Quick Troubleshooting for End Of Reporting Periods

Quick Troubleshooting for

End Of Reporting Periods

About

H&L’s reporting periods include Shift, Day, Week, Month and Year. These periods are finalised using corresponding End Of functions, such as End of Day or End of Week. While the periods typically reflect their calendar names, their actual duration depends on when they are processed. You can process these periods manually using the Processing application or automate them using a TimeSwitch.

This guide provides troubleshooting, mitigation and next-step advice to help resolve common issues encountered when processing reporting periods. This includes:

Verifying if End Ofs processed
Issue: Period processing failed or didn’t run
Issues: End of period report printing
Issues: End of period report emailing
Issues: Report figures
Decision: Reprocess or consolidate a missed period

If the steps in this guide do not resolve your issue, or if the issue occurs regularly, please contact the H&L Support team for further assistance. You can log a support ticket via:

Phone: 1800 778 340
Email: support@hlpos.com
Chat: Live Chat
Client Portal: Click the Submit a Ticket button above.

For more information on processing End Of periods, see:

Verifying if End Ofs processed

Several symptoms may indicate an issue with processing reporting periods. These include:

Processing Last Run dates are older than expected

End of period reports failed to print or email

Reports are blank (show $0 totals)

Report totals are inflated (appear to combine multiple days, weeks, etc.)

The first step in troubleshooting End Of issues is to confirm whether the period processed. If it hasn’t, there’s no need to check email or printer issues, as no reports will be available to print or email.

Checking the Last Run times via Processing.exe

Upon opening Processing, a “(Last Run: Day, Date)” appears below the End of Day, Week, Month and Year buttons.

Greater detail, including End of Shift locations, is available under Options > View the dates of most recent runs.

Checking historical run times via Reports.exe

In Reports, double-click a period-based report (e.g. Processing > Cash Balance) to open the report filter window.

Select a Period Type radio button (Day, Week, Month or Year).

Use the Period selection dropdown menu to check when periods have processed. Periods are displayed in the format “Date Time to Date Time [Period#]”. The first date and time indicate when the period started (i.e. when the previous period was finalised), and the second indicates when the current period was finalised. The top entry, shown as “Date Time to Today”, represents the current (unprocessed) period.

Note: Syswan troubleshooting is outside the scope of this guide. If reporting periods for a specific site are missing from Head Office, confirm the period processed at the site, run an UpdateHO, and contact the H&L Support team if further assistance is needed.

Issue: Period processing failed or didn’t run

The following causes can prevent reporting periods from processing.

Problem	Solution or workaround
Server not running	The H&L server must be running for both automatic and manual End Of processing. Do not shut down the server overnight, as TimeSwitch automated processing typically occurs during this time. Use a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to provide backup power during short outages.
Windows updates on server	Windows updates can cause automatic reboots that overlap with scheduled TimeSwitch processing. Check recent updates via: Start > Settings > Windows Update > Update history. Set active hours to avoid reboots during TimeSwitch processing: Start > Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. [Reference Visual]
End Of TimeSwitches	Ensure TransServer (application) or POSController (service) is running, per your setup. If TransServer is in use, close and reopen it. If POSController is in use, start or restart the service. These components are responsible for activating TimeSwitches. For more information, see: How To Check and Restart the Transaction Server or POS Controller Service. Check End Of timeswitch setup: Confirm the database backup TimeSwitch runs earlier than any End Of TimeSwitches. Ensure End of Shift TimeSwitch runs before Day, Week or Month TimeSwitches. Avoid overlapping End Of TimeSwitches; allow at least 15 minutes for each. Avoid identical start/end times across TimeSwitches. If an End Of TimeSwitch was recently created or updated, close and reopen TransServer, or restart the POSController service. Always close the Processing application when done. Leaving it open may block End Of TimeSwitches. Use Task Manager to check whether Processing is stuck open (even if not visible) and end the task if needed. For more information, see: Ending frozen or unresponsive programs with Task Manager.
TransServer or PosController stuck on “Locked: True"	TransServer and POSController temporarily lock during End Of processing and should return to “Locked: False” when complete. If “Locked: True” persists beyond the expected processing time: Close and reopen TransServer if it’s in use Restart the POSController service if it’s in use Leaving the system in a locked state can block sales, order printing, table charges and more.
Forgot to run manually	Consider automating End Of processing via timeswitches if End Of processing is being forgotten regularly. Shift, Day, Week and Month reporting periods can be automated, but End of Year must be completed manually. Contact the H&L support team if you require assistance setting up timeswitches.

