Just got a new computer with INTEL® PENTIUM® D 945 (2 X 3.4GHZ) 800mhz FSB/2 x 2MB Cache PROCESSOR AND 4gb ram. Fantastic Seti results, BUT...
The computer is shutting down daily, at least a couple of times a day. On examining the Event Viewer, the last process to get logged is always BOINC with an information tag ...
"Event Type: Information
Event Source: BOINC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1
Date: 12/10/2006
Time: 19:17:40
User: N/A
Computer: KR-MEDIASERVER
Description:
The description for Event ID ( 1 ) in Source ( BOINC ) cannot be found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer. You may be able to use the /AUXSOURCE= flag to retrieve this description; see Help and Support for details. The following information is part of the event: BOINC service is initialization completed, now begining process execution..."
THe computer then either re-boots or performs a BSOD.
I am running BOINC 5.4.11 as a service.
Anyone experienced anything similar, or have any solutions?
Many thanks
Simon

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A computer that often reboots is frequently due to heat, flakey Power Supply Unit, or problem memory.

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Grant
Darwin NT

A computer that often reboots is frequently due to heat, flakey Power Supply Unit, or problem memory.

Thanks Grant, while this is a statement of fact about hardware generally, wouldn't you agree that it is stange that this always happens immediately after this error is posted in the Event Log? I was wondering whether this was due to a missing dll or corrupt registry entry, as the message in the Event Viewer implies. Or are you suggesting that the power fails, and that is what causes BOINC to get registered in the Event Log, just before the rest of the system crashes?
Thanks
Simon

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A computer that often reboots is frequently due to heat, flakey Power Supply Unit, or problem memory.

Thanks Grant, while this is a statement of fact about hardware generally, wouldn't you agree that it is stange that this always happens immediately after this error is posted in the Event Log? I was wondering whether this was due to a missing dll or corrupt registry entry, as the message in the Event Viewer implies. Or are you suggesting that the power fails, and that is what causes BOINC to get registered in the Event Log, just before the rest of the system crashes?
Thanks
Simon

I would say it's the latter - something fails or is being over-stressed due to poor design (heat, power supply or memory, as Grant suggested) and the System Event Manger logs into the Event Log the last thing that was running (since BONIC is always running, it will be logged) before your system crashes.

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A computer that often reboots is frequently due to heat, flakey Power Supply Unit, or problem memory.

Thanks Grant, while this is a statement of fact about hardware generally, wouldn't you agree that it is stange that this always happens immediately after this error is posted in the Event Log? I was wondering whether this was due to a missing dll or corrupt registry entry, as the message in the Event Viewer implies. Or are you suggesting that the power fails, and that is what causes BOINC to get registered in the Event Log, just before the rest of the system crashes?
Thanks
Simon

I would say it's the latter - something fails or is being over-stressed due to poor design (heat, power supply or memory, as Grant suggested) and the System Event Manger logs into the Event Log the last thing that was running (since BONIC is always running, it will be logged) before your system crashes.

OK - I am beginning to suspect you migth be right, as this is a new machine, it may well be a Friday afternoon job. Just to put my mind at ease - does anyone know what is being logged in Event Viewer when it says from a BOINC source event, 'the local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display messages from a remote computer'?
Cheers
Simon

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Read up on http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315410/ and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/328841. The message is a Windows message, not a BOINC message (before other helpers think it is ;)).

Also look through the rest of the Google search.

Question: What anti virus package is on that PC?

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I have the same issue
however when i uninstalled seti I have no problems

i reinstall seti and it starts rebooting regularly

the other issue i have is that seti doesnt 'back off' when i am trying to do stuff
it will not release the ram its using

my system specs are
Pentium 4 3.2ghz
2 gig RAM

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Try editing the general preferences in BOINK to allow at most 80% of the CPU time.
If your machine still reboots, lower the value or possibly download THREADMASTER from :-

[url=/http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/download_network.php/url]

And experiment with the amount of CPU time allowed.

