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Logging on to SciFinder Scholar 2006 for Windows

The SciFinder Scholar client software on your Windows computer communicates over the Internet with server computers at CAS. SciFinder Scholar can connect through your university's network or firewall. Refer to these computer and network requirements for more information.

Connecting SciFinder Scholar on your computer to the CAS servers is usually, but not always, easy in a university environment. It is important to know that, although SciFinder uses the Internet, it does not use the World Wide Web's HTTP protocol. Even if you can surf the Web, SciFinder might not be able to connect to the server (and vice-versa).

Some login error messages have codes that pinpoint the cause of the error. A quick reference table of codes with links to explanations is below.

2401

2403

2405

2407

2409

2411

2413

Common Login Problems

1. SciFinder Scholar Alert! Login Failed: Attempt to log in outside service hours.

   (The time zone shown in the message depends on the location of your campus.) Your SciFinder Scholar account is limited to the operating hours shown in the message. Log in during the available hours. 
   Note: this is a rarely seen error message since most SciFinder Scholar accounts now have 24 hour / 7 day access.  You may seen this message during the few hours each week during which system maintenance occurs.

2. Login Failed: Too many concurrent sessions for this login id.

   

   A certain number of researchers at your university can use SciFinder Scholar at the same time (the number of "seats" is fixed). If you see this message, all the seats are in use. As soon as someone else logs off from SciFinder Scholar, you'll be able to log in. Wait a bit and try again.
   
   The above message also applies to the SciFinder Scholar Share Program whereby the number of seats are shared among multiple academic institutions. Again, wait a bit and try again later.

3. SciFinder Scholar is unable to connect with the server at CAS. Please contact your Site Administrator. (2413) The site.prf file required to access SciFinder Scholar cannot be located.

   

   The site preferences file is missing from the SciFinder Scholar installation.
   The site.prf file must be present in the SciFinder Scholar folder.

   • If you were previously able to use SciFinder Scholar, find the site.prf file and move it to the current SciFinder Scholar installation folder.
   • Contact your SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator to obtain a new copy of the Site Preferences file for your college or university.
   • Copy the site.prf file from a colleague on campus who is able to connect using SciFinder Scholar.
     
     

4. SciFinder Scholar is unable to connect with the server at CAS. Please contact your Site Administrator. (2401) Site Administrator: The login information in the site.prf file may be invalid.

   

   There are several causes of this error message:

   • The site preferences file (site.prf) is corrupted. This can be caused by trying to edit the file in a text editor.
   • A site.prf file created on a Macintosh computer is being used with the Windows version of SciFinder Scholar.
   • The Login ID, Password or both are blank in site preferences file.
   • 
     

   Ask your Scholar Site Administrator to provide a new copy of the Windows version of the site preferences file (site.prf) or
   Copy the site.prf file from a colleague on campus who is able to connect using SciFinder Scholar.

5. SciFinder Scholar is unable to connect with the server at CAS. Please contact your Site Administrator. (2403) Site Administrator: The login information in the site.prf file may be invalid.

   

   There are several causes of this error message:

   • The login ID or password contained within the site preferences file (site.prf) is invalid (mistyped).
   • The login ID and password combination for your college or university has been changed, but site.prf has not been updated or an old version resides on your computer.
   • The login ID is not active.

   If you have a choice of SciFinder Scholar services, be sure you are using the correct one. For example, SciFinder Scholar Training Accounts are only active on designated training days.  At other times they will report this error message.
   

   Ask your Scholar Site Administrator to provide a new copy of the Windows version of the site preferences file (site.prf) or
   Copy the site.prf file from a colleague on campus who is able to connect using SciFinder Scholar.

6. SciFinder Scholar is unable to connect with the server at CAS. Please contact your Site Administrator. (2407) Site Administrator: SciFinder Scholar is unable to traverse your organization's firewall.

   

   If your computer is located on campus, the campus network, firewall, or proxy server is preventing SciFinder Scholar from connecting to the server located at CAS. The cause could be the campus network (servers or routers) or an incorrect value in site.prf.

   If your computer is located off-campus, you must first make a connection to your campus network because your computer must present an IP address that is part of your campus network. Contact your Site Administrator to report your problem. Refer to information about off-campus use.

