They call it 'Protected Application' now, IIRC under advanced setup. Under XP this will work fine with Cuda, but not under Vista or Win7.

The only problem is with the triple combination: Vista (or Win7) + protected mode + CUDA (or I guess ATI). You can have any two, but not all three.

Thanks for that.

That's a shame... No CUDA for those machines I guess then...

:-(

Happy crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

I've no need to 'run as a service' now, or 'protected application' as I now live on my own and only have to share the computer with my kids when they come to stay.

But keep the information coming, it's always interesting to learn something new.

Can't guarantee I'll remember any of it in 6 months, so I'll probably be back here to ask it again! :-)

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Well, got windows 7 installed, got everything up and running again. But, the new gfx card keeps crashing while doing Cuda. Works in Windows, played a bit of Stalker: Clear Sky to test it out. Even though the game said it might not work due to unrecognised OS, it installed and played fine. So, at the moment I'm stumped. Any ideas?

The machine is this one:- http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/show_host_detail.php?hostid=5000538

Any suggestions welcome. My head hurts over this one!

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Any suggestions welcome. My head hurts over this one!

Hope you weren't expecting short email.

This vid card crash situation occurs on the 1st cuda WU after a 10 second reboot?

You're running the latest version of Boinc? There was a cuda crash bug caused then fixed in Boinc about 3 versions ago. Also, if my "Waiting" Task Queue gets too large (in my case, about 2500), my vid card periodically crashes when I use BoincMgr unless I've got it set to "Show Active Tasks" only.

Is ANYTHING else using that video card at same time S@H is? Turn it off. Also, maybe shut off AERO just as a test (plus it hogs cycles away from seti). From "Personalize", select the Windows 7 Basic Theme then reboot. Anything else like Multi-mon? Simplify for now, add back later.

I'm assuming no other variables changed (ie: new hardware, power source, proximity to a hospital MRI device, etc (oh the stories I could tell)). Yes, I understand you fresh installed Win7 and have re-installed stuff in general.


#1. Check around to make sure you are running that card at stock FACTORY default speeds (not overclocked - you can tune another day once things are stable).

Here's the fun part, the video clocking might not be set where you think it is ;-) I can only speak to how it is on my system, I'm sure others here have their favored inspection & config utils ---> The ones I use to tweak what my vid card does are (A) The EVGA Precision util that came with my EVGA GTS250 (ie: look in ctrl panel, or visit your card mfg site), and (B) the EasyTune util that came with my GigaByte motherboard. The first controls what my card does at boot, and the second controls what the card RESETS to after a crash (which I'm certain is not what nvidia wanted, yet, there it is). Since you're a fresh install, you may need to hunt down these mfg utils (in Win7 flavors) for your components.


#2. Look around Windows Device Manager for either Question Marks (unknown devices) or multiple video cards ... both of which indicate hardware autodetect got it wrong the first time around. Check the vid card settings, etc, to see if anything looks wrong or in-op. Regardless, sometimes if there is a wonky setting someplace or old driver component lingering, easier to just use Device Manager to clobber the driver and/or entire device, and let either a New Hardware scan or the nvidia driver installer try again.


#3. If you have a second PCI-E slot, worth a shot moving the card over.




You might burn through your cuda WU's as you trouble shooting this, which is a bummer as we're in a dry spell. I assume you have ReScheduler to move of VLARs and re-assign the WUs you do have.

Good Luck

In reply to the first post in this thread.....

The EASY Way.

Before installing the OS, Format the the drive into a main partition and a second smaller partition, around 1 GB will do (1GB small ? How times change :-)

Install the OS into the main partition. Get the OS up, running and debugged.

Install BOINC into the second partition, using the "Custom" installation options, put both the BOINC and BOINC Data folders on the BOINC partition.

It is now virtually bullet proof. Easy to find and backup, if you have backed up BOINC folders you can just restore them onto the BOINC partition. If your OS crashes and needs to be reinstalled your BOINC files are untouched.

Your BOINC installation is now completely transportable, if you always give the BOINC partition the same drive letter you don't even have to repoint your config files. Using this method I moved BOINC from XP-Pro to W7/RC and back to XP-Home without missing a beat. The only crunching time lost was the time it took to get the new OS installed and running. You don't even need to reinstall BOINC !!

The only thing that changes is that BOINC Manager always comes back up in "Simple" view. The computer name will change according to whatever you named the new install but the computer ID number is unchanged.

Brodo

Thanks for getting back to me guys. Still banging my head aginst the wall on this one...

