Troubleshooting

If you link to this troubleshooting page from outside the wiki then please either scroll down or use the following Table of Contents to find the right section

Leica Confocals

What to do if the software hangs or if an error won't go away even after you've quit the software and reopened it

If LAS AF has frozen and you can’t quit the software

If LAS AF is not responding you must force quit the application and kill its processes

1. Press CTRL ALT and DEL at the same time
2. Start the Task Manager
3. Click on the Processes tab
4. End the following processes: LASAFApplication.exe and LCS.exe
5. Re-open LAS AF

Unsaved data should be okay as long as the data container was running, which it will have been unless its process was stopped or the computer was restarted

SP5: If you still get errors even after doing the above

1. Quit LAS AF
2. Switch off the middle Scanner Power button on the panel with three buttons and a key
3. Wait for about 30 seconds
4. Turn the Scanner Power button back on
5. COMPULSORY! Wait for 30 seconds*
6. Open LAS AF again

*There is an LED on the scan head that will display a number 3 for 20-30 seconds before changing to number 1. You must wait until this happens before opening the software.

SP5: If you STILL get errors even after doing the above

Most of the time the two procedures above will do the trick. If they don’t then in no particular order try shutting the computer down as well as switching the scanner power off and on. It is best not to simply restart but to shut the computer down and then start it up again from the button on the computer tower.

If that fails then it will all have to go off and on again, but in practice this is rarely needed if you do the two procedures at the top first.

How to create error reports for the Leica confocals

If the Leica confocals (SPE, SPE2, SPE3 and SP5) crash, hang or suffer any other problems you should create an error report to make troubleshooting the problem easier. LAS AF does not have to be open for you to generate such a report. The image below shows how to create a report from the Windows Start Menu.

A zipped folder of logs will automatically be generated. Please save this zipped folder in the Error Reports folder on the D drive. Also, it would be very useful if you include the date in its name so that different error reports can be linked to the right error.

SPE3 or SP5: The lasers won't work and there is a alert saying there is an interlock condition

Check that the transmitted light illumination arm in the vertical position and is not pushed back to allow easy access to the stage. Check that the objective lens turret is correctly in position (i.e. the objective lenses are not halfway between one position and another). The interlock engages when the system is not laser-safe and there is a risk of laser light entering the user's eyes. Putting the above components back into their safe position should clear the interlock condition.