Choose your dust source and the first stage that fails in the guided check on this page. The same checks are listed below, so you can use the guide without JavaScript.
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Choose your dust source, then the first stage that fails. This checklist does not inspect your computer or prove the cause.
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Handheld Packager
No material leaves the source
Check the Packager deposit and output
- Deposit a small dust load using the Packager prompt. Packing a handheld load does not deliver it to the machine.
- Read the machine message and watch for a capsule at its output.
- Check the first belt connection and its arrows. Test a short route before extending it.
Material leaves, but the first belt does not move it
Inspect the first connection and direction
- Deposit a small dust load using the Packager prompt. Packing a handheld load does not deliver it to the machine.
- Confirm the conveyor begins at the actual source output and the arrows point away from it.
- Follow one small delivery into a short directly connected section. Inspect the first joint before adding more equipment.
Material stops farther along the route
Find the first failed transition
- Follow a capsule from the selected source and stop at the first joint that does not pass it onward.
- Inspect disconnected or reversed sections and merger/splitter outputs.
- If the stop is inside a processing machine, check its inputs, power where applicable and output separately.
It reaches the station but does not sell
Connect to the receiving port, then check payment
- Check that the last belt reaches the exterior intake with rubber flaps, rather than ending beside the station wall.
- Observe whether material actually enters. Inspect the receiving display and installed version.
- Patch 1.0.3 says dust and stone arriving by belt are paid as they come in. Q packing is a separate action.
“Could not pack a capsule” appears
Separate packing errors from belt placement
- Record the exact error and machine status. Patch 1.0.4 addressed packing errors even with power and materials available.
- Patch 1.0.5 separately fixed failures in large bases with many belt capsules.
- On an updated build check inputs, applicable power and outflow, then compare a short direct route. Do not delete world data as a first step.
Robot Vacuum Mk I / Mk II
No material leaves the source
Check dirty ground, activity and the dock
- Identify Mk I or Mk II; check whether dirty ground remains in the dock area.
- Compare robot activity with material leaving the dock. A stationary map marker alone does not establish production.
- Inspect the dock output and first belt. J.O.O.N.A.S. patch behavior is not a documented Mk I/Mk II guarantee.
Material leaves, but the first belt does not move it
Inspect the first connection and direction
- Identify Mk I or Mk II; check whether dirty ground remains in the dock area.
- Confirm the conveyor begins at the actual source output and the arrows point away from it.
- Follow one small delivery into a short directly connected section. Inspect the first joint before adding more equipment.
Material stops farther along the route
Find the first failed transition
- Follow a capsule from the selected source and stop at the first joint that does not pass it onward.
- Inspect disconnected or reversed sections and merger/splitter outputs.
- If the stop is inside a processing machine, check its inputs, power where applicable and output separately.
It reaches the station but does not sell
Connect to the receiving port, then check payment
- Check that the last belt reaches the exterior intake with rubber flaps, rather than ending beside the station wall.
- Observe whether material actually enters. Inspect the receiving display and installed version.
- Patch 1.0.3 says dust and stone arriving by belt are paid as they come in. Q packing is a separate action.
“Could not pack a capsule” appears
Separate packing errors from belt placement
- Record the exact error and machine status. Patch 1.0.4 addressed packing errors even with power and materials available.
- Patch 1.0.5 separately fixed failures in large bases with many belt capsules.
- On an updated build check inputs, applicable power and outflow, then compare a short direct route. Do not delete world data as a first step.
The robot stops when players travel away
Compare Mk activity before and after a trip
- Record the exact model and installed build. The official distant-operation statement names J.O.O.N.A.S., not Mk I or Mk II.
- Observe dirty ground, local activity and dock output before leaving. Repeat the same observations on return.
- Player reports disagree and omit their build. This comparison is a diagnostic test, not a guaranteed fix.
Garage / vehicle unloading
No material leaves the source
Check the unloading pad and silo outfeed
- Check the vehicle position at the Garage unloading pad.
- Read the silo status. Patch 1.0.5 adds explanations such as “Connect a conveyor belt to its outfeed.”
- Inspect that outfeed connection, the first belt direction and the route to the station.
Material leaves, but the first belt does not move it
Inspect the first connection and direction
- Check the vehicle position at the Garage unloading pad.
- Confirm the conveyor begins at the actual source output and the arrows point away from it.
- Follow one small delivery into a short directly connected section. Inspect the first joint before adding more equipment.
Material stops farther along the route
Find the first failed transition
- Follow a capsule from the selected source and stop at the first joint that does not pass it onward.
- Inspect disconnected or reversed sections and merger/splitter outputs.
- If the stop is inside a processing machine, check its inputs, power where applicable and output separately.
It reaches the station but does not sell
Connect to the receiving port, then check payment
- Check that the last belt reaches the exterior intake with rubber flaps, rather than ending beside the station wall.
- Observe whether material actually enters. Inspect the receiving display and installed version.
- Patch 1.0.3 says dust and stone arriving by belt are paid as they come in. Q packing is a separate action.
“Could not pack a capsule” appears
Separate packing errors from belt placement
- Record the exact error and machine status. Patch 1.0.4 addressed packing errors even with power and materials available.
- Patch 1.0.5 separately fixed failures in large bases with many belt capsules.
- On an updated build check inputs, applicable power and outflow, then compare a short direct route. Do not delete world data as a first step.
J.O.O.N.A.S. / Capsule Catcher
No material leaves the source
Check the robot bin and receiving catchers
- Inspect the robot activity, bin and nearby dirty ground; obstacles may prevent access to some ground.
