Problems running as normal User on Windows 7

[michael_hofer]

Hi all,

we just installed the intel Visual Fortran Compiler for windows Version 12.0.0.104 on our Windows 7 platform. As a prerequesite we installed before MS Visual Studio 2010.

When I want to call ifort on the Biult command shell it says that the Intel Visual Fortran Compiler does not work anymore. Using administrator priviledges it runs.

What is the reason for this? in our company all applications have to run for normal users (without root privileges). Is there any possibility to run the Fortran compiler without root privileges? Is it possible to use the compiler on Windows XP without root privileges? The old Compaq Fortran compiler does not need Administrator privileges.

Please help.

Kind regards.

Michael Hofer

[TimP]

In case you are referring to Command Prompt window, I open it once after a compiler update via right-click "run as administrator," save my property settings, then afterwards run as a "normal" user. A little more annoying is the requirement to change the security setting on ifort.cfg after each update, then reset that file.
Under Vista, it was necessary to run as administrator each time you wanted to use Visual Studio or ifort. My own experience indicates this problem was corrected in Windows 7 X64. I've never seen anyone running ifort in 32-bit Windows 7.
If your license didn't expire, you should consider using one of the 2 latest versions of ifort. It wouldn't affect your question, unless installing a new version happened to correct some permissions issue.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

I can't recall hearing of an issue like this with the compiler. When you say it "does not work", what happens? Please show the output of the command window from the beginning (where you open the build environment) to where the error occurs.

One thing occurs to me - make sure that your current directory is NOT under the Program Files (or Program Files (x86)) tree. If it is, then the compiler indeed will not work as Windows 7 prevents non-admin users from writing in those folders.

[DavidWhite]

Tim,

Are these "tweeks" for running as a normal user under Win7 documented in the install instructions? I too, am about to move into Win7, and our corporate policy is to remove Admin rights from all users, so would appreciate knowing the correct way to get everything set up, as applying for temporary admin rights afterwards or expecting the unhelp desk to know what to do is likely to lead to frustration.

Thanks,

David

[Steven_L_Intel1]

There are no "tweaks" required. Just install normally. The most common cause of problems such as described in this post is trying to compile when the current directory (or the output directories) is under Program Files or Windows - Win7 (like Vista) prevents non-admin users from making changes in those folders.

[michael_hofer]

Up to now I found out, that the problems are really not dependend on the factthat you start the compiler ifort as a normal user. It seems that the problems arise when you start the compiler in specific network directories which are UNIX shares (Netapps both accesssible from Unix and Windows). It seems that specific files in the networkdirectory are responsible for that behaviour. Are there any file types known which could be the reason for this?

Kind regards

Michael

[Peter_Ostdiek]

I believe you are on to something here.... I'm having the same problem, where I can compile a project if it's on my local c: drive, but not on a mapped network drive. I did a little more investigation and found that if I opened a fortran build window and just ran ifort /help from a network drive it would bomb out. If I then tried from the c: drive, it would work and I could also navigate back to the network and it would work again. I'm guessing that there is a problem with the licensing code when run from the network.

This is for 64-bit Fortran Compiler 11.1.064 and 072 on Win 7 with VS2008 SP1. The 32-bit compiler has no problems.

[Peter_Ostdiek]

Try adding a two-line pre-build step:
c:
ifort /help
Obviously, this is not a very elegant fix, but I'm curious if you have the same problem as me.

Anyone else able to replicate this?

[michael_hofer]

I found out what causes the problem. If in the first level of the Netapp UNIX share (FAT file system) there are directories which have no creation date (or the creation date can't be interpreted by Windows) in Windows then the Compiler fails. This is either a bug of the Compiler or a problem of Windows 7. These directories where once created on UNIX platforms and have a creation date on the Netapp like 1st Jan 1970. If the first level is clean (that means Windows can interprete the specific creation date) all the other levels dont have to be clean. Funny problem which took me a long time to find out . I solved it by setting creation dates for the first level for Windows with a special program (e.g. Total Commander).

All the best

Michael