Knowledge Base

Problem

EthoVision XT displays error ID 10020 ('Restriction Profile Error') when multiple users on the same Windows PC attempt to use the software under their own Windows accounts. The software worked previously for all users but suddenly fails for some or all accounts.

Details

Affects labs where EthoVision XT is installed on a shared workstation with multiple Windows user accounts. The error typically appears after another user's session did not close cleanly (e.g., logged out without closing EthoVision), or when a Windows account has insufficient file-system permissions to access EthoVision's data directories. The restriction profile error may be caused by a lingering session lock or by permission restrictions applied to certain Windows accounts by IT policy.

Solution

1. Restart the computer. This clears any EthoVision session that may still be running under another Windows account after that user logged out without properly closing EthoVision.
2. After restarting, have one affected user sign in and attempt to open EthoVision. If the error returns, proceed to the next steps.
3. Ask your IT administrator to verify that all affected Windows accounts have the required read/write permissions to the EthoVision installation directory, the experiment data directories, and any shared network paths used by EthoVision.
4. Test by having an affected user log in with a Windows Administrator account and open EthoVision. If the error does not appear under an Administrator account but does under a standard account, the issue is a permissions restriction on the standard account — IT will need to adjust folder permissions accordingly.
5. Ensure users always close EthoVision completely before logging out of Windows to prevent session lock conflicts.
6. If the error persists after resolving permissions, contact Noldus Support with the full error message text and the EthoVision version number.