7890A ChemStation (B3.02[341]) crashed and lost connection w

[Red Head]

Our Agilent 7890A Chemstation software crashed and apparently corrupted a configuration file.

The GC boots and passes all its internal tests no problem.

The error when the Chemstation software boots is:
"The GC method settings are not consistent with the current configuration and must be resolved. Press OK to resolve the method settings!"

Clicking OK bring ups a second error window:
"The method is invalid. Method must be uploaded from the GC first."

I've pinged the GC (IP 10.1.1.102) from the PC's command prompt program and 4 test pings all work.

Last clue:
The Chemstation menu choice :
Instrument>GC configuration...>connection window shows:
Agilent 7980 Connection title
GC Name box empty
IP Address box empty and not editable
And no note in an editable not window.

Anyone got a suggestion how I can reconfiguration the Chemstation software (version B3.02[341]) to see my GC?

Thanks in advance.

Red Head

[kubowicz.tomasz]

Hello

Do not click "OK" when window with method resolving appears. Click "do not resolve method" and load default GC method - GC_def.M
Or upload method from instrument (you'll find this option in instrument menu, click right mouse button on oven table)

Regards

Tomasz Kubowicz

[Red Head]

Tomasz Kubowicz

Thanks for responding.

"Do not resolve method" is not an option in the method resolving window and exiting the window gives the same result as clicking "OK". Attempting to load the default GC gives the error:
" Class not registered [ AgEMG2070.AgEMTG2070StartExport]."

Restarting the program with the default method as the last loaded gives the error, "Resetting to manual injection For method 'Def_GC.M' injection source 'GC injector' conflicts with injection source.

So we can't make changes or load anything from the GC.
By the way the GC clearly has the last loaded method. It's ChemStation that can't access the GC. The successful ping proves that there isn't a hardware/connection problem between the PC snd the GC.

(Obviously no cabling/hardware has been disturbed for years and this problem started after a software crash.)

I still think this is corrupted ChemStation configuration file since the configuration window doesn't know the GC's IP address as described in my original post.

Again, thanks for the help.

Red Head

[Consumer Products Guy]

ike Tomas said, I'd let it Resolve Method, don't save those changes. Then load the default method, configure for ALS, and rebuild the method from there.

[Red Head]

Consumer Products Guy,

Letting ChemStation resolve the method is not an action available.

It just displays all the GC instrumental icons and no changes made in any and all of those panes are saved nor are they downloaded to the GC. And uploading FROM the GC is not a choice.

In effect after starting ChemStation no method changes changes can be saved.

We're still stuck.

Thanks for responding.

Red Head

[Steve Reimer]

One thing that has worked for me in the past, after the system died and took out the method file and the default method, was to find an old method file that I knew had worked and had the correct configuration and copied it over the default method file. Save the default method as 'default_old_method' first for recovery. Then try the "new" default method. It won't work if the corrupt file isn't stored with the method but it only takes a couple of minutes to try.
Have you reconfigured the instrument?

[Red Head]

Steve Reimer

Thanks for the response.

Given what I've posted (note, 3 posts so far, showing method changes aren't possible), how can I reconfigure the instrument?

Is there a program separate from (online) ChemStation that separately reconfigures the instrument? I haven't found one.

Red Head

[Consumer Products Guy]

Some configuration functions can be done using the keypad.

[Steve Reimer]

Does your version of Chemstation put an Instrument Configuration icon on your desktop?

[kubowicz.tomasz]

Hello

Try this:

1.Remove all methods from main folder "Methods" (move them to other location) except method: GC_def.M (def.M)
*after this you should have only one method in this folder
2.Reboot GC and restart PC
3.Make sure that path for methods (you'll find it in configuration editor menu) is correct - main folder "Methods"
4..Open Chemstation - default method should be loaded
5.Then you can try to load your methods from folder you moved them to.

Regards

Tomasz Kubowicz

[Red Head]

Tomasz Kubowicz,

Thanks again for the reply.

Before I got to your post we did the following which appears to have worked:

We loaded the Agilent Configuration Editor (on our PC: Start>All Programs>Agilent Chemstation>Configuration Editor).

This program immediately displayed an instrument configuration window with the correct GC name and most importantly the correct IP address of the GC.

Remember that this was NOT available in ChemStation (see my previous posts in this thread), and the IP address line was blank and NOT editable in ChemStation.

We deleted this apparently correct configuration in Configuration Editor and added a new instrument with the same information. After saving the new configuration in Configuration Editor, we rebooted ChemStation and immediately got a "Rapid Control Adapter Module" error. This was the error that appeared before ChemStation crashed initially leading to this problem.

By the way, that initially error occurred in the middle of a chromatographic run; no one was interacting with ChemStation or the PC at the time.

But most importantly, ChemStation now recognized the GC and we were able to load and edit methods.

We're up and running now but sill have no idea why the initial Rapid Control Adapter Module error was caused.

One Agilent document on line has hints of our problem but that document's suggested causes that don't apply to our situation since no ChemStation or Windows upgrades had been made:

http://www.chem.agilent.com/Library/Sup ... 633658.pdf

I'm afraid that this problem will arise again and would appreciate insight to the real cause if any one knows.

Thanks to all who posted.

Red Head