diff --git a/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/09-Setup-CMM.ps1 b/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/09-Setup-CMM.ps1
index f1a5953..4bf9d7b 100644
--- a/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/09-Setup-CMM.ps1
+++ b/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/09-Setup-CMM.ps1
@@ -175,6 +175,24 @@ foreach ($dir in $pcdmisDirs) {
     }
 }
 
+# ============================================================================
+# Step 2.5b: GE PC-DMIS FRONT END dir (PCDToIGES.exe error-log path)
+# ============================================================================
+# PCDToIGES.exe (in every bay's C:\geaofi\Scripts) writes its error log to
+# C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END\PCDToIGES.ERR inside its catch block. The legacy
+# "GE PC-DMIS FRONT END" front-end setup that created this dir is not part of
+# imaging, so on a fresh bay it is absent - and then ANY PCDToIGES failure
+# becomes an unhandled DirectoryNotFoundException that crashes the export and
+# MASKS the real error. Create it + grant the operator Modify so errors log.
+$frontEnd = 'C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END'
+try {
+    if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $frontEnd)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $frontEnd -Force | Out-Null; Write-CMMLog "Created $frontEnd" }
+    foreach ($sid in '*S-1-5-32-545','*S-1-5-11') {   # BUILTIN\Users, NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users
+        & icacls "$frontEnd" /grant "${sid}:(OI)(CI)M" /T /C 2>&1 | Out-Null
+    }
+    Write-CMMLog "Granted Users + Authenticated Users Modify on $frontEnd"
+} catch { Write-CMMLog "Failed to ensure ${frontEnd}: $_" "WARN" }
+
 # ============================================================================
 # Step 2.6: First-run-as-admin for each installed PC-DMIS version
 # ============================================================================
@@ -315,27 +333,23 @@ if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $restoreScript) {
 }
 
 # ============================================================================
-# Step 2.5: drop Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat on the SupportUser desktop
+# Step 2.5: drop Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat on the Public desktop
 # ============================================================================
 # PC-DMIS COM must be registered for goCMM to connect, but /regserver no-ops
 # until PC-DMIS is licensed - which happens manually post-image (clmadmin.exe).
 # So we cannot register at imaging time; instead leave a one-click helper the
-# tech runs AFTER activating the license. SupportUser is a pre-existing profile
-# (see 03-ShellDefaults), so its Desktop exists now. Public Desktop would get
-# reorganized by 06-OrganizeDesktop's sweep, so target SupportUser directly;
-# fall back to Public Desktop only if the SupportUser profile is absent.
+# tech runs AFTER activating the license. Public Desktop so it is visible to
+# whoever logs in (operator or SupportUser). NOTE: 06-OrganizeDesktop sweeps the
+# Public Desktop root into category subfolders, so it may end up under
+# "Shopfloor Tools" rather than the bare desktop - still on the Public desktop.
 $regBat = Join-Path $stagingRoot 'Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat'
 if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $regBat) {
-    $deskTargets = @()
-    if (Test-Path 'C:\Users\SupportUser') { $deskTargets += 'C:\Users\SupportUser\Desktop' }
-    else { $deskTargets += 'C:\Users\Public\Desktop' }
-    foreach ($d in $deskTargets) {
-        try {
-            if (-not (Test-Path $d)) { New-Item -Path $d -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null }
-            Copy-Item -LiteralPath $regBat -Destination (Join-Path $d 'Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat') -Force
-            Write-CMMLog "Staged Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat -> $d"
-        } catch { Write-CMMLog "Failed to stage Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat to ${d}: $_" 'WARN' }
-    }
+    $d = 'C:\Users\Public\Desktop'
+    try {
+        if (-not (Test-Path $d)) { New-Item -Path $d -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null }
+        Copy-Item -LiteralPath $regBat -Destination (Join-Path $d 'Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat') -Force
+        Write-CMMLog "Staged Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat -> $d"
+    } catch { Write-CMMLog "Failed to stage Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat to ${d}: $_" 'WARN' }
 } else {
     Write-CMMLog "Register-PCDMIS-COM.bat not in staging ($regBat) - desktop helper NOT placed" 'WARN'
 }
diff --git a/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/scripts/Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.bat b/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/scripts/Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fdb42da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/scripts/Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+@echo off
+REM Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.bat - launcher for Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.ps1
+REM
+REM Creates C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END + grants the operator write access, so
+REM PCDToIGES.exe can write its error log there instead of crashing with
+REM "Could not find a part of the path 'C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END\PCDToIGES.ERR'".
