Intermittent inlet error on MassLynx system caused by corrupt Inlet Method files - WKB27728

SYMPTOMS

• Intermittent stopping of the sample list at the start of a sample run, when the inlet method is being downloaded. The following error displays:

Waters Generic Instrument Server. The Autosampler Method SetupMethod failed with error: 80010105. The server threw an exception.
Failed to download method: [name and file path of method]

• The same error occurs if you try to manually download the method
• Problem can be seen on any MassLynx-controlled system

ENVIRONMENT

• MassLynx
• Xevo TQ-MS with SCN 905
• Classic ACQUITY (BSM and SM)
• ICS 1.65
• Xevo TQ_GC

CAUSE

Some of the inlet methods are corrupt. Others work normally.

FIX or WORKAROUND

1. Delete the corrupt inlet methods.
2. Create new methods based on a method that is known to work, ideally the default inlet method, which is located in the default project in the C:\MassLynx folder.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Once the error occurred, it continued, regardless of the inlet method specified and even after resetting communications and restarting MassLynx. The error cleared only by restarting the PC. This made troubleshooting difficult.