problems-win7 32bit

KTarke

Senior Member
I have tried all I can... reloaded and reinstalled, no use.

The problem is, that in BOTH, programming editor AND winaxepad (newest ones),any operation ,that needs "options"-window takes 1/2 to 2minutes (on the titlerow is the text "program not responding".Usually, not always)
AND both programs have casual problems with usb-cord.(newest rev-ed drivers,should I use chip-manufacturers drivers???)

Win 7 now downloads on its own a driver for axe-usb-cable (shows version number 2.00.00) and DOES NOT let to update it to downloaded 2,06 !
(is it, that win7 SHOWS wrong number, it IS 2.06, though shows 2.00)

Though "program not responding" the usage of processor(s) does NOT rise from a few %, as usually does ,when programs "tilt".

The same symptom, if cable is connected or not, and if any drivers are installed or not.

Win7 is updated to the latest- and I WILL NOT re-install operating system...

No such problems in the other SIMILAR laptop, Linux and axepad in it. (Linux-axepad has it own troubles, though)

Since, I got my first Picaxe just over a month ago, I haven't been able to test other windows's. So, I don't know, is this ONLY a win7 problem. (maybe I should try a very old laptop with XP in it)

Win 7 is new, and new updates may conflict w/ programeditor, but is their any known issues? Should I try to set same state of compatability with older windowses?

I use the tool very much, because I am developing a serie of products (based on Picaxe), and the programmer should work smoothly. The problems are rising blood pressure.

I must plug the cable between diiferent Picaxes, and in the meantime use the laptop to other things, Picaxe not plugged. And every time I plug in again, it is at least five minutes, before I am ready to send a program to Picaxe (in the worst case, 10 minutes is lost, before I can establish connection)

It is the same, if editor is open or not, and do I plug the cable before or after starting editor.
AND really would not like to close the editor, if I have several program-windows open...

Have tried a usb-rs232 adapter, and Picaxe rs232-cable too. WONDER, downloading is faster!
But the SAME problems with the "options"-window.

Any thoughts/advice?
 
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Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Very long delays loading the option dialog are only the result of external issues - e.g do you have lots of bluetooth com ports? The options dialog attempts to open each COM port in turn to see if it is available or not, and if you have a (non-active) bluetooth COM port this can cause big delays as bluetooth tries to connect - try disabling it.
Do you also get the delays if you hit the 'refresh' button in COM port options?

We only recommend the AXE027 version driver that is on the software download page.
 

marks

Senior Member
win7 64 bit

I have a similar problem when programing to 20x2 picake
refuses to program at times just hangs with both usb and r232(a bit more reliable)
have found if it doesnt program
pulling power off and then on to picake just after urve hit to program restores com
then it programs ok
never shows a problem when checking coms ports lights up green ok
i think its a windows 7 problem only.
 

KTarke

Senior Member
Very long delays loading the option dialog are only the result of external issues - e.g do you have lots of bluetooth com ports? The options dialog attempts to open each COM port in turn to see if it is available or not, and if you have a (non-active) bluetooth COM port this can cause big delays as bluetooth tries to connect - try disabling it.
Do you also get the delays if you hit the 'refresh' button in COM port options?

We only recommend the AXE027 version driver that is on the software download page.
I HAVE a lot of BT-com ports (really need them---) BUT does NOT help disabling them.
Even if I disable all activity to any other com port PE SAYS THAT COM-PORT IS IN USE OF ANOTHER APP. This is new.
Before I COULD program (even though there was the told lag with any port-operation)
Now, I have re-installed PE, reinstalled drivers, and PE says WITH ANY com-port adress, that it is in use of another program!
BEFORE my Profilic usb-rs232 adapter+serial Picaxe cable worked well, but now, the same issue there,too(port used by another...)

NOTE! same adapter STILL WORKS with another program, that connects a pic-processor via serial cable (this is a product, max232 between pic and port)

PECULIAR IS that "options" reads nicely firmware from the chip!! So, there IS a working connection. But crashes immediately when trying to program.

Installed PE to a very old laptop with WinXP. No lag in the program, serial cable works well (will tomorrow test the usb cable too)

IT SEEMS that PE has some serious issues with WIN7! And since I a month ago first time installed PE, it worked "somehow", but now it refuses co-operation fully! (could it be one of the newest Microsoft updates for win7 ???? ,since before it has worked, now ,not at all)

Tech: have You tested PE with ALL the newest updates in win7?
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
Even if I disable all activity to any other com port PE SAYS THAT COM-PORT IS IN USE OF ANOTHER APP. This is new.
Can you post a screen shot or precisely detail the error you are getting. There is only one case I know of where the PE will specifically report a COM port is in use by another application and that is when the check for AXE027 cable is used.

