Help: GE Proficy ME 5.70 beats the HDD to death!

[kpizzolatto]

I haven't used GE much lately, so all I'm looking for is some feedback from those who do: Briefly, it's acting as if there's very little memory and a giant swapfile. EVERY thing I touch causes massive HDD traffic. Before you ask, XP reports 3G of real memory, and all the other apps run just fine. Prior to starting up proficy, only 1G is in use. Details follow, and thanks to ANYONE who can help!!! Do you find that Proficy ME (we have an old version--5.70) tends to beat the hard drive? If I start Proficy ME and create a new empty project then a new target (VersaMax) it takes 5 or 10 minutes (really, I timed it; it's that bad...). During that period, proficy shows "Not Repsonding" in the title bar and the HDD almost solid ON. After just creating a couple modules, process explorer says proficy has transferred a total of 7.7G from/to the HDD!! Also, each time I click on anything in the project tree at the left (ex.: Right-click to create a VersaMax, then wait for it to appear, then right-click to create a new IO module under it), the hard drive lights up AGAIN, stays on for a minute or two, then I get the context menu and can create the module. I recall from working with it in the field on 90/70 PLCs that it's pretty frustrating and balky software, but never seemed this miserable. Can anyone tell me what might make Proficy beat the heck out of the HDD? Has anybody seen this before and solved it? Did a reinstall fix it? Did you find some database or cache that has become too huge and purge it? I cannot believe this software sucks so hard--I must be doing something wrong!

[RussB]

I have no clue, but if it were my system I would insist on a software upgrade as version 7.00 is currently shipping. If that will not fly: Do a "clean" uninstall of the software (KB12350: Machine Edition Uninstall Checklist ) re install and add the latest update(s) for the version being installed.

[kpizzolatto]

Thanks very much--what I'm hearing from you is this is NOT normal behaviour. Unfortunately, an upgrade costs money, so that will NOT be happening any time in the near future. So I got the cklist & the zip & chm for 2 updates . The uninstall checklist at KB12350 specifies "Instructions valid for all SIMs of PME version 6.00 and older..."; I have 5.70, but I'll take any help I can get at this point!

[RussB]

Your Version 5.70 is older than 6.00, so this applies. Good luck and please let us know how it turns out.

[kpizzolatto]

So, the short answer is there is something on my laptop that Proficy can't handle. If anybody has some idea of an incompatibility I could look for that would help; otherwise, thanks for the advice you gave Blow-by-blow below Well, I uninstalled per the instructions, reinstalled 5.70 (w/ everything), rebooted, applied updates, rebooted, etc... Tried to use the PLC developer; hard drive spun for about 20 minutes, then I tried to close the app. No response. Tried to kill the app by process explorer--still no response. And the HDD spins... Finally gave up & rebooted the machine. Try to start the app again; nothing happens. I mean NOTHING--nothing in the event log, no process starts; nothing. Uninstall, reinstall (just Logic dev PLC, this time), etc. etc. Try to start the app; nothing still happens. This is a field service laptop with EVERYTHING installed on it--I'm surprised it worked this long. Rockwell, GE, Pilz, Siemens, Mitsu, Omron, Automation Direct, Eaton, etc. It did work once before, but that was many versions & updates of many other industrial softwares ago... I have an old "clean" windows VM--just XPSP2; nothing else. Install to the VM (just the PLC stuff). Create a new "empty" project called "DoesTheDamnedThingWork" Create new target VersaMax...YupItWorks... And...It works...

[rswolff]

its incompatible with everything and anything.....now you could call GE.........if you are the client then they never heard of any problems with any s/w, h/w or version before (yup, GE is the only company in the universe thats never had a problem with anything)......if you're an integrator or such....they'll be very glad to take your information and pass it along to another vendor who'll be glad to contact your customer and let them know you can't support the product....and they can...... best advice.....toss every CD, DVD, manual, etc. with GE on it and buy something....anything else......oh did I mention their support sucks wind too?

[RussB]

Mr. Wolff, You are starting to make yourself look rather "silly" here. :)

[setchmo]

I have to agree with you Russ. GE tech. support is way better than AB and I have used AB for over 20 years!!!!

[Giz99]

Another good reason to install all your PLC software on a seperate Virtual Machine. When you get a bad install, reload your backup or clone and start again. I have had issues like thing with GE, Allen Bradley and others.