program loading, saving and running issue on a 1993 EX Trak SX Bridgeport Milling Machine with an upgraded motherboard and hard drive:


Original Problem:

1993 EZ Trak SX would not load, save or run programs.

When attempting to load a program while in the RUN screen, the computer could not find the programs that were loaded onto the hard drive. After displaying a message that it could not find any *.pgm files on the C: hard drive, the computer searched the A: 3.5” floppy drive.

A program file was located on the A: drive and selected to load. However, when the load button was pressed, the computer spit out an error

“ERROR OPENING PGM TEMP.TXT”

followed by

“ERROR – PRGM LOAD FAILED”.

I could create a program, save to the 3.5” floppy drive (not the hard drive) but I could not load it.

Equipment:

1993 Bridgeport EZ Trak SX Milling Machine modified to include a TYAN S1590S 100 AT133Mhz Pentium Motherboard with a hard drive.

EZ Trak software Version 3.08 (not an original Bridgeport disk)

Summary of Fix to the problem:

Computer System Diagnostic Checklist:

1. Fdisk
2. Format
3. Scandisk
4. Checkdisk
5. Loaded and ran a computer game on the Bridgeport computer.
6. Re-format disk.

Changes to the EZ Trak software version 3.08 that fixed the problem:

1. PGMFILES directory added to the C: hard drive.
2. TXTFILES directory added to the C: hard drive.

Problems that came up during troubleshooting that were not the original problem:

1. The computer could not find the C: hard drive after a re-format.
Fix: Ran fdisk DOS program and created partition on C: hard drive.
2. The system lost the ability to boot up from the C: hard drive.
Fix: Ran the sys.com command from the to make C: hard drive bootable again.
Sources of information that helped solve the problem:
1. CNC Zone.com
A. machinetek
B. NC Cams
2. ComputerHope.com
A. DOS command definition and instruction website.

Conclusion:

Original locating and saving problem resulted from the EZ Trak version 3.08 looking for the PGMFILES directory on the C: hard drive and not finding it. By creating the PGMFILES directory AND storing the *.pgm files in it, the locating and save function could now be used.

Original problem of programs not loading into the computer to run, resulted from the EZ Trak version 3.08 looking for the TXTFILES directory on the C: drive and not finding it. By creating the TXTFILES directory on the C: hard drive and moving the temp.txt file to that directory, the programs were now able to load and run.

Recommendations:

1. Run diagnostic checks on the computer to make sure the computer is working correctly.
2. For any system boot problems, focus on the DOS programming first.
3. If the failure occurs after the MS-DOS start-up and during the Bridgeport program loading, focus on the EZ Trak software load.

If anyone has any comments or questions, please let me know.

Thanks to NC Cams and machintek for their help.

Kevin

Hi all
I have machine with BMDC3SV REV C . I want it's software. Any one have please send me.