Should I scrap Vista for XP?

[Colin00]

I have a newly retrofitted Micromill with PMDX equipment, new HP PC, Mach3 2.0 and an plug n play moschip parallel port installed. Mach3 seems to be doing everything it should but run the motors. I tested motors using driver bd test button (OK), DRO's respond to keybd functions, I think I have the pinouts ok??Have tried numerous configs with no change. I am setting the address for the moschip port according to what it is showing in the resource file and it says all is well with that driver. I have checked it out with a printer and was finally able to get it to work but the mill motors (NO). I am wondering if I should use XP instead. Since this is new to me I thought it be good to upfit the mill and do it all from the ground up to learn this stuff. I don't mind a learning curve however, I am wondering if I should have turned right instead of left at the Vista/XP intersection?? Thanks in advance Colin

[jemmyell]

Originally Posted by Colin00 I have a newly retrofitted Micromill with PMDX equipment, new HP PC, Mach3 2.0 and an plug n play moschip parallel port installed. Mach3 seems to be doing everything it should but run the motors. I tested motors using driver bd test button (OK), DRO's respond to keybd functions, I think I have the pinouts ok??Have tried numerous configs with no change. I am setting the address for the moschip port according to what it is showing in the resource file and it says all is well with that driver. I have checked it out with a printer and was finally able to get it to work but the mill motors (NO). I am wondering if I should use XP instead. Since this is new to me I thought it be good to upfit the mill and do it all from the ground up to learn this stuff. I don't mind a learning curve however, I am wondering if I should have turned right instead of left at the Vista/XP intersection?? Thanks in advance Colin

You will have a MUCH easier time if you use XP. I am currently supporting Vista with my stuff but I really hate it. If it is easy for you to 'downgrade' to XP just do it.

BTW, 'downgrade' means a manufacturer supported conversion. There can be driver / hardware issues going fron Vista to Xp as well as the other way.

-James

[Colin00]

Do you mean I should call and harass MS and make them do it vs. going to the store I bought it from, have another harddrive and Xp installed as to have an two seperate operating systems, which is what someone said I may consider doing. Thanks Colin

[LeeWay]

I am running Vista with no trouble on my mill. I too had to install a dual parallel port card. You need to make sure you have the correct PP address. One of the video's on the Mach 3 site shows you how to go about this. Then strip the thing as bare as you can. Get it running bare bones and it will work great.

There is also a file over there that you have to use for Vista. Just look around and you should find it pretty easy.

[Colin00]

Originally Posted by LeeWay I am running Vista with no trouble on my mill. I too had to install a dual parallel port card. You need to make sure you have the correct PP address. One of the video's on the Mach 3 site shows you how to go about this. Then strip the thing as bare as you can. Get it running bare bones and it will work great. There is also a file over there that you have to use for Vista. Just look around and you should find it pretty easy.

Can you be a little more specific as to which file and where did you say it was? Colin

[LeeWay]

Here is a link to the mach 3 forum.
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php
The second topic down tells about the things you need to do in Vista.
Look specifically at the very first thread in that topic posted by Art.

For the bare bones aspect, I used the XP optomization file pretty much. Also uninstall all of the fancy stuff. DVD players, anti-virus, auto updates, firewalls etc.
Set the display to always on and never sleep. No screen saver or desktop back grounds. Set it for best performance rather than appearance.

Here is a link for the tutorial video's.
http://www.machsupport.com/videos.php

Here is the Yahoo group that you could join.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mach1mach2cnc/

Lots of info there including the XP opto chart.
http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/wJo-SDf...ation%20XP.txt


I used a dual PP card, and the address I needed to use was not the first one, but was the second one. Kinda counterintuative. (let me clarify this) It was the first address for the second PPas listed in the system device drivers.

You also want to initially insure that you have all the latest drivers for everything and have to newest updates for all the software. This goes for XP as well.
All this is assuming that this computer will be dedicated to machine running only and not connected to internet or a network.

[jemmyell]

Originally Posted by Colin00 Do you mean I should call and harass MS and make them do it vs. going to the store I bought it from, have another harddrive and Xp installed as to have an two seperate operating systems, which is what someone said I may consider doing. Thanks Colin

As long as the store does it all should be well. They will know whether they have drivers for that hardware for XP. As for Vista, unless you REALLY have a special application that needs the 'eye candy' I would stay 10 miles away from it. It's now being called the 'new Windows ME' after the OTHER version of windows which was a screaming pile of crap. IF you stay with Vista get a second disk, and Acronis True Image. Make an image of the primary disk EVERY TIME you do ANYTHING to it. Keep a True Image bootable recovery CD handy and you will stay sane. You NEED to do this before even THINKING about SP1 for Vista. BTW, SP3 for XP is also not 'Ready For Prime Time'. So to recap. get XP. run SP2 and use either Ghost 2003 or Acronis True Image for backups. I partition all of my disks at XP install so I can backup to the same physical disk.

-James