Error "Access to the Path 'C:\x\filespec.txt is Denied" Encountered During NIST Search in MassHunter Qualitative Analysis

Answer

This Information Applies To: Agilent MassHunter Qualitative Analysis Software

Issue

Error message prompted “Access to the path C:\Users\AgilentMad\AppData\Local\Temp\FILESPEC.TXT is denied" during search using NIST MS Program in MassHunter Qualitative Analysis. 

This error occurred when any Windows Standard User was logged on and attempted to search using NIST MS Program in MassHunter Qualitative Analysis. The program will continue ignoring this error. There was no error when the Windows administrator account was used.

Steps to Follow:

1. Look for the Location of the NIST MS Search Program

   During installation, the NIST program writes to the win.ini file. This win.ini file will state the location of the NIST MS Search program files and the location of the NIST MS Search work directory. These may be found in the [NISTMS] section of the WIN.INI file located in the %windir% directory. The following, is a typical example of this section:

   [NISTMS]

   Path32=C:\NIST14\MSSEARCH

   WorkDir32=C:\NIST14\MSSEARCH

   Amdis32path=C:\NIST14\AMDIS32

   AmdisMSPath=C:\NIST14\AMDIS32

   In the first line, the string beyond “Path32=” is the path to the MS Search program directory (location of the executable files).

   In the second line, the string beyond “WorkDir32=” is the path to the MS Search work directory (location of the history, hits, etc.)
   
   

2. Look for the MS Search work directory

   The first locator file must be located in the MS Search work directory, and have the name AUTOIMP.MSD. The “WorkDir32=C:\NIST14\MSSEARCH” directory contains the first locator file, AUTOIMP.MSD.

   This file contains the text string describing the name and location of the locator file.
   
   

3. Edit the second locator file location to a shared directory

   The AUTOIMP.MSD file can be opened using Notepad. It contains a line of text that describes the location and name of the second locator file. For example: C:\MYMSDS\FILESPEC.FIL where: C:\MYMSDS is the directory where the file, FILSPEC.FIL, resides.

   FILSPEC.FIL is the second locator file. This second locator file contains the text string that describes the name and location of the text file containing the spectrum (or spectra) in the NIST Text file format. See Figure 1.

   The user needs to edit the AUTOIMP.MSD file so that the second locator file location points to a directory shared by all users. Once this is done, all users should be able to search using the NIST MS program without this error.

 
Figure 1. Illustration of first and second locator file
1. Directory of first locator file, 2. Directory of second locator file, 3. C:\MYMSDS\DATA\DATAFILE.TXT is the full pathname of the file containing the spectra.

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