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Troubleshooting

Use this page to check common dotACARS Free installation, login, simulator and server issues.

The app says connection failed​

Check:

  • the VA URL is the crew center base URL;
  • the URL starts with https:// or http://;
  • phpVMS 7 responds at /api/dotacars/status, or phpVMS 5 responds at /acars/bootstrap.php;
  • phpVMS 7 is enabled in Admin > Addons/modules and configured in Admin > dotACARS;
  • phpVMS 5 va_config.php is configured with the correct crew center URL;
  • the server is not blocking the installed phpVMS integration;
  • the pilot credentials are valid;
  • the correct phpVMS server patch was installed for the VA server version.

Correct VA URL example:

https://exampleva.com

Do not enter this as the VA URL:

https://exampleva.com/acars/login.php

Import Bid does not return a flight​

Check:

  • the pilot is logged in;
  • the pilot has an active/reserved bid in the VA crew center;
  • the server patch can access phpVMS bid data;
  • /api/dotacars/bids is reachable on phpVMS 7, or /acars/get_bid.php is reachable on phpVMS 5;
  • the VA server logs do not show PHP errors.

If phpVMS 5 shows ERROR|phpvms_table_missing, the server still has an obsolete pre-1.2.0 endpoint. Replace the complete /acars folder with Server/phpVMS5/upload/acars, reapply the VA values in the new va_config.php, and log in again. Copying only get_bid.php leaves incompatible shared helpers installed.

Patch 1.2.0 no longer assumes a phpvms_ prefix or one fixed schema. It calls the native phpVMS 5 BID API first and uses automatic, prepared schema discovery only as a fallback.

ERROR|no_active_bid means phpVMS found no reserved schedule for the authenticated pilot. For ERROR|bid_failed, inspect the protected dotacars.log using the hosting file manager. It is normally in a private .dotacars-* directory above the document root, or in /acars/logs only when private storage was unavailable.

phpVMS 7 status shows Controller class not found​

If /api/dotacars/status returns:

Class "App\Http\Controllers\Controller" not found

replace the installed module with the latest Server/phpVMS7/DotAcars folder, enable the module, and run /update again.

The corrected module uses App\Contracts\Controller, which matches the native phpVMS module pattern.

Start Flight is disabled​

The Start Flight button requires:

  • a successful login;
  • a successfully imported bid;
  • no already-active tracking session;
  • a simulator connection.

If the simulator is not connected, choose the correct Source option and restart the simulator or dotACARS Free if needed.

X-Plane does not connect​

Check:

  • the bridge is installed at Resources\plugins\dotACARSBridge\64\win.xpl;
  • X-Plane was restarted after installing the bridge;
  • dotACARS Free is set to X-Plane;
  • no old bridge copy is installed in another plugin folder.

MSFS / SimConnect does not connect​

Check:

  • Microsoft Flight Simulator is open;
  • the aircraft is loaded into the simulator, not just the main menu;
  • dotACARS Free is set to SimConnect;
  • the app installation folder contains the packaged SimConnect DLLs.

PIREP is not submitted​

Check:

  • the flight was ended before clicking Send Flight;
  • /api/dotacars/finish is reachable on phpVMS 7, or /acars/submit_log.php is reachable on phpVMS 5;
  • the phpVMS server patch has permission to create/update the PIREP/log;
  • the VA server logs do not show PHP errors;
  • for phpVMS 7, client-token enforcement in Admin > dotACARS is disabled unless the desktop app has the matching token;
  • for phpVMS 5, the server patch token matches the app/server configuration.

For phpVMS 5, use patch 1.2.0 or newer. It submits through ACARSData::FilePIREP, validates the active BID against the authenticated pilot, uses phpVMS HH.MM flight time, writes HH:MM:SS to flighttime_stamp, and removes the BID only after successful submission.

If phpVMS 7 returns ERROR|submit_failed, update the native module to 1.2.0 or newer and run /update. This version filters fields against the installed phpVMS schema and supplies consistent fuel, time and distance data before the native submit flow runs.

The phpVMS log entry to look for is dotACARS workflow error.

phpVMS 7 Live Map stays empty​

If login and BID import work but the aircraft does not appear on the Live Map:

  • update Server/phpVMS7/DotAcars to module 1.2.0 or newer;
  • run /update;
  • confirm /api/dotacars/status shows the updated version;
  • start a flight and wait for the first simulator position packet;
  • check the phpVMS acars table and logs if the map still does not update.

The native module keeps the PIREP in IN_PROGRESS while tracking and saves the latest ACARS position used by phpVMS Live Map. Version 1.2.0 also respects the five-character acars.source column and writes scalar phpVMS status codes.

Server patch was uploaded to the wrong folder​

For phpVMS 5, the common final location is:

public_html/phpvms5-root/acars

For phpVMS 7, the final location must be inside the phpVMS 7 modules folder:

<phpVMS root>/modules/DotAcars

If phpVMS 7 shows folders like app, bootstrap, config, modules, public, resources, storage, tests and vendor, open modules and upload DotAcars there.

Clean reinstall​

For a clean reinstall:

  1. Uninstall dotACARS Free from Windows Apps.
  2. Delete %APPDATA%\dotACARS Free.
  3. Reinstall dotACARS_FREE.exe.
  4. Enter the VA URL and credentials again.