Why does my axis only go in one direction?

The wire that connects from the CNC controller to the stepper motor driver that is responsible for direction (called DIR, or CW) is not connected, or not connected well. This can be true for the positive direction terminal or the negative direction terminal. Additional Information: I checked the connections all appear to be secure. I completely turned off all systems, restarted, and the problem went a way. ??? not sure why. Additional Information: