Why? We didn't enter the world wearing anything. :-)

I can't reset my rainbow screen saver after getting new hard drive. Have gone, as advised, to Settings, Personalization, Lock Screen, Screen Saver but then can't get any further. Please help.

The SETI@home screen saver functionality is working again in the new Windows 10 version 1709 "Fall Creators Update" on two of my home PCs.

Friday October 20 2017, 6:50 PM

Mine is still intermittent. I have the same Win 10 as you; its the Creators Update. How do I tell if I have version 1709? If not, where to get it?

Thank you...

Confusingly, Microsoft is calling the latest version released this past Tuesday as the "Fall Creators Update", not to be confused with the release from earlier this year simply called the "Creators Update". Creators Update was 1703. Fall Creators Update is 1709.

You can see the version of Windows by pressing Start and typing WINVER and pressing enter.

[Edited to add] Normally Windows 10 is rolled out in waves by Microsoft. You can either wait until your PC gets it automatically, or you can jumpstart the upgrade by downloading the update here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The SETI@home screen saver functionality is working again in the new Windows 10 version 1709 "Fall Creators Update" on two of my home PCs.

If anyone from far far away was that interested in looking for life in our part of the galaxy, they would likely deploy probes, which themselves would have the capability to transmit findings back home.

The "one hundred light years" is based on the fact that we've been using radio transmissions for somewhat over 100 years and radio waves travel at the speed of light.
Too many people fail to recognise the difference between "detecting" a signal and "decoding" a signal. One can detect signals that are far weaker than those that can be decoded. Thus one may be able to detect radio waves from earth at a distance of say 100 light years, but one can almost certainly not decode the same signal. I don't know what the noise floor of the radio telescopes that provide us with our data is, but both of the use cryogenic cooled receivers.

The "one hundred light years" is based on the fact that we've been using radio transmissions for somewhat over 100 years and radio waves travel at the speed of light.
Too many people fail to recognise the difference between "detecting" a signal and "decoding" a signal. One can detect signals that are far weaker than those that can be decoded. Thus one may be able to detect radio waves from earth at a distance of say 100 light years, but one can almost certainly not decode the same signal. I don't know what the noise floor of the radio telescopes that provide us with our data is, but both of the use cryogenic cooled receivers.

I’m having a hard time reconciling these sentences:

“The signals radio/TV that are emitted from earth have a range of about 100 light years before the dissipate into the noise background.” [from https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=80585&postid=1833000#1833000]

"Am I to understand that whereas Earth leaks radio/TV transmissions as far out as 100 light years, the process of detecting such (weak? scattered?) signals is so difficult that we couldn’t do it ourselves right now (that is, we have no instrument that could pick up/identify radio/TV leakage from 100 light years away. In fact not even 1 light year away.) ?"

In regard the two paragraphs above, I would like to comment as follows:

I have not checked the "100 light years" figure quoted above, but will assume it was given in good faith, and calculated using normal radar range equations. These work fine down to the thermal noise floor of -174 dBM/Hz.

As a microwave engineer and former consultant for NASA, who was involved with the DSN (Deep Space Network) Voyager probe design, I know that signals from our distant probes can be routinely tracked, when they are far out, BELOW the thermal noise floor, at least 20 dB, and perhaps more, below. That would mean that if the "100 light year" number is correct, and based on a -174 dBM noise floor, that the distance would be even further out, 20 or more dB further, however many light years THAT translates to.

The methodology behind this "gain" of 20-odd dB, or more, is as follows: Noise is RANDOM, repetitive signals are NOT. If you look at the precise frequency a probe is transmitting on, over time, and integrate, the below the noise signal CAN be seen.

Of course the "catch" is you must know the precise frequency to "look," and "integrate," at. In the case of a probe of ours, this is possible, but in the case of alien transmissions it is not. Another flaw in the ointment is what is called a "CRC," or "Cyclical Redundancy Code." Our probes send out a "number" telling the earth-bound receiver WHAT to expect to hear, i.e, how many bits will be sent. The receiver then listens, and if the CRC matches the data, the data is correct. If not, the data is ignored as it's "scrambled," and the receiver listens again, over and over, until the probe transmission is correctly received. Of course a "CRC" is NOT what an alien signal would send to us, AND, at the crux of the matter, the alien signal will likely be non-repetitive, and not in "plain English." :)

"Or, in other words, right now we are only able to detect signals that were sent more or less directly to us (in our direction)?"

I have to assume the above is TRUE. In addition, to use this as an example, imagine the alien SAYS "Hello," in English. Haha, fat chance, huh? If she/he/it says it once, we would likely ignore it. But if she/he/it transmits "Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello", repetitively, and the signal was above the thermal noise floor, we could hear it. If below the floor we would not .

This is an interesting topic.

Stay here on Earth. It's the only planet with DARK CHOCOLATE !!


Sorry if I misunderstood something. It has happened before.

It keeps telling the CPU is busy. The CPU is not doing anything. Seti shows up sometimes but never progresses beyond 29% I had it for years on my old computer and it ran beautifully. This one is a mess.

No one anywhere that I've seen, has acknowledged this failure of the screensaver or made any mention it will EVER be FIXED. No one seems to CARE.

Perhaps because people no longer use screensavers. They are really not required on today's modern flat-screens.

I think THAT is a matter of personal choice, isn't it? The BOINC screensaver is very attractive and visitors marvel at it. More than one now run SETI in order to use IT while they help SETI. The screensaver is an attention getter.

If I am working on my PC obviously no screensaver.

If I am not working on my PC screen off, simple as that.

This again is, or should be, a matter of personal choice, shouldn't it? My PC runs SETI 24/7 and I may or may not turn off the monitor, and that is my choice.

I am afraid on these forums you will tend to find the addicted SETI@Home user trying to squeeze the last ounce of performance from their machines.

Do they care about the screensaver, I am afraid not. I do not consider myself in their class but I haven't run the screensaver in so long I couldn't tell you when.

I think that is your choice, right?

Whilst it is very pretty, it doesn't in fact tell you much, as soon as the devotees realised that that were not about to see the WOW 2 signal on their PC screens they gave up watching.

So what? I suspect SOME devotees feel as you but it is equally likely others do not. :) Oh my, we're back to "choice" again. Bloody hell mucker! Ooops! :)

Two of my machines don't even have screens!!

I'm happy for you. You are noble by saving electricity for the benefit of all. :)

I suspect that before too long the screensaver functionality will be removed from Win 10 and you will have to buy an app to get it back,

The below is a cheap shot and doesn't deserve a response. No offense intended.

Then you will be able to complain it does not work!!