Resolving Apex Error 12126 (Aurora or Athena)
Document 5076
Revised 5/14/2007 MPK


If Apex takes too long to open, you could receive a 12126 or 12124 error.  Recent updates to WinTOTAL allow you to configure this to match the performance of your individual PC.

Ultimately, this is an issue that Apex's in house tech support (ph# 888-308-2722)  should handle since it is pertaining to starting Apex, but the troubleshooting steps here should take care of the issue and save you that phone call.

 

 
 

 

An error 12126 or 12124 is the result of the Apex and WinTOTAL applications not being able to communicate . It can be caused by a slow PC, a bad data file or a bad Apex installation. It's not easy to tell what the cause always is, so the steps in this document start with the most likely solution and then progress all the way to redownloading Apex from our website.

First, get the latest updates...
It's best to make sure you have all of the WinTOTAL updates as they contain the latest upgrades to WinTOTAL. To download the latest forms, fixes, and features...

  1. Close out of WinTOTAL and any other programs running in the background.
  2. Click Start, [All] Programs, WinTOTAL, then Instant Customer Update.
  3. Follow the instructions on screen and stand by as any updates are downloaded.

After you receive the updates, reboot your PC, then start WinTOTAL and attempt a sketch.  If you still receive an error 12126 or something regarding integration, try the different solutions outlined in the sections below.

Importing a sketch you lost due to an integration error
If you lost a sketch when getting the 12126 error upon closing Apex, you can recover it once you're back in Apex by using their Import function.  In Apex, click File, then Import, and then if necessary, browse to your WinTOTAL directory (Either C:\a la mode\WinTOTAL or C:\WIN2000) and from there go to the ASketch folder and then finally the Files folder.  From there, you should see a list of all your sketch files.  Select the one for your current report, and click Open.

 

Most 12126 errors are due to the Apex integration timing out
Apex is designed to actually wait 45 seconds before generating a timeout error, but we've seen cases where the error appears within 30 seconds. Usually, the error is generated when launching Apex, but it can occur when closing it, too. Try extending the timeout even further by editing the alamode.ini file on the PC experiencing the problem:

  1. Close out of WinTOTAL and the Appraisal Desktop.
  2. Start the WinTOTAL Tech Support Assistant by clicking Start, [All] Programs, WinTOTAL and then Tech Support Assistant.
  3. Click the 3rd option down for Edit System Files.  Then, click Next.
  4. Under System Files, make sure alamode.ini is selected.

         
      Note: All this interface really is a text editor like notepad - but we have line numbers to help you find things.  WinTOTAL reads default settings out of alamode.ini and organizes the settings into groups denoted by phrases in square brackets.  The sections can be in any order.  
         
  5. Look for a line in the text editing area that has a phrase enclosed in a square bracket such as [WinTOTAL] or [Appraisal Desktop].  (It doesn't matter what the phrase is just so long as it's enclosed in square brackets.)  Click on that line.  Then, press the HOME key on your keyboard so that you're at the beginning of the line.
  6. Now press ENTER a few times to insert some lines above that section so we can add a new section of settings. 
  7. Put your cursor on one of the blank lines you just created, and type the following two lines as shown below.
         [APEX]
         TimeOut=120000     

  1. Click Save and then Finish and try a sketch again.

If you still receive errors, it's possible that they are being caused by a damaged configuration file and not necessarily a delay in waiting for Apex to launch and talk to WinTOTAL.  Please see the other sections of this document for troubleshooting steps.

 
 If you get an "Error 12124" before the "12126" error...
If your error 12126 or error 12124 is accompanied with a message regarding an invalid character, it's possible that some configuration files have become damaged.  In this case, we can simply delete those files as they will get created again on the fly anyway.
  1. Close out of WinTOTAL.
  2. Go to the My Documents (this is just called Documents in Vista) folder on your PC.
  3. Locate the Apex Software folder, and right click Apex Software.
  4. Then, from the pop up menu, choose Delete and confirm that you wish to delete this folder.

Now, try starting Apex.  It should start normally.  If not, please continue troubleshooting with this document,

Reinstalling updates
In some cases, the problem may be due to a faulty installation during the update process. In these cases, try reinstalling updates from November 2006 and on.  Steps for reinstalling updates are in document 4410 at http://help.alamode.com/docs/4410.htm

Reinstall Apex completely
In some cases, we've been able to resolve this error by completely reinstalling Apex.

When prompted to Run or Save, select Save and direct the file to your desktop or another place on your PC that's easy to find. Once you're through downloading, go to where you saved the file, and double it, then select Run. From there follow the instructions on screen.