# Troubleshooting

Start with the part of Tilecast that is having the problem. The guides below are organized by symptom so you can narrow it down before resetting or deleting anything.

## Choose the problem

- [Server and Studio](./server/) when Tilecast will not start, readiness fails, or Studio cannot reach the server.
- [Pairing and connectivity](./pairing-connectivity/) when a Player cannot find, reach, or pair with the server.
- [Playback and schedules](./playback/) when a connected Player shows the wrong content, no content, or content at the wrong time.
- [Media uploads and processing](./media/) when an upload, thumbnail, or playback file is not ready.
- [Websites](./websites/) when Website content is blank, blocked, stale, or unavailable.
- [Player updates](./player-updates/) when an update cannot download, install, or finish.
- [Display Control](./display-control/) when power, input, brightness, volume, or mute controls are unavailable.
- [AirPlay and Presentation Networks](./airplay-networks/) when a sender cannot discover or reach a Linux AirPlay Player.
- [Sign-in and passkeys](./sign-in/) when someone cannot sign in or finish multi-factor authentication.

For Tilecast Edge preview problems, use the separate [Edge troubleshooting guide](../edge/troubleshooting/).

## Before resetting anything

For a screen problem, check these first:

1. The screen's current status and last contact.
2. **Activity** for playback history, incidents, and Player events.
3. **Live preview** or **Watch live** if the Player is online.
4. The features the screen reports when the problem involves hardware or a platform-specific control.
5. Local Player or server logs if Studio still does not explain the problem.

Avoid clearing caches, deleting Player state, or recreating a screen as the first step. Those actions can remove useful information and may create a second pairing or content problem.