Do I need to have the PC on in order for the macros to work?

Yes, the PC hosting mControl must be turned on in order for the macros (time based) to be processed. If you have a 2414U INSTEON adapter and would like to use simple timer based macros in conjunction with mControl, please try using the SmartHome Timer Software available for download here. Scroll down to the "Owner's manual & software section to find the download link.

I receive an "Unable to Display Page" error when I try to start mControl from Windows Media Center. The message says "Media Center is unable to load the page http://localhost:29990/Default.aspx."

This is because the mControl Automation Service is not running. Please 'Start' the mControl Automation Service, by using the mControl Service Controller.


Can I use Internet Explorer to run mControl?

Yes, mControl will run on Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher. To start mControl type http://localhost:29990/ into the Internet Explorer address area.


How do I access mControl from another Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 machine?

mControl consists of two parts: (a) mControl Automation Service and (b) mControl User Interface Client(s). By default, mControl installs both of these on the same machine. Since the mControl Automation Service supports multiple clients, you can easily add a MCE client(s). (This is particularly useful if you've installed mControl on a Windows XP Professional machine.)

Simply copy the mControl.mcl file located in the C:\Program Files\Embedded Automation\mControl directory to the new client machine in the following location: C:\Documents and Settings\User folder\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Media Center\Media Center Programs. Edit the file using Notepad to modify the URL, replacing 'localhost' with the name of the server machine. For example, if your server machine is called 'MyMCEComputer', you would change the URL setting to  "http://MyMCEComputer:29990/Default.aspx". Once the file has been modified, all you have to do is launch mControl from the "More Programs" area of the client machine.


I get a "The trial version of mControl has expired" message. What happened?

The mControl software you are using has been provided for a limited time trial use. This is governed by a form of copy protection. Either one of three things happened to cause the "The trial version of mControl has expired" message: (a) the 30 days you had to review mControl has passed, (b) the mControl license has become damaged, or (c) the system date has been changed.

Please note: if your license has expired, all navigation and viewing functionality will still be available; however, all device control and automation will be disabled.

You can purchase mControl from our web store here.

Does mControl work with SwitchLincs?

mControl can turn on, turn off, dim and brighten SwitchLincs. In addition, mControl can sense paddle presses made by users. Paddle presses can also be used as triggers for macros. For more information on how to use paddle presses see the INSTEON section of the mControl v1 (Home Edition) User Manual.


mControl does not appear to receive device triggers or screen updates, what could be happening? The 2414U INSTEON adapter LED blinks On and Off about every 1 second, what could be happening?

The memory in the 2414U INSTEON Adapter’s memory may be “corrupt”. Please email support@embeddedautomation.com – we can provide a utility to revert the 2414U to factory conditions.

I don't see the X10 module I would like to control in the module list on the "Edit Device" screen.

You can add, remove or rename devices by making changes to the “mServer.exe.xml” file. Please refer to the “Configuring Devices” section of the mControl v1 (Home Edition) User Manual.

Of course, you can also send us an email at support@embeddedautomation.com and we will try to include it for future releases.


I plugged in my CM15A X10 Adapter and Windows asked for driver files. I pressed 'Cancel' but now I see unknown devices (denoted by yellow question marks) in Device Manager. What should I do?

To fix this, plug-in your CM15A into a USB port. Then navigate to C:\Program Files\Embedded Automation\mControl\X10 directory and double-click the ahscript_setup.exe file. This will repair any driver issues.

X10 devices do not DIM/Brighten to the correct value when Dim/Brighten command is sent from mControl

This issue occurs when using dimmable X10 modules with the 2414X adapter. More specifically, the dim commands sent by the 2414X adapter to the X10 modules are not executed due to external factors such as external noise on the power line and communication between other devices. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that some X10 modules implement simplex (one-way) communication which do NOT respond to the commands sent by the 2414X.

We suggest using CM11A or the CM15A adapters to control the X10 modules, and 2414X adapter to control INSTEON moduels.