I am trying to setup a computer to run our CNC machine. I am more techy than machinist (BF is the machinist but knows nothing about computers). I had to add two new ports to the computer to connect the plasma. Everything is loaded on the computer. When I launch the Mach3 plasma and pull up a g-code design it does run on the control panel. But it will not make the machine move. I thought it was due to the new ports I added. I do seem the listed under the device manager (under other device and not under ports (COM & LPT) but I can not seem to get anything to run. I am not sure if its the way I installed the software or that I installed the ports incorrectly. Any help would be fantastic!

Your ports need to be installed as Com port LPT1 LPT2 and the addresses need to be obtained from device properties and entered into Mach3 before it will work. As a techie you should know this.

Yes, I am aware of the device properties entered into Mach 3. While I do understand most computer procedures this is my first time installing a port into a computer. When I installed the drives it listed it as an other device. I am not sure how to have the device read as a com port. This computer is also not connected to the internet being in a shop so drives and such are being added through a external hard drive or flash drive.

You need to install a driver go into properties and update the driver, when it searches it may not find correct driver but if you select show all instead of compatable then let me choose from a list, you should be able to find a generic microsoft com lpt port driver.

To avoid duplicate threads running at the same time discussion on this topic continues here http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,32273.0.html

Tweakie.