Error Message on Start "D:\ is no absolute path"

[nielsvanq]

Hi
I've just installed SmartPLS for the first time. Now I want to start it but after the first splash screen it gives me the following error message:

"SmartPLS needs to store information in your home directory
D:\ was determined to be the path of that directory, but
- this path is no absolute path"

OK... now I tried different steps to resolve the issue:
1. uninstalled and reinstalled it on my D drive (instead of C:)
2. downloaded the zip file and started the program from there
3. tried to run it from an external drive
4. reinstalled the Java Runtime engine

Each time the same error message occurs again.

What do I have to do?

Regards
Niels

[awill]

Hi!

SmartPLS needs to store some runtime information within the user's home directory. On Windows computers this usually is C:\documents and settings\username. On your Windows installation the home directoy simply points to drive D:\.

This obviously causes some trouble. Please try to change your systems settings so that your home directoy points into a real directoy (e.g. d:\home or c:\documents and settings\username).

Which windows version do you use?

Best,

Alex

[nielsvanq]

Hi Alex,
first to answer some of Christian's email questions:
Yes, the newest version of JR is installed.
Yes, I installed SmartPLS into the programs folder

Now to your tips:
I use Windows XP (installed along with all other programs on C:). I have changed specifically the directories for "Desktop" and "My Documents" to drive D: so I can easily take an image of that drive (but I did not change the whole home directory). Both of the moved instances are "real" directories on D: called "Desktop" and "My Documents"

So what do you mean by "Please try to change your systems settings so that your home directoy points into a real directoy (e.g. d:\home or c:\documents and settings\username)"? If I set "My Documents" and "Desktop" back to the C: drive and restart the computer everything works fine. Although this is not my preferred solution. Is there an other way? It all seems to depend on the "My Documents" folder so isn't there a line one can change in the programming?

I also tried creating a new user and installed the program under that user. Everything worked fine with that user. But the trouble is again that when I go back to my original account and try to start SmartPLS it gives me the same error message.

Thanks for your help. I greatly appreciate it.
Niels

[swende]

Hi Niels,

So what do you mean by "Please try to change your systems settings so that your home directoy points into a real directoy (e.g. d:\home or c:\documents and settings\username)"? If I set "My Documents" and "Desktop" back to the C: drive and restart the computer everything works fine. Although this is not my preferred solution. Is there an other way? It all seems to depend on the "My Documents" folder so isn't there a line one can change in the programming?

There is another way, which would help in you situation.

Please navigate to the SmartPLS programm directory via command line, e.g. by

Code: Select all

cd c:\programs\SmartPLS

and start SmartPLS using the following command call.

Code: Select all

java -Duser.home="D:\\YourHomeHoweverYouLikeIt" -jar startup.jar

Please make sure, that the directory "D:\\YourHomeHoweverYouLikeIt" exists.

For convinience, you can build a small .bat file, which executes the steps I described and link it to your desktop.

On its first launch SmartPLS will ask for your key once again.

Kind regards

Sven

[nielsvanq]

Thanks that works.

Concerning the batch files, how would I do that? I created a .bat file with the content:

cd C:\Programme\SmartPLS
java -Duser.home="D:\\Eigene Dateien" -jar startup.jar

But when I run that nothing happens. Is there any other command I have to use?

cheers
Niels