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Kiosk troubleshooting

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This guide covers common kiosk issues that space staff can resolve, and when to escalate to IT.

Card swipe issues​

Nothing happens when a card is swiped​

Possible causes:

  • The magstripe reader is not connected or not recognized
  • The card was swiped too quickly or too slowly
  • The magnetic stripe on the card is damaged

Steps to resolve:

  1. Check that the USB card reader is firmly plugged into the ELO device
  2. Try swiping the card again at a steady pace — not too fast
  3. Try a different UMD ID card to rule out a damaged stripe
  4. If no card works, the reader may need to be reconnected or the device restarted (see Restarting the kiosk)

"Card not found" error after swiping​

This message means the card was read successfully, but Pinpoint could not match it to a UMD user.

Possible causes:

  • The card belongs to a non-UMD individual (visitor, contractor, etc.)
  • The card's magnetic stripe data is corrupted or demagnetized
  • The UMD card lookup service is temporarily unavailable

Steps to resolve:

  1. Ask the user to try swiping again — sometimes a second attempt succeeds
  2. If the error persists, the user can log in at https://pinpoint.umd.edu using their UMD CAS credentials instead
  3. If the UMD lookup service appears to be down (multiple users failing), contact IT

"Too many swipes in a short time" error​

Pinpoint rate-limits swipe lookups to prevent abuse. This error appears if multiple swipes are submitted within a very short window.

Steps to resolve:

  1. Wait 30–60 seconds and try again
  2. If the error repeats, restart the kiosk app (see below)

Configuration issues​

Kiosk cannot load or shows an authentication error​

Contact eds@umd.edu with the makerspace name, kiosk location, and the error message.

Kiosk is showing data for the wrong space​

Contact eds@umd.edu to correct the kiosk's configuration before using it for check-ins.

Device & display issues​

Kiosk is frozen or unresponsive​

Steps to resolve:

  1. Wait 10–15 seconds — some operations (like the UMD card lookup) may take a moment
  2. If still frozen, power-cycle the device by holding the power button until it shuts off, then press it again to restart

Kiosk is stuck mid-flow (past the welcome screen) with no user present​

The idle timeout should return the kiosk to the welcome screen after 90 seconds of inactivity. If it hasn't:

  1. Wait for the 20-second countdown to expire — the kiosk will reset automatically
  2. If the display is completely frozen, restart the device

Restarting the kiosk​

Space staff can power-cycle the device to recover from most frozen or unresponsive states:

  1. Hold the ELO power button until the device powers off
  2. Press the power button again to restart
  3. Confirm that the kiosk returns to the Pinpoint welcome screen

If a restart doesn't resolve the issue, contact IT — they have access to the ELO admin tools for deeper troubleshooting.

Review failed check-ins​

Sign in to Pinpoint, open Adminland, select the space, then open Admin tools → Failed check-ins. Review the failure stage, message, and time to identify repeated lookup or connection failures.

Failed check-ins with a directory lookup error and timestamp

When to contact IT​

Contact eds@umd.edu if:

  • Multiple users are unable to swipe in and the UMD lookup service may be down
  • The kiosk needs to be configured or moved to a different space
  • The ELO device hardware is damaged or not turning on
  • The card reader needs to be replaced