Sail POS & Focus POS: A terminal is down - troubleshoot it and keep serving from another station

Common things to try first

Look at the back of the station for the network cable - it clicks in like a phone cord. Unplug it, then push it back in until it clicks.
Follow that cable to the wall or to the small box with blinking lights, and do the same at that end.
Give it a minute, then check if the station shows the login screen.

Summary. When a single POS terminal stops responding or can't reach the server, staff can simply keep working from any other terminal - both Sail and Focus store everything on the server, so no terminal is tied to one station. Use these checks to get the down terminal back online.

Applies to. Sail POS & Focus POS - all current versions.

See also: If you're not sure this is the right article for what you're seeing, start with Sail POS & Focus POS: The whole system seems down - start here.

Before you start

Know which terminal is down.
If it's a bartender, host, or to-go station with its own cash drawer, know whether another terminal with a working drawer is available.

What's happening

A single POS terminal has stopped responding, can't reach the server, or won't boot - other terminals are unaffected.

Can you keep serving? (triage)

Staff can simply log into any other working terminal - no transfer or reassignment needed, this is normal floating between stations.
Exception: the down terminal is a bartender/host/to-go station with its own cash drawer, and no other terminal has a working drawer - reassigning a drawer requires Backoffice setup, not a quick in-service fix. Skip to "When you must call."
Otherwise: not an emergency. Continue below to get the down terminal working again.

Keep-serving steps: Affected staff simply log into another working terminal and continue as normal.

Get the terminal back online - by symptom

Screen shows "backup path not found," or says it can't connect to the server

Reseat the network cable at the back of the station, then at the wall or switch/router box.
Give it a minute, then check again.
Still showing the same message? Call support.

Nothing on screen, no lights, terminal seems completely dead

Check that the power cable is firmly plugged in at both the terminal and the outlet.
If it's plugged into a surge protector or UPS (battery backup), confirm that unit is powered on and hasn't tripped or run out of battery.
Try a different, known-working outlet if one's nearby.

Screen is black, but you can hear or see the machine is running (fan noise, indicator lights on)

This can point to a display issue rather than the whole unit being down. Flag for support - don't attempt to open or repair the screen yourself.

Powered on, but won't finish starting up / never reaches the login screen

Do a full restart: power the terminal off completely, wait about 10 seconds, then power it back on.
If it still won't boot after that - this typically needs a technician. Call support.

Black screen with a repeated beeping sound

Don't attempt further troubleshooting. Note how many beeps you hear (e.g., three beeps) - it helps support diagnose the problem faster - and call support.

Touchscreen isn't responding to taps

If a spare USB mouse is available, plug it in - you can keep using the terminal with the mouse while waiting on support.
If the screen doesn't respond at all, even with a mouse connected, call support.

Card reader (swipe/MSR) won't read cards

Unplug and firmly reconnect the card reader's cable, then restart the terminal.
If it still won't read cards, use a different terminal for card payments in the meantime and call support.

Verify it worked: Terminal boots normally, logs in to the login screen, and a test order/payment goes through.

When you must call

All stations down (emergency)
A drawer-required station is down and no other terminal has a working drawer
Any symptom above flagged as needing support

Restore

N/A - getting the terminal back online (above) is the restore step for this one.