I generated a XML file generated by BEAST 2.4.5 and succeeded to implement a pilot run on my own notebook, whereas it went wrong on another computer. This computer has well-setting jre and jdk, and also work on BEAST’s example files.

The details of the error as followed:

Start likelihood: -Infinity after 10 initialisation attempts

Fatal exception: Could not find a proper state to initialise. Perhaps try another seed.

P(posterior) = -Infinity (was -Infinity)

              P(prior) = -108.44711033039145 (was -108.44711033039145)

              P(CalibratedYuleModel.t:ets) = 0.3436272137456058 (was 0.3436272137456058)

              P(CalibratedYuleBirthRatePrior.t:ets) = -6.907755278982137 (was -6.907755278982137)

              P(ClockPrior.c:ets) = 0.0 (was 0.0)

              P(GammaShapePrior.s:ets) = -1.0 (was -1.0)

              P(GammaShapePrior.s:g3pdh) = -1.0 (was -1.0)

              P(GammaShapePrior.s:its) = -1.0 (was -1.0)

              P(KappaPrior.s:ets) = -1.8653600339742873 (was -1.8653600339742873)

              P(KappaPrior.s:g3pdh) = -1.8653600339742873 (was -1.8653600339742873)

              P(KappaPrior.s:its) = -1.8653600339742873 (was -1.8653600339742873)

              P(outgroup.prior) = -93.28690216323206 (was -93.28690216323206)

              P(likelihood) = -Infinity (was -Infinity)

              P(treeLikelihood.ets) = -Infinity (was -Infinity)

              P(treeLikelihood.g3pdh) = NaN (was NaN)  **

              P(treeLikelihood.its) = NaN (was NaN)  **

java.lang.RuntimeException: Could not find a proper state to initialise. Perhaps try another seed.

       at beast.core.MCMC.run(Unknown Source)

       at beast.app.BeastMCMC.run(Unknown Source)

       at beast.app.beastapp.BeastMain.(Unknown Source)

       at beast.app.beastapp.BeastMain.main(Unknown Source)

       at beast.app.beastapp.BeastLauncher.main(Unknown Source)

Fatal exception: Could not find a proper state to initialise. Perhaps try another seed.

BEAST has terminated with an error. Please select QUIT from the menu.