PLC Processes...Go Away!!

[bluenoser337]

My laptop is used for Allen Bradley and Siemens PLC programming perhaps 20% of the time. The rest of the time is spent doing other stuff. My issue is with the large number of "PLC related" processes that are always running on the laptop, slowing it down. These include all the FactoryTalk and S7 processes that are not required when not doing PLC stuff. Aside from stopping them all manually, has anyone found an "automatic" way to cure this? Many thanks!

 

[RMA]

Easy answer is to run the PLC programms in a Virtual machine, or better two VMs, one for AB and one for Siemens. That leaves your real PC free of the unwanted processes.

 

[bluenoser337]

RMA...thanks, but I find VMs to be the greater of 2 evils in this case.

 

[uptown47]

Not sure if it would work but... if you created a new user on your computer and then logged into that one when your computer booted wouldn't that be free of the PLC processes etc (because that software wouldn't be installed for that user?)

As I said, I'm not sure if this is the case, but I'm pretty sure that when my wife and daughter shared our main PC at home they didn't see my PLC software and I didn't see the MSN chat rubbish that my daughter had installed... ?

 

[joseph_e2]

In my experience, the software installs for all users. I've used that, actually, to install software as admin for others who only have "user" logins.

 

[uptown47]

Oh well... worth a shot.

In that case I'd go with Roy's suggestion and bite the bullet with a couple of Virtual Machines. They work really well I think and aren't an inconvenience.

;-)

 

[Dravik]

I just have the automatic services set to manual. Takes longer when I want to open something up the first time per reboot, but generally works pretty well.
I use a shell script to stop all the AB stuff when i'm not using it.

 

[joseph_e2]

My only problem with VMs has to do with the limitations of my host machine (lack of memory). I am using them, however, with good results. Especially the RS-FactoryTalk-Studio-View-Machine-Enterprise stuff, which doesn't play well with anything else (or itself, for that matter).

 

[Andy6]

You could look into doing a dual boot setup if you can spare the drive space.

 

[joseph_e2]

Considering our IS drama, I would rather stick with VMs

 

[Baranyk]

Type msconfig into start->run or start-> find

Open utility.

Find processes that start on machine boot. Uncheck.

Enjoy faster startup times.

 

[HJTRBO]

I recently changed over to VMPlayer (free software and IMHO s&@ts all over windoWs xp mode) for my PLC software. I can say that the result has been nothing less than perfect (serial / ethernet comms, graphics, speed etc.). Perhaps you could reluctantly give it a try? I hope you will be pleasently surprised.
P.s no need to reinstall your software on the vm, use the vcentre disk converter to clone your existing harddrive to use as the virtual hard disk drive for your new vm. (just be sure uninstall your old software on your host machine to keep the license fairies happy.)

 

[geniusintraining]

I also had the same issue.... until I got another laptop, one for programming and the other for non-PLC, I do have everything I can setup to a manual start up but they a lot still run, I have a lot of programming stuff running on one W7 32bit machine and it runs good, if I remember I will send a screen shot later once I get to the shop

I also got a couple of Maxtor terabyte Ethernet drives and LOVE them.... just set up a static IP and now I just store everything on them so most of my stuff can be accessed on either PC if I am in range

 

[Nevyn]

Personally I run everything trough virtual machines. One for AB, one for Siemens, one for Omron, and a few others for different VPN's. I find that to be very effective.

If you don't want virtual machine, you can install two copies of windows on your computer and select which one you want at boot.

 

[geniusintraining]

I have a lot of programming stuff running on one W7 32bit machine and it runs good, if I remember I will send a screen shot later once I get to the shop

This is what I have installed on my programming PC, I also have a folder on the desktop with the short cuts to the programs that I use a lot

No VM they all run on the machine W7 and they run good together... once I built it I made image of the machine so if I have trouble I can roll it back