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can anyone tell me why pcut has stopped responding?
Please help!
My PCUT ct630 has decided to stop responding. It worked fine yesterday but today it’s just stopped. I bought it from Flynn Signs and have phoned before about the drivers being no good, but was told that they should be ok. It’s one of these USB serial converter things where you have to ‘make’ a new port. I was told to leave it on ‘COM3’ and it should work. Yesterday it did, but today it doesn’t. No matter how many times I try it just won’t budge.
I’ve tried changing ports and re-installing the driver, but I cannot get it to the point where my computer recognizes new hardware and brings up the wizard. Whenever I uninstall the driver and restart windows, plug back in the USB, I just get a message saying ‘your device is installed and working properly’ – which it isn’t.
Even if I can get it to work again today I don’t fancy my chances of it working again tomorrow after I’ve turned it off. Getting a bit fed up with it to be honest. I don’t want to phone Alann at Flynn Signs again because it’s a Sunday and tomorrow is a bank holiday.
I know that it’s frowned upon buying cutters from Ebay, but I have an extremely low budget and couldn’t afford anything else.
Any ideas guys?
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35 Replies
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quote Jamie06:………..I know that it’s frowned upon buying cutters from Ebay, but I have an extremely low budget and couldn’t afford anything else.Any ideas guys?
No, it not frowned upon at all. We all bought machines within our budgets – whether outright or via a lease, so it’s not snobbery that one person paid £5k for a cutter and you paid a few hundred. However, the problems setting up Pcut machines is well documented, and very few of us have any experience with them.
As a possible fix to getting the driver really uninstalled (not just deactivated), try removing the software / program it may have added via the add/remove in Control Panel – not just deleting the device. Even if this means manually deleting the directory it made eg C:\Pcut driver as a last resort.
Remember to reboot between deleting & reinstalling.
Sorry I can’t be more help – but I’m clueless about those machines….
Dave
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Thanks for replying David.
I don’t really know what you mean by software / program it may have created. There’s nothing there. I could delete the registry for the driver, but I’m not sure how to go about doing that. I could also try removing the winpcsign package and then re-installing everything.
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Have you tried rolling back windows? that is if there is a restore point after you installed the drivers, but before it whent wrong? it may work, certainly worth a try?
Peter
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Tried that Peter. No good.
Basically I’m really not happy with what’s been supplied, but I probably stand little to no chance of getting a refund as it was bought through Ebay.
It’s probably the dodgiest machine I’ve ever had. I cannot understand why it doesn’t work. Windows says the driver is installed and working, I can test the machine and it cuts a small square no problems. But every time I go to use it with winpcsign it just freezes.
I know I have it all set up correctly so why isn’t it working?
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Well, I uninstalled all drivers and the software.
Rebooted windows at every turn and guess what……………nothing.
Still doesn’t respond to anything. Infact now I get a message saying that my configuration isn’t right even though it is.
Really, really fed up. 😥
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here’s my tuppence worth, Jamie. I own one of these too and had similar probs. Power off everything, boot up the comp, turn on the Pcut only when you have booted and have opened the sign software, then wait, I know it sounds stupid but I had been trying to work too fast, after a long time the comp finally recognised the cutter and away I went. I was causing it to crash by trying to work too quick. Once it initially recognises the cutter it will be ok from then on. It was as simple as that. Might not be your solution, but stick with it they are an ok machine.
Hope it helps -
Thanks for the suggestion.
How long do you have to wait, roughly?
I can’t really see it working but I’ll give anything a go. Don’t suppose you have any proper drivers for it or any software I could try?
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It took anything up to 10 mins, have you tried here http://www.creation.com.hk http://www.rising-tec.com for drivers, I have some don’t know how to send them to you.
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Jamie
Why not try http://www.signgo.com. You can download a workable trial of the software, which I have used myself and found to be very user friendly. You get the trial for 30 days and then there are two different versions available for very low cost purchase.
Dawn
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Nothing on those sites to download, mate. But thanks anyway.
What really gets me is that there’s this question in my head going round and round:
‘Why should I have to go through all of this?’
I only received it on Friday and it’s been nothing but trouble. I’ve had no response every time I call Flynn Signs or e-mail. I’ve managed to get through to Alann twice on his mobile and clearly he expects the machine to be fine, but it clearly isn’t.
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Jamie try having some patience. If you only received the machine on Friday then I think it’s only fair to give Alan until a working day to try to sort it out for you.
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I know, I know. 😉
It’s just that I’ve taken this week off work to try and get things started up and it’s the last week off I can take before Christmas. I really needed to use every spare day to get things done and yet I can’t get started because of this smallest thing and it’s driving me nuts.
