No Screensaver

Stick
Stick
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RE: I have a problem with

Message 18473 in response to message 18472

Quote:

I have a problem with the screensaver as well. I can see the starmap if I click show graphics. I can even see it when I preview my screensaver. But if I actually leave my computer and let the screensaver come on I simply get a black screen.

Oh and by the way, yes I am using the beta version.

By any chance, are you running any other projects (e.g. Seti) and, if so, does the screensaver work properly for the other projects?

Tern
Tern
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RE: if I actually leave my

Message 18474 in response to message 18472

Quote:
if I actually leave my computer and let the screensaver come on I simply get a black screen.

If you have your preferences set to "run only when computer is not busy", you might try setting it to run all the time, and see if that solves it. If so, that narrows down the possibilities a bit.

Daniel
Daniel
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RE: If you have your

Message 18475 in response to message 18474

Quote:
If you have your preferences set to "run only when computer is not busy", you might try setting it to run all the time, and see if that solves it. If so, that narrows down the possibilities a bit.

It is set to run all the time.

Quote:
By any chance, are you running any other projects (e.g. Seti) and, if so, does the screensaver work properly for the other projects?

Yes, I am running SETI@Home. How do I choose which one I want the screen saver to be? Also it wont run both at the same time even though I've set them to the same resource share. It chops and changes between one and then the other.

Stick
Stick
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RE: Yes, I am running

Message 18476 in response to message 18475

Quote:
Yes, I am running SETI@Home. How do I choose which one I want the screen saver to be? Also it wont run both at the same time even though I've set them to the same resource share. It chops and changes between one and then the other.

The screensaver will show whichever project BOINC is running at the time. It you have set a 50-50 share, BOINC should run Einstein for an hour, then Seti for an hour, etc. (assuming your preference is set to switch every 60 minutes). If it is jumping back and forth more often, check your general preferences under "Your account" on the web-site. (I am pretty sure the default for switching is 60 minutes.)

Michael Roycraft
Michael Roycraft
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RE: RE: By any chance,

Message 18477 in response to message 18475

Quote:
Quote:
By any chance, are you running any other projects (e.g. Seti) and, if so, does the screensaver work properly for the other projects?

Yes, I am running SETI@Home. How do I choose which one I want the screen saver to be? Also it wont run both at the same time even though I've set them to the same resource share. It chops and changes between one and then the other.

Daniel,

You didn't exactly answer Bill's second question, so we're no closer to correcting the problem. As for you question about which screensaver, and your observation that Boinc switches between projects: You have no option for switching screensavers, Boinc can only display the screensaver for the project upon which it is currently processing. Since your computer is listed as having 2 processors, I am supposing that it is really a single-CPU hyper-threaded P4 with 2 "virtual" cores, correct me if I am wrong. On your account page, in the Preferences section, click on "View or edit General Preferences". Under Processor usage, is "...use at most" set to 2? While you're on that page, notice that there is a preference for "switch between applications every". Does that give you a clue as to why Boinc "chops and changes" between projects? That is how Boinc hosts are able to crunch for 2 or 3 or 7 or 8 different projects. It doesn't imply that your host computer will remain crunching for any single project until a workunit is finished - a Climate Prediction workunit often takes months to process.

Regards,

Michael

microcraft
"The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice" - MLK

magicgoo
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RE: Does a graphics windows

Message 18478 in response to message 18466

Quote:

Does a graphics windows appear when you click "Show graphics"? In Boinc Manager, switch to the "Work" tab, select the running workunit and click "Show Graphics".

When you're trying the screensaver and you get the flying BOINC logo, what exactly are the messages in the box? You could manually preview the screensaver and watch what happens, you might get several different message.

No, the "Show Graphics" button is greyed out/inactive.

The messages I receive are sometimes the percentage at which BOINC is working and sometimes it says that BOINC is suspended.

My graphics card is an older ATI Radeon, but the drivers are updated to the point where I can view huge graphic-heavy games just fine.

Stick
Stick
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RE: RE: Does a graphics

Message 18479 in response to message 18478

Quote:
Quote:

Does a graphics windows appear when you click "Show graphics"? In Boinc Manager, switch to the "Work" tab, select the running workunit and click "Show Graphics".