Update - Don't think it's the video card. At least, I played Stalker on it last night, then ran 3dmark06 and 3dmark vantage on it today. Coup de gras was running 3dmark06 demo mode and 4x Prime95 without crashing. However, Prime95 didn't exit gracefully, and caused a 'stopped working' error even though I was trying to exit. Have tried with Aero off too, no change.

@Brodo - That's a damn fine idea. I'm not finished playing around with this one yet, so I may well try your solution out. I did manage to save all the work, and the computer ID, but that sounds even easier - 'til I get hold of it that is! ;-)

@52 Aces - The video crash only seems to happen on certain wu, but I don't know how to identify which ones, and will process some. It fails in between wu's, i.e. when one is released and then starting up another one. Richard Haslegrove suggested it may be the PSU on the Lunatics board, but I don't think so, as I think I had the card running on Win7-64 RC before the bought version (It's a 620w Corsair, and AFAICT it's not running at more than 80% capacity. Tried Lunatics v0.2 and v0.1, no difference. No overclock, and I wasn't planning to anyway. It's a Gigabyte Super Overclock already, running at 680Mhz core, 1500Mhz shaders, and 2500Mhz ram. Tried running Boinc 6.6.41, then went back to 6.6.38 when it was revealed on here that 41 was a bit flaky. GPUz reports that it can be as low as 300Mhz core, and 100Mhz ram in windows, and jumps up to 680 and 1250 (doubled for ddr rates) when needed. Tried underclocking it slightly with EVGA precision to see if it was that, not seen or tried Easytune.

No ?'s in Device manager, and installed the latest Nvidia 191.07 whql driver, but might try your suggestion to clobber it. I have 4 PCI-E slots in total, but it is supposed to be a crossfire board, which is why I only have one Nvidia Gfx card. As I said, no issues with my 9800GTX+ on Win Xp Pro or Win7-64 RC before this, and I think I tried the GTX260 before the new install on Win7-64 RC.

I've had a little play with reschedule 1.9, but not a great deal yet,

@all - Many thanks for the help so far. I hope I can crack it.

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

New update:- Reinstalled Windows XPPro-32 bit and Lunatics with Boinc 6.6.38, and Nvidia 191.07 with cuda 2.3 dll's.

Running GPU tests now to see if that solve problem.

If it does, I'll be cheesed off after paying for the Win7 version, especially after it all seemed to be working on Win7-64 bit RC.

I'll keep you all posted...

regards, Gizbar.

P.S. Thanx to Brodo for his info on installing onto a seperate partition. Hoping that will make life easier jumping around between different versions of windows... Can't remember the last time I did so many installs!

In fact, thanx to all who have chipped in with ideas and suggestions. It really is appreciated.

G.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

New new update! (Does that make any sense?)

Been running without any crashes so far (only 1/2 an hour though, so far), and all seems to be well.

Using GPU-Z to log temps, not above 75c, and SysInternals process explorer to see what's happening (although I can't find a log option for that).

What I have noticed though, is that the cuda wu's are randomly stopping, and starting another one. I actually missed it stop, then when looked again it had stopped one at approx 76% and had started another.

Then I actually saw it stop the current one at about 35%, and then go back to the previous one and finish it successfully.

I am now confused even more!

Any ideas on what is happening?

All on host number http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/show_host_detail.php?hostid=5000538

I have virtually nothing on this machine as I'm trying to prove that it seems to be either the 64bit version of lunatics that is causing the problem or the shift to Win7-64. Maybe I could try the 32bit version of Lunatics on the 64bit system?

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

What I have noticed though, is that the cuda wu's are randomly stopping, and starting another one. I actually missed it stop, then when looked again it had stopped one at approx 76% and had started another.

Then I actually saw it stop the current one at about 35%, and then go back to the previous one and finish it successfully.

This used to be a symptom of early 6.6.x versions of BOINC. The latest (6.6.38) or the 6.10.x series resolved issues around it. It was to do with BOINC switching the gpu tasks out at TSI (task switch interval) instead of running them to completion. Maybe try BOINC 6.10.17 and see how it goes.

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BOINC blog

Thanks for the info. I'm learning quite a bit more about Boinc and it's operation now. I may try the newer version when I try to install Win7-64HP again.

I think I've proved the card is running and stable on XPPro-32 bit. I've had it running for 2.5 hours or more now without a single freeze or crash, which I think I proved on Win7-64RC before all this started, but I honestly can't remember for definite now, as I've tried so many different things.

I'll leave it a bit longer and then try updating to Win7-64HP again.