I can’t understand why it isn’t working…
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I would second John and Dawn, that before blaming anyone, give alan a chance to put things right, it may not be the plotter or a software problem, it could be the set up on your computer, or soething quite simple that you have overlooked in the set up intructions.
Peter
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Jamie
Try this link http://www.signsupplystore.com/productc … duct=12483 it is all to do with Creation Pcut cutters. I don’t have time to look through but there may be something of use to you.
Dawn
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Thanks Dawn, but I’ve been on there before. They are drivers for CiberCut or Flexi. I only have winpcsign.
Peter, I’m not blaming anyone, but you have no idea the amount of times I’ve called Flynn Signs since I ordered it on Monday and I haven’t had it pick up once.
I’m sure Alann is very busy and I’m glad that I went through him rather than a dodgy Chinese supplier, but you can’t get through to him on the phone.
Dawn, the signgo software doesn’t work either so I don’t know what to do.
Thanks for all your replies. I’m really not angry like this is probably coming across, just really fed up.
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It is a holiday weekend there Jamie, everyone deserves time off, I found Alan Flynn very helpful, even though i didnt buy off him. At one point I had to press ‘in’ and enter (meaning initialise,) have you been prompted to try that?. I see a post from a happy PCuter here (topic ‘sensible upgrade’)maybe he can help.
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If you have Alan’s mobile (it’s on his answerphone) he rarely turns it off so I would try that. I have been at his place @ 10 & 11pm & he has been speaking to customers. Strange that you haven’t been able to get hold of him. Unless maybe he has decided to take the weekend off (?) 😮 🙂
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Had a similar problem a few weeks ago with my ny p-cut which I also bought through Mr Flynn through ebay one day it was working fine – then plotter wasn’t responding from my computer – just check on p-cut machine that the baud rate is 9600 by pressing mode button til rate is displayed and adjust using up/down button – as it sometimes changes to a higher number for no reason and stops plotter communicating from computer.
Good luck
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When you go to cut in WinPCsign do you get the "can’t initialize the cutting device" error. When I get this it is normally down to my computer forgetting it has "COM 3" even when it shows up in device manager. You have checked device manager? if its there and not working, have your speakers on to hear the error sound when you disconnect the USB cable wait a second or two and plug it back in. You should here "reconnected" noise now push the reset button on the Pcut control panel. Then either try cutting or better push the spool material button twice on the cutting panel (no worry about origin point being off, and cutting the strip). if it spools it will cut, just make sure your origin is right and the pressure has not maxed itself out which does happen.
Drivers are rarely a problem I find provided you have set the correct port and baud rate in "plotter codes". then you only have to worry about the USB side of things. Having your plotter power up before switching the computer on can help with finding the cutter. -
YOU. BLOODY. GENIUS.
God bless you, you beautiful beautiful man!
I did everything you said after I completely re-installed the drivers and the cutting software. For some reason the baud is too high every time it starts up, but that’s ok. And the pressure was really, really high – dunno if that’s got anything to do with it.
Anyway, it works!!!! It’s alive!!!!
Thankyou! Thankyou! THANKYOU!
(even though just like me you should be in bed already)Thankyou to everyone for putting up with my constant whinging, but it’s been a very long 3 days just staring at a machine and a screen.
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If its me your on about, OK then no problem, glad I was some use 😳
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hello jamie,
i dont know why you cant get me, i am away at the moment, but my phone is switched on, if you are having problems feel free to give me a call,regards
alan flynn -
Thanks Alan,
I have tried calling your shop/office quite a few times but with no reply. I would call you on your mobile but I don’t want to be rude and disturb you when it’s like 10pm or something.
Anyway, it all appears to be working fine now and is a lovely machine. Sorry if I sounded like I was sounding off, I was just very frustrated.
Thanks again.
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I bought my P-Cut from Alan, it’s been working for the last year with not one day off yet 😀 Absolutly great piece of kit.
My machine use to stop in the middle of work sometimes but all what was wrong is the cutting head use to touch the re-set button on the end of the machine, you have to manually push it away from the end.
Hope this helps in the future, it did my head in for about an hour 😀 -
quote Philip Hammerton:Had a similar problem a few weeks ago with my ny p-cut which I also bought through Mr Flynn through ebay one day it was working fine – then plotter wasn’t responding from my computer – just check on p-cut machine that the baud rate is 9600 by pressing mode button til rate is displayed and adjust using up/down button – as it sometimes changes to a higher number for no reason and stops plotter communicating from computer.Good luck
I wanted to be the Hero! I knew it was that as soon as I read the topic! Took me hours one night and I gave up for months. Next time I came to try it it took me about 5 mins! (:)
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quote Jamie06:Please help!
