Creating HCA account

Creating a local HCA account in Windows 10 in CADMATIC Hull releases 2022T2 and earlier.

Note: The local HCA account works only if the project data is physically on the same computer as the COS server/HCA service. If the data needs to be accessed via the network, the HCA needs to run under a domain account, but it still needs the same permissions as described here.

  1. Make sure that your own account is Administrator on your computer.

    You can check it from Settings > Accounts > Your info. If this is the case, then you are able to add additional account(s), in this case one for the HCA.

    Important: Do not configure the HCA to run under the Administrator account. Configure it to run under your own account.

  2. Open the Local users and Groups (Local) window to add and edit users and user rights.

  3. Select Users, right-click on the users overview panel, and click New User.

  4. Enter your HCA account information, as in the following picture.

    1. Uncheck the option User must change password at next logon.

    2. Select the option Password never expires and leave the other options unchecked.

    3. Enter the account name, full name, description, and password.

      In this example Cadmatic123 was used as the password that meets the password policy, which depends on how many characters must be used, and if a capital letter or numbers must be used.

      It may be that your password policy has more requirements. If that is the case, the password given as an example above might not work, and you will receive an error message when trying to create the account.

    4. Click Create and then Close.

  5. Add the created account to the Administrators group.

    1. Double-click the created hca account in the Users overview panel.

    2. In the Member Of tab, select Administrators and click Add.

    3. Enter the text administrators in the Select Groups dialog and click Check Names.

    4. Check that your computer is in the Administrators group.

    5. Click OK to add your created HCA account to the Administrators group of your computer.

      In the overview it should now show that the account is part of the Administrators and Users group.

    6. Click OK in the Member Of tab.

  6. Enable read access to the HULLCOS folder in the registry of the machine where the HCA is installed.

    Note: If this is not the case, HCA refuses to start. When trying to start the HCA service through the Services dialog, the following error message is shown:

    1. In case there is an error, open the Windows registry editor, and locate the key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\NUPAS-CADMATIC Hull\HULLCOS.

    2. Right-click the HULLCOS folder, choose Permissions, and make sure that the Windows account configured for the HCA has full control permissions.

  7. Enable this HCA account to be able to start and stop services on your computer.

    1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    2. Go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment and double-click the policy Log on as a service.

    3. Click Add User or Group….

    4. Enter the HCA account name to the Select Users or Groups dialog and click Check Names.

    5. Click OK and verify that the HCA account is added to the Log on as a service group of your computer.

    6. Click OK to confirm and exit the dialog.

    7. Restart your computer so that the HCA account can be used. Once an HCA support has been created for a COS server, it is shown in Windows Services.