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

New update! The story so far...

Ran successfully on XPPro-32 for approx 6.5 hours, so think I pretty much proved the card was stable.

Installed Win7-64HP on system. Told me an update had failed, and to re-run setup, choosing 'Get latest installation updates from internet'.

Did this and then installed outstanding updates. Then installed my preferred AV, which in my case is Avast.

Installed Nvidia drivers 191.07 for Win7-64.

Installed new partition just to install Boinc on. (Thanx Brodo!)
Then copied my installation of Boinc to the partition and installed 6.10.17. Installed Lunatics v0.2 32bit, and Cuda 2.3 dll's. Didn't work too well first off, so spent some time getting it to reread configs and data etc. Did work the first time with XPPro-32, but was still using 6.6.38 then.

Then ran reschedule to get some GPU work as no work is coming from the servers.

Currently have run 3-4 wu's without failing so far... fingers xxxxxd.

Installed Firefox and update to be able to post this. Don't like IE, only use it when I have to.

Haven't installed anything else yet, even my preferred firewall. Just relying on Windows one, the router, and my AV at the mo.

Testing In Progress..... (but looking promising so far!)

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Ok. Still not perfect.

Had a blue screen overnight (1st blue screen I've ever had in Win7!) but hadn't stopped it rebooting after an error, and can't tell what it's failed on yet. But it did go for over 4.5 hours this time which is unprecedented in this story so far.

Will carry on troubleshooting, but it might mean a voltage boost for something along the line. Have to work today, so won't be about 'til later.

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Well that's out of left field and well beyond the initial WU errors. An OS level Bluescreen (full screen hexdump)? And the !ONLY! driver you're using not from MSFT is the nvidia one, right?

From a message thread (via googling) about someone else who got a Stopx124 on Win7x64 w/AMD proc, they had luck going BACK to nvidia 18603

In parallel, you might also want to burn a copy of Ultimate Boot CD, and do a few hours of diag on RAM, Hard Disk, and CPU just for assurance.

Update:- 12 more hours on, no crashes. Run 4 wu + 1 cuda units all day, and everything still cooking on gas when I got home. Still playing a wait and see game, but many thanks to all suggestions, ideas, and solutions.

<edit> @52 Aces: Only just got in from work, but no more apparent problems. And yes, I think the only non-MS driver is the Nvidia one, but it is whql. Another good idea about the ultimate boot cd, it would be handy to have in my collection anyway. I think I'd proved the stability while running XPPro-32 with seti and Prime95, and I'm pretty sure I'd tested it all with Win7-64RC. It was only when I fired up the retai version that something went weird... thanks again. </edit>

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

After the one blue screen, it has not blue screened since and has settled down well. I am installing all my other programs (slowly, as work is interfering with computing, lol!) and everything seems to be running great now.

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

After the one blue screen, it has not blue screened since and has settled down well. I am installing all my other programs (slowly, as work is interfering with computing, lol!) and everything seems to be running great now.

regards, Gizbar.

Good to hear you have everthing back up and running Gizbar! I'm looking to buy a 3 license pack of Win7 Professional around Christmas to upgrade my laptop and to also use for future crunchers!

- Luke.

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- Luke.

Thanks Luke!

Did a lot of head scratching, but thanks to some clever thinking and amazing intellectual prowess [NOT FORGETTING THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF HELP I GOT BOTH FROM HERE AND LUNATICS! :-))], everything is now up and running.

24 hours on, no blue screens, no crashes, and am slowly re-installing all my programs.

regards Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

Thanks Luke!

Did a lot of head scratching, but thanks to some clever thinking and amazing intellectual prowess [NOT FORGETTING THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF HELP I GOT BOTH FROM HERE AND LUNATICS! :-))], everything is now up and running.

24 hours on, no blue screens, no crashes, and am slowly re-installing all my programs.

regards Gizbar.

And now you've got a mighty fine spec'ed up crunching rig! Also, where'd you get the GTX260 from and how much? And is it standard nVidia GTX260 or is it a GTX260 Core 216? I'm looking to buy a second-hand C2D computer (auction ends tonight) and replace the ATi card currently installed with a 200-series nVidia card.

- Luke.

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- Luke.

And now you've got a mighty fine spec'ed up crunching rig! Also, where'd you get the GTX260 from and how much? And is it standard nVidia GTX260 or is it a GTX260 Core 216? I'm looking to buy a second-hand C2D computer (auction ends tonight) and replace the ATi card currently installed with a 200-series nVidia card.