If your end of period failed to process and you believe the cause has been resolved, you can choose to rerun it or allow it to combine with the next scheduled run. For guidance on making this decision, see: Decision: Reprocess or consolidate a missed period.

Issues: End of period report printing

The following problems can prevent end of period reports from printing, even if the End Of period has successfully processed.

Problem	Solution or workaround
Report printer issues	Check for common printer issues, such as: No paper or ink / toner Printer is turned off or has no power Error lights on the printer Check the Windows print queue for stuck jobs. Attempt to restart or cancel any stalled print jobs.
Default printer	End Of reports print to the Windows default printer of the H&L server or the machine used to process End Ofs manually. If no default printer is set in Windows, reports will not print. If the wrong printer is selected as the default, reports may print in an unexpected location or with incorrect formatting. You can confirm or change the default printer via: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
Configuration	These settings in Processing > Options > End Of affect report printing: Exports > Disable Direct Report Printing – If enabled, no reports will print (they can still be saved as PDF and emailed) Shift / Day / Week / Month / Year – Use the checkboxes to enable or disable specific reports for printing. If no reports are selected, none will print.
Processing > Print Last	The Print Last dropdown in Processing allows you to reprint reports from the last time the period was processed. [Reference Visual] Reprints use the original configuration at the time of finalisation, including enabled reports and the default printer. If the original default printer is no longer available, this option will not work.

If you need to reprint reports, you can:

Use Print Last in Processing – This attempts to reprint reports using the configuration in place when the period was finalised. It uses the then-default printer. If that printer is no longer available, this option will not work.
Regenerate reports via Reports.exe – Open the required report for the relevant period and print it manually. These reports can be sent to any currently available printer, but each one must be selected and printed individually.

Issues: End of period report emailing

The following problems can prevent end of period reports from being emailed, even if the End Of period was successfully processed.

Problem	Solution or workaround
Internet Access	The H&L server must have internet access when reports are being emailed. To confirm internet access on the server, see: How to check your internet connection.
Email Service	Report emails are sent using the H&L Sysnet – Email Service. If emails were not received, start or restart this service. Restart the service after making any configuration changes in Utilities (see below). For more information on managing services, see: Managing Windows services.
Configuration	Check the following configuration settings for issues that may prevent End Of reports from emailing: Processing > Options > End Of > Exports A valid PDF export directory must be set; this is where emailed reports are generated from. Hint: Avoid using OneDrive or Dropbox as export locations if they require regularly expiring passwords. Ensure Email PDF Generated Reports is enabled. Utilities > Company Info > Mail Server Settings SMTP settings on the left side must be completed for the Email Service to function. Use the Send Test Email button to test these settings. If it fails, restart the Email Service and try again. In the Email Template section, choose End of Reports from the Template dropdown. [Reference Visual] Add recipient email addresses using the Send to Address field and + (Add) button For more information, see H&L Training Document - H&L Emailer Service.
Junk or spam folders	When End Of emails are received by some but not all recipients: Ask failed recipients to check their Spam or Junk folders. Confirm their email addresses are correctly entered in the End of Reports email template (see above).
Default printer	If emailed reports show unintelligible characters or strange formatting, a non-A4-compatible printer (e.g. OneNote or a receipt printer) may be set as the default printer on the H&L server.

