Troubleshooting: HomeGauge Error Messages

• Cannot create empty file in folder 00000000
• Error creating PDF file (file location)
• Error creating the zip file for upload(...)
• Error retrieving HG Cloud report data. Error: posted content length of # exceeds #
• Error opening file to write(...)
• Error opening report (ID) (file path) Line: # Char: #
• Error opening report. The following tags were not closed: report, template(...)
• Error retrieving HG Services tier data. Error: User name and password must be provided.
• Error unpacking templates and settings file
• Error while attempting to do a network operation
• Failed to Create Customers Account 2 different users are already using the supplied email addresses for this one person.
• Internal error: unable to start report
• jwplayer is undefined
• OLE database error (of any kind)
• Software cannot open people4.csv for writing (message may vary)
• There is no disk in the drive. Please insert a disk into drive (drive name)
• Unable to find Format#
• Zip error in opening "" for reading
• Zip error in opening/closing "filepath\\photolocker.zip"

Cannot create empty file in folder 00000000

When it can happen: When opening the HomeGauge software.

Why it happens: HomeGauge has a folder in your Documents\HomeGauge\Reports folder named 00000000. This folder must be present for the software to function. This error can happen for a few reasons.

1. Most common: The HomeGauge Data folder (usually Documents\HomeGauge) itself was moved or deleted. This can happen if you move the folder to another location for convenience, or remove files from it to save space. When this happens, HomeGauge does not know where its files are and has reset to its own installation folder which will cause this error.
2. Less common: The 00000000 folder specifically was deleted, or moved out of the Reports folder, for instance when attempting to manually move all of your reports to free up space or back up.

Solutions:

1. If you moved your Documents\HomeGauge folder to a different location, move it back to Documents, then re-download and run the HomeGauge installer. Note that running the HomeGauge installer does not delete any of your existing reports or data.

Error creating PDF file (file location)

When it can happen: When generating a PDF preview of a report.

Why it happens: An antivirus program has blocked a component of HomeGauge called PrinceXML from generating the PDF.

Solution: Open your antivirus software and navigate to the location where you can add exclusions. You will need to exclude this file: C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeGauge5\appdata\Engine\bin\prince.exe

Error creating the zip file for upload. The upload will not be able to continue (Path to the zip file of the report), Zip error in opening "" for reading.

When it can happen: When trying to upload a report.

Why it happens: Either an attachment is missing (HomeGauge cannot find the file to attach it properly) or there is a missing photo (HomeGauge knows a photo should be present for one or more inspection items, but it cannot find the file.) This can happen if you create a report, assign photos or drawings to your items, and then manually remove the images from the Report folder in Windows Explorer. We suspect it can also happen if you have backup software such as Dropbox or Microsoft OneDrive monitoring your HomeGauge folder.

Solutions: Though this error is most commonly seen with missing photos, you'll want to rule out missing attachments first.

1. Click Template > All Attachments. Look for any attachments that are highlighted in red. This means the file is missing. To remedy this, close this screen and go to Misc > Attachments and click the paperclip symbol. Remove any missing attachments here by clicking it and then clicking the red X symbol to remove them. Optionally, if you do want this attachment to be present and know where the file is located, click the orange plus symbol and navigate to the file you wish to attach. As this is a template change, be sure to click Save T when done.
2. Check for missing photos. There are a few ways to find out if a photo is missing. Regardless of which method is used, if you believe the photo should be there, be sure to re-add the missing photos after removing the empty placeholder.
1. Click the dropdown on your navigation bar that usually says "Find Unanswered" and choose Edit All Photos. Then click the Find First button. This will cycle through all photos in your report. You'll want to look for photos that appear blank (gray). Remove any that you encounter.
2. Generate a PDF preview of the report. Missing photos will appear as empty boxes with a border. Make note of the item numbers of any missing photos, then go to those items in your software and find the blank photo and remove it.
3. Go through each item, checking all photos including those in itemized items. Remove any blank (gray) photos encountered.

Error retrieving HG Cloud report data. Error: posted content length of # exceeds limit of #

When it can happen: When uploading a report to the cloud

Why it happens: The report exceeds the 200MB Cloud Transfer limit

Solutions: 

1. First, find out what's causing the report to be so large as a full report is usually well under this limit. Click Report > Display Report Data Sizes. A window will appear that lists the size of everything in the report with a total at the bottom. Look at Total Video File Size, Total Photo Size, Total Attachment Size, and Total Photo Locker Size. If any one of these has an unusually large number next to it (such as several hundred MB), that's the culprit.
1. If Total Video File Size is unusually high, trim or remove videos in your report to lower this total.
2. If Total Photo Size is unusally high, you may need to remove some photos.
3. If Total Attachment Size is unusually high, go to Misc > Attachments and remove any unneeded attachments.
2. If Total Photo Locker Size is very high, you may need to tell HomeGauge not to uplod the photo locker. To do this:
1. Click File > Printing Options
2. Click the Misc tab.
3. Uncheck the Upload Photo Locker option at the bottom of this page.
4. If this does not solve the issue, we have seen rare instances where HomeGauge includes the photo locker even when being instructed not to. To work around this, go to Documents\HomeGauge\Reports and look for the folder matching the report you're uploading. Open it, and look for the folder called photolocker. Move this folder to your desktop (right click it and click cut, then right click a blank area of your desktop and click paste.) Then try uploading again. Move the photolocker folder back to its report folder when done.

Error opening file to write(...)

When it can happen: During installation or update of the HomeGauge software.

Why it happens: HomeGauge is currently running, and needs to be closed in order to complete the operation. Note: In rare instances, HomeGauge might be running but is not visible on your taskbar.

