Anyone having the z axis go all the way up from boot up?

Been using the 1000mmx1000mm x carve for about a year without a z axis limit sensor, (just never got around to replacing it) broke long ago in a bump.
Anyways I installed the new 4.3 driver and now on boot up it drives to the top of the z axis and locks up (due to no sensor)

BUT what made this change? was it the new driver?

It just never did this in the past year

Maybe check your Easel GRBL settings and see how what that looks like compared to a default machine setting.