- Luke.

Apologies for not replying before, must have missed the posting...

I got the GTX260 from an online store, http://overclockers.co.uk/, and it was £150 inc VAT which is approx NZ$345 at the going rate. Think it might be a bit expensive for shipping to NZ though! :-)

It's a Gigabyte super overclock, and clocked pretty high for a GTX260. Core is 680Mhz, Shaders are 1500Mhz, and ram is a whopping 2500Mhz! They didn't have the EVGA I wanted in stock, although it said it was when I ordered it, and let me have this one for the same price, although it was supposed to £5 more. The standard clocks are 585Mhz core, 1242Mhz Shaders, and 1998Mhz ram, or thereabouts. Apparently they can do this by 'cherry picking' the GPU's! Don't seem to be able to get the 192core in the UK anymore, they're all 216cores.

I had a week off work, which tied in nicely with upgrading to Windows 7, and treated myself to a couple of new bits as well, seeing as I was at home to have them delivered. I've yet to see the benefit of the upgrade so far though. It took so long to get the problems sorted out, my RAC took a dive, and hasn't started recovering yet. The other machine has seen an increase in it's RAC after inheriting the 9800GTX+ (The old name for the current GTS250, by the way).
I've only got the 2 machines, mine and the one I keep here for my kids when they stay. Rest of the time it's crunching for me!


Hope you managed to get the C2D sorted, and that you're managing to get it up and running and configured the way you want. We'll see some bigger numbers from you real soon, I guess?

regards, Gizbar.

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A proud GPU User Server Donor!

And now you've got a mighty fine spec'ed up crunching rig! Also, where'd you get the GTX260 from and how much? And is it standard nVidia GTX260 or is it a GTX260 Core 216? I'm looking to buy a second-hand C2D computer (auction ends tonight) and replace the ATi card currently installed with a 200-series nVidia card.

- Luke.

Apologies for not replying before, must have missed the posting...

I got the GTX260 from an online store, http://overclockers.co.uk/, and it was £150 inc VAT which is approx NZ$345 at the going rate. Think it might be a bit expensive for shipping to NZ though! :-)

It's a Gigabyte super overclock, and clocked pretty high for a GTX260. Core is 680Mhz, Shaders are 1500Mhz, and ram is a whopping 2500Mhz! They didn't have the EVGA I wanted in stock, although it said it was when I ordered it, and let me have this one for the same price, although it was supposed to £5 more. The standard clocks are 585Mhz core, 1242Mhz Shaders, and 1998Mhz ram, or thereabouts. Apparently they can do this by 'cherry picking' the GPU's! Don't seem to be able to get the 192core in the UK anymore, they're all 216cores.

I had a week off work, which tied in nicely with upgrading to Windows 7, and treated myself to a couple of new bits as well, seeing as I was at home to have them delivered. I've yet to see the benefit of the upgrade so far though. It took so long to get the problems sorted out, my RAC took a dive, and hasn't started recovering yet. The other machine has seen an increase in it's RAC after inheriting the 9800GTX+ (The old name for the current GTS250, by the way).
I've only got the 2 machines, mine and the one I keep here for my kids when they stay. Rest of the time it's crunching for me!


Hope you managed to get the C2D sorted, and that you're managing to get it up and running and configured the way you want. We'll see some bigger numbers from you real soon, I guess?

regards, Gizbar.

No need to apologize friend, I've waited a lot longer for a reply! ;)

I'm looking at this XFX GTX260 from Playtech NZ. Total price is ~NZ$285.00 incl. shipping (123.81 Pounds, 205.30 US Dollars).

Comparison to your GTX260 shows mine is slightly lower spec.
GPU Core Clock is 576Mhz compared to your 680Mhz
Shader Clock is 1293Mhz compared to your 1500Mhz
And Memory Speed is 2000Mhz compared to your 2500Mhz.

Also looks like the auction got a bit higher than I would have liked, so I have decided upon a scaled back i7 (920) build (my original intent in Dec last year was a ~NZ$4000 system) however, I have lowered this to ~NZ$3200.

The only 3 things that concern me, about the Graphics Card, is (1) its power consumption. I plan on buying a 750W PSU, and the GPU says it consumes 630W! Will that leave enough for other components and lighting?
(2) Does it fit in the "toaster"... NZXT Lexa Blackline Standard ATX Case.
And (3), is it able to output to dual HD monitors?

Glad you have W7 up and running. If you haven't already, you should turn aero off, that might raise your RAC a bit!

Regards,
Luke.

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- Luke.