Hi, I just installed BOINC about a week ago or so. When I try to run it, I get the error \"Failed to cleanup the Windows Sockets Interface\", in a box labeled \"BOINC GUI Error\". It has an OK button, when I click the message disappears and nothing else appears to happen. BOINC is not listed in my Services panel. I can\'t tell if it\'s actually running or not.

I\'m using Windows XP Version 2002 sp1, Pentium 4 1.60 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, on an HP Pavilion 750. Normally this machine is just a file server; it also sometimes runs SQL Server and a variety of video games.

The only odd things that may apply: I selected the option to run BOINC only when the computer was not in use (I can\'t find this option now to turn it off... maybe it is in the GUI I can\'t start). This computer is subject to power outages during storms (I live in Florida); I don\'t know how many outages have occurred since installation (several, at least).

What steps should I take?

Same problem here. I live in the UK and there have been no hurricans. BOINC sometimes starts on its own and sometimes doesn,t. I have set up WIndows XP professional on my home computer with two "users". This is so that the limited user only has access to the net. BOINC seems to migrate form one user to the other.

Any suggestions?

Incidentally I tried to install BOINC two weeks ago and had some many warning boxes coming up that not only did I have to uninstall but I had to restore the computer to a restore point on 18th September.

I've just had a look at the BOINC source code, and the "Failure to cleanup the Windows Socket Interface" message isn't as bad as it sounds.

BOINC has detected that it's already running and has closed the new instance. But there's a coding error which means the exit routine calls the socket cleanup function without ever having setup the socket interface, and that's generating the error.

If you have BOINC as an all users <i>and</i> individual user startup item you'll get this error every time you login in. If you're running XP <i>and</i> are in the habit of switching between users <i>and</i> have BOINC as a startup item for all users you'll also get the error box each time you log an extra user in.
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&gt; Same problem here. I live in the UK and there have been no hurricans. BOINC
&gt; sometimes starts on its own and sometimes doesn,t. I have set up WIndows XP
&gt; professional on my home computer with two "users". This is so that the limited
&gt; user only has access to the net. BOINC seems to migrate form one user to the
&gt; other.
&gt;
&gt; Any suggestions?
&gt;
&gt; Incidentally I tried to install BOINC two weeks ago and had some many warning
&gt; boxes coming up that not only did I have to uninstall but I had to restore the
&gt; computer to a restore point on 18th September.
&gt;
&gt;
I think this error is caused when you have Fast User switching enabled with an XP computer and BOINC running as a service.

It happens for me when the user is automatically logged off or logs off using switch user and someone else logs on.

The model itself continues to run in the background as a service but it tries to run another instance of the client software which displays the graphics etc. This 2nd instance fails but the original is still running under the auspices of the original user.

This is not the only Windows program that cannot cope with fast user switching, but that is another story!

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Thyme Lawn has already answered this.
If you want BOINC to run as a service, you must remove it from your startup folder. If you have several users it must be removed from each ser's startup folder, and from the all users' startup folder as well.

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