runmlwin with starting values, with MLwiN 2.36

[andrewjdbell]

Hi, I am running an MCMC model from runmlwin where I specify the parameter starting values in the stata code. However, with the new version of MLwiN, 2.36, I get a load of warnings when MLwiN opens, such as: "Column c1098 is protected, overwrite protected column ?" with a yes and no option.
My questions, then, are:
1. Am I right to click yes to to these? (presumably to allow MLwiN to accept the starting values specified in Stata)
2. Is there a way to override these warnings automatically? E.g. if I were running simulations (with potentially tens of thousands of model runs) I wouldn't want to have to keep clicking yes for every model....
Thanks!
Andy

[ChrisCharlton]

1) Yes, you are right to click yes to these. MLwiN 2.36 now marks columns used by the system as protected to prevent accidental overwriting.

2) We have a workaround to these messages in the -runmlwin- development version, which we hope to release to ssc soon. In the mean time you can work around this by using the mlnscript version of MLwiN instead of mlwin.exe as this will not wait for an answer to these before continuing. For reference, you can turn off these warnings in your own macros by issuing the MARK 0 command.

[andrewjdbell]

Great, thanks Chris
A