diff --git a/__main__.py b/__main__.py
index cd8651e563c4190fc530b927440d29f54e3dcdac..738bdc87fb43d3cbab2d7ac34ffa9735cbc8aacd 100644
--- a/__main__.py
+++ b/__main__.py
@@ -353,7 +353,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         logging.critical(tbinfo)
         from .errors import showErrorMessageAsWidget
         showErrorMessageAsWidget(tbinfo)
-        sys.exit(1)
         
         
     sys.excepthook = excepthook
diff --git a/errors.py b/errors.py
index 4d75876d40bea36eda5a1635c66b0814dfe32559..c7a2950d7fe16a4fc5d865d83ef811109e7390cb 100644
--- a/errors.py
+++ b/errors.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class TileSizeError(Exception):
 
 
 def showErrorMessageAsWidget(errorMessage):
+    import sys
     from PyQt5 import QtWidgets
     app = QtWidgets.QApplication(sys.argv) #an app is needed to create and show QWidgets..
     QtWidgets.QMessageBox.critical(QtWidgets.QWidget(), 'Fatal Error', errorMessage)
diff --git a/gepardlogging.py b/gepardlogging.py
index 56be4a1f3c696efe31755aec44bee8f7089d2732..2ea8426c4555ec642e6276418d89aac311f3a3ac 100644
--- a/gepardlogging.py
+++ b/gepardlogging.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def setDefaultLoggingConfig(logger: logging.Logger):
     """
     
     logger.addHandler(logging.StreamHandler())
-    logger.setLevel(logging.WARNING)
+    logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
     
     formatter = logging.Formatter('%(asctime)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s')
     for handler in logger.handlers:
diff --git a/opticalscan.py b/opticalscan.py
index f9eb554f12c57931e2c43f0a44889756e8e7f3a4..465637c41500cdf4fbd4f8c153569c5ecddec2f1 100644
--- a/opticalscan.py
+++ b/opticalscan.py
@@ -41,10 +41,9 @@ def scan(path, sol, zpositions, grid, controlclass, dataqueue,
         merge_mertens = cv2.createMergeMertens()
 
     logger = logging.getLogger()    
-    logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
     logger.addHandler(logging.FileHandler(logpath))
-    logger.info('starting new optical scan')
     setDefaultLoggingConfig(logger)
+    logger.info('starting new optical scan')
       
     try:
         ramanctrl = controlclass(logger)
diff --git a/ramancom/WITecCOM.py b/ramancom/WITecCOM.py
index 7948b1652397cc382e3c9d44649c57e972f4a761..086a26281aec10bae7c9dd2664954e57778e8729 100644
--- a/ramancom/WITecCOM.py
+++ b/ramancom/WITecCOM.py
@@ -63,25 +63,26 @@ class WITecCOM(RamanBase):
             def tryFunctionThreeTimes():
                 success = False
                 for _ in range(3):
+                    result = None
                     try:
-                        comCallFunction(*args, **kwargs)
+                        result = comCallFunction(*args, **kwargs)
                         success = True
                         break
                     except pythoncom.com_error:
                         sleep(1.)
-                return success
-                
+                return success, result
             comObj = args[0]   #self is always passed as first argument
-            functionSucceeded = tryFunctionThreeTimes()                
+            functionSucceeded, result = tryFunctionThreeTimes()                
             if not functionSucceeded:
                 comObj.disconnect()
                 sleep(1.)
                 comObj.connect()
                 
-                functionSucceeded = tryFunctionThreeTimes()
+                functionSucceeded, result = tryFunctionThreeTimes()
                 if not functionSucceeded:
                     showErrorMessageAsWidget(f'Com error on function {comCallFunction.__name__}')
                     raise pythoncom.com_error
+            return result
         return wrapper
     
     CLSID = "{C45E77CE-3D66-489A-B5E2-159F443BD1AA}"
diff --git a/ramanscanui.py b/ramanscanui.py
index 5bef8dc7f6e11dae924151af7d14aafbd1a8bd20..c4aede63beb8008f5b7698b9fc07ee4582316404 100644
--- a/ramanscanui.py
+++ b/ramanscanui.py
@@ -70,7 +70,6 @@ def scan(ramanSettings, positions, controlclass, dataqueue, stopevent,
          logpath=''):
     if logpath != '':
         logger = logging.getLogger('RamanScanLogger')
-        logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
         logger.addHandler(logging.FileHandler(logpath))
         setDefaultLoggingConfig(logger)