my BIONIC seems to run the seti animations as the screensaver even when the project it is working on is climateprediction.net. is there any way to tell it to run the climateprediction.net visualisations as default? the graphics are prettier :)

BOINC can only run graphics from a running science app. It appears that you have a hyperthreaded CPU in that case BOINC should be running 2 apps at one time. The graphics should alternate about every 10 minutes.

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thanks for the help but i must admit that it doesn\'t really make sense to me! (probably due to lack of in depth PC knowledge) only the SETI graphics come up but they flick off the screen about every ten seconds, stay black for about ten seconds then come back again. it does appear to be running both projects simultaneously in the manager. could i have confused it in some way? i\'m an old SETI user returning with a much better PC and broadband so am new to the business of doing several things at once.

If you\'re using Boinc 5.8.8 or 5.8.11, AND you\'re using the CPU throttling option, try upgrading to 5.8.15.

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I have the same problem, my BOINC seems to run the seti animations as the screensaver even when the project it is working on is climateprediction.net, or appears a sign that says \"seti is closing\" or some like that.
What can I do?

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I am running 5.8.16, and I am currently seeing no screensaver.

I have two projects, both with screensavers.

I did the install at work on DSL, it ran fine, I re-booted, and it ran fine. They switced every few minutes.

Now, at home on a cable modem, no screensavers. What\'s up with this?

>>RSM

I confess to an advanced state of confusion based upon your post, coupled with your record of one machine.

Do you mean that your laptop was connected to DSL at work and cable at home? Or do you mean something else?

Internet connection has nothing at all to do with screensaver. (In fact, most of us have nothing to do with screensavers, either, because they chew-up CPU resources and have led to no end of trouble with CPDN Models.)

I also confess that you are the first person I\'ve seen in nearly four years with CPDN who set his Projects to switch every few minutes. What on earth for? (Default is two hours [Edit: One hour now] and that seems fast when CPDN, a Project running for tens of hundreds of hours, is involved.)

Have you checked Preferences settings in Your Account?

Please be more specific, so that even I can understand. Thanks.

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"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.

@Alejandra: Apologies for the lack of responses earlier in this thread, but because we all run without screensavers, we have little experience in solving this problem.

@Mitcichr: How many tasks run simultaneously at work, and how many run simultaneously at home? (i.e., do you have a single-core PC at home, and a dual-core or multithreaded PC at work?)

Mine is set for 6 hours :-) (and no screensaver - \'blank\' instead).

I think Mitrichr must be running two tasks simultaneously and the graphics were flipping between the two running tasks as Keck Komputers describes, rather than having tasks themselves swapping that frequently. Perhaps Mitrichr has set up two different accounts, one for work and one for home.

Problems with screensavers not displaying could be due to graphics drivers, or the screensaver settings.

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@Alejandra: Apologies for the lack of responses earlier in this thread, but because we all run without screensavers, we have little experience in solving this problem.

@Mitcichr: How many tasks run simultaneously at work, and how many run simultaneously at home? (i.e., do you have a single-core PC at home, and a dual-core or multithreaded PC at work?)

Mine is set for 6 hours :-) (and no screensaver - \'blank\' instead).

I think Mitrichr must be running two tasks simultaneously and the graphics were flipping between the two running tasks as Keck Komputers describes, rather than having tasks themselves swapping that frequently. Perhaps Mitrichr has set up two different accounts, one for work and one for home.

Problems with screensavers not displaying could be due to graphics drivers, or the screensaver settings.

astroWX:


\"I confess to an advanced state of confusion based upon your post, coupled with your record of one machine.\"

Sorry, I thought I was being quite clear:

1 computer. One installation of BOINC, I chose two projects with screensavers. I mentioned the DSL/Cable thing because I am also on WorldCommunityGrid and there the configuration matters.

Please explain \"record of one machine.\"

\"In fact, most of us have nothing to do with screensavers, either, because they chew-up CPU resources and have led to no end of trouble with CPDN Models.\"

I have four computers in two locations. Three are currently on WorldCommunityGrid. I am trying to see the response to BOINC.I choose to run screensavers because they attract people to my desks. They ask, I tell about \"crunching\", maybe I get them turned on to doing something worthwhile with their machines. Some even come back and tell me how much better they feel about their computer life.

