Hi Bernard,

(Scratching head) Guide really shouldn't do anything with the scope
at startup time. It shouldn't attempt to link to a scope (either via
ASCOM or the "traditional" serial port method) until you tell it to
do something with the scope.

I'll make my usual suggestion for bizarre behavior: try getting
the current update, preferably the "in-testing" one at

http://www.projectpluto.com/update8.htm

and apply it. This fixes inexplicable bugs with remarkable
regularity. I suspect it means that some file is getting corrupted.
When you apply the upgrade, that file gets zapped and replaced with
one that is not corrupted.

-- Bill