If this cures the ploblem it kind of reinforces the 'overheating theory'.

Note that the Windows logs often report the symptom rather than the cause of a problem. I.E. it was the last event that it had a problem with before really bad things happened!. The previous event/s (inc System) may give a better clue.

Rg

Del

I have the same issue
however when i uninstalled seti I have no problems

i reinstall seti and it starts rebooting regularly

the other issue i have is that seti doesnt 'back off' when i am trying to do stuff
it will not release the ram its using

my system specs are
Pentium 4 3.2ghz
2 gig RAM

SETI@Home is programmed to 'back off' the CPU when you want it. All RAM management is done by the OS - it simply cannot release the RAM it's using if it needed it and the OS said it was available.

If you need the entire 64MB of RAM that SETI@Home is using for a different application, try suspending BOINC and it should remove the science apps from RAM.

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If you need the entire 64MB of RAM that SETI@Home is using for a different application, try syspending BOINC and it should remove the science apps from RAM.

Addendum, it will not remove the applications from memory if you have set your preference "Leave applications in memory when suspending" set to Yes.

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Try editing the general preferences in BOINK to allow at most 80% of the CPU time.
If your machine still reboots, lower the value or possibly download THREADMASTER from :-

[url=/http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/download_network.php/url]

And experiment with the amount of CPU time allowed.

If this cures the ploblem it kind of reinforces the 'overheating theory'.

Note that the Windows logs often report the symptom rather than the cause of a problem. I.E. it was the last event that it had a problem with before really bad things happened!. The previous event/s (inc System) may give a better clue.

Rg

Del

CPU throttling is implemented in 5.6 which is not released.

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BOINC WIKI

Try editing the general preferences in BOINK to allow at most 80% of the CPU time.
If your machine still reboots, lower the value or possibly download THREADMASTER from :-

[url=/http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/download_network.php/url]

And experiment with the amount of CPU time allowed.

If this cures the ploblem it kind of reinforces the 'overheating theory'.

Note that the Windows logs often report the symptom rather than the cause of a problem. I.E. it was the last event that it had a problem with before really bad things happened!. The previous event/s (inc System) may give a better clue.

Rg

Del

CPU throttling is implemented in 5.6 which is not released.

So that makes :-
Use at most 100 percent of CPU time

a documented 'non feature' of the current release

Ok, so, in the meantime, try Treadmaster.

Del

I would bet that since Seti@home uses the cpu constantly it is causing the crash because of a design deficiency in the system. Try running linux and compiling the kernel. If ti crashes then it is definately a system problem. I have had compuers that would run windows ok but fal under heavy use.

I vote for a computer hardware problem.

Kevin

If this is a hardware problem then I have the same one. I am running XP Pro on a 3Ghz P4/1gig RAM. With hyperthreading enabled it is running two jobs simultaniously and CPU is at 100 percent.

CPU temp is stable at around 111F/44C. I have plenty of cooling capacity with a CPU fan and four chassis fans.

The system reboots a couple of times a day, only when I am away from it. This morning it restarted at around 8:51PDT. The previous event in the System log was at 6:14. Likewise reported in the Application log. This is an ASUS MB and I am now logging CPU an MB temps.

I don't think this is the issue myself. This problem started when I installed BOINC earlier this week.

It appears to be happening at about the same time that a job completes. Reboot times corespond to time that work units are reported.

If this is a hardware problem then I have the same one. I am running XP Pro on a 3Ghz P4/1gig RAM. With hyperthreading enabled it is running two jobs simultaniously and CPU is at 100 percent.

CPU temp is stable at around 111F/44C. I have plenty of cooling capacity with a CPU fan and four chassis fans.

The system reboots a couple of times a day, only when I am away from it. This morning it restarted at around 8:51PDT. The previous event in the System log was at 6:14. Likewise reported in the Application log. This is an ASUS MB and I am now logging CPU an MB temps.

I don't think this is the issue myself. This problem started when I installed BOINC earlier this week.