My PCUT ct630 has decided to stop responding. It worked fine yesterday but today it’s just stopped. I bought it from Flynn Signs and have phoned before about the drivers being no good, but was told that they should be ok. It’s one of these USB serial converter things where you have to ‘make’ a new port. I was told to leave it on ‘COM3’ and it should work. Yesterday it did, but today it doesn’t. No matter how many times I try it just won’t budge.
I’ve tried changing ports and re-installing the driver, but I cannot get it to the point where my computer recognizes new hardware and brings up the wizard. Whenever I uninstall the driver and restart windows, plug back in the USB, I just get a message saying ‘your device is installed and working properly’ – which it isn’t.
Even if I can get it to work again today I don’t fancy my chances of it working again tomorrow after I’ve turned it off. Getting a bit fed up with it to be honest. I don’t want to phone Alann at Flynn Signs again because it’s a Sunday and tomorrow is a bank holiday.
I know that it’s frowned upon buying cutters from Ebay, but I have an extremely low budget and couldn’t afford anything else.
Any ideas guys?
I’m having the same issue with my minicut I didn’t even know you could buy em in the UK.
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Does the mini cut have a CPU or do you have to use the program on your PC to control the plotter?
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It works off artcut I emailed the supplier, (used bablefish to translate it to chinese) they emailed me back and told me to use the PCUT 630 option and it works!!! so there not all bad on ebay P.S I just uninstalled it all and started afresh, now works!!
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I’m thinking about buying a pcut ct900…would you buy a pcut again if you had the chance or would you go for something a bit better taking into account the problems you’ve had.
This will be my first dedicated vinyl cutter for signs etc.
Thanks
Amin -
You may as well go for the 1200 for a little more, you never know when the bigger jobs will come and you wont be as limited for size.
We get about 4 or 5 a month which require the larger size, saves matching stuff up.
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If you change the cutter speed on a USB PCut and immediately select online it will reset the cutter to its default settings – including a baud rate of 19200, you must use the ‘mode’ button again before ‘online’.
Hope it makes sense, doesn’t to me.
Cheers Paul
quote Philip Hammerton:Had a similar problem a few weeks ago with my ny p-cut which I also bought through Mr Flynn through ebay one day it was working fine – then plotter wasn’t responding from my computer – just check on p-cut machine that the baud rate is 9600 by pressing mode button til rate is displayed and adjust using up/down button – as it sometimes changes to a higher number for no reason and stops plotter communicating from computer.Good luck
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I had the same problem and uninstalling and reinstalling the software I make it work.
And, if I want to actualize the firmware? I have the 4.15 firmware and I think the last is 4.22
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Latest firmware version is 4.22 (USB mainboard) – but you can’t reflash the firmware to upgrade it – its an Eprom swap. I don’t know what the latest is for the serial port mainboards.
Cheers Paul
quote antonio:I had the same problem and uninstalling and reinstalling the software I make it work.And, if I want to actualize the firmware? I have the 4.15 firmware and I think the last is 4.22
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Well I am having the same problem and to be honest I am sick of it, When I spoke to signwizard last week the man on the phone said he hadn’t heard of it before which is a little strange considering they have responded to this thread.
There is obviously a problem with the usb cutter because there are posts on other forums with the same problem.
Question is is how to fix it, because a machine that doesn’t connect is as much use as a chocolate teapot.
I know they are only a cheap machine but if I can’t use it it isn’t worth a penny. -
We will attempt to offer general advice on this forum (from time to time), which is what we have done in the past – if we know of a specific issue we’ll mention like we did with the changes to the PCut baud rate.
Most forums that are sign making related are full of customers having issues with their cutters…not just PCut, they are no better or worse than any other cutter. Some people do seem to have issues connecting the cutter correctly – but from our experience the vast majority don’t.
Our PCUT machines all have USB connections and the latest V4.22 firmware which generally causes few problems, from what I have read on here the problems are pre V4.22 – not even our machines.
If you have a specific problem we will do what we can to try to resolve it – but if we haven’t heard of it before we will say so. Most are computer setup related and nothing to do with the cutter.
Cheers Paul
quote scraggy:Well I am having the same problem and to be honest I am sick of it, When I spoke to signwizard last week the man on the phone said he hadn’t heard of it before which is a little strange considering they have responded to this thread.
There is obviously a problem with the usb cutter because there are posts on other forums with the same problem.
Question is is how to fix it, because a machine that doesn’t connect is as much use as a chocolate teapot.
I know they are only a cheap machine but if I can’t use it it isn’t worth a penny.
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