Glad it's working now. But will it remain working over time? Probably not because the system has a leak, which is indicated--at least in part--by the vacuum leaking down to zero on both gauges right after you evacuated it. Presuming your gauges don't leak, a tight system should hold vacuum indefinitely. If the vacuum leaks down like that, air and moisture will also be drawn into the system through the leakage point(s), contaminating the system. You need to find that leak.
Speaking of evacuation, a good vacuum on an A/C system should register about 29.9 In.Hg. (Inches of Mercury) at sea level on your low-pressure gauge and be maintained for at least 30 minutes to effectively remove all air and moisture in the system. A reading of only 10 In.Hg. for 15 minutes is woefully inadequate. I would also replace the desiccant before evacuating the system.
An air-powered vacuum pump, if that's what you're using, isn't capable of pulling a deep enough vacuum.