Student Computing Cluster Windows Athena FAQ

It is imperative that you remember to log off a workstation once you have finished working. If you do not do so, you leave your account open for any random person to access!

If you leave a machine without logging off, anyone else may sit down at that machine and go through your files either deliberately or by mistake. Anyone will be able to read, change, and/or delete your files.

Logging off is accomplished by selecting the "Log Off" command from the Start Menu at lower left.

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Do not store items on your Desktop!

Everyone who logs onto a Athena Windows machine logs on using what is known as a roaming profile, that is, a profile that is stored centrally on a server as opposed to locally on the machine that you are sitting at. Roaming profiles allow a user to have the exact same application settings, Desktop appearance, and so forth at every machine he or she logs onto (as opposed to having to make configurations for each different machine he or she uses). However, since a roaming profile is stored on a server elsewhere on campus, this means that every time you log on, your profile must be downloaded to the machine you are sitting at. Obviously, the larger the profile, the longer the download time.

Among other things, your Desktop items are stored in your roaming profile. This means that your Desktop is downloaded whenever you log onto a machine (and uploaded back to the server every time you log off).

The long and short of it is, the larger files are that are stored on your Desktop, the longer logging on will take. In Windows 2000, it does not take much on the Desktop to create an annoyingly long logon time. Please store ONLY shortcuts to files and/or applications on your desktop, not actual files!

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I cannot logon, my password is correct

There are three basic reasons you may not be able to logon to a Windows Athena workstation:

If you have not changed your password for a long time, you will have problems logging on to Windows Athena workstations. To fix this problem, log onto a normal Athena workstation and change your password via the 'passwd' command. Now you should be able to log onto your workstation without a problem.
On the logon screen, ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Kerberos Realm) must be the selection in the "Log on to:" field (click the "Options" button if you do not see this field)
» The machine may need to be restarted.

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Is My Athena Windows Password the Same as My Normal Athena Password? How Do I Change My Password?

Each user of an Windows Athena machine, on the WIN.MIT.EDU domain, is validated via their Athena account information. To log into one of these machines users must know and use their Athena username and password. Authentication to the WIN.MIT.EDU domain does use a separate password, however, a random password is automatically created during each login with your Athena username and password. Except in specific circumstances, a general WIN.MIT.EDU user does not need to know or set their Windows password.

You can change your Athena password from a Windows machine in the following way:

Hit Ctrl-Alt-Del simultaneously. A window will pop up.
Choose the button labeled Change Password and follow the directions.

Alternate Method - via Leash32

Go to Start | Run from the Windows Start Menu
Type 'Leash32' A Windows will pop up.
From the Action menu choose 'Change Password'
The program asks you for your old password, then has you type in the new password twice. Neither your old password nor your new one appears on the screen as you type it. The password changing protocol checks your choice against a dictionary, and does not let you set a password that does not meet the Athena policies.

Remember that your password is the key to your account and secure access to the system. Once someone has your password, that user is you on the system. It is a good idea to change your password regularly (at least once a semester is a good rule of thumb).

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How Do I Check My Quota?

You can check your quota as follows:

Open a windows command prompt (Start>Run>type 'cmd')
type fs lq H: (H: is by default your home directory in AFS)
You should see your quota information as in the example below:

fs lq H:
Volume Name	Quota	Used	% Used	Partition
user.joe	500000	417302	83%	52%

Note that the Windows Explorer program does not correctly report the space available in AFS directories.

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How do I renew my Kerberos/AFS tickets?

You can renew both your Kerberos tickets and AFS tokens as follows:

Open a windows command prompt (Start>Run>type 'cmd')
At the command prompt type 'renew' and enter your password

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Athena commands/Windows equivalents

Many Athena commands also work on Windows machines. To run a command open a windows command prompt (Start>Run>type 'cmd') and type:

moira - access Athena management system
blanche - examine and modify moira list information/membership
Kerberos Managements - 'kinit (get tickets)'; 'kdestroy (destroy tickets)'; 'klist (list tickets)'
attach - attach a course locker (for example, 'attach -Ds 1.0056' would attach the course locker 1.0056 to drive S:)
detach - detach a course locker (for example, 'detach -Ds' would detach the course locker from drive S:)
fs - manage AFS access control lists and quota

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last updated: 08.30.05