Problem with new version of F@H - it doesn't do anything!

[Jeff7]

I just upgraded to version 5.00 of Folding@Home. It's got one minor issue though - it hasn't done any work at all. What seems to disable it entirely is the screensaver function that is now built-in. I have these two options checked:
Turn on screensaver after 5 minutes
Run core only when screensaver is active.

That seems to disable it entirely; the little icon sits in the system tray with a yellow circle and slash through it. No work ever gets done. I've had the PC on overnight for something else (not CPU intensive at all though), and F@H never seems to have initialized.
Any ideas what gives? Or am I going to have to find version 4 again?

I'm using WinXP Pro SP1a.

 

[ProviaFan]

I've had intermittent trouble getting work with the F@H v5 client. I think there's something going on with the DNS setup somewhere, and I'm beginning to doubt that it's on my end, seeing the trouble that others are having also.

 

[GLeeM]

@Jeff7
Did you try unchecking "turn on screensaver" and "run core only when screensaver is active"?

Has it gotten a WU yet? Check the logfile. Could you post the logfile here? (copy and paste)

Thanks

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: GLeeM
@Jeff7
Did you try unchecking "turn on screensaver" and "run core only when screensaver is active"?

Has it gotten a WU yet? Check the logfile. Could you post the logfile here? (copy and paste)

Thanks

Yes, but then it always runs, and I don't want that, as I sometimes will juggle the priority of various processes, such as when doing file compression, or video editing. If there were additional priority settings, other than just 6, like maybe one with an ultra-idle priority, then I'd do it, but I want all my priority settings available.

Yes, it has gotten a work unit. And I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling a few times.
I did let it go by manually turning it on (doing what you suggested with unchecking those boxes) but I don't consider that to be a permanent fix.

And I don't know which logfile you want. I can find 4 different log files in the F@H folder. Here's one thing that just outright says "logfile":


*------------------------------*
Folding@home Gromacs Core
Version 1.67 (July 13, 2004)

Preparing to commence simulation
- Looking at optimizations...
- Files status OK
- Expanded 14653 -> 108741 (decompressed 742.1 percent)

Project: 739 (Run 35, Clone 2, Gen 7)

Assembly optimizations on if available.
Entering M.D.
(Starting from checkpoint)
Protein: p729_gsgs_md

Writing local files
Completed 2450000 out of 10000000 steps (25%)
Extra SSE boost OK.
Writing local files
Completed 2500000 out of 10000000 steps (25%)
Writing local files
Completed 2600000 out of 10000000 steps (26%)
Writing local files
Completed 2700000 out of 10000000 steps (27%)
Writing local files
Completed 2800000 out of 10000000 steps (28%)
Writing local files
Completed 2900000 out of 10000000 steps (29%)
Writing local files
Completed 3000000 out of 10000000 steps (30%)
Writing local files
Completed 3100000 out of 10000000 steps (31%)
Writing local files
Completed 3200000 out of 10000000 steps (32%)
Writing local files
Completed 3300000 out of 10000000 steps (33%)
Writing local files
Completed 3400000 out of 10000000 steps (34%)
Writing local files
Completed 3500000 out of 10000000 steps (35%)
Writing local files
Completed 3600000 out of 10000000 steps (36%)
Writing local files
Completed 3700000 out of 10000000 steps (37%)
Writing local files
Completed 3800000 out of 10000000 steps (38%)
Writing local files
Completed 3900000 out of 10000000 steps (39%)
Writing local files
Completed 4000000 out of 10000000 steps (40%)
Suspending work thread...

 

[GLeeM]

Sorry, the logfile should be named: FAHlog.txt or just: FAHlog

From your logfile I can see that quite a bit of work has been done.

The client restarted from a checkpoint after 24%, then worked its way to 40%, when it "Suspending work thread...", screen saver was deactivated.

The GUI window that shows the protein folding uses lots of cycles, don't leave it open.

On my computer, P4 3.0Ghz 1GB ram, I leave two console versions running all the time, even when video editing or encoding video and have yet to drop a frame. WinXP Pro does a good job juggling processes on its own. Folding @ Home only uses cycles that are not being used by programs I am working with. F@H doesn't get much work done when I am editing and encoding video, but when I am done it uses the idle processes (cycles) that are available.

Have you tried leaving F@H running when doing video on your computer to see if you notice a difference or have dropped frames? It may not have an affect. I don't know if it is that I have enough ram or speed or what, that I don't have a problem with letting F@H run.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: GLeeM
Sorry, the logfile should be named: FAHlog.txt or just: FAHlog

From your logfile I can see that quite a bit of work has been done.

The client restarted from a checkpoint after 24%, then worked its way to 40%, when it "Suspending work thread...", screen saver was deactivated.

The GUI window that shows the protein folding uses lots of cycles, don't leave it open.

On my computer, P4 3.0Ghz 1GB ram, I leave two console versions running all the time, even when video editing or encoding video and have yet to drop a frame. WinXP Pro does a good job juggling processes on its own. Folding @ Home only uses cycles that are not being used by programs I am working with. F@H doesn't get much work done when I am editing and encoding video, but when I am done it uses the idle processes (cycles) that are available.

Have you tried leaving F@H running when doing video on your computer to see if you notice a difference or have dropped frames? It may not have an affect. I don't know if it is that I have enough ram or speed or what, that I don't have a problem with letting F@H run.

A bit of what I do when encoding video: I'll set the video editor's process to low, so that I can use the PC without major slowdown - just what the F@H process does, sets itself to low. Problem is, if both the F@H process, and the video editor are at the same priority level, then each will get half the CPU time - not what I'm after.

Either way, something is wrong with the program - it is supposed to run like a screensaver after 5 minutes. It is not doing that. Even if there is a workaround, the program still seems to have a flaw.

 

[GLeeM]

Yeah I wonder if PandeGroup knows about this. Maybe I'll go have a look.

Also I found this, it might be a workaround for you to not use the screensaver mode.

Run F@H as a scheduled task, and set the task to only run while the computer is idle. That way, if you are gaming, F@H shuts down. When you are done gaming and walk away from the computer, F@H starts up again.