I have one unfinished work-unit residing on an old boot drive which I would like to (if possible) move to my current working directory on a new machine. The work-unit is not due for another 14-days, so I'd like to finish it.

If this can be done without corrupting my current queue, or if I could allow my current queue to finish and temporarily disallow new work units without affecting any project statistics, what file(s) do I copy over to my new drive?

- Bruce

I have one unfinished work-unit residing on an old boot drive which I would like to (if possible) move to my current working directory on a new machine. The work-unit is not due for another 14-days, so I'd like to finish it.

If this can be done without corrupting my current queue, or if I could allow my current queue to finish and temporarily disallow new work units without affecting any project statistics, what file(s) do I copy over to my new drive?

- Bruce

I was in that position once. Assuming the two machines run the same operating systems [Windows-Windows, Linux-Linux, or Mac-Mac], and have the same or compatible processors [doesn't matter if you're running standard stock applications, but you might have problems if you've installed different optimised apps for different processors] this procedure should work for you as it worked for me.

• Copy the whole BOINC folder and subfolders from the old disk to somewhere convenient on the working machine - anywhere you like, but don't overwrite the working BOINC installation.
  
• Stop the working BOINC completely
  
• Disconnect from the Internet
  
• Find the old folder you copied over, and start that copy of BOINC Manager
  
• As soon as it starts, set 'No new work' and 'Network activity disabled'.
  
• Now you can re-connect to the Internet if you want to.
  
• Let the old version of BOINC finish any/all outstanding WUs, then re-enable networking, upload and report them
  
• Close down the old copy of BOINC, and re-start your normal copy from the Windows start menu, Mac desktop, Linux command prompt, Service manager or whatever you normally do.
  

Hope that helps - as I say, it worked for me.

I doubt it's worth the effort to preserve 1 WU.
By the time you've done it, it'll probably be a redundant result anyway, you'll get credit, but for no useful work - or you'll do all the transfer work and get an 'Aborted by Project' as a reward.
There won't even be a penalty (reduced daily quota) as that penalty will be against the retiring machine, not your new box.
Even if the WU doesn't reach quorum without your copy, the project will take care of it and issue it again in a few days.

---

I was in that position once. Assuming the two machines run the same operating systems [Windows-Windows, Linux-Linux, or Mac-Mac], and have the same or compatible processors [doesn't matter if you're running standard stock applications, but you might have problems if you've installed different optimised apps for different processors] this procedure should work for you as it worked for me.

• Copy the whole BOINC folder and subfolders from the old disk to somewhere convenient on the working machine - anywhere you like, but
  don't overwrite the working BOINC installation.
  
• Stop the working BOINC completely
  
• Disconnect from the Internet
  
• Find the old folder you copied over, and start that copy of BOINC Manager
  
• As soon as it starts, set 'No new work' and 'Network activity disabled'.
  
• Now you can re-connect to the Internet if you want to.
  
• Let the old version of BOINC finish any/all outstanding WUs, then re-enable networking, upload and report them
  
• Close down the old copy of BOINC, and re-start your normal copy from the Windows start menu, Mac desktop, Linux command prompt, Service manager or whatever you normally do.
  

Thanks for your quick reply, Richard.

I just slaved the boot drive from the older machine and Windows XP's Computer/Disk Management service is telling me the old drive is 99% free. I had experienced the notorious "blue screen" when last attempting to boot that older machine, but had not suspected an MBR problem. I've got a Utility CD that might tell me more, but it's not looking good now.

I was at least hoping that I could "formally" abort the WU, so it could be redistributed and not hold up others' credit.

Thanks again.

- Bruce

Copy the whole BOINC folder and subfolders […]

[…] Find the old folder you copied over, and start that copy of BOINC Manager

I don't think this method is applicable to a typical Mac installation: BOINC Manager lives in the Applications folder while all its files are in Library/Application Support. I believe you’d have to swap the BOINC Data folders in & out of that location, as AFAICT the client won’t look anywhere else for the data, no matter where the BOINC Manager package happens to be located when it’s launched. And if using BOINC v5.8.x or later, watch for permissions issues with the copied folders …

---