Our sign business uses Omega 2.02. I heard Flexi program has few features that I might be interested in so I asked for a demo disk. When I received the Flexi 7.5 CD I installed it on the same computer with the Omega program. Immediately the computer quit communicating with the Edge II printer. I kept getting the error message that said the driver for the Edge II parallel port was missing. I removed the Flexi program from the hard drive and I reloaded the Omega program with no success. I finally had to call Gerber and pay them $45 to correct the problem. It involved activating a file in an obscure folder that I would never figured it out on my own. Is there a way to make both programs work on the same computer? I called the supplier who sent me the demo and they never got back to me.
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My Omega program doesn't like Flexi
- Thread starter zipper
- Start date
James Chrimes
New Member
I Just Went Thru The Same Problem Only I Did Not Take Up Gerber On Their Offer To Take 45.00 Form Me Instead I Reset My Computer To A Date Before I Installed Flexi And Got My Edge Equipment To Work. I Have Not Installed Flexi Again Hope We Can Get Some Answers.
Tony Teveris
New Member
Omega - Flexi - parallel port
I know it has to do with the version of the Warp 9 parallel port driver that Flexi loads. I will get and post the details on Mon / Tues. You should have posted here first and I would have dug some digging.
I know it has to do with the version of the Warp 9 parallel port driver that Flexi loads. I will get and post the details on Mon / Tues. You should have posted here first and I would have dug some digging.
iSign
New Member
I have both running. Never pay Gerber for that kind of question. Not only WILL you get answers here, but spend some time learning the capabilities of the search tool both here & at 4edgetalk.com These kinds of issues have been gone over so many timeas already. It's great to pop in here & check out the days latest 10 or 15 topics... but that will never be more then the tip of the iceburg of all that this site has to offer. I can't fault folks for just logging on & posting their question in hopes of an immediate reply catered exactly to the specifics of their issue... but while both of you are waiting for an answer... check the archives through your search buttons (if you aren't already doing so)
Also, to get the most help the fastest... include everything that could possibly be unique to your situation so you don't wait for a reply & only get "what OS are you on" & then that person waits to find out... & then you wait for them or someone else to find your post again.
by the way, you said the solution "involved activating a file in an obscure folder that I would never figured it out on my own." It would be great if you can spell out that exact fix that you learned for your $45 while (if) you still remember it. Someone who needs that info may find this post in a search a year from now (maybe even you) & that would be a great find if the answer is spelled out here.
Specifically I think it's relevant not only to mention what OS you are on, but what kind of dongle for Omega (& what kind for Flexi, if any?)
My guess would be that a demo version of Flexi doesn't have a dongle, but if it did, I would expect some conflicts from that. The ability for the Omega dongle to be located by Omega may have been compromised by the fact that Flexi has similar security measures built in, & even if the demo version doesn't require one, there may have been a problem related to that.
Anyway, all that stuff aside, I have Flexi 7.6.2 loaded on the same machine as Omega. Both dongles have been upgraded from parallel to USB & I added in an extra seriel port to run my Graphtec plotter on the same machine when I consolidated my 24" vinyl cutting workstation with my Edge/Envision workstation. I am running XP Pro SP2 & have excellent results with keeping both programs open & running all equipment simultaneously. Sometimes I have to rob that workstation of the Flexi key to run my Mimaki (while I wait for the arrival of a second Flexi license & key) In those cases I have the Graphtec 24" plotter set in to run out of Omega & that also works fine without interfering with the seamless operation of printing edge prints & cutting them on the envision from the same program. I don't know the answer for how you can get it working, but figured you would be glad to hear that it is able to be done.
Also, to get the most help the fastest... include everything that could possibly be unique to your situation so you don't wait for a reply & only get "what OS are you on" & then that person waits to find out... & then you wait for them or someone else to find your post again.
by the way, you said the solution "involved activating a file in an obscure folder that I would never figured it out on my own." It would be great if you can spell out that exact fix that you learned for your $45 while (if) you still remember it. Someone who needs that info may find this post in a search a year from now (maybe even you) & that would be a great find if the answer is spelled out here.
Specifically I think it's relevant not only to mention what OS you are on, but what kind of dongle for Omega (& what kind for Flexi, if any?)
My guess would be that a demo version of Flexi doesn't have a dongle, but if it did, I would expect some conflicts from that. The ability for the Omega dongle to be located by Omega may have been compromised by the fact that Flexi has similar security measures built in, & even if the demo version doesn't require one, there may have been a problem related to that.
Anyway, all that stuff aside, I have Flexi 7.6.2 loaded on the same machine as Omega. Both dongles have been upgraded from parallel to USB & I added in an extra seriel port to run my Graphtec plotter on the same machine when I consolidated my 24" vinyl cutting workstation with my Edge/Envision workstation. I am running XP Pro SP2 & have excellent results with keeping both programs open & running all equipment simultaneously. Sometimes I have to rob that workstation of the Flexi key to run my Mimaki (while I wait for the arrival of a second Flexi license & key) In those cases I have the Graphtec 24" plotter set in to run out of Omega & that also works fine without interfering with the seamless operation of printing edge prints & cutting them on the envision from the same program. I don't know the answer for how you can get it working, but figured you would be glad to hear that it is able to be done.
Fred Weiss
Merchant Member
I have both Flexi 5.8v2 and 7.6v2 running on the same Win 98SE box as Omega 2.1 at work. I have upgraded the 7.6v2 all the way from version 6 something or other and the Omega all the way back from Graphix Advantage 6.2. Have had no problem.
