Are you an Applied Biosystems (ABI) 3500 Series user running into a frustrating error when trying to set up your sequencing run? You're not alone. We've seen an issue pop up where the software throws a "Could not create the view: An unexpected exception was thrown, java.lang.NullPointerException" error specifically when generating the 'Load Plates for Run' page. The rest of the Data Collection software seems fine—you can define plates, assign content, and navigate other menus. But that crucial step of linking the plate to the run is blocked. If restarting the instrument and computer hasn't helped, the cause is likely a surprisingly simple one: your Plate Record folder is full!

As the days get shorter and you settle in for a busy fall analysis schedule, the last thing you need is a disruption. If your Applied Biosystems (ABI) 3730 DNA Analyzer is stuck in initialization with that persistent yellow indicator light, don't panic. The fix might be as simple as replacing a cheap, little component: a fuse!

Unexpected error messages can be frustrating, especially when they disrupt your sequencing workflow. One common issue that 3500 Series Genetic Analyzer users encounter is: “ERROR: Leak detected during bubble compression.”