As the title..
I want to know the way running Houdini with normal user account, not administrator. Is this possible?

I'm a newbie to Houdini.
I installed the application today as first.
The version that I installed is current free learning edition (9.5). This copy is downloaded today.

The app running well with Administrator account. But I have to make it to run with normal-user account. There are many reasons that I have to do this.

*I'm using MS Windows Vista (64bit).

Full error message included below:

from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

Could not initialize help system: error: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’
exception: WindowsError
details: Traceback (most recent call last):
File “<stdin>”, line 1, in <module>
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\houdinihelp\__init__.py”, line 5, in <module>
from wikiparser.textify import dechar
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/python\wikiparser\textify.py”, line 4, in <module>
from genshi.core import Namespace, START, END, TEXT
File “CPROGRA~1/SIDEEF~1/HOUDIN~1.169/houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\genshi\__init__.py”, line 24, in <module>
__version__ = __import__('pkg_resources').get_distribution('Genshi').version
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 2552, in <module>
working_set = WorkingSet()
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 384, in __init__
self.add_entry(entry)
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 399, in add_entry
for dist in find_distributions(entry, True):
File “Ccygwin/home/prisms/builder-new/NightlyHEAD/dev/hfs\houdini/scripts/pythonlibs\pkg_resources.py”, line 1659, in find_on_path
for entry in os.listdir(path_item):
WindowsError: : ‘c:\\users\\host/*.*’

2044: Fatal error: Segmentation Fault

Saving application data to CUsers/Drawtree/AppData/Local/Temp/Drawtree.2044.hip

hmm.. you should be able to run on limited account all right. I do that all the time and haven't have any trouble here…

I've installed Apprentice on the same platform, as long as you have UAC left on(default), you have a normal user account, you install Houdini using that account and allow permissions when this happens, let it install to the default location, there's no problems. Something in there sounds like UAC has been fiddled with, obviously permissions in some manner are off.

Cheers,

J.C.

I had exactly the same problem. It turns out, that the start menu entries have running directory set to the installing users home directory. You just have to change these to your directory (preferably by moving the shortcuts from all users directory to user directory and then making the changes).

I hope Houdini team visits these forums and fixes the problem in future versions.