HI guys,

In the past I've got a computer with a BOINC client version 4.43. I've had some problems with BOINC, so I was told to reinstall it.
I did not, because at the same time I decided to make a major upgrade on my computer. I left it running as it was, till I got the new HW.

Now my new config is up and running and I reinstalled all the softwares. Now I've got a practically new computer with a new BOINC version of 5.6.2.

Before this change I saved my running SETI and CLIMATE projects and now I want to continue them.

I've got a backup copy of the BOINC folder, so theoretically only I have to do to copy all the folder content to the new location....

BUT
- I never made such thing before
- My old client was "broken", so I do not want to copy those *.xml config files that could hurt my new installation
- Now I've got a different version looks like using little bit different files, etc.
- I've got a new hardware, so I don't want to hurt my client with the old config files related to my ex-hardware config.

SO, WHICH files I have to copy, and which not if I want to continue my projects?

regards,
Pic

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In your place I'd do the following:

- deinstall the newly installed version again
- copy all files/subdirectories from the backup into BOINC directory
- install the new version OVER the old one

Installing over the old version will replace the needed files and I'm quite confident that it'll work fine.

:-)= Greybeard

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All about BOINC: BOINC-Wiki (by Paul D. Buck)

In your place I'd do the following:

- deinstall the newly installed version again
- copy all files/subdirectories from the backup into BOINC directory
- install the new version OVER the old one

Installing over the old version will replace the needed files and I'm quite confident that it'll work fine.

:-)= Greybeard

Thank you. I will try.
Though....truly I am a little bit afraid of doing this because I made some mistakes in the past (changed prefs too many times, and I did micromanagement too wth turning on and off the projects).... so because of these previous settings caused that my Boinc went crazy.

So, i was told by some experts that it is better if i remove it and reinstall the new version.

regards,
ZSolt

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Though....truly I am a little bit afraid of doing this because I made some mistakes in the past (changed prefs too many times, and I did micromanagement too wth turning on and off the projects).... so because of these previous settings caused that my Boinc went crazy.

So, i was told by some experts that it is better if i remove it and reinstall the new version.

Well - er - yes, they were right. But then you will have to begin with new WUs and forget the old ones... Copying back WUs from the discarded version to the new one won't work, IMHO.
As this seemed your main concern, I suggested the above.

:-)= Greybeard

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All about BOINC: BOINC-Wiki (by Paul D. Buck)

Well - er - yes, they were right. But then you will have to begin with new WUs and forget the old ones... Copying back WUs from the discarded version to the new one won't work, IMHO.
As this seemed your main concern, I suggested the above.

:-)= Greybeard

Yeah..... Lets think over it!

Your original proposal worth a try. The other wise guys also said that, maybe time solves my problem and my BOINC clear up its mind and start work properly. :))

If not.... My problem will remain and I will not getting new WU's. So I will lost my nice position in my SETI team, but I will have a chance to finish my Climate WU that is already 70% ready.

When it is finished, I will not start the second one that is already in my queue. This will be lost and somebody else will comlete it.
Than I will erase the BOINC folder and reinstall it and start my work with new WU's.

Of course I will try to avoid stupid moves like micromanaging the BOINC client. :))

Is my idea is correct?
Hmmm, the only question is ... When I am finishing a Climate project, it is not needed to be stored on my computer anymore, right?

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...maybe time solves my problem and my BOINC clear up its mind and start work properly. :))

If not.... My problem will remain and I will not getting new WU's. So I will lost my nice position in my SETI team...

Oooops - that's a new bit of information: Your newly installed BOINC does not download WUs? - Yes I verify that viewing your computers...

Hmmm - that's an other prob, of course.

What does it say in 'messages' tab?

:-)= Greybeard

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All about BOINC: BOINC-Wiki (by Paul D. Buck)

...maybe time solves my problem and my BOINC clear up its mind and start work properly. :))

If not.... My problem will remain and I will not getting new WU's. So I will lost my nice position in my SETI team...

Oooops - that's a new bit of information: Your newly installed BOINC does not download WUs? - Yes I verify that viewing your computers...

Hmmm - that's an other prob, of course.

What does it say in 'messages' tab?

:-)= Greybeard

No, no, no, no
I've had this problem with the older one. I made too many config changes, modifications, etc, so after a while my boinc stopped downloading seti wu's.
That was the original problem.

So, If we reinstalling the new BOINC above the old version, maybe my problem will remain.

But now its high time to try our theory.

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Hmmm, the only question is ... When I am finishing a Climate project, it is not needed to be stored on my computer anymore, right?

