ChemStation sequence error

[JeanA]

Has anyone had a problem with the ChemStation software not recognizing a sequence run? We are currently unable to load one specific batch, because the ChemStation software cannot "see" the directory that contains the sequence, method, and data files. We can load each individual data report (Excel output) and each chromatogram, so the entire sequence ran. We have had this GC for several years and many thousands of runs, but we have never before had this problem. Any ideas?

(We do not run any custom macros in ChemStation. )

[Yama001]

Is this a fairly old version of Chemstation? Perhaps the batch directory does not adhere to the old 8.3 dos based naming convention?

[JeanA]

Is this a fairly old version of Chemstation? Perhaps the batch directory does not adhere to the old 8.3 dos based naming convention?

I think the ChemStation version is from summer of 2009.

Here is the sequence of events:

One of our users started an overnight sequence run on Friday. The sequence ran, because we can load individual results chromatograms. However, we cannot load the sequence as a batch.

A different user ran a different sequence on Saturday. That sequence batch loads properly.

I realized this afternoon that what is happening is that, when we try to load Friday's batch, the Chemstation software is looking for Saturday's data files, which of course are not in the sequence folder.

We have about 100 samples in the Friday run, so I would prefer to be able to reprocess the data rather than extract all the data manually. Any ideas?

[dblux_]

Sequence file and/or data files have been overwritten by newer files. ( ? - just a thought).

[Consumer Products Guy]

We always have put each day's data into its own subdirectory in ChemStation, like ...\1\DATA\121217\

You can reprocess any data that has not been overwritten. The warning: "Data directory already contains datafiles" is there for a reason. Reprocessing Only cannot overwrite any data files, that's what you designate under Sequence Parameters. And click the box to use Sample Table values.

[Yama001]

Hmm, I have not done batch processing in ages, just work from the Stand Alone Data Analysis Window. Perhaps this is a distinction between the Environmental / MSD Chemstation (G1701XX, we use it for everything) verse the GC/LC Chemstation (G2070XX, or A.XX, B,X, C.XX? I see it refered to in various ways, we tend to stay away from that one here).

We acquire data to the local PC and send a copy to the network for processing; the users have to try pretty hard to wipe out old work, though they can do it if they insist on it . The local copy mostly saves us from uncooperative IT types.

[JeanA]

Sequence file and/or data files have been overwritten by newer files. ( ? - just a thought).

The data files are all present, as we can open them individually. The sequence file within the sequence run folder may have been overwritten accidentally. We see the correct sequence table, but when we try to load the batch, a different day's method (the 'wrong' method) gets opened, and the software tries to open the data files that were created by the "wrong" method.

We have been able to get all the data by using an in-house Excel macro to extract all of the information that would have been in the batch.