1. Close all programmes you have opened via Athena.
2. Open Athena and go to Apps > Categories > Tools.
3. Open the Default profile tool.
4. Click OK once the tool has opened.
5. Let the programme run until it reaches 100%.
6. Click OK if a pop-up message appears.
7. Try the action (which you were having problems with previously) again.

On Athena, anyone with a Ghent University account (both staff and students) has access to a wide range of applications. You can launch all these applications online, without having to install them on your professional or personal device first. Athena uses Citrix technology for this.

To use all the applications available on Athena, you first need to install the Citrix Workspace application on your device. Please do not fill in anything when you are asked to add an account. Just click on the cross on the right. Then go to https://athena.ugent.be to start an application from Athena.

If you receive the error message below when starting an app in Athena, first check whether the Windows updates have been installed.

• Not yet? Install all Windows updates.
• Already up to date? Download and install the certificate via https://repo.harica.gr/certs/HaricaRootCA2015.crt or https://crt.harica.gr/HARICA-TLS-Root-2021-RSA.cer.

If you encounter the error message below when trying to open Athena,



or 


you are likely using an older version of the Citrix software. You can update it by following this procedure: https://helpdesk.ugent.be/athena/ica.php.

If you don't see your local C drive in Athena,

right-click on the Citrix icon in the lower right corner.



open the advanced preferences



Choose "Reset Citrix Workspace."



During the next Citrix startup, you will be asked if it can access your local files. Check the box to remember this setting and always allow full access.

Update the Citrix Workspace application

1. Right-click on the Citrix icon.
2. Select Check for updates.
3. Update the software.

Link the .ica files to the Citrix Workspace application

1. Go to Athena and try to open an app.
2. Choose 'Save.'
3. Go to your Downloads folder.
4. Right-click on the .ica file and select 'Open with' > 'Choose another app.'
5. Check 'Always use this app to open .ica files.'
6. Scroll down and choose 'More apps.'
7. Select 'Citrix Workspace' if it appears in the list.

If Citrix Workspace is not in the list, then:

1. scroll down
2. click 'Look for another app on this PC'
3. navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\ICA Client
4. select wfcrun32.exe or wfcrun32
5. click 'Open'
6. restart your browser.

If you receive the following error message in Athena, you must open the .ica files with Citrix Connection Manager.

If you are having problems with a session in Athena from a certain application, you can close it as follows

On Windows machines:

Locate the Citrix icon in your system tray (found near the date and time on your display).




Right-click the icon and select Connection Center



Single click to highlight the application server name next to the folder icon under the Active heading
Click the Log Off button
Follow the prompts to force log off the session




On Mac machines: (not tested because no Mac)

Open Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder
Highlight the Citrix application icon
Click the Quit Process button (red or gray stop sign)
Switch to another application, such as Finder, then from the Apple logo icon, select Force Quit and select the Citrix application

1. Go to 'Apps'.
2. Select the option 'Details' of an application.
3. Select 'Add to favorites'.
   • Select 'Delete' if you want to remove the application from your favourites.

Applications launched via Athena are opened on a server. To limit the load on our servers, sessions that have been inactive for 2 hours are automatically closed.

Employees and students can find general information about this software platform on Athena (ICT Helpdesk website).

The range of software available on Athena will be further reduced. In August 2027, we will permanently shut down this software platform.

Athena uses Citrix technology to provide access to the software range, but this technology is outdated and expensive to maintain. We will continue to offer applications that are still widely used on Athena via an alternative platform (Business Portal or Academic Software), but open-source software and freeware will no longer be offered via a Ghent University platform.

Office 365 is already available to staff and students.

Overview of applications to be removed from Athena from 21 September 2026

The applications listed below will be available on Athena until September 2026. These applications will then be removed from Athena and made available on an alternative platform by September 2026 at the latest.

The applications not listed below (e.g. SAP) will remain available on Athena until August 2027.