# When something goes wrong

The fastest way from “what I see” to “what it means”: first the picture on the display, then the symptoms sorted by topic. Each row states the meaning and ends at the page that covers the case in detail.

> **Type:** troubleshooting
> **For:** Anyone who sees a symptom or a message and does not know which area the cause is in.
> **Prerequisite:** Access to the portal. For the checks at the end, you need the read permission for **Displays**.
> **Where in the portal:** Header › **Help** › **Open docs**

## First decision point: Does the display show text, and what does it say?

Look at the display on site first, not at the portal. Its picture almost always tells you whether anything is broken at all.

| What the display shows | What it means | Where to go next |
|---|---|---|
| The scheduled content is playing | Normal operation. | Nothing to do. |
| Your brand’s placeholder | Paired, but nothing is scheduled for this time. | [Assign a program to a display](/docs/displays/assign-program) |
| **Off air**, black, with the time playback resumes | The display is blank as scheduled. Not a defect, and the case most often reported on site as a fault. | [Schedule time off air](/docs/programs/schedule-off-air) |
| **No active scene** | No program entry applies to this time, and there is no scene to fall back to either. A planning error, not a device error. | [Read the weekly plan](/docs/programs/read-weekly-plan) |
| **This display is not assigned yet**, plus a six-character code | The device does not belong to an organization yet and is waiting to be paired. | [Pair a display](/docs/displays/pair-display) |
| **No display is set up for this screen yet** | The device already belongs to you, but the portal has no display for this connector. No pairing code appears. | [Add a second display to the same device](/docs/displays/add-second-display) |
| **No connection — showing the last known content**, small at the bottom right | The stored state has expired and there is no network. The content keeps running underneath. | [What happens when the network goes down?](/docs/getting-started/about-network-outages) |
| Error screen with a reason and a countdown | No content is available. | [Troubleshooting on the device](/docs/devices/troubleshooting) |
| Setup card with a QR code | No network. The device runs in its own setup Wi-Fi. | [Connect to the network: cable, Wi-Fi, company network, time](/docs/devices/connect-network) |
| Completely black, without any text | Power, cable, or the input selection on the panel. | [Unpack and connect](/docs/devices/unpack-and-connect) |

Action **on the device** is needed for only three pictures: the error screen, the setup card, and the completely black display. Everything else you solve in the portal.

The complete list of all pictures is at
[What a display can show](/docs/devices/what-display-shows).

## Display: dark, empty, or showing the wrong thing

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| At the foot of the tile it says **Nothing scheduled**, and the display shows the placeholder | Nothing is assigned to the display. | Assign a program, a scene, a playlist, or a media item: [Assign a program to a display](/docs/displays/assign-program). |
| The display shows an older version of your scene | The latest state is still a draft. Only a published version is distributed. | Publish the scene again: [Save, publish, versions, and conflicts](/docs/content/save-and-publish). |
| The display shows **Delayed** or **Offline** | Pure time arithmetic: no check-in for 60 seconds or 5 minutes, respectively. The status says nothing about the picture. | Check power and network on site: [Read status, visibility, and incidents](/docs/displays/read-status). |
| Warning band **Display output hung** or **This display shows no picture** | The display software no longer delivers pictures, or the panel is in standby. | Restart through the device record: [Maintain a device remotely: restart, log, update](/docs/devices/maintain-device-remotely). |
| Warning band **No cable** | No panel is detected at this display’s connector. | Check cable and input selection: [Troubleshooting on the device](/docs/devices/troubleshooting). |
| The picture has black bars or is cropped | The scene format and the display do not match. | Check the format: [Which format does a scene need for which display?](/docs/content/about-scene-formats). |
| **We do not know this code.** or **The code has expired — please enter the one currently displayed.** | Mistyped, or the code was beyond the five-minute grace period. The characters 0, O, 1, and I do not occur. | Type the code that is displayed right now: [Pair a display](/docs/displays/pair-display). |
| **Every booked display is paired.** or **Your contract does not cover more displays.** | No booked seat is free. | Book more displays in the dialog: [Change your contract: displays, package, add-ons](/docs/billing/change-contract), or free up a seat: [Remove a display](/docs/displays/remove-display). |
| **This device has already been paired.** | The device still belongs to an organization, the most common case when a device is reused. | In the previous organization, choose **Re-pair …**, then pair again: [Device lifecycle](/docs/devices/device-lifecycle). |
| The display shows **Not connected**, and the display record shows **Created, no browser connected yet** | The web display is created, but no browser has opened its address yet. | Open the address on the target device: [Create a web display in the browser](/docs/displays/create-web-display). |
| On a video wall, one display stays dark | A member of the video wall has a fault of its own. | Open the affected display on its own: [Create a video wall, assign content, and dissolve it](/docs/displays/create-video-wall). |

All cases around the display, assignment, warning bands, and pairing are at
[When a display does not show what it should](/docs/displays/troubleshooting).

