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Decision Tree: Application Errors

Use this when the application will not start, has crashed, displays an error dialog, or the screen is frozen.

Step 1: What is happening?

  • Application will not launch at all -- Go to Step 2
  • Application crashes immediately after starting -- Go to Step 3
  • Application starts but shows an error message -- Go to Step 4
  • Application screen is frozen or unresponsive -- Go to Step 5
  • Cannot access Settings (PIN required) -- Go to Step 6

Step 2: Application will not launch

Step 2a: Do you see "Framework not found" or ".NET not installed" error?

  • YES -- Install the .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime from the Microsoft website. After installation, try launching again.
  • NO -- Go to Step 2b

Step 2b: Do you see "Could not load file or assembly" error?

  • YES -- Application files are missing or incomplete. Re-extract all files from conveyor.zip to C:\gatekeeper\conveyor\. Do NOT overwrite appsettings.json if prompted.
  • NO -- Go to Step 2c

Step 2c: Do you see "Access denied" or permissions error?

  • YES -- Right-click the application and select Run as Administrator. If you need it to always run as admin, right-click the shortcut, go to Properties > Compatibility, and check "Run this program as an administrator."
  • NO -- Check if another instance of the application is already running. Look in Task Manager for AbeTech.GateKeeper.Conveyor.WinForm.exe. If it is running, close it and try again. If none of these apply, see When to Escalate.

Step 3: Application crashes immediately after starting

This usually means the configuration file is broken.

Step 3a: Is appsettings.json valid JSON?

  1. Open C:\gatekeeper\conveyor\appsettings.json in Notepad.
  2. Look for obvious errors: missing commas, missing quotes, extra commas at the end of lists.

  3. If you have access to a JSON validator (online or in a text editor), paste the contents and check for errors.

  4. YES (JSON is valid) -- Go to Step 3b

  5. NO (JSON has errors) -- Fix the JSON syntax. Common issues:
  6. Missing comma between items
  7. Extra comma after the last item in a list
  8. Missing closing brace } or bracket ]
  9. Unescaped backslashes in file paths (use \\ not \)

Step 3b: Has appsettings.json been recently changed?

  • YES -- Restore the previous version from backup. The backup should be at C:\gatekeeper\conveyor-previous\appsettings.json if the standard update procedure was followed.
  • NO -- Check the log file for startup errors. See Read Log Files. If no log file exists for today, the crash is happening before logging starts, which usually indicates a configuration or missing file issue.

Step 4: Application starts but shows an error message

Step 4a: What does the error message say?

Error Message Resolution
"No hardware configurations found..." appsettings.json is missing the HardwareSettings section. See Verify Configuration.
"All hardware devices failed to initialize..." All hardware failed to connect. See Hardware Disconnected.
"Failed to initialize hardware" A hardware initialization error occurred. Check the log for details.
Hardware-specific connection errors See Hardware Disconnected.

If the error message is not listed above, write it down exactly and check the Application Errors Reference.

Step 5: Application screen is frozen or unresponsive

  1. Wait 30 seconds -- the application may be processing a large operation.
  2. If still frozen, check Task Manager. If the application shows "Not Responding," it may need to be force-closed.
  3. Force-close: Open Task Manager, find AbeTech.GateKeeper.Conveyor.WinForm, and click End Task.
  4. Restart the application. See Restart Application.
  5. If the application freezes again immediately after restart, check the log file for errors.

Resolution: If freezing happens repeatedly, see When to Escalate.

Step 6: Cannot access Settings (PIN required)

The Settings screen is protected by a 6-digit PIN.

  1. Try the default PIN: 867530
  2. If the default PIN does not work, a custom PIN has been set.
  3. If the custom PIN is unknown:
  4. Open C:\gatekeeper\conveyor\appsettings.json in Notepad.
  5. Find the line with "SettingsPinHash".
  6. Delete the value so it reads: "SettingsPinHash": ""
  7. Save the file and restart the application.
  8. The Settings screen will now be accessible without a PIN.
  9. Set a new PIN from within Settings if desired.

Still not resolved?

If the application error persists after following these steps, see When to Escalate and collect diagnostics using the Collecting Diagnostics guide.