CPDN: Sorry, I have no idea what that even is.

I also confess that you are the first person I\'ve seen in nearly four years with CPDN who set his Projects to switch every few minutes. What on earth for? (Default is two hours [Edit: One hour now] and that seems fast when CPDN, a Project running for tens of hundreds of hours, is involved.)

I did not set this, I did not set anything. I don\'t really care what screensaver is up, as long as *something* from BOINC is running.

MikeMarsUK:

@Mitcichr: How many tasks run simultaneously at work, and how many run simultaneously at home? (i.e., do you have a single-core PC at home, and a dual-core or multithreaded PC at work?)

It\'s one machine, a Vista machine with a dual core processor, and I am running two projects, a climate project and a biology project.

I hope I have cleared up any confusion.

astroWX:


\"I confess to an advanced state of confusion based upon your post, coupled with your record of one machine.\"

Sorry, I thought I was being quite clear:

1 computer. One installation of BOINC, I chose two projects with screensavers. I mentioned the DSL/Cable thing because I am also on WorldCommunityGrid and there the configuration matters.

Please explain \"record of one machine.\"

Your Boinc account here lists one computer, AstroWX was confused about you referring to running it on both work computer(s) and home computer(s).

\"In fact, most of us have nothing to do with screensavers, either, because they chew-up CPU resources and have led to no end of trouble with CPDN Models.\"

I have four computers in two locations. Three are currently on WorldCommunityGrid. I am trying to see the response to BOINC.I choose to run screensavers because they attract people to my desks. They ask, I tell about \"crunching\", maybe I get them turned on to doing something worthwhile with their machines. Some even come back and tell me how much better they feel about their computer life.

Just to get this clear ... your work PCs are connected to WCG, is this via Boinc or direct to WCG?

(It sounded from your original post that you have one or more PCs running CPDN at work which displayed the graphics, and one running at home which doesn\'t).

CPDN: Sorry, I have no idea what that even is.

CPDN = ClimatePrediction Dot Net

I also confess that you are the first person I\'ve seen in nearly four years with CPDN who set his Projects to switch every few minutes. What on earth for? (Default is two hours [Edit: One hour now] and that seems fast when CPDN, a Project running for tens of hundreds of hours, is involved.)

I did not set this, I did not set anything. I don\'t really care what screensaver is up, as long as *something* from BOINC is running.

AstroWX was referring to this bit of your original post:

...
They switced every few minutes.
...

Is this referring to the screensaver graphics, or the tasks which are running at the time? And is this referring to your work PCs on (?WCG?), or does it refer to your home PC running Boinc + CPDN, ?

MikeMarsUK:

@Mitcichr: How many tasks run simultaneously at work, and how many run simultaneously at home? (i.e., do you have a single-core PC at home, and a dual-core or multithreaded PC at work?)

It\'s one machine, a Vista machine with a dual core processor, and I am running two projects, a climate project and a biology project.

I hope I have cleared up any confusion.

I assume that you\'re talking about your home PC here.


On your home PC:

* Could you open the Boinc Manager, switch to the \'work/tasks\' tab, highlight one or other of the tasks marked as \'running\', and click the \'ShowGraphics\' button. Does a window appear which shows the graphics, or does the button stay greyed out?

* If you click on your screen background, properties, screensaver, is \'Boinc\' listed as the currently selected screensaver? What is the timeout period?

* On the \'power saving\' tab on the same screen, is the monitor set to power down? Is the power-down period longer or shorter than the screensaver display period?

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I also confess that you are the first person I\'ve seen in nearly four years with CPDN who set his Projects to switch every few minutes. What on earth for?

On a machine that has multiple CPUs and different projects attached with work, the screen saver will change between the running projects every 10 minutes. That\'s what he meant.

As to why the screen saver works at work and not at home, not a clue.
Double check that BOINC is still the appointed screen saver in Windows, that BOINC isn\'t suspended, or the laptop isn\'t hibernating.