Actually it is not a bad idea to back this data up. Since the whole thing does not get transmitted back to the servers, it is sometimes asked for by the developers (I have never had this happen to me, but from message I read it has happened in the past). CD-Rs are cheap. Just make a nice backup of the old data and file it away. I've actually heard that they could ask for it years later.

I am backing them up on CD-RW, just keep adding the new ones on a semi-whenever-I-remember basis. I keep a seperate disk for each machine. Although I have lost a couple of hard drives, so that data is gone forever. Hope no one asks for one of them in the future.

If you are not that dilegent, then go ahead, delete it. It can be rerun if needed. Just takes longer that way.

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My movie https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/502242

In your place I'd do the following:

- deinstall the newly installed version again
- copy all files/subdirectories from the backup into BOINC directory
- install the new version OVER the old one

Installing over the old version will replace the needed files and I'm quite confident that it'll work fine.

:-)= Greybeard

Now I am arrived home. I tried your proposal.
I installed the new version over the old one. I went online.
After the benchmark Boinc crashed almost immediately.
It was very quick.
I saw many red lines under the messages tab. Tons of unrecoverable errors :))

Finally Boinc cleared all the projects and it was EMPTY, but still seems running because the processor load was 100%.

I shut it down. No answer. I deinstalled it.

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Good news guys! Thanks for some guys at climate it seems there is a method that worked.


To the new ones:
My problem was the following:

- At first: a "broken" client. You know I made stupid things, so after a while it is did not requested new WU's for seti anymore.
- Second: A hardware change
- Third: Boinc version change

The guys like "Greybeard" proposed a good method that usually works, but in my case it has a terrible effect and boinc crushed immediately after activation :((

Because I've only left two climate WU's to complete and had no other unfinished at other projects i asked some help from climate guys also.

They proposed a completely new installation of boinc and to copy the working directories to the new installation and editing a major file before copy.

It is risky, but worth a try. I am succeeded. I tell you how.


What I did? (step by step guide)

-1. I went offline and removed boinc
0. I installed it again. I do not let boinc to run itself.
1. Copied the "projects" folder into the new installation from my backup
2. Removed subfolder "setiathome.berkeley.edu" (climate dir was untouched)
3. I opened the backup folder and backed up again client_state.xml (to be sure if I make a mistake under editing)
4. I opened the xml and removed all sections related to setiathome from it. (be cautious!)
5. Than I Copied these files from backup to the new boinc folder:
- account_climateprediction.net.xml
- client_state.xml
- global_prefs.xml
- master_climateprediction.xml
- sched_reply_climateprediction.net.xml
- sched_request_climateprediction.net.xml
- statistics_climateprediction.net.xml

... than I opened boinc and it is started normally, no error message.
---> It is recognised my climate projects and their status
---> It is recognised the hardware change
---> It is recognised the boinc version change
---> Boinc started a benchmark

When boinc finished the benchmark, I put it in "always running" mode.
It is started calculating normally without error messages.

I became more brave so I went on-line and pushed the "update" button.
Boinc worked fine.

Now everything seems OK.

To be sure:
(You know Its just because my old client was "broken". )

- I pushed the button "no new work"
- i will make a frequent backup
- I will not join to other projects to keep it safe
- I will wait till I will finish my climate WU's
- I will be very sad, cause under this period I will lose my good position in my SETI team :((
- Then I will uninstall boinc and reinstall it and start again my boinc life with a "clean paper"

Good Bye Folks!
Pic

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The project folders & XML files are what are important. Before upgrading BOINC, you should always backup the entire BOINC folder, copy and paste, and it automatically makes "copy_of_XXXX" (quick and dirty), or you can copy & paste to different HDD, folder, ect.

Usually BOINC upgrade can be installed right on top of existing version. However, if it goes wrong - you know quickly ;) - then you must do complete uninstall. Then install new version clean BUT DO NOT LET NEW VERSION RUN. Then copy Project folder and XML files onto new installation. Once you launch BOINC it should begin running as if nothing is different.

Picard, now that you've got BOINC running, you should check your BOINC computers. Click the projects tab, then select a project. Then click the "accounts" button, and then click the "computers" link there. If you have several computers there, you must select the lowest ID computer, and then at the bottom of that page, select merge computer. Select the lowest ID of all the computers it shows you. Keep doing that until you only have one computer ID for the BOINC project.

If you ran SETI Classic, you will have two ID's (the lowest can not be merged as it is the "Classic" computer). All other projects should only have one ID, if you have more than one computer ID, you should roll them up into the highest ID.