   If SciFinder Scholar has just been installed on your computer and it has never worked, SciFinder Scholar or your network probably must be configured to let the connection through. Contact your local SciFinder Scholar Campus Administrator for assistance. A new site.prf file, containing firewall or proxy connection information, may work
   

   • If you have recently successfully used SciFinder Scholar on the same computer, try logging-in from a different computer. If you cannot log in, the problem is probably in your organization's network or firewall.
     • Was the network or firewall changed?
     • Is your ethernet cable unplugged?
     • Contact your local SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator.
   • If you can use SciFinder Scholar on a different computer, then something about your computer or your computer's connection to your organization's network is different from the other computer's, and the difference prevents SciFinder Scholar from connecting to the server.
     • Was the network or firewall changed?
     • Is your ethernet cable unplugged?
     • Contact your local SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator.
   • It is possible but unlikely that the SciFinder Scholar server at CAS is not working. If you have determined that the problem is not in your computer or network, contact your local SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator.
     
     

7. SciFinder Scholar Alert! Login Failed: SciFinder Scholar is not authorized for use from this network address.

   To connect to the SciFinder Scholar server, your computer must have an IP address that is part of your campus network. If you have an Internet connection that is not provided by your university, you probably won't be able to use SciFinder Scholar.

   If your Internet connection is provided by your university, find your IP address and contact your campus SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator to find out if you should be able to use SciFinder Scholar.

   Information about off-campus use

8. You are using a version of SciFinder Scholar that is no longer supported.

   

   The version of SciFinder Scholar that you are using has been retired. Contact your campus SciFinder Scholar Administrator for information about upgrading to the latest version. Supported Windows versions are 2004.2 and 2006.
   

9. Unrecoverable Network Error: An unrecoverable network error has occurred when trying to log in.

   

   See #6 above. The same problem connecting to the server can cause different symptoms.

   If you see this error after you have already logged in, it means the network connection between SciFinder Scholar on your computer and the server at CAS has been severed:

   • If this error occurs after you logged-in but did not use SciFinder Scholar for awhile, the cause might be an inactivity timer in your university's network. Some networks or firewalls disconnect SciFinder Scholar from the server if your computer and the server have not communicated in awhile. While you are logged-in to SciFinder Scholar, every 5 minutes the SciFinder Scholar server asks SciFinder Scholar on your computer if it is still running. If so, the server waits another 5 minutes before asking again. If not, the server disconnects the SciFinder Scholar session. Because the interval between communications is a maximum of 5 minutes, your network or firewall timeout--if any--should be set for an interval greater than 6 minutes.  If this error occurs while you are actively using SciFinder Scholar, contact the your local SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator and provide as many details as you can.
     
     

10. SciFinder Scholar is unable to connect with the server at CAS. (2405) Site Administrator: The site.prf file could not be located.
    

    This message appears when a command line connectivity test is attempted but there is no site preferences file, site.prf. Site Administrator: consult the Site Administrator Guide for instructions for creating site.prf.

11. SciFinder Scholar is unable to connect with the server at CAS. (2409) Site Administrator: SciFinder Scholar is unable to traverse your organizations's firewall.

    
    
    

    This message means SciFinder tried to communicate with a SOCKS proxy server but was not successful.
    

    • Check that the SOCKS proxy server is available and working correctly.
      
    • If the SOCKS proxy server's name, address, or port has changed, contact your local SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator about an update to Site Preferences (site.prf).
      
    • If there is a proxy server but it does not use the SOCKS protocol, contact your local SciFinder Scholar Site Administrator for an update  to Site Preferences (site.prf) to disable SOCKS.
      
      

12. Your organization's firewall will not allow you to access SciFinder Scholar. Please contact your Site Administrator (2411)

    This message means the SciFinder Scholar client, on your PC, was able to communicate with a firewall or SOCKS proxy server. However, the firewall or proxy server denied access to the SciFinder Scholar server at CAS. This may occur if the firewall or proxy server maintains a list of IP addresses that are allowed to make the connection to the SciFinder Scholar server. Contact your Site Administrator or network administrator; your PC may need to be added to the access-allowed list.