I'm having a little problem. For about two days BOINC is stuck - doesn't do any work. When I check "Tasks", the "Waiting for memory" is what I get.

Could anyone please help by telling what should I do about it. Here ->http://img38.imageshack.us/f/imageel.png/<- you can see an image with my current settings, and current memory and CPU load. In total I have 3.25gb ram (at least that's as much as XP can read).

I don't see how the memory usage settings should be a problem. SETI does not use much RAM / task. BOINC does not use much RAM either. The total RAM used by 4 SETI tasks and BOINC should be around 600MB.

Could you post the first few messages from a fresh restart? There are several messages detailing allowed RAM and Disk usage allowances.

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BOINC WIKI

Ok, however I don't understand it myself. I have enough free rams anyway... Anyway, the messages are:

1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Starting BOINC client version 6.10.58 for windows_intelx86
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Libraries: libcurl/7.19.7 OpenSSL/0.9.8l zlib/1.2.3
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Data directory: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BOINC
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Running under account MaD^DarknesS
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Processor: 4 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad  CPU   Q8200  @ 2.33GHz [Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 7]
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Processor: 2.00 MB cache
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss htt tm pni ssse3 cx16 sse4_1 nx lm tm2 pbe
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		OS: Microsoft Windows XP: Professional x86 Edition, Service Pack 3, (05.01.2600.00)
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Memory: 3.25 GB physical, 5.09 GB virtual
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Disk: 97.66 GB total, 69.11 GB free
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Local time is UTC +2 hours
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		NVIDIA GPU 0: GeForce 9800 GT (driver version 25896, CUDA version 3010, compute capability 1.1, 512MB, 336 GFLOPS peak)
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM	SETI@home	URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 5582613; resource share 100
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM	SETI@home	General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 14-Dec-2010 16:53:09)
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM	SETI@home	Host location: none
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM	SETI@home	General prefs: using your defaults
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Reading preferences override file
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Preferences:
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   max memory usage when active: 1330.57MB
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   max memory usage when idle: 2661.13MB
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   max disk usage: 10.00GB
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   max CPUs used: 1
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   don't use GPU while active
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   suspend work if non-BOINC CPU load exceeds 50 %
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   max download rate: 10240 bytes/sec
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   max upload rate: 10240 bytes/sec
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		   (to change preferences, visit the web site of an attached project, or select Preferences in the Manager)
1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM		Not using a proxy

Ok, I think I found the problem, but I have no idea what it means and how to fix it...

Here are 2 images what I want you to take a look:
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3951/imagelvp.png - task properties
http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6721/imagehy.png - BOINC disk info

Anyway, any idea how to increase that "Virtual memory size" from 1.38gb to 1.42gb? What is that "Virtual memory size" anyway?

In your first screenshot - increase the

Memory usage
Use at most 40.00 % when computer is in use
to e.g. 70 %

(it is strange that Astropulse task wants 1.42 GB)

P.S.
Why do you have setting to use only one core of the 4 available?
"max CPUs used: 1"

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Thanks.

I changed "when in use" to 75 and "when idle" to 90 - after 5 seconds it started to work again.

Just when changed properties changed from 1.42 to 47mb... Really weird.

Well, that's what I thought that setting is for at first also. By default that setting is 100%, and 100% of the time - that took all power of my computer, rendering it unavailable for me to use while some tasks are running. So I started tweaking - first I tweaked how much time in % BOINC will work - that one does what is expected.

But that's for later. First I thought that "% of processors to use" is actually more advance than simple number what always is getting twice higher...

Anyway, long story short - I actually do use all of 4 CPUs, but they are limited by to work by 25%. However that still is quite bad and massive load - I would be more comfortable if I could set them all to work on constant 10-15% for example. So I simply use 25% power of all cores, and they all work only 25% of time (1 second out of 4 seconds). That makes my computer work most comfortable with BOINC enabled.

P.S. From where you found out that I use only 25% of my 4 cores?

P.S. From where you found out that I use only 25% of my 4 cores?

Your own log says:

1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM max CPUs used: 1

Seeing that you use local preferences (1/26/2011 6:07:32 AM Reading preferences override file), check in there: Advanced->Preferences->processor usage->On multiprocessor systems, use at most 25% of the processors == 100%.

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No, that one actually effects the CPU load of every processor (it isn't how much CPUs you want to use). So setting it up to 100% - burns my computer up to 73 degree Celsius (73°C = 163°F and that's really bad). So, actually all 4 cores are in use, but they work only 25% in total of 400. In other words - each core is working on about 25% of it's power, 25% of the time. This results in average temperature of the computer being within bearable limits. :)

The actual number of CPUs to use is in:

Your account
->
Preferences: when and how BOINC uses your computer (Computing preferences)
->
On multiprocessors, use at most: 4 processors

Or at least I think so... Have no need to change it, cause it uses all of them anyway. However the value of load of each one cannot be lower than 25 for some weird reasons... That's why I also made BOINC to work only 25% of the time (1 second out of 4), so in result it wont be such a massive CPU load all the time. Yes, in my tests I found out that, if any of 4 cores is constantly above 15% - that results in not recommended temperature (overheating).

I don't see/feel any computer slowdown when the CPU is used 100% by low priority process
(even on my 500 MHz CPU)

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

"On multiprocessors, use at most: 4 processors" is old setting (not used in current BOINC)

"On multiprocessor systems, use at most XX% of the processors"
is the setting today

And you in fact use 1 core to 100% ("max CPUs used: 1")


"Use at most YY% of CPU time"
(Can be used to reduce CPU heat)

is the setting to use if you want e.g. 1 sec ON, 3 sec OFF (if set to 25%)
of all the cores (and 4 tasks running at the same time).

As you already use the local preferences change the settings
in BOINC Manager - not on the web site!


Try to clean the dust inside the computer.
Is this a laptop?

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- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 

Well, yes, it is low priority, but still it does have some effect at times. It is a bit unpleasant, but I'm still mostly worried about overheating. I just don't want to take the risk - on my old computer I had to repair many parts many times due to overheating events what I didn't even notice, so now I'm really careful about temperature. For example if I had to replace some parts of my new PC more than once - it's cheaper to buy a newest PC of the year. My new PC has a mini plasmic screen in it, just to show me temperature CPU / CASE / VGA (well, and has some more small features in it - like clock and what I assume is drive scan). Anyway, in other words, I'm really protective for it - cost a lot of money. Also original windows XP pro sp3 cd what costs here about 200$, what can be registered and installed only on one computer during the lifetime... In other words, overheating simply isn't an option for me.

// EDIT:

Well, even if that setting isn't valid anymore, still with "Use at most 25% of processors" actually uses all 4 of them, but they load up each only to about 25% at the time of 1/4 second.

And yes, I'm cleaning off dust once a week. :)

// EDIT2:

Here's an image - it really uses all cores, only difference is how much power it takes from them. Notice the spikes on each of 4 columns - when they are up, that's the time when BOINC had that 1 of 4 (25%) moments to work.
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/9550/imagerv.png