ROOMBA·FAULT ERR 42 WARN
Roomba Error 42 — Lost on the Smart Map
Severity: Warning — targeted cleaning fails until the robot can locate itself ijs
DIRECT ANSWER
Error 42 means the robot couldn't work out where it is on the Smart Map when you sent it to clean a specific room. It was probably moved by hand, or the room changed enough to be unrecognizable.
#meaning · #causes · #fix — link straight to any section
COMMON CAUSES · RANKED
1
Robot carried mid-job MOST COMMON
Picking it up and dropping it somewhere else severs its link to the map.
2
Room changed since mapping
Big furniture moves or renovations make the mapped landmarks useless.
3
Camera obscured or room dark
Dust on the lens or no light at all leaves the robot without visual anchors.
HOW TO FIX IT
No battery or electrical work involved in this fix.
Start from the dock
Put the robot on its dock and launch the job from there — that's its strongest reference point.
Don't relocate it mid-mission
If you must move it, expect it to re-localize slowly or fail.
Restore lighting and layout
Match the conditions the map was built under, and wipe the camera window clean.
Remap if the home changed for good
After a renovation or big furniture reshuffle, run a fresh mapping job.
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Corrections
Spotted an error? Report a correction — fixes ship within 48h and are logged on this page.