- Check the receiving catcher group and its outgoing belts. In 1.0.5 the emptiest catcher in the nearest group receives launches.
- If every catcher in that group is over 80% full, later deliveries go to the next group. Follow the material onward to the intake.
Material leaves, but the first belt does not move it
Inspect the first connection and direction
- Inspect the robot activity, bin and nearby dirty ground; obstacles may prevent access to some ground.
- Confirm the conveyor begins at the actual source output and the arrows point away from it.
- Follow one small delivery into a short directly connected section. Inspect the first joint before adding more equipment.
Material stops farther along the route
Find the first failed transition
- Follow a capsule from the selected source and stop at the first joint that does not pass it onward.
- Inspect disconnected or reversed sections and merger/splitter outputs.
- If the stop is inside a processing machine, check its inputs, power where applicable and output separately.
It reaches the station but does not sell
Connect to the receiving port, then check payment
- Check that the last belt reaches the exterior intake with rubber flaps, rather than ending beside the station wall.
- Observe whether material actually enters. Inspect the receiving display and installed version.
- Patch 1.0.3 says dust and stone arriving by belt are paid as they come in. Q packing is a separate action.
“Could not pack a capsule” appears
Separate packing errors from belt placement
- Record the exact error and machine status. Patch 1.0.4 addressed packing errors even with power and materials available.
- Patch 1.0.5 separately fixed failures in large bases with many belt capsules.
- On an updated build check inputs, applicable power and outflow, then compare a short direct route. Do not delete world data as a first step.
The robot stops when players travel away
Check the J.O.O.N.A.S. patch and route
- Patch 1.0.4 says J.O.O.N.A.S. keeps cleaning without players nearby. Check your installed build.
- Inspect remaining ground, robot activity, its bin, catcher occupancy and output belts locally.
- If it persists in an updated build, record the before-and-after activity and first failed stage for the developer.
This is a diagnostic checklist based on source material. It does not inspect your computer or game files, and a matching symptom does not prove a single cause.
Dust is not arriving
Handheld Packager: confirm that dust is deposited; inspect the capsule output and first belt. If there is a packing error, check the 1.0.4 and 1.0.5 changes.
Robot Vacuum Mk I or Mk II: inspect remaining dirty ground around the dock, the robot's current activity and the dock output. The distant-operation fix documented for J.O.O.N.A.S. does not establish the same behavior for these models.
Garage: inspect vehicle position at the unloading pad, the silo message and its outfeed. Patch 1.0.5 adds an explanation when a silo is not sending dust out, such as “Connect a conveyor belt to its outfeed.”
J.O.O.N.A.S.: inspect cleaning activity, its bin, receiving catchers and their outgoing belts. In 1.0.5, routing depends on the nearest catcher group and group occupancy.
For every source, follow the material until the first failed connection. At the station, inspect the receiving port rather than assuming that a belt ending nearby is connected. S07S04
“Could not pack a capsule”
Patch 1.0.4 reports a fix for machines with this message even when power and materials were available. Patch 1.0.5 separately fixes packing in large bases, including Q, Auto-Packer and machines. S03S04
On an updated build, check inputs, power where applicable, and the outgoing route. If the message continues, note the build and whether a short direct route also fails. Do not remove large numbers of capsules or delete world data as a first step.
The game freezes or crashes
First distinguish startup failure from a world that loads and then freezes. The 1.0.5 fix for freezing about half a minute after loading is specific; it is not a general cure for every crash. S04
For installation problems, Steam's official procedure is Library → Properties → Installed Files → Verify integrity of game files. This checks the installation. Keep world backups separately. S06
On Windows, patch 1.0.4 makes DirectX 11 the default to avoid AMD GPU crashes. The documented -force-d3d12 option selects DirectX 12. If you added it and are investigating an AMD crash, removing that option returns to the documented default; forcing DX12 is not the recommended crash fix here. S03
Avoid adding several graphics launch flags at once. Record which option changes the result so the next test remains understandable.
A section will not complete
Inspect edges and local progress before treating a nearly clean section as a software bug. The 1.0.5 notes address two specific problems: distant hexes remaining at 99.9% without completing or paying, and dust-free sectors incorrectly showing 0%. S04
A later player report describes Moon Map 100% versus a plaque reading 99.999%. A reply suggests marking the unfinished sections and cleaning them manually, but the thread does not confirm that this resolved the discrepancy. Its version is unknown. You can inspect the identified sections locally; if your current build still disagrees, record both displays and the locations for a bug report. S15
Friends cannot join or see different ground
Compare installed versions and session visibility. The 1.0.3 notes require matching versions for co-op; 1.0.4 reworks ground synchronization and lets crew members place junctions on one another's belts. Check those changes before attributing the symptom to a new belt layout. S02S03
When the checklist does not resolve it
Prepare the installed version, Windows/GPU or Proton details, affected save slot, exact error, and a short description of what happens before the failure. If relevant, include a small route or screenshots of the machine status and progress displays.
The developer asks for reports through the Discord linked from the Steam listing. This site provides guidance and source links; it does not receive or repair your save files.
Source references
Checked 5 November 2026. Source types describe the evidence; they do not imply gameplay testing by this site.
- S02 · OfficialPatch 1.0.3 — 24 October 2026 ↗
- S03 · OfficialPatch 1.0.4 — 25 October 2026 ↗
- S04 · OfficialPatch 1.0.5 — 28 October 2026 ↗
- S06 · OfficialSteam installation-file verification ↗
- S07 · Reported guideGAMES.GG — Auto-Sell Dust ↗
- S14 · Player reportMk II robots at a distant station ↗
- S15 · Player reportMap 100% versus plaque 99.999% ↗