## Content: media item, scene, widget

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The upload is rejected with a note about the file type | The format is not on the allowed list. | Convert the file: [File types, sizes, and storage](/docs/content/file-types-and-storage). |
| The upload is rejected although the type is allowed | Your organization’s storage is full. | Clean up and empty the trash, or book one more display, since the storage grows with it: [File types, sizes, and storage](/docs/content/file-types-and-storage). |
| The tile carries the **Error** badge | The preview could not be created. | Choose **Process again**: [Details, preview, and usage of a media item](/docs/content/media-details). |
| **Publishing blocked: unresolved integrity issues.** | The scene contains something that no longer exists: a removed app, a deleted media item, a deleted layout template. | Clean up the **Integrity issues** panel: [Content does not appear](/docs/help/content-troubleshooting). |
| The editor’s status line reports a conflict | Someone saved the same scene at the same time. | Decide in the dialog: [Save, publish, versions, and conflicts](/docs/content/save-and-publish). |
| A widget is missing from the editor’s palette or cannot be inserted | The app is not installed, is blocked, or an **Update waiting** needs a decision. | [When an app does not run](/docs/apps/troubleshooting). |
| **Delete** is grayed out or rejected | Delete lock: the media item is used in a scene or in your brand. | Open the **Usage** card: [Delete, trash, and retention](/docs/content/delete-and-trash). |

The whole chain from the file to the picture is covered by
[Content does not appear](/docs/help/content-troubleshooting).

## Program: times, playlists, override

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The display shows **Off air** | An off-air period is scheduled for this time. | Open the program entry and change its window: [Schedule time off air](/docs/programs/schedule-off-air). |
| The switch comes an hour or two too early or too late | Program entries are calculated in the organization’s default time zone, not in your account’s time zone. | Read the footnote **All times in …**: [Day windows, midnight, and time zones](/docs/programs/time-windows). |
| A window over midnight runs on the wrong evening | The day of the start counts. | Set the weekday of the start: [Day windows, midnight, and time zones](/docs/programs/time-windows). |
| Two program entries overlap, and the wrong one wins | The program settles the overlap by its rules, without asking you. | Shorten the windows: [Which program entry wins when entries overlap?](/docs/programs/about-priorities). |
| A program entry does not run | It carries the badge **Paused**, its one-time date is in the past, or its weekday is not selected. | Open the entry in the weekly plan: [Create, edit, pause, or delete a program entry](/docs/programs/create-program-entry). |
| The plan has no effect on a display at all | An override sits on top and replaces everything, even the base program. | **End override**: [Show something else now (override)](/docs/programs/start-override). |
| An automatic playlist plays nothing | Its source currently matches no playable media item. | Read the hit count on the content card: [Automatic playlists from a folder, tags, or OneDrive](/docs/programs/automatic-playlists). |
| **Not the whole selection runs** | A source playlist takes at most 200 media items. | Narrow the selection or split it: [Automatic playlists from a folder, tags, or OneDrive](/docs/programs/automatic-playlists). |

All cases in which the plan and the display diverge are at
[When a display does not play what the plan says](/docs/programs/troubleshooting).

## Sign-in and access

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| No email arrives: confirmation code, sign-in link, or reset | Mistyped address, spam folder, or your organization enforces sign-in through the company account. | [Sign-in, password, and access](/docs/help/sign-in-troubleshooting). |
| **Email or password is incorrect.** | One of the two values is wrong. | Reset it through **Forgot your password?**: [Change or reset your password](/docs/organization/password). |
| **This organization only allows sign-in through the company account.** | Your organization enforces company sign-in for your email domain. | Sign in through **Sign in with company account**: [What does enforcing company sign-in mean?](/docs/organization/about-sign-in-enforcement). |
| **This invitation is invalid or has expired.** | An invitation is valid for 7 days. | In the **Invitations** section, click **Resend**: [Invite members and decide on join requests](/docs/organization/invite-members). |
| **Invalid code** for the second factor | The six-digit code is wrong, usually because the device’s clock is off. | Wait for the next code: [Set up two-factor sign-in](/docs/organization/set-up-two-factor). |
| **This account is suspended. Contact your administrator.** | An Owner has suspended the account. | Have the suspension lifted under **Team**: [Manage members: change role, block, remove](/docs/organization/manage-members). |
| A button is grayed out, or an area is missing from the sidebar | Your account lacks the permission, or your package does not include the function. | Read the tooltip: [No access, a grayed-out button, a locked area](/docs/help/access-troubleshooting). |

