How to make Prism 7 Windows available to all users on your computer.

This FAQ is for Prism Windows (Prism Mac faq). 

When you install Prism Windows, you don't get a choice about installing for one user or for all users. The installer always tries to install in such a way that all users can launch Prism. (User? You can set up Windows to allow several user accounts, so different users log in and use different preferences etc.)

If Prism is only working from one user account, or from all admin accounts but not nonadmin accounts, there is an issue with permissions. Prism 7.00 gives an uninformative message in this cases, "a valid serial number cannot be found ".  Future releases will give a more helpful message. 

To fix the problem, this file needs to be given read and write permission for all users. The installer tries to do this, but on some computers is unable to. 

C:\ProgramData\GraphPad Software\Prism\prism-license.qxt

Find that file in Windows explorer, right click and choose properties, and then go to the security tab. Get help from an IT person or a Windows guru if needed. 

What if your system is secured in such a way that it is not possible to give that file read and write permissions for all? There may be some special setting on the program data folder making this impossible. In this case, the thing to do is move the prism-licenses file to a new location and tell Prism where that is. These steps should be done by someone who is quite computer savvy. 

1. Create prism-config.xml file in the installed directory of Prism 7 and put in this as plain text (entering the appropriate folder where indicated).

2. Remove the old serial number file:  C:\ProgramData\GraphPad Software\Prism\prism-license.qxt.
3. Launch Prism. You will need to go through the activation process again, but now the serial number will be in the location you specify. 

To get the IT guide to installing Prism, which explains more about that XML file, submit your request at help.graphpad.com.