Microsoft updates should not affect operation of the PE; PE simply asks Windows if a particular port is available or not and greys out the radio button option or not. What happens when you use Refresh ?
 
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Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Tech: have You tested PE with ALL the newest updates in win7?
There are large numbers of users using Windows 7 without any problems, we also have Windows 7 machines here which are fully up to date and working fine with the AXE027.

As you have large number of bluetooth ports this is far more likely to be the cause of the delays than a specific Windows 7 problem.
 

KTarke

Senior Member
Made a test:

In an old laptop with XP, all cables and PE work well.
(usb-cable,rs232-cable,rs232-cable with profilic usb-adapter)


Test with win7-laptop:

-switched off all usb-bluetooth ports
-rebooted windows
-plugged in usb cable
-checked in device manager, that everything looks good. (cable is com7, and no device, that uses any comports is connected)
-started PE. Start takes 20sec. ,less than with usb-bluetooths on.
-settings shows the right prosessor, and com7 checked.
-open program and try to program > SERIAL PORT ERROR- serial port does not exist or it is already in use
-takes 20 sec. to settings to appear.
-settings show com7 checked (nothing is greyed)
-scan for usb cable gives: An axe 027 download cable is connected to COM7 and is ready for use.
-press OK on settings - 20sec. lag
-try to program > again SERIAL PORT ERROR


No help, if I change usb-cables COM-adress to something else (in device manager).

This is ODD. I have a lot of programs on my laptop, also two programs that connect a PIC-product through a rs232-cable. Those two programs ,however ,use different com-port, when they are used.

No other program on my computer causes trouble.

I have two programs, which automatically contacts with my phone, and they should be on all the time... They use usb-bt-com ports, but they are NOT online when I have disabled usb-bt-ports. (closed the programs ,too)

I don't have a clue, what's wrong here...

EDIT:
-same lags /same errors with windows axepad
-maybe I should program Picaxe only with the old XP-laptop, this is starting to get on the nerve.
 
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hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
I have managed to reproduce the "Serial port does not exist or is already in use" indication under XP. That required PE to be set for COMx, closed, some other application to be started which uses COMx, and PE to be restarted. PE assumes it is still going to be using COMx but then finds it cannot do so.

This is a case of PE attempting to use COMx, asking Windows to allocate COMx for itself and Windows indicating it cannot, either COMx does not exist or something else has already claimed COMx. That an AXE027 check succeeds with a "ready for use" status indicates that when it asked for COMx to be allocated, it was. Thus it seems that at some times Windows will allocate COMx to PE, other times it will not.

The most likely reason for this is some other software which is scanning serial ports which asks for COM ports to see what is available and then releases them. When that program has COMx allocated, PE cannot also be allocated it, when the other software does not have COMx allocated, PE can have it allocated. I would therefore check to see exactly what applications you have running in the system tray, in the background and as system services and disable those. An application which repeatedly scans through some or all ports looking for a connection from a PDA, mobile phone or similar could cause this behaviour. Such a situation would affect WinAXEpad as well as PE.

This might also explain why you can do a Firmware Check but not a Program Download; it could all depend on timing, whether the COMx is available for use or whether something else has grabbed it for its own use. Attempting Firmware Check may sometimes work, sometimes fail. You could try to check if that is the case.

I'm still a bit concerned about what device driver you have installed for AXE027, not sure why it won't let you install version 2.06, but that's possibly a secondary issue.
 

KTarke

Senior Member
I have managed to reproduce the "Serial port does not exist or is already in use" indication under XP. That required PE to be set for COMx, closed, some other application to be started which uses COMx, and PE to be restarted. PE assumes it is still going to be using COMx but then finds it cannot do so.

This is a case of PE attempting to use COMx, asking Windows to allocate COMx for itself and Windows indicating it cannot, either COMx does not exist or something else has already claimed COMx. That an AXE027 check succeeds with a "ready for use" status indicates that when it asked for COMx to be allocated, it was. Thus it seems that at some times Windows will allocate COMx to PE, other times it will not.