It appears to be happening at about the same time that a job completes. Reboot times corespond to time that work units are reported.

How big is your power supply? It could be overheating and shutting down your system if it is not strong enough for the wattage you are pulling.

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Normally, I would agree with all the advice given so far. Indeed, I would normally go further and recommend running memtest and/or prime95 as a system stress test. However, these events seem rather to co-incidental to the reporting cycle to be a heat issue.

Of course Nate should verify the CPU temps are as he observes and consider running independant stress tests: 44C seems pretty low for a P4 under full load, but with good cooling, and he says he has efficient cooling, then it is possible.

So, if the CPU/mobo combination is around 44C and it appears re-boot around upload/reporting time, what else could be happening?

A few random thoughts....

What antispyware/firewall you do have? Does it have high security settings such as shutdown on suspicious activity? Could it be seeing Boinc internet communication as an attack? Doubtful as the results appear to be reported just before the reboot.

So, the results appear to be reported as they are visible on your account. The next WU download was several hours later, suggesting it was crunching a WU when it happened. OK, so what happens just after a unit has reported: well the scheduler may switch to another project!

Do you have any other projects running under Boinc? Could there be a memory release issue with another project....back to the old favourite: try running memtest for several hours and see what happens. If you do have another project runing, try suspending it for a day and see what happens.

Sorry, really clutching a straws. Hope some of that helps, but I do think it's more than just a "normal" overheating issue.

I've got a 300 watt power supply running the MB and CPU, one hard disk, a (was) high end graphics card and the fans. Voltage monitor metrics are all nominal and reasonably steady. Besides, if I was overheating I would expect a shutdown, not a reboot.

I am not running any other projects. Just two simultanious SETI work units. And yes, the units are being reported. I do want to make some more observations regarding work units and reporting. Like, if a unit is processing when the reboot occurs, does it complete properly? It appears that I have some really small work units out there. Is this normal?

I am using the current version of Norton Internet Security. It is not giving me any feedback nor complaints about BOINC efforts to access the internet. It asked me to confirm that this was a good thing the first time and has been quiet ever since.

According to the ASUS (MB) Probe monitoring software my physical memory usage currently sits at 61 percent. And yes, this is with the two SETI work units being processed.

Just for grins, I'd try unplugging your network cable and see if it reboots when work unit is done. Assuming it doesn't reboot, that gives you the opportunity to be there when you plug cable back in and it connects. I had one machine that did something similar but it was always at the time BOINC did it's daily automatic benchmark tests. Also mine just locked up not reboot.
Of all the clients I have, the ones with Symantec are the biggest head scratchers. I hate that application, such a hog and swings the pendulum the other direction to being to locked down. I'd temporarily shut that down and see how the connection goes. I think you can tell it to just disable until next reboot.
If you have a Dell or HP, do you have any of their preloaded "security" software running? I have one user with a new HP with fingerprint reader (we don't use) but it is a pain in the gluteus maximus.

-Paul

Well, I haven't tried the network cable trick yet and I may not.

I disabled the screen saver and have not had another reboot. I am still waiting to call this cured. I got to wondering if there could be a conflict when the work unit displayed ran to completion and uploaded.

I don't know that this is it but am continuing to monitor it. And what the heck, the screen saver only runs when I am not here so why would I care if it is on display...

Well, I haven't tried the network cable trick yet and I may not.

I disabled the screen saver and have not had another reboot. I am still waiting to call this cured. I got to wondering if there could be a conflict when the work unit displayed ran to completion and uploaded.

I don't know that this is it but am continuing to monitor it. And what the heck, the screen saver only runs when I am not here so why would I care if it is on display...

I am having the same reboot problems , with the same messages in the logs. I have stopped boinc and have had no further problems. ASUS motherboard also , tried 2 different power supplies , my temps run a bit hotter , but still plenty of cooling, i even run other programs , to just tax the cpu to bring up the heat , but no reboots . Only with BOINK runnning.

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