MacAthena | WinAthena | Adobe | Autodesk | ESRI | Rhinoceros
This page contains tips for solving problems with running software on cron public cluster computers. (Additional troubleshooting tips for resources supported centrally by IS&T can be found here: ist.mit.edu and kb.mit.edu. For printing/plotting tips, see Print : Plot : Scan.)
MacAthena
- At login, a confusing message appears regarding Keychain Passwords
- Symptom: after changing your Kerberos password, you find that MacAthena throws a message about Keychain Passwords at login
- Solution: Accept the default option: Update Keychain Password. For the 'current password' enter your old Athena password, and for the 'new password', enter be your current Athena password
- Spotlight Searches Incomplete
- Symptom: when searching for files by name or content, Spotlight returns no/few hits
- Solution: This is a known limitation of MacAthena. Files stored on network files systems (AFS/DFS) cannot be indexed
- Windows icons and text appear too small in Virtual Machine
- Symptom: All icons and text are very small when running Windows VM on computer with high resolution display
- Solution:
- Launch VMware
- From the window belonging to the VM in question, select Settings
- Click Display
- Uncheck 'Use full resolution for Retina display'
WinAthena
- Windows icons and text appear too small on high resolution display
- Symptom: All icons and text are very small when running Windows on high resolution display (often Apple computers under Boot Camp)
- Solution:
- Got to Windows Settings
- Click System
- Slide the 'Change the size of text, apps, and other items' bar to the right
- Cannot access I: drive (AFS)
- Symptom: the I: drive does not appear or is empty
- Solution:
- Shutdown computer
- Start computer
- Report problem to cron
- Computer Does Not Sleep / No Screen Saver
- Symptom: the computer and monitor never sleep
- Solution:
- Shutdown computer
- Report problem to cron
- Windows icons and text appear too small in Virtual Machine
- Symptom: All icons and text are very small when running Windows VM on computer with high resolution display
- Solution:
- Launch VMware
- From the window belonging to the VM in question, select Settings
- Click Display
- Uncheck 'Use full resolution for Retina display'
Adobe
- Windows: Illustrator crashes when Saving files
- Symptom: Illustrator crashes when trying to save a file and the default printer is unavailable or not set
- Solution: Set your default printer to a printer that is online and connected
- Close Illustrator.
- Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
- Select Adobe PDF or one of another printer that is always available
- Right-click and select 'Set as default printer'
- Restart Illustrator
- Windows: All or Some PDF Pages do Not Print
- Symptom: PDFs or pages from PDFs do not print
- Solution: Print PDF as 'image'
- Generate PDF ensuring that all PDF options are OFF
- Open PDF with Adobe Acrobat Professional
- Click Advanced button in Print Dialog Box
- Select 'Print as image 200 dpi' in resulting window
- Send job to print
- Windows: PDF Generation Hangs
- Symptom: Windows stops responding when generating a PDF
- Solution: Delete corrupted settings
- Quit all Adobe applications
- Delete the folder
C:\Users\[your.kerberos.id]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe
and all of its contents
- Adobe programs crash, hang or otherwise act badly (Windows)
- Symptom: Various Adobe programs aren't behaving as expected.
- Solution: Remove corrupt Adobe settings files and registry entries to reset them to their original state
- Exit all Adobe applications
- Start a command window by typing '
cmd
' at the explorer Start -> Run prompt. - Type the following commands in a command (cmd) window:
reg delete hkcu\software\adobe
rmdir /s /q "%APPDATA%\adobe"
- Windows: Brown/Yellow Grays when printing from Adobe
- Symptom: Brownish/yellowish grays when printing from any Adobe application
- Solution:
- Select 'Print...'
- In print dialog box, select Color Management
- Set Color Handling to 'Let Postscript printer determine colors'
Autodesk
- Autodesk Product Cannot Access License Server
- Symptom: Autodesk product doesn't start when off-campus, complaining of License Server
- Solution:
- Quit all Autodesk applications
- Start your VPN connection. If no VPN client installed then download from ist.mit.edu/ra-vpn
- Once VPN session is Connected, start Autodesk product
- Windows: Autodesk Product Still Cannot Access License Server
- Symptom: Autodesk product doesn't start, complaining of License Server, when on-campus or using the MIT VPN
- Solution: If running Autodesk product from own computer:
- Navigate to the folder
C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Adlm
- Delete the file cascadeinfo.cas
- Re-run Autodesk product
- If running Autodesk product from cluster computer, contact cron and report the name of the computer (from the label on the front of the computer)
- Navigate to the folder
- Windows: Autodesk Product STILL Cannot Access #$%@#$ License Server
- Symptom: Autodesk product doesn't start, complaining of License Server, when on-campus or using the MIT VPN
- Solution: kb.mit.edu/.../Arcgis+License+Server
- Windows: Autodesk Product crashes, hangs, or otherwise acts badly
- Symptom: Autodesk product doesn't start, crashes, or stops responding to input (hangs) at random times, though other programs continue working normally
- Solution: Remove corrupt settings files and registry entries
- Exit all Autodesk applications
- From the Start menu, run Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt
- Type these commands in a command (
cmd
) window. Hit return/enter after each line. If you are asked to confirm, click Y for yes and click return/enter:reg delete hkcu\software\autodesk
rmdir /s /q "%APPDATA%\autodesk" - Re-run the Autodesk program and try again
ESRI
- Windows: ArcGIS icons are too small
- Symptom: Despite changes to Windows screen magnification level, the ArcGIS text and icons remain too small on high resolution displays.
- Solution:
- Right-click ArcMap from the Start menu
- Select Properties
- Click the Compatibility tab on the ArcMap 10.x Properties dialog box
- Check 'Disable display scaling on high DPI settings' to enable the option, and click OK
- Optional:
- Click 'Toolbar options' menu on toolbar
- Customize...
- Click Options tab
- Select 'Large icons'
- Error connecting through VPN to Arcgis License Server
- Solution: Visit this page: kb.mit.edu/.../Arcgis+License+Server
- ArcMap crashes, hangs, or otherwise acts badly
- Symptom: ArcMap crashes or stops responding to input (hangs) at random times
- Solution: Remove corrupt settings files and registry entries
- Exit all ArcGIS applications
- Start a command window by typing '
cmd
' at the explorer Start > Run prompt - Type the following commands in a command (cmd) window:
reg delete hkcu\software\esri
rmdir /s /q "%APPDATA%\esri"
Rhinoceros
- Windows: Rhino plug-ins do not load/appear
- Symptom: Rhino plug-ins do not run or appear in Rhino interface
- Solution: Find the plug-in's location on C: \ drive and manually launch
- Windows: Rhino or its Grasshopper plug-in hang or freeze on startup
- Symptom: Rhino and Grasshopper have settings that are corrupted or incompatible with a newer version
- Solution: Delete your personal settings with these steps:
- Quit/Kill Rhino to make sure it is not running
- Bring up a Windows Expoler (not IE) window
- In the address bar type
%appdata%
(orC:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming
) to go to your settings folder - Delete any folders called McNeel or Grasshopper
- cron-issued Rhino does not run when off campus
- Symptom: cron-issued Rhino fails to launch when off campus
- Solution: Start your VPN before launching Rhino.