Solutions: 

1. Close HomeGauge if it's currently open.
2. If HomeGauge is not open, open your Windows Start menu and type Task Manager. Click the result from the list to open your Task Manager.
3. Look for homegauge5.exe in the list, click it and click End Task. If you don't see it, click More details at the bottom and follow the same steps.

Error opening report (ID) (file path) Line: # Char: #

When it can happen: When opening a report

Why it happens: The report file contains invalid characters that the software cannot interpret. Certain laptops such as the HP Envy have been known to add these characters occasionally.

Solutions: HomeGauge Support will need to repair the file for you to remove the invalid characters. When this error occurs, it often means the template used to write the report may also have the invalid characters. Please call 828-254-2030 between 9-5 EST Monday through Friday when you are at the computer experiencing the issue with an internet connection. We will connect with you, retrieve the affected files, repair them and send them back to you so that you can access your report again.

Error opening report. The following tags were not closed: report, template(...)

When it can happen: When opening a report

Why it happens: The report file is corrupt because the device it was created on ran out of storage in the middle of saving.

Solution: You will need to first free up space on the device (such as your Companion device or your computer) and then open a backup of the report.

Error retrieving HG Services tier data. Error: User name and password must be provided.

When it can happen: When uploading a report.

Why it happens: HomeGauge does not have your correct username/password, or ahs the wrong version cached.

Solution: Go to HG Services > Enter HG Inspector Username and re-enter your login information.

Error unpacking templates and settings file

When it can happen: When downloading Templates and Settings

Why it happens: There are no Templates and Settings uploaded

Solution: First upload your Templates and Settings from the computer or device you're sending from, then use HG Services > Download Cloud Templates & Settings again. For multi inspector firms, the owner can assign Templates & Settings to other inspectors in the company from their Dashboard under My Reports > Cloud Transfers.

Error while attempting to do a network operation. (...)

Full error message: "There was an error while attempting to do a network operation. Please make sure to connect to the Internet first. If you are connected then please also check any possible firewall setings like Norton Internet Security that you may have installed on your computer. Error: The connection with the server was reset."

When it can happen: When uploading a report

Why it happens: There is an issue connecting to the HomeGauge servers

Solution: Make sure that your internet is active and functioning correctly (if you reached this page successfully from the same computer that has the error, it should be.) Next, exclude HomeGauge from any antivirus software you have running.

HouseMaster Users:

Why it happens: There is an issue connecting to HouseMaster's servers

Solution: HomeGauge is typically unable to address this, and HouseMaster would need to be contacted directly. You may also try excluding HouseMaster from your antivirus.

Failed to Create Customers Account 2 different users are already using the supplied email addresses for this one person

When it can happen: When creating a customer username in the HomeGauge Desktop Software

Why it happens: When updating a user to use a different e-mail address, the software may be prevented from saving that change due to antivirus interference which can cause this message. 

Solution: Exclude your Documents\HomeGauge folder and your C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeGauge5 folder from your antivirus. If you cannot exclude folders, exclude C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeGauge5\HomeGauge5.exe and Documents\HomeGauge\people4.csv

Internal error: unable to start report

When it can happen: When opening the software

Why it happens: The HomeGauge data folder is missing.

Solution: Follow the steps in this guide.

jwplayer is undefined

When it can happen: When uploading or previewing the report.

Why it happens: HomeGauge 5.2 or later is installed and you are using retored templates and settings from an older version such (5.1 or older.)

Solution: Download and run the HomeGauge installer. You can find this on your Dashboard by clicking Install HG5 on the left hand menu. Note: Running this installer will not remove or alter any of your reports, templates or other files.

OLE database error (of any kind)

When it can happen: When clicking through sections of the report

Why it happens: An antivirus program, especially Trend Micro, is preventing HomeGauge from functioning correctly.

Solution: Open your antivirus software and navigate to the location where you can add exclusions. You will need to exclude this file: C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeGauge5\HomeGauge5.exe

Software cannot open people4.csv for writing (message may vary)

When it can happen: While trying to add or edit a contact in the software

Why it happens: An antivirus software, especially AVG's ransomeware protection module, has blocked certain functions within HomeGauge.

Solution:

1. Close HomeGauge
2. Open AVG's settings and create an exception or whitelist for your Documents\HomeGauge folder as well as C:\Program Files (x86)\HomeGauge5.
3. Re-open HomeGauge an attempt to do the action that caused the error again. AVG should prompt you to block or allow the action. Allow it and AVG should not prompt you again.

There is no disk in the drive. Please insert a disk into drive (drive name)

When it can happen: When opening HomeGauge

Why it happens: This is a generic Windows error that can affect many programs. When the software was installed, Windows mistakenly believed that a connected device such as a thumb drive or external hard drive was the installation medium for HomeGauge. As a result, it believes that device needs to be connected for HomeGauge to run.

Solution: We are unsure of a guaranteed solution for this as it is not a HomeGauge-specific error, but we recommend uninstalling HomeGauge and then reinstalling it with no thumb drives, external hard drives, or devices such as phones or cameras connected to your computer.

Unable to find Format #

When it can happen: When previewing the report

Why it happens: HomeGauge is missing stylesheets needed to generate the report preview correctly. This can happen if the files were manually deleted.

Solution: Download and run the HomeGauge installer from your HomeGauge Dashboard using the Install HG5 link on the left hand menu. Note: None of your existing reports, templates or files will be removed.

Zip error in opening/closing "filepath\\photolocker.zip"

When it can happen: When doing a print preview 

Why it happens: The software is looking in the wrong location for the report file and needs to be manually corrected.

Solution: HomeGauge Support will need to modify the print directory of the software in the Windows registry. As this is an advanced troubleshooting step we recommend calling us at 828-254-2030 between 9-5PM EST so that we can connect to your computer with you to resolve the issue.