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Jord.

Mike, thanks for sorting that out. Appreciated.

Jord, Thanks for that. My boxes are all dual-core but I\'ve never used anything but a blank screen saver, and that only for a few minutes, on any of them. (Perhaps I\'m remiss in not doing it for the experience, so as to be able to better answer questions...)

---

"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.

MikeMarsUK

\"Just to get this clear ... your work PCs are connected to WCG, is this via Boinc or direct to WCG?\"

My old laptop is direct to WCG. My new laptop I have un-installed WCG and installed BOINC and chosen 2 projects, Climate Prediction, and Spinhenge@home.

(It sounded from your original post that you have one or more PCs running CPDN at work which displayed the graphics, and one running at home which doesn\'t).


\"CPDN = ClimatePrediction Dot Net\"

Thanks, I have only been at any BOINC site for, now, two days, so the acronyms are lost on me.



\" I also confess that you are the first person I\'ve seen in nearly four years with CPDN who set his Projects to switch every few minutes. What on earth for? (Default is two hours [Edit: One hour now] and that seems fast when CPDN, a Project running for tens of hundreds of hours, is involved.)

I did not set this, I did not set anything. I don\'t really care what screensaver is up, as long as *something* from BOINC is running.



AstroWX was referring to this bit of your original post:

...
They switced every few minutes.\"
...
That is in fact what I saw happening, and through no configuration of my doing.


Is this referring to the screensaver graphics, or the tasks which are running at the time? And is this referring to your work PCs on (?WCG?), or does it refer to your home PC running Boinc + CPDN, ?

I was referring only to one computer, my laptop with BOINC installed. The screensaver switched every few minutes, I do not believe that any tasks were finished.



\"MikeMarsUK:

@Mitcichr: How many tasks run simultaneously at work, and how many run simultaneously at home? (i.e., do you have a single-core PC at home, and a dual-core or multithreaded PC at work?)

It\'s one machine, a Vista machine with a dual core processor, and I am running two projects, a climate project and a biology project.

I hope I have cleared up any confusion.

I assume that you\'re talking about your home PC here.\"

No, the same machine, my Vista laptop, which I use both at work and at home. I do have a 2 desktop computers at home, one Vista machine and my older XP machine which I still need for applications that do not run in Vista (Total Recorder,which is my mp3 recording software;and my Epson scanner). I also have my old XP laptop at work to run our accounting system software (Cougar Mountain) which does not run on Vista. I am being as thorough as possible here. The two desktops at home and the older laptop at work are not involved. They are on WorldCommunityGrid and running fine.

The only machine I am talking about is my new Vista Laptop, with a Core2Duo processor.


\"On your home PC:

* Could you open the Boinc Manager, switch to the \'work/tasks\' tab, highlight one or other of the tasks marked as \'running\', and click the \'ShowGraphics\' button. Does a window appear which shows the graphics, or does the button stay greyed out?\"

On the laptop, I did what you asked and saw both of the graphics for the two projects I have selected, Climate Prediction and Spinhenge@home.

\"* If you click on your screen background, properties, screensaver, is \'Boinc\' listed as the currently selected screensaver? What is the timeout period?\"

BOINC is selected, to run after 2 minutes.

\"* On the \'power saving\' tab on the same screen, is the monitor set to power down? Is the power-down period longer or shorter than the screensaver display period?\"

All power saving is set to \"never.\"

Thanks, I hope I have done a better job in explaining, and I would really like to get this to work. BOINC hs a much wider latitude than WCG (hah! I actually used an acronym!!), so I would like to get more machines going here. But, sorry folks, I insist on a screen saver.

Cheers.

>>RSM
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Message 28889 - Posted 22 May 2007 14:59:35 UTC - in response to Message ID 28877.

I also confess that you are the first person I\'ve seen in nearly four years with CPDN who set his Projects to switch every few minutes. What on earth for?


On a machine that has multiple CPUs and different projects attached with work, the screen saver will change between the running projects every 10 minutes. That\'s what he meant.

