Troubleshooting

If something is not behaving, work from what you can see. Preview has no scientific settings to adjust, so the fix is almost always about the file or about which items are ticked.

AquaGrammar will not start

Confirm you are on Windows 10 or 11 and that the whole package was extracted, not just the .exe — the program needs the _internal folder sitting beside it. Copying the executable somewhere on its own is the most common cause. Record the exact error before reinstalling.

The file will not open

Preview reads original MicroNIR .sam, vendor CSV, and vendor XLSX files that cover the Classic-12 WAMACS range. Renaming a different format to .csv will not work — the contents have to genuinely be one of these.

Keep the original file unchanged and note the message shown. If you only want to confirm the program itself is healthy, open Demo 1 — Natural Systems; it is bundled and always available.

A repeat-count warning appears

Preview flags groups whose repeat numbering looks inconsistent — a duplicate repeat number, or a gap where one is missing. This is information, not a failure: it usually means the scans were labelled by hand. Check that the group really contains the scans you expect before continuing, because repeats are averaged within each group.

"Continue to row processing" is greyed out

At least one sample group must be ticked. Nothing is selected initially — use Select all if you want everything.

"Create average row" does nothing, or is unavailable

Average and Add each need two or more ticked groups. Subtract needs at least one group ticked to adjust, plus a baseline group chosen separately. Check the counter above the list to confirm what is actually ticked.

"Generate Classic-12 Aquagram®" stays disabled

The button waits until at least one row is ticked in Inputs for Aquagram® on the left. Ticking rows in the Operation panel on the right selects operands for building a new row — it does not choose what gets plotted. These are two different lists.

The chart is not what I expected

Check, in this order: the file name shown in the header, which groups you selected in step 2, which SNV range you chose, which rows are ticked for plotting, and the formula recorded against each processed row. The provenance line above the chart summarises the source and inputs.

Do not adjust things to force agreement with an expected chart. If the values still look wrong, that is worth reporting — see below.

How do I start over?

There is no Reset button. Click an earlier step in the left rail to go back without losing anything, or simply open a different file — that replaces the current session. Preview never saves projects, so nothing persists after the program closes.

Text is clipped or overlapping

Open Settings (the control at the bottom of the left rail) and lower the Font size. Very large scale factors can crowd the layout.

Reporting a problem

Write to aquagrammar@aquaphotomics.com. Please include:

• What you were doing, and which of the four steps you were on
• The exact message on screen, word for word
• The file type you opened (or which bundled demo)
• Your Windows version
• A screenshot, if it contains no data you would not want shared

Questions and comments are welcome at the same address.