Some RASCAL 4.3.2 users have experienced an error when trying to download weather data with the MetFetch tool. The error message indicates that an “Unhandled exception has occurred” and that access to a path or file is denied.
Reason for Error: This error occurs when the MetFetch program attempts to create or write a file in a location that is protected. In some cases, MetFetch does not have a clearly defined location to create a log file. If the location assigned by Windows as a default is in a protected space, then the file operation will fail.
Error Resolution: A simple fix is to modify the Windows shortcut being used to start the RASCAL program. This shortcut may be on the Windows desktop or in the start menu. Right-click on the shortcut and select Properties. On the Shortcut tab, fill the Start in field with the same path as shown in the Target field (as shown below).
1. Make sure to enter just the path name and do not include the RASCAL43.exe..
2. Click OK to exit the Properties dialog.
3. Restart RASCAL from the shortcut and confirm that MetFetch operates properly.
The RASCAL Development Team is working on a permanent fix to solve the log file location problems for next released update to the RASCAL code.