Windows 7 Installation - Insights and Probable Solution

[jeb2cav]

I’ve been a little interested in the Win 7 problems that have cropped up as I’m thinking about getting a new machine in the next few months and it will have a Win7 OS.

The three threads that have had a fair amount of conversation are:

Dedicated laptop for controller - http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... in+7#p2227

Frustrated - http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... in+7#p2066

New laptop & Window 7 - http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... in+7#p1714

Hitch reports in “Dedicated laptop for controller” that he now has it “working” as a result of some additional input from Tim Owens. I followed up with Hitch about this to improve my understanding of the details as I don’t yet have a Win7 box.

So – for what it’s worth, here’s some things to probably watch out for and use if you are a new Windows 7 user. This is not meant to replace any guidance Next Wave Automation or Rockler might publish in the future.

One of the primary contributors to this condition appears to be how the computer’s user account is first established. Probably, new accounts on a Win 7 machine are setup by the manufacturer to be established at a security level that is less than administrator. This is probably more likely on a laptop as the industry perception is that this machine is at more risk otherwise by the average user. This would explain why only one brand of laptop worked “out of the box” across the 3 or 4 purchased by some; or why a desktop worked “out of the box” but a laptop didn’t.

The fact that a lot of the reported problems with laptops seemed to be limited to the 64bit version of the OS appears to now be a red herring.

You could check this on your machine and either setup an account that has administrator privileges, modify your current account to have administrator privileges, or try the steps outlined below to get the functionality desired without fooling with accounts and privileges. Even if the account you are using has administrator privileges, you may still need to try the steps below (as the software may not be compliant in this regard from a MS view, so can only run on Win7 as admin).

0. If you’ve already installed vcredist_x86.exe and the CNCShark basic panel – and it doesn’t work, uninstall it.

1. It absolutely doesn’t hurt to check with your manufacturer to see if there are updated drivers for your machine – particularly USB or firmware updates (that state addressing USB issues) – and if so, install them before starting this process.

2. Go ahead and disable your anti-virus application. You can enable it after you install and ensure everything is working, and you shouldn't have to disable it to run the basic panel after successful installation. This step may not be required, but can't hurt anything.

3. Run the vcredist_x86.exe as an administrator. Right click on the .exe file and select “Run as Administrator”. If your machine asks for the administrator credentials, and you haven’t set up any other admin accounts, you can find this information in your documentation (the default admin setup by the manufacturer).

Run Install As Administrator.png

Run as Administrator

(5.73 KiB) Not downloaded yet

4. Run the CNCShark basic panel installer as an administrator.

5. Connect the controller via usb cable to the computer and turn on the controller power. You should then get the found new hardware and hardware installed successfully.

6. Go to Programs, CNC Shark Basic Panel, right click and select run as administrator.

7. The basic panel should start and you should be able to jog. If so, you should be able to load and run a project file, and also run the firmware updater (be sure to right click and select run as administrator).

8. To avoid having to always right click and select run as administrator to start the basic panel (while being able to select an app for all the other stuff installed on your machine) – you can actually set the program’s parameters to run as administrator in a few simple steps. This link - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11 ... rator.html- outlines your choices and has pictures. Option 4 is the most straight forward in my opinion.

9. If you haven't rebooted, be sure to enable your anti-virus app.

Welcome feedback, correction and comment. Hope this is useful to Win 7 users.

[Buc]

Joe,

Thanks for your help. Someday I may be smarter than a fifth grader. My windows 7 (64bit) still working just fine.

Buc