All cases from registering to company sign-in are at
[Sign-in, password, and access](/docs/help/sign-in-troubleshooting). What goes wrong on the first day
around registration and initial setup is covered by
[When getting started goes wrong](/docs/getting-started/troubleshooting).

## Billing, contract, and packages

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| **Payment failed.** | The bank rejected the charge, or the payment method no longer works. | Renew the payment method: [Add a payment method](/docs/billing/add-payment-method). |
| **Invoice overdue.** | An invoice is still open past its due date. | Settle the invoice: [Invoices, credit notes, and documents](/docs/billing/invoices). |
| **Organization frozen.** | The grace period has expired. Changes are blocked, and the displays keep running. | Settle the open invoice: [Payment reminders, overdue notices, freezing, suspension](/docs/billing/overdue-payments). |
| “Please add a payment method first.” | Szenera delivers against prepayment. Any increase needs a payment way. | **Open payment**: [Add a payment method](/docs/billing/add-payment-method). |
| “Please complete your invoice profile first.” | Company, address, or country is missing. | **Complete invoice profile**: [Invoice profile, VAT ID, and tax](/docs/billing/invoice-profile). |
| “VAT ID … was not confirmed.” | The European register does not know this number. | Correct the number and click **Check now**: [Invoice profile, VAT ID, and tax](/docs/billing/invoice-profile). |
| **No payment method yet.** with “Free until …” | The trial ends, and nothing happens by itself afterwards. | Add a payment method: [Packages, trial, and booked seats](/docs/getting-started/packages-and-trial). |
| A lock with **From Premium** or another package name | The function belongs to a larger package. | **View packages**: [What do you pay for: packages, seats, and add-ons?](/docs/billing/about-packages-and-seats). |

All messages from ordering, the bank, and the contract are at
[When a payment, order, or package gets stuck](/docs/billing/troubleshooting).

## Apps

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The widgets of an installed app are missing from the palette | The app is waiting for consent to new permissions, or it is blocked. | Click **View** in the band and decide: [When an app update is waiting for your decision](/docs/apps/app-update-decision). |
| An app shows **Not in your package** | Your package no longer includes the app, or the booking has ended. Settings and data are kept. | **View packages**: [What do you pay for: packages, seats, and add-ons?](/docs/billing/about-packages-and-seats). |
| A scene carries the **Blocked** badge | The scene uses an app that the booked package no longer covers. It drops out of the programs. | Take the app out of the scene and publish: [When an app does not run](/docs/apps/troubleshooting). |
| A widget shows no data | The app’s setup is not complete, or the app cannot reach its source. | Complete the open steps under **Setup**: [Manage data areas: an app’s own data](/docs/apps/manage-data-areas). |
| **Install** stays gray in the dialog | The required consent checkbox is not selected. | Select the checkbox: [Install or book an app](/docs/apps/install-app). |
| “No further apps can be installed at the moment.” | No other app fits. | Uninstall an unused app: [Uninstall an app](/docs/apps/uninstall-app). |
| The note **Sample data** stays permanently | The entries come from the app’s sample data, not from a live fetch. | Write to us: [Support: where to turn, what to include, and how we help](/docs/help/support). |

All cases from installing to the empty widget are at
[When an app does not run](/docs/apps/troubleshooting).