The most likely reason for this is some other software which is scanning serial ports which asks for COM ports to see what is available and then releases them. When that program has COMx allocated, PE cannot also be allocated it, when the other software does not have COMx allocated, PE can have it allocated. I would therefore check to see exactly what applications you have running in the system tray, in the background and as system services and disable those. An application which repeatedly scans through some or all ports looking for a connection from a PDA, mobile phone or similar could cause this behaviour. Such a situation would affect WinAXEpad as well as PE.

This might also explain why you can do a Firmware Check but not a Program Download; it could all depend on timing, whether the COMx is available for use or whether something else has grabbed it for its own use. Attempting Firmware Check may sometimes work, sometimes fail. You could try to check if that is the case.

I'm still a bit concerned about what device driver you have installed for AXE027, not sure why it won't let you install version 2.06, but that's possibly a secondary issue.
Thank You Hippy ,again, for Your experteze!

First thing I did (when bigger problems started),was to search for background programs, that could use com ports... Did find a few, but they were not in "active stage", disabled anyway. Also, at the last test (which I wrote today), I disabled ALL programs, that even COULD use a com-port...

I have been wondering... Win7 is quite new, and it certainly has it flaws. It could be, that there might be some DLL's which may reserve ports. (maybe leftovers from deleted programs).
Odd is, that when the (big) problems started with PE, I still could *occasionally* program... after re-installing PE, no programming any more...
Is it possible, that PE left something? (did not find)
Used the same version in re-install, but re-loaded it...

Also, at the first, i loaded the newest cable-driver from Rev-Ed, but did not pay attention, HOW the installation went (did not read the instructions. Maybe windows DID find a driver from MS database? cause the device manager showed version 2.00.00. Anyway, it DID work for a few weeks...)
NOW, when I carefully re-installed drivers, device manager shows 2.06 in both items, as it should.

To find out, what is wrong ,have to Goooogle a lot to find similar problems/ some info about win7 com-port handling. I am sure, there IS something different from Vista, it was seen in the beta-stage (I think, that MS was going to drop the whole native com-port handling, but was forced to "glue it back"). Still, there is ONLY a one usb-rs232 chipset ,that works well with win7. FTDI has a really diiferent approach as the others, and it works therefore...
(a lot of people are quite mad, as their very-expensive Belkin (and others)-cords does NOT work with win7, because a wrong chipset. I have given my customers the cheap (~$10) adapter, which works perfectly (the right chipset).

I use Linux too (but unfortunately many programs that I need, does not...)
Like many things in Linux, and FINALLY win7 is going to sam direction (you don't have to dig the windows from the pile:))
Vista works better than the predecessors, but is horrible to use,was glad to update to win7, no matter it is RAW like all MS products are a few years...

Axepad could be the solution, but it still needs a little work. (I don' use any fancy simulators etc. ,so axepad would be enough for me, but yet it tends to chrash eventually)

Since, PE and cable seem to work PERFECTLY under XP, I (for now) use that!
Have to finish a few projects, don't have time with operating system problems.

I WILL later dig more into, what are the problems with win7, and will report of them.
 

hippy

Technical Support
Staff member
For ourselves and others PE and Windows 7 works just as perfectly as it does with XP but every machine very quickly becomes slightly different.

Bluetooth devices will often cause very sluggish responses on XP, Vista and 7. It's often a fundamental problem of how they are designed. Like phoning people you can often get an immediate answer but sometimes a secretary has to check who you need to speak to is available and you're left twiddling your thumbs while they do that, you have no choice but to wait no matter how long the secretary takes.

Often the only way to find what is causing a problem is to uninstall applications, uninstall drivers, sometimes re-install the entire operating system, and install applications and drivers in a different order. Keep checking to see what causes a problem to emerge as you add more things. If you re-install Windows 7, install Programming Editor and AXE027 drivers before doing anything else and that should work okay.
 

KTarke

Senior Member
I am quite shure, that re-installing the operatingsystem would help,yes...
BUT one should not have to do that. Oh why-oh-why LINUX has never needed to be rebooted to get something installed, or has to be re-install the whole system once-in-a-while?
REAL operating system should not be like these MS trash's !

I am aware, that rebuilding MS trash would help, but also it takes 2 days to re-install everything else...
and if the problem comes with another program, or MS update, soon I am at the same point again...

Rather quit using PE in win7, for now, and try to dig the real reason later...
(since all my other programs are still working... if I had any problems with other sw, I would be ready to re-installing win7.)

I will tell as soon as I find something out. Now I know, what I should look for...
 
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