Can I install the network version of Prism Mac on a Windows computer? The network version of Prism Windows on a Mac?

** Note: We no longer sell network licenses for GraphPad Prism. This information is for legacy licenses.

The network version of Prism doesn't actually run on the server. It is installed onto any computer with a hard drive accessible to other computers on the network. Each user loads the program from the "server" and then runs it locally. The "server" does not need to be running the same operating system as the computers that will run Prism. It should even be possible to use a Unix or Linux server.

We are not experts in computer networking, and have no experience with cross-platform networks. We have found that the procedures listed here will work, but are not in a position to help you troubleshoot network problems.

If you haven't yet purchased Prism, note that you can test networking from the demo version.

Installing Prism Mac on a Windows server:

You cannot run the Mac install program on the Windows server, but must first run the install program from a Mac and install Prism onto a Mac. Immediately after it is installed, Prism will run and ask you to enter the serial number and network code.

After you have installed Prism on to a Mac and launched it once (to enter the serial number), you can copy the Prism folder onto a Windows server. Here are some hints on how to move files from a Mac to Windows. But we are not experts on this. 

• For a server running Windows XP:  

  1. Create the shared directory on Windows XP computer, set appropriate permissions for access to the folder.

  2. Connect from Mac to the PC using SMB protocol. To do this, switch to Finder, open the Go menu and select "Connect to Server", enter PCs  IP in the following way: smb://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx,

  3. Copy folder of installed Mac Prism from the Mac to shared directory on PC. Just drag the entire Prism folder so that all its content (including hidden files) are copied.

• For a server running Windows NT:
  1. Make sure you are using the Server version of NT.
  2. Install "Services for Macintosh" (on the "Service" tab of the "Network" dialog).
  3. Create a folder to hold the Prism files.
  4. Share that folder, and check the "Macintosh Users" option. Go to "Start...Programs...Admin Tools...Admin Wizards... Managing Files and Folder Access".
• For a server running Windows 2000:

1. Make sure you are using the Server version of Windows 2000.
2. Install "Apple Talk" protocol.
3. Install "File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Network" service.
4. Create a folder to hold the Prism program files.
5. Share that folder, and check the "Apple Macintosh" option in the "Create Shared Folder" dialog. Go to "Start...Programs...Admin Tools...Computer Management...Shared Folders...Shares". Click "Create New Shared Folder" to open the "Create Shared Folder" dialog.

Launch Prism by double clicking on its file in Finder window OR by double clicking on a shortcut, created for Prism.

The instructions above are now a bit dated, but should help. But note a key point: The license folder must be set with full permission. That means permission to create files. Simply allowing writing (changing files) does not always allow creating files. For that, you must set full permission.

Installing Prism Windows on a Mac OSX server:

1. On your Mac, open "System Preferences". Go to the "Sharing" pane,  "Services" tab and check the "Windows Sharing" checkbox. Write down the path shown at the bottom of the dialog.
2. You can't run the Windows installer on a Mac, so run the Prism Windows installer on a Windows (XP) computer, and enter the serial number and network
   code). Then quit Prism.
3. Using Windows Explorer (or "My Computer"), go to the path you wrote down in step 1. Enter user name and password for MacOS X if asked. Contents of the user's account appears in the window - "Desktop", "Documents", etc.
4. Drag the entire Prism folder (usually in Program Files/Graphpad) from your PC to Mac (just drag and drop it). You've now 'installed' Prism Windows on your Mac server.
5. To run Prism from a Windows computer, create a shortcut on your Windows computer pointing to Prism.exe on the mac, and double-click. If "Open File - Security Warning" dialog appears, click "Run" button in the dialog.