## Devices on site

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The display stays dark, without any text | Power, cable, or the input selection on the panel, not the portal. | Check the power supply, cable, and input: [Unpack and connect](/docs/devices/unpack-and-connect). |
| The setup card with the QR code keeps coming back | The device has no network. The Wi-Fi password was probably wrong. | Scan the card again and enter the access details anew: [Connect to the network: cable, Wi-Fi, company network, time](/docs/devices/connect-network). |
| Six empty tiles instead of a pairing code | The device has no internet yet, or the pairing session has not been created yet. | Check the network cable or Wi-Fi: [The pairing screen](/docs/devices/pairing-screen). |
| “Connection closed” with a reason | A deliberate shutdown: expired session, revoked permission, suspended organization, blocked device, or an intervention by us. | Resolve it in the portal, not on the device: [What a display can show](/docs/devices/what-display-shows). |
| The second panel on the same device stays black | No display is set up in the portal for this connector yet. | Create a second display: [Add a second display to the same device](/docs/displays/add-second-display). |
| The buttons **Turn on** and **Turn off** or the brightness control are missing | The panel does not respond to control over the cable. | Switch on the control in the panel’s menu: [How does the player control the display over HDMI?](/docs/devices/about-hdmi-control). |
| Warning band **Device reporting irregularly** | The last report is further back than usual. | Usually unstable Wi-Fi at the installation site, so check the reception: [Connect to the network: cable, Wi-Fi, company network, time](/docs/devices/connect-network). |
| Warning band **Clock out of sync** | The device time runs without synchronization. Programs switch at the wrong time. | Allow time synchronization on the network: [Connect to the network: cable, Wi-Fi, company network, time](/docs/devices/connect-network). |
| Warning band **Weak Wi-Fi signal** or **Power supply throttling** | Reception is close to the dropout limit, or the voltage is not sufficient. | Move the router, and use the original power supply and a short cable: [Troubleshooting on the device](/docs/devices/troubleshooting). |

[Troubleshooting on the device](/docs/devices/troubleshooting) covers everything
you check on site.

## Analytics, proofs, and interfaces

| Symptom | Meaning | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| **Nothing to measure on this day** | No planned time was scheduled for the day, and the display reported nothing. | Check the program and opening hours: [When numbers are missing or wrong](/docs/analytics/troubleshooting). |
| Yesterday’s figure is too low | Devices without a network report later. As long as a gap is open, the numbers can still rise. | Look again after the stated deadline: [Why is a gap not a zero?](/docs/analytics/about-gaps). |
| **Availability** shows a dash or a range | Without planned time there is no availability, and as long as gaps are open, it appears as a range. A gap never counts as zero. | Nothing to do: [What does analytics measure, and what does it not?](/docs/analytics/about-measurement). |
| **The period has been shortened to that.** | You asked for more history than your package covers. | Choose a shorter period: [Packages, trial, and booked seats](/docs/getting-started/packages-and-trial). |
| **History from the Pro package** or **Proofs from the Premium package** | Your package does not include this view. | **Compare packages**: [What do you pay for: packages, seats, and add-ons?](/docs/billing/about-packages-and-seats). |
| A file of the analysis cannot be created | The limit of three outputs in ten minutes per organization has been reached. | Wait ten minutes: [Run your own analysis](/docs/analytics/run-analysis). |
| **Create failed** or a lost key | The key was not issued. It is displayed only once. | Create it again or **Rotate**: [Create, rotate, and revoke an API key](/docs/developers/create-api-key). |
| **Create failed** or **Retry failed** for a delivery | The address is not reachable over HTTPS, or the receiver does not respond. | Check the address and retry the delivery: [Set up webhooks and check deliveries](/docs/developers/set-up-webhooks). |

All cases around measurement, gaps, and proofs are at
[When numbers are missing or wrong](/docs/analytics/troubleshooting).

## What to check before you contact us

Four quick checks head off most follow-up questions, and they give you the details that make a request go fast.

1. **Status and time.** Open **Displays** and read the status dot of the tile as well as **Last seen …**. If it says **Never seen**, the device has never reported.
2. **Operations log.** In the device record, the **Operations log** card shows what the machine reported last, in plain language and not as an error number.
3. **Screenshot.** The **Screenshot** command fetches the current picture from the device. In seconds, this tells you whether the display shows something other than what the portal expects.
4. **Change log.** Under **Change log**, you see who changed what and when. Very often the cause is there: a deleted playlist, a changed assignment.

![The Remote tab of a display with the device state (1), the Screenshot command (2), and the excerpt of the operations log (3)](/docs/help/bilder/acaa0847-display-record-checks.png)

If it does not affect a single display but everything at once, or if you cannot even get into the portal, first look at the public status page at
`https://szenera.com/status`. It needs no sign-in, names the state of each component and the time of the last measurement, and lists ongoing faults. If one is listed there, you can stop searching on your side.

If it persists, have the display name, time, screenshot, and the device’s identifier ready and write to us.

## Related

- [Messages and banners in the portal](/docs/help/messages-and-banners) — the wording of every band and what it wants from you.
- [Frequently asked questions](/docs/help/faq) — short answers before you write a request.
- [Support: where to turn, what to include, and how we help](/docs/help/support) — channels, details, and the cases that only we solve.