I wondering, where does this error come from, Couldn't validate - missing file.
I my self see it in about 45% of my work units, from the past month, haven't taken the time to look further back.
edit: just did, make that 20% in the last 2, 5 Months
<a>http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/workunit.php?wuid=1290329[/url] is the oldest I could find, the newest I just turned in today <a>http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/workunit.php?wuid=3259053[/url]

What is the problem behind this error is there something wrong with my internet connection.
Should I go out and scold my ISP.
Or is there something wrong with the validator.

In general, what can I do, or what should be done about this.
Because, the project is being slowed by this and bandwidth and system time are wasted.

[b]edit: spell checker.

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<img src="http://boinc.mundayweb.com/seti2/stats.php?userID=1783">

I see this error on the majority of work units on one out of 30 systems. I just reset the project on the problem box. Let's see if that helps...

mine's coughed up a few of these as well. I don't think it's ISP or connection.

> mine's coughed up a few of these as well. I don't think it's ISP or
> connection.
>

update to boinc 4.13 (it's on the sw page - http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/download.php)

As this problem is caused by boinc 4.09

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I got another one today also, 1st time since switching to 4.13 back when it was released.

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> I got another one today also, 1st time since switching to 4.13 back when it
> was released.
>

4.13 might not fix it 100%, but is much better than 4.09 as far as this problem.. Also, if someone else (running 4.09) generates the error, you'll get zero credits, even if you're 4.13!

What no one has been able to explain, is why is seti the only project having this problem!

After seeing about 40% of my successful, valid work getting 0 credits, I'm taking a break from seti and crunching other projects until seti becomes a bit more stable.. (I've only been wait 5 months!) (I joined the "live" seti/boinc in June, and seen many things, so this isn't a newbie taking a vacation.. I hope they shutdown classic soon, so another 100000 users move to seti/boinc next week - there are 50k now - and finally drive this debacle to it's knees!)

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> I got another one today also, 1st time since switching to 4.13 back when it
> was released.
>

I realize this is a long term problem... But I also received my first missing file error today as well. I wonder if it is connected to the server crash? I guess if it is a new problem keep an eye on it.... as for people who have had the problem consistantly, I wish I could offer a guess.

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I've had several "Couldn't validate - Missing File" results recently; all of them were returned to SETI early (UTC) October 28th.

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Happened to me also with two returned early on the 28th!

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> Happened to me also with two returned early on the 28th!
>

You'll see this if someone on 4.09 got the error a few days back...

Trust me.. I have a bunch of WU's that did just that...

The "check skipped" on the on another WU get's file_deletor bot to toss your work into the bitbucket, so when new results arrive, they can't validate you, 'cause your files are gone! Therefore, you get this error on your result....

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Nasty!
I just checked and it was the same guy (185996) that reurned a few days before I did!

So these peeps could go around screwing everone up, until they update!

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> Nasty!
> I just checked and it was the same guy (185996) that reurned a few days before
> I did!
>
> So these peeps could go around screwing everone up, until they update!
>

Yup! That's why I'm "on vacation" from seti. The boxes I normally use for seti are linux, so the "4.05" slowdown isn't an issue, but why have work tossed because another "peep" didn't upgrade! I got bit by this enough times!

---

> > Happened to me also with two returned early on the 28th!
> >
>
> You'll see this if someone on 4.09 got the error a few days back...
>
> Trust me.. I have a bunch of WU's that did just that...
>
> The "check skipped" on the on another WU get's file_deletor bot to toss your
> work into the bitbucket, so when new results arrive, they can't validate you,
> 'cause your files are gone! Therefore, you get this error on your result....
>

So the Fastesd Work around is to Ban 4.09 From the Server, wouldn't it.

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<img src="http://boinc.mundayweb.com/seti2/stats.php?userID=1783">

> > I got another one today also, 1st time since switching to 4.13 back when
> it
> > was released.
> >
>
> I realize this is a long term problem... But I also received my first missing
> file error today as well. I wonder if it is connected to the server crash? I
> guess if it is a new problem keep an eye on it.... as for people who have had
> the problem consistantly, I wish I could offer a guess.
>

i experienced this problem for the first time now: wu 3171155 and i am running 4.13.

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> i experienced this problem for the first time now: wu 3171155
> and i am running 4.13.

I have one recent WU with that problem, too:
WU 3399828.
The interesting thing is, in both cases only 4.13 clients are involved, no 4.09 in sight. I think something was not quite right at October 28, maybe something involving the disk crash the day before? Looks like they lost a few files...