At this point the Omega is a USB key and the Flexi is still a parallel dongle.
If I was going to look anywhere it would be the Rainbow Sentinel driver or my port permissions if using Windows XP SP2. Another reported issue has been power saving settings on the USB port causing the USB key not to be read because the port has turned itself off..
At this point the Omega is a USB key and the Flexi is still a parallel dongle.
If I was going to look anywhere it would be the Rainbow Sentinel driver or my port permissions if using Windows XP SP2. Another reported issue has been power saving settings on the USB port causing the USB key not to be read because the port has turned itself off..
Tony Teveris
New Member
Omega - Flexi - Warp 9 driver
Ok here is the scoop on the Omega – Flexi – parallel port driver problem.
Omega delivers and needs version 4,6,0,0 of the Warp 9 parallel port driver. I believe this is installed in the Windows folder or somewhere with in the Windows folder structure. The system registry is updated to save / point to the location where the driver resides.
Flexi (even the demo version) delivers version 2,6,0,0 of the Warp 9 driver. It installs this version in a Flexi folder and updates the system registry to point to THAT location.
So now Omega will use the WRONG version and things will not work. Even if you uninstall Flexi the registry is not corrected.
Gerber provides a tool on the Omega CD in the Misc folder called Warp9_fix.exe. This fix updates the registry entry to point to the 4,6,0,0 version, which Gerber delivers.
Most of the time that will take care of the problem.
Another possible fix is to find all copies of par1284.sys on your system and replace the older versions with the Gerber version, which should be found in the Windows folder.
Flexi will operate just fine with the 4,6,0,0 version.
I think that’s it. Hope this helps and saves everyone a TechSupport phone call.
Ok here is the scoop on the Omega – Flexi – parallel port driver problem.
Omega delivers and needs version 4,6,0,0 of the Warp 9 parallel port driver. I believe this is installed in the Windows folder or somewhere with in the Windows folder structure. The system registry is updated to save / point to the location where the driver resides.
Flexi (even the demo version) delivers version 2,6,0,0 of the Warp 9 driver. It installs this version in a Flexi folder and updates the system registry to point to THAT location.
So now Omega will use the WRONG version and things will not work. Even if you uninstall Flexi the registry is not corrected.
Gerber provides a tool on the Omega CD in the Misc folder called Warp9_fix.exe. This fix updates the registry entry to point to the 4,6,0,0 version, which Gerber delivers.
Most of the time that will take care of the problem.
Another possible fix is to find all copies of par1284.sys on your system and replace the older versions with the Gerber version, which should be found in the Windows folder.
Flexi will operate just fine with the 4,6,0,0 version.
I think that’s it. Hope this helps and saves everyone a TechSupport phone call.
Fred Weiss
Merchant Member
Thank you Tony.
Arlo Kalon 2.0
New Member
parallel port driver problem. par1284.sys on your system and replace the older versions with the Gerber version said:
To add to Tony's comments, that's exactly what I had to do to correct the problem. I inserted the Omega installation CD and when the menu screen came up I selected the CD Browse option. Then I opened the Misc. folder and scrolled down to find the 'Warp9_fix.exe' file. If I understand Tony correctly, if I do decide to buy the Flexi program, I would have to activate this file after the Flexi program is installed. This will allow both Omega and Flexi to operate in the same computer?
To Fred or Doug: I didn't even think about the search feature of this forum when I encountered the above problem. Last night I tried to search the old threads to see if I knew how to use this feature. I came up empty. If the same problem was addressed before and the solution found, I would like to know what I'm doing wrong. I'm sure there are others like me who would appreciate learning how to use the search feature more effectively.
To Fred or Doug: I didn't even think about the search feature of this forum when I encountered the above problem. Last night I tried to search the old threads to see if I knew how to use this feature. I came up empty. If the same problem was addressed before and the solution found, I would like to know what I'm doing wrong. I'm sure there are others like me who would appreciate learning how to use the search feature more effectively.
Fred Weiss
Merchant Member
I think this may have come up at 4EdgeTalk.com and not here.
Searching any forum or online website always comes down to figuring out the best keyword(s) to use.
Searching any forum or online website always comes down to figuring out the best keyword(s) to use.
iSign
New Member
Zipper, my comment was that "these kinds of issues had been gone over", but not intending to say that your specific issue had been addressed. I also didn't see until now that Tony & I were posting at almost the same time. Anyway, not being a tech I thought the same as fred... that "If I was going to look anywhere it would be the Rainbow Sentinel driver or my port permissions if using Windows XP SP2. Another reported issue has been power saving settings on the USB port causing the USB key not to be read because the port has turned itself off..
"
..if that had been a solution, that information has been discussed on many threads & I have had to search out those old threads myself recently. Yes, as Fred say... your success, or lack thereof, will be a direct result of the keywords chosen... so try several. (If you are searching a specific reply that you recall, some obscure word that someone used in their description could zero in on that post best... even if it was a word unrelated to the problem)
"
..if that had been a solution, that information has been discussed on many threads & I have had to search out those old threads myself recently. Yes, as Fred say... your success, or lack thereof, will be a direct result of the keywords chosen... so try several. (If you are searching a specific reply that you recall, some obscure word that someone used in their description could zero in on that post best... even if it was a word unrelated to the problem)
Tony Teveris
New Member
Omega - Flexi - parallel port
Yes, Zipper this should let both survive on the same system.