Troubleshooting common issues

Most load problems come down to how the file is structured. Here are the messages you might see and what to do about them.

“Couldn't find a timestamp/date column”

Overtrace needs a clear time column to plot against. Check that your time column has consistent, readable values (a real date-time or an Excel date) and isn't broken up by blank rows or merged header cells.

“No numeric data columns found”

A column is treated as a channel only if it's consistently numeric across the sample. Stray text, units mixed into the values, or thousands separators in odd places can disqualify a column. Clean the column so it holds numbers (commas as thousands separators are handled).

Rows were skipped

Rows without a valid time value are dropped and counted in the toast. This is usually blank trailing rows or a summary row at the bottom of an export — normal, and safe to ignore.

A channel shows under “No Data” or a sensor was skipped

Columns that held no usable readings — for example a sensor that was offline for the whole log — are reported as dead sensors and not plotted, because there's nothing to draw.

The chart looks empty after loading

Only the first two channels of your first module are auto-enabled. For later modules, tick the channels you want in the sidebar. If you still see nothing, check the X-axis mode — elapsed-native files switch you to Elapsed automatically, but a mixed set of modules may need a manual mode choice.

“I opened a synced window but the second one shows a padlock”

Synced windows need a license in both windows, the same as loading your own logs. A brand-new window can paint before its session cookie is readable, so Overtrace re-checks the license a few times over about seven seconds and unblocks itself when the check comes back. If it's still showing “Synced windows require a license”, click the new window to focus it — that triggers another check straight away. If it never clears, sign in again in the new window.

“The other window's cursor line shows but its cursor values box is empty”

The peer readout stands aside for about half a second whenever your hand is on this window's own mouse, so a stale local hover can hold it back. Move the pointer over this window's chart and then away from it, and the sync-driven readout picks back up. Two other things silently hide it: the peer's cursor being outside your current zoom window (pan or zoom out to reach it), and the Cursor dropdown being set to Off. If none of that explains it, refresh both windows.

“Nothing happens when I click the sync pill”

The settings dropdown only opens once the pill is showing a live pair. If the pill reads “Synced windows require a license”, it's a status badge rather than a menu and clicking it does nothing. If it reads “Not paired”, the other window has gone — close it and open a fresh synced window from this one.

FAQ