+REM
+REM Needs admin - self-elevates.
+
+net session >nul 2>&1
+if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
+    echo Requesting administrator rights...
+    powershell -NoProfile -Command "Start-Process -FilePath '%~f0' -Verb RunAs"
+    exit /b
+)
+
+set "HERE=%~dp0"
+powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "%HERE%Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.ps1"
+
+echo.
+pause
diff --git a/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/scripts/Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.ps1 b/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/scripts/Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d959aa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playbook/shopfloor-setup/gea-shopfloor-cmm/scripts/Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd.ps1 - create C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END + grant operator write.
+#
+# WHY: PCDToIGES.exe (geaofi\Scripts) writes its error log to
+#   C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END\PCDToIGES.ERR  in its catch block. If that dir does
+# not exist, ANY PCDToIGES failure becomes an unhandled DirectoryNotFoundException
+# that CRASHES the export and MASKS the real error (observed on freshly imaged CMM
+# bays - the legacy "GE PC-DMIS FRONT END" front-end setup is not part of imaging,
+# so the dir is absent). Creating it + making it operator-writable lets the real
+# error log instead of crashing, and gives the front-end a working dir.
+#
+# Run as administrator. Idempotent - safe to re-run; re-asserts the ACL.
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Continue'
+$dir = 'C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END'
+
+$logDir = 'C:\Logs\CMM'
+New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $logDir -Force -EA SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
+$ts  = Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd-HHmmss'
+$log = Join-Path $logDir "pcdmis-frontend-$ts.log"
+function Log($m){ $line = "[{0}] {1}" -f (Get-Date -Format 'HH:mm:ss'), $m; Write-Host $line; Add-Content -Path $log -Value $line -EA SilentlyContinue }
+
+Log "==== Ensure-PCDMISFrontEnd on $env:COMPUTERNAME ===="
+
+if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $dir) {
+    Log "Dir already exists: $dir"
+} else {
+    try { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $dir -Force -EA Stop | Out-Null; Log "Created $dir" }
+    catch { Log "ERROR: could not create $dir - $($_.Exception.Message)"; exit 1 }
+}
+
+# Operator (locked-down, non-admin) must be able to write PCDToIGES.ERR here.
+# Modify = read/write/create/delete. SIDs, not names, to stay locale-independent.
+foreach ($sid in '*S-1-5-32-545','*S-1-5-11') {   # BUILTIN\Users, NT AUTHORITY\Authenticated Users
+    & icacls "$dir" /grant "${sid}:(OI)(CI)M" /T /C 2>&1 | Out-Null
+}
+Log "Granted Users + Authenticated Users Modify on $dir"
+
+# Verify an operator-style write works
+$probe = Join-Path $dir '.write-test'
+try { Set-Content -LiteralPath $probe -Value 'ok' -EA Stop; Remove-Item -LiteralPath $probe -EA SilentlyContinue; Log "Write-test OK" }
+catch { Log "WARN: write-test failed - $($_.Exception.Message)" }
+
+Log "==== DONE ===="
+Write-Host ""
+Write-Host "C:\GE PC-DMIS FRONT END ready. Re-run the measurement; if PCDToIGES still" -ForegroundColor Green
+Write-Host "errors, the real cause now logs to $dir\PCDToIGES.ERR" -ForegroundColor Green
+exit 0