> 4.13 might not fix it 100%, but is much better than 4.09 as far as this
> problem.. Also, if someone else (running 4.09) generates the error, you'll
> get zero credits, even if you're 4.13!

...and I have even found a case in which a 4.09 client had that "missing file" error, and other results (4.13 client) did get credits:
Workunit 2866671.
I think that having one 4.09 client with that error is not the problem, the problem occurs when there is more than one and the workunit gets sent too often. And when the 8th results comes in, the validator just skips all possibly valid results!

3 successes, 1 missing file, zero credits for all of us (here ).

---

> > I got another one today also, 1st time since switching to 4.13 back when
> it
> > was released.
> >
>
> 4.13 might not fix it 100%, but is much better than 4.09 as far as this
> problem.. Also, if someone else (running 4.09) generates the error, you'll
> get zero credits, even if you're 4.13!
>
> What no one has been able to explain, is why is seti the only project having
> this problem!
>
> After seeing about 40% of my successful, valid work getting 0 credits, I'm
> taking a break from seti and crunching other projects until seti becomes a
> bit more stable.. (I've only been wait 5 months!) (I joined the "live"
> seti/boinc in June, and seen many things, so this isn't a newbie taking a
> vacation.. I hope they shutdown classic soon, so another 100000 users move to
> seti/boinc next week - there are 50k now - and finally drive this debacle to
> it's knees!)
>
>



From a post by Paul;

From the "Rules and Policy"

===============
Liability

SETI@home and University of California assume no liability for damage to your
computer, loss of data, or any other event or condition that may occur as a
result of participating in SETI@home.

Other BOINC projects

Other projects use the same platform, BOINC, as SETI@home. You may want to
consider participating in one or more of these projects. By doing so, your
computer will do useful work even when SETI@home has no work available for
it.

These other projects are not associated with SETI@home, and we cannot vouch
for their security practices or the nature of their research. Join them at
your own risk.
==============

From the Credit Page:

Claimed credit is reported to a project when your computer communicates with
its server. The granted credit that you receive may be different from the
claimed credit, and there may be a delay of a few hours or days before it is
granted. This is because some BOINC projects grant credit only after results
have been validated.

================

From "Getting Started":

Please keep in mind:

There may be a delay of several days between when your computer reports a
result and when it is granted credit for the result. Your User page shows
you how much credit is 'pending' (claimed but not granted).
The credit-granting process starts when your computer reports a result to the
server (not when it finishes computing the result or uploading the output
files).
In rare cases (e.g. if errors occur on one or more computers) you may never
receive credit for a computation.

=================


There is no implied commitment by the developers of BOINC, any of the
projects, or anyone else that this is a "risk free" environment. Nor that it
is even worth your time. We are volunteers, they are trying to stay
responsive to us, and to create a new environment for the pursuit of science.

As much as I am unhappy with some of the day to day problems, we have come a
long way from when I first participated in the BOINC Beta program (I came in
after they had switched from the astropulse application to the SETI, for what
that is worth, though BOINC insisted that the WU were AP's).

Anyway, smile, it could be worse ...

---

Semper Eadem
So long Paul, it has been a hell of a ride.

Park your ego's, fire up the computers, Science YES, Credits No.

I've almost stopped looking at results. I get so upset every time I either see 'couldn't validate - missing file' or the 'Invalid' unit and 0 credits.

Here is an example from October 28th. We all use version 4.13. I was the one that was struck by this odd 'missing file' thing.

Why is the file missing? I've uploaded the unit all right. I upload a lot every day for home pages and such. There is never checksum errors or missing files - neither on other projects.

wuid=3385999

If it's errors from my side I suppose I should complain to my broadband supplier - but I want solid complains to make other than telling of some error messages from a distributed computing project.

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Kind regards
Kirsten

> Why is the file missing? I've uploaded the unit all right. I upload a lot
> every day for home pages and such. There is never checksum errors or missing
> files - neither on other projects.

> If it's errors from my side I suppose I should complain to my broadband
> supplier - but I want solid complains to make other than telling of some error
> messages from a distributed computing project.

Thats what the most confusing about it all, and I was going to report that I didn't had anny anny more But :(, I found one, http://setiweb.ssl.berkeley.edu/workunit.php?wuid=2558037

It is promesing tough, just one wu lost since the 28th.

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<img src="http://boinc.mundayweb.com/seti2/stats.php?userID=1783">