As to why the screen saver works at work and not at home, not a clue.
Double check that BOINC is still the appointed screen saver in Windows, that BOINC isn\'t suspended, or the laptop isn\'t hibernating.
____________
Jord.

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Message 28895 - Posted 22 May 2007 17:56:09 UTC

Mike, thanks for sorting that out. Appreciated.

Jord, Thanks for that. My boxes are all dual-core but I\'ve never used anything but a blank screen saver, and that only for a few minutes, on any of them. (Perhaps I\'m remiss in not doing it for the experience, so as to be able to better answer questions...)

____________
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.
Important stuff here: http://www.climateprediction.net/board/viewforum.php?f=36&sid=f186538b86d2f67c6a05a58ab37dcbcd
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Questions and Answers : Preferences : how do I change screen saver preferences

Jord, Thanks for that. My boxes are all dual-core but I\'ve never used anything but a blank screen saver, and that only for a few minutes, on any of them. (Perhaps I\'m remiss in not doing it for the experience, so as to be able to better answer questions...)

You can check this at any time, by allowing BOINC to be your screen saver. Even with project applications that don\'t have a screen saver, the BOINC screen saver will show. And then switch to a project that has a screen saver. :)

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Jord.

To summarise, the same PC was displaying a screensaver at one point in time, then at a different point in time the screensaver stopped showing.

This sounds like something is up with the graphics drivers on the laptop? Sometimes people report problems like this, which often fixes itself after a reboot (but goes wrong again after playing games / viewing video / hibernating). Exiting Boinc before doing these things, and restarting it afterwards may help, and updating the graphics drivers may also help. How to update the drivers depends on the manufacturer of the graphics chipset in the laptop.

-- Edit:

Found this forum entry about updating the graphics drivers. It\'s quite a tricky process so you may need to ask for help.

http://bbc.cpdn.org/forum_thread.php?id=1038

See also here: (from Ageless\'s BOINC FAQ Service)

Self Help: Screen saver problems

For background information about running the climate models, see the various posts in the following forum:
http://www.climateprediction.net/board/viewforum.php?f=36


Incidentally, as you may have gathered from the earlier posts, you can attach to WCG via Boinc as well as via the native WCG client. I\'m not sure if there\'s any advantage to doing it one way or the other.

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\"This sounds like something is up with the graphics drivers on the laptop? Sometimes people report problems like this, which often fixes itself after a reboot (but goes wrong again after playing games / viewing video / hibernating). Exiting Boinc before doing these things, and restarting it afterwards may help, and updating the graphics drivers may also help. How to update the drivers depends on the manufacturer of the graphics chipset in the laptop.\"

Alas, I am not a game player. The graphics drivers are essentially new, and have caused no other trouble. I will say, the screensavers began to run again after I went to BOINC Manager, selected each process and clicked on \"Show Graphics\". I do not know if that did the trick or not, since it was not necessary on the original install.

Thanks.

>>RSM

...
They switced every few minutes.\"
...
That is in fact what I saw happening, and through no configuration of my doing.

Sometimes on a new install BOINC gets a little confused about what it should be running. After a few hours, a day at most, the client will settle down and wait a little longer than the setting to actually switch between projects.

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BOINC WIKI

BOINCing since 2002/12/8

...
They switced every few minutes.\"
...
That is in fact what I saw happening, and through no configuration of my doing.

Sometimes on a new install BOINC gets a little confused about what it should be running. After a few hours, a day at most, the client will settle down and wait a little longer than the setting to actually switch between projects.

Thanks, I think things are O.K., ever since I went to the BOINC Manager and clicked on my processes and said \"Show Graphics\".

I know you all are negative to scrfeensavers, but i have already had three people come past my desk and ask what it is that they are seeing. Then, I gave each a little lecture and asked for their participation.

>>RSM

Well, if the screensaver is on public display and may bring new recruits to this or any other boinc project, I\'d say that\'s a good thing! You can see the % of CPU time the screensaver uses by looking at the processes in Task manager.

When all the likely recruits have their own screensavers, you could disable it...

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