This page explains various problems that can come up when starting to use or continuing to use the OnDemand version, and solutions to those problems.
I am Prompted for a Host Address when I Start the OnDemand Client Program
This is actually explained in the Download Links area of the OnDemand web page, when you click on the link for your operating system (e.g. Windows or Mac). Usually it only comes up when you use the Mac version for the first time.
Just enter the following if you are prompted for the Host Address: s4np.ondemand.acstechnologies.com
"Failed to connect to ‘s4np.ondemand.acstechnologies.com’ on port 491"
If this message comes up when you start the OnDemand client program, it will usually be an issue with Firewall software on your computer or network not allowing you to access external resources on TCP port 491.
For some instructions on making changes to your Firewall, see the Firewalls section of the Local Network Versions help page. Where that section refers to port 3050, you will need to substitute 491.
Further resources about this error from ACS Technologies, who run the OnDemand servers, are at: https://wiki.acstechnologies.com/display/OnDemand/Failed+to+connect+to+server
One other possibility with this error (or similar ones) is that you are trying to connect from outside of the U.S.A. or Canada, which is normally not allowed, for security reasons. (That is imposed by ACS Technologies, who run the OnDemand servers.) If this is the case, please contact us to discuss your options.
And a final possibility is that the OnDemand servers are down or for some other reason cannot be accessed, such as a major Internet failure. Normally the servers are all rebooted in the early morning (between 2:50-3am Eastern time), but very infrequently a fairly quick reboot will also be needed during normal working ours.
Nothing Happens when I Click on ACCOUNTS or other Programs on the OnDemand Menu
You have to double-click, just like on the Windows Desktop!
I Can't Access my Computers's Hard Drive for Backups, Importing, or Exporting
Your computer's hard drive when you are running the OnDemand programs shows up as drive J:, not C:. and successive drives (such as USB memory keys) show up as successive letters, like K: or L:. See here for more details.
Reports Appear Blank on Screen
This is a problem that a small number of our OnDemand users have with their printer driver.
To start working on resolving this, you first need to run the OnDemand Printing application from the main OnDemand menu window that you start ACCOUNTS from.
Click on your printer in the window that comes up, then click “Driver …”. Drop down the list of drivers, and look for one for your exact printer model, or one from your printer manufacturer with a similar model number. If you find it, save it with OK, then go back and see whether reports are displaying properly in ACCOUNTS.
If it isn’t, first of all, please tell us exactly which make and model of printer you have, and which driver you tried. That will allow us to investigate whether a better driver can be found.
Then, since it isn’t working, just delete that printer from OnDemand Printing by clicking on it and clicking the “Remove” button. That will leave in a printer called “Preview PDF”.
Click on "Preview PDF" then click the "Set Default" button.
Then try running ACCOUNTS again, and generate your report, which should look OK now. Assuming it does, click Print, and print to that “Preview PDF” printer - which will be the only available choice. That will bring it up in your own computer’s PDF viewer application (usually Adobe Reader) and you should be able to print fine from there.
"IDS Server ... Failed to authenticate user"
This occurs if your username and/or your password are incorrect when you try to log in. Please see the following section for solutions.
I am Locked Out after Failing to Enter my Password Successfully
There are actually no lockouts in OnDemand. If you get kicked out of the login window after a few unsuccessful login attempts, you can immediately open it again and try again.
If you have another OnDemand user in your organization who has been set up as a Site Administrator, they can use the User Management application on the OnDemand menu to reset your password for you, if necessary.
If you still can't log in for yourself, and don't have someone else in your organization who can reset it for you, as explained in the previous paragraph, please get contact us and we can reset it for you.
"Windows is searching for ids.exe"
This happened to some users when they tried to run the OnDemand Client program after it had prompted them to upgrade it.
The solution if this occurs is to just re-install from the Download Links area of the OnDemand web page.
I Can't Paste my Username and Password into the Login Window
Unfortunately this is a limitation imposed by Graphon, the underlying originators of the OnDemand software.
If you feel that your computer is private and secure, and you want to avoid having to log in every time you start the OnDemand client, there are instructions on the Command Line Arguments page for adding your user name and password to the command line used for starting it. If you do that, you will have to change the command line arguments every 180 days, when the OnDemand system requires you to change your password.
Another option is if you use a password manager that can type in your login and password for you. We found with the open source password manager KeePass that this would work, but what it typed to enter the username and the password had to be changed to each be preceded by two arbitrary characters and then two backspaces to make it work reliably. So what it calls the "Autotype Sequence" was "!!{BACKSPACE}{BACKSPACE}{UserName}{TAB}!!{BACKSPACE}{BACKSPACE}{Password}{ENTER}". However, even this trick may not work if you have special characters (other than letters and numbers) in your password.
I'm on a Mac and Nothing Happens when I click GO after starting the OnDemand Client Program
This problem is about when the window with the title bar “S4NP OnDemand” and text “Welcome to S4NP OnDemand” comes up, and you click the GO button on it, and nothing happens.
This is usually if you haven’t fully followed the Mac instructions in the Download Links area of the OnDemand web page to drag the installed S4NP OnDemand icon into the Applications folder, and run it from there. This will be the case if you are running from a folder labelled S4NP OnDemand with two icons in it, S4NP OnDemand.app and Applications. You need to drag the S4NP one into Applications, open Applications, and run it from there. It should then work. Your Applications folder should look like this (if set to show details rather than icons). Of course the apps in it will vary depending on what they have installed, but what’s important is that they have one named exactly “S4NP OnDemand”.
This topic was last edited on Apr 4, 2022