When you're trying the screensaver and you get the flying BOINC logo, what exactly are the messages in the box? You could manually preview the screensaver and watch what happens, you might get several different message.

No, the "Show Graphics" button is greyed out/inactive.

The messages I receive are sometimes the percentage at which BOINC is working and sometimes it says that BOINC is suspended.

My graphics card is an older ATI Radeon, but the drivers are updated to the point where I can view huge graphic-heavy games just fine.

In order for the "Show graphics" button to be active, you must highlight the work unit that is "Running", otherwise the button is greyed out. Are you saying that your Einstein WU's never indicate they are "Running"?

Under "Your account" on this web-site, what is your "General preferences" setting for "Do work while computer is in use?" If this is set to "no", try changing it to "yes".

magicgoo
magicgoo
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RE: In order for the "Show

Message 18483 in response to message 18479

Quote:


In order for the "Show graphics" button to be active, you must highlight the work unit that is "Running", otherwise the button is greyed out. Are you saying that your Einstein WU's never indicate they are "Running"?

Under "Your account" on this web-site, what is your "General preferences" setting for "Do work while computer is in use?" If this is set to "no", try changing it to "yes".

Yup, I have it selected. It says it's running. I have "do work while computer is in use -- Yes" selected.

Nothin'. :(

Sorry to be such a pain. I just really wanna figure this out. Here's a screen shot so maybe you can see something I don't.

http://www.everythinggoodwastaken.com/images/boinc.jpg

Walt Gribben
Walt Gribben
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RE: RE: In order for the

Message 18484 in response to message 18483

Quote:
Quote:


In order for the "Show graphics" button to be active, you must highlight the work unit that is "Running", otherwise the button is greyed out. Are you saying that your Einstein WU's never indicate they are "Running"?

Under "Your account" on this web-site, what is your "General preferences" setting for "Do work while computer is in use?" If this is set to "no", try changing it to "yes".

Yup, I have it selected. It says it's running. I have "do work while computer is in use -- Yes" selected.

Nothin'. :(

Sorry to be such a pain. I just really wanna figure this out. Here's a screen shot so maybe you can see something I don't.

http://www.everythinggoodwastaken.com/images/boinc.jpg

If the "show graphics" button is grayed out when the running workunit is selected, it means that BOINC and the application knows that graphics won't work. Meaning it got an error trying to open the graphics device, or your setup won't allow it. (or BOINC knows so it won't send the request to the application)

Thats also that the screensaver is saying when it shows the project state in the bouncing boinc logo.

Are you running BOINC as a service? If so graphics won't work unless you change the logon properties for the service - you have to run it in the "local system account" and check the "interact with desktop" box.

Are you running BOINC under one userid and running Boinc Manger under another? Like where you logged on with one id and started BOINC, then switched to another id and ran Boinc Manager? That means Einstein (running under the original id) has to be able to access the desktop for the current id (the one you're you're trying to "show graphics" with. And I don't believe WinXP allows that by default as it means someone else could snoop on what you're doing.

[EDIT]
Its quite possible for games to work well, but for the application graphics to fail. Games typically use DirectX, the science applications use OpenGL. Its the OpenGL part thats often messed up in the drivers. (talking Windows here)

Walt

Stick
Stick
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RE: Yup, I have it

Message 18485 in response to message 18483

Quote:


Yup, I have it selected. It says it's running. I have "do work while computer is in use -- Yes" selected.

Nothin'. :(

Sorry to be such a pain. I just really wanna figure this out. Here's a screen shot so maybe you can see something I don't.


Magicgoo,

You are not being a pain, but, I'll admit that you about have me stumped. I saw your screen capture and all I can say is: "It's not supposed to work that way."

One possibility is: Something is wrong with your BOINC installation. Besides, I think you are a few BOINC versions behind what's current (there have been a lot of updates lately). I would suggest that you update BOINC as your next step. I would also suggest that you read this message and follow the steps outlined by Gary Roberts. If that doesn't work, I hope somebody else is reading this and is waiting to suggest something.

Stick

Edit: I see Walt beat me in here. Thank you Walt!!! I was running out of ideas.

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