If the emailing issue has been resolved and reports need to be re-sent, you must manually attach the PDF files to an email and send them to the intended recipients. There is no automated option to re-send reports.

You can obtain the reports from:

The PDF export directory – Confirm the directory in Processing > Options > End Of > Exports
Reports.exe – Regenerate the required reports for the relevant period and save them as PDF files

If needed, you can confirm recipient email addresses from:

Utilities > Company Info > Mail Server Settings > Email Template > End of Reports
[Reference Visual]

Issues: Report figures

This section covers issues with totals and values shown on end of period reports.

Problem	Solution or workaround
Combined periods	If processing a period is missed, the next finalised period will often combine data from multiple periods. Example: If End of Week is missed one week, the next time it runs, reports may show totals for two weeks. H&L does not support splitting or moving reporting data between periods once processed. Automating period processing using a TimeSwitch can help prevent this if it's a recurring issue.
Blank / $0 totals on reports	The most common cause of $0 totals on Day period reports is End of Shift not being run before End of Day. This can be mitigated by configuring TimeSwitches or training staff to run End of Shift before End of Day. Enable Automatically run End of Day as part of End of Shift in Processing > Options > End Of > Shift > Options to streamline the process. Other possible causes: POS terminals offline A location missed during End of Shift processing. Check Processing > Options > View the dates of most recent runs, or review the End of Shift TimeSwitch setup The same period run back-to-back, resulting in the second report containing no new data No trade occurred during the period A blank Day report with $0 totals before each End of Week, Month and Year is expected and can be ignored
Reporting variances	If different H&L reports don’t balance: Confirm filtering options and period selection are the same for both reports Hint: Date filtering can include more than expected if periods span two or more calendar days Confirm whether both reports include or exclude tax Contact the H&L Support team for further assistance

If blank figures were caused by End of Shift not being run, you can either rerun End of Shift followed by End of Day, or allow the data to combine with the next scheduled period. For guidance on this decision, see: Decision: Reprocess or consolidate a missed period.

If data has been combined in a single processed period, it cannot be separated within H&L. However, your bookkeeper or accountant may be able to split the data in your accounting software. Printed Y-Reads may provide approximate totals for individual days within the combined period.

Decision: Reprocess or consolidate a missed period

If an End Of period was not processed or did not process correctly, and the cause has been identified and resolved, you have two options for how to proceed. The same applies if End of Shift was not run before End of Day, resulting in $0 totals.

Reprocess the missed or problem period now, making sure to run End of Shift first if it was also missed before End of Day.
Leave the missed period to be processed together with the next run of the same period type, consolidating the figures into a single reporting period.

The best approach may depend on when the issue was detected (e.g. before or after trade resumed) or the preference of your bookkeeper or accountant.

Here are some points to consider when deciding which option is best for your venue:

For End of Shift and End of Day, if the issue is caught before trade begins, it is usually preferable to reprocess both immediately. This will re-finalise the period and produce the reporting figures you would expect if nothing had gone wrong.
Similarly, for End of Week, Month or Year, reprocessing immediately, if caught before the next EOS or End of Day runs, will result in clean period totals that reflect expected trading data.
If the issue is caught later (e.g. mid-trade or the mid-week), the current or following days’ sales will be included in the current trading period when it is processed. In such cases, it may be simpler to allow one combined period rather than splitting the data into two uneven periods.
Example: End of Shift and End of Day did not run and the issue wasn't noticed until midday the next day. Reprocessing both immediately would create a day period with 1.5 days of sales figures and the next with only 0.5 days. In this situation, it may be preferable to allow the period to roll forward and process as a single two-day period at the next scheduled time.
Sometimes, having uneven periods is still preferable to skipping the period entirely. For example, processing End of Year with 380 days one year and 350 the next is likely better than waiting with no approximate yearly reporting until the following year.

Reference Visuals

Windows Update > Update History
Processing > Print Last
Utilities > Company Info > Mail Server Settings > Email Templates