I'm not sure who the people who code the screen saver part of this project are, but they fail. I've browsed these forums now looking for an answer as to why I can't get the fancy looking graphics that are advertised on the download page to work (for reference: http://boinc.berkeley.edu/images/classic.jpg). Instead I just get the stupid BOINC logo and a thing telling me how much progress I've made. Unless someone can offer me a suggestion other than "update ur drivers LOL" or "its gunna be in an update in da future!" I'm just going to uninstall this horribly coded piece of crap right now.

I was willing to deal with this shoddy piece of dung under the assumption that I'd get a cool screen saver. If I can't even get that then I'm done here.

Alright, I just found this page: http://www.boinc-wiki.info/index.php?title=Enabling_The_Graphics_Capability_of_the_BOINC_Client_Software_for_a_Service_Type_Installation

If that MOUNTAIN of crap is what I need to do in order to get this program to function AS ADVERTISED, then forget it. I'm uninstalling now... and done.

Wait... what the hell? Alright, this is the nail in the coffin. When I say uninstall, I MEAN UNINSTALL! Why is there still a BOINC folder with files in it? I don't want to keep my user preferences because I UNINSTALLED THE PROGRAM.

If this thing failed any harder it might open up a black hole and suck us all in. It's a shame that the seti@home is being continued on in such a vile and disgusting way. Those guys understood how to code a program. Small and simple. Not small and insanely complex if you want the program to actually function correctly. YEESH!

It's great that you have the freedom to express your opinions, but it may help to have a positive attitude to begin with. It makes it easier for us to help pleasant people than irate, irritated people. (No, I don't get paid at all, so I'm not here to put up with it anymore than you're here to put up with stupid answers.)


Now that I got that out of the way, there can be a few reasons for the screen saver not showing up. Two of the more common reasons are installing BOINC as a system service or having your screen saver password protected. There are also some cases where the graphics chipset just might not be compatible with the OpenGL screen saver so all you get is the basic BOINC one.

More info is required so that we can help you take this step by step. And please remember to be polite. This is a user to user help forum, meaning we're here because we choose to help others and we don't get paid for it. Ranting and complaining in a non-constructive way really doesn't help anybody.

---

I have a minor complaint about the screen saver. I noticed that I am starting to get screen burnin from the SETI@HOME emblem in the lower left corner of the screen. The remaining image changes as it is supposed to as a screen saver but the SETI@HOME remains unchanged in the same place and is starting to cause burnin.

I have a minor complaint about the screen saver. I noticed that I am starting to get screen burnin from the SETI@HOME emblem in the lower left corner of the screen. The remaining image changes as it is supposed to as a screen saver but the SETI@HOME remains unchanged in the same place and is starting to cause burnin.

This is a known problem and has been a problem for a while. The best suggestion is to turn off the screen saver by putting your monitor in a low power state after about 15 minutes of display.

---

I have a minor complaint about the screen saver. I noticed that I am starting to get screen burnin from the SETI@HOME emblem in the lower left corner of the screen. The remaining image changes as it is supposed to as a screen saver but the SETI@HOME remains unchanged in the same place and is starting to cause burnin.

This is a known problem and has been a problem for a while. The best suggestion is to turn off the screen saver by putting your monitor in a low power state after about 15 minutes of display.

I don't that is a good answer. I already have it set to turn off after 20 mins and it still damaging my display. It seems to me to be an easy solution, just move the logo around with rest of the display or just get rid of the logo.
I'm afraid I'm going to turn this off until you fix it and I suspect others will be doing the same. Using my system to process data when I'm not using it is fine. Damaging my monitor is not.

I don't that is a good answer. I already have it set to turn off after 20 mins and it still damaging my display.

That's very odd. I have six LCD monitors each running with the SETI@Home screen saver and to shut off after 1 hour and none of them have burn-in.

It seems to me to be an easy solution, just move the logo around with rest of the display or just get rid of the logo.

I agree and have made the same suggestion myself, as others have.

I'm afraid I'm going to turn this off until you fix it and I suspect others will be doing the same. Using my system to process data when I'm not using it is fine. Damaging my monitor is not.

Even though I personally agree with you, we actually have a different camp of users claiming that they hate the "wobbling" effect of the screen saver and complaining that they want the old, non-moving SETI@Classic screen saver which caused more burn-ins than this new one does. They also make the claim if SETI@Home doesn't do something about their complaint, that they "suspect" people will leave too.

Two different camps of users each with opposite complaints. Who do you please? Either way, you have people threatening a mass exodus of the project if their respective complaint doesn't get answered. In reality, both camps don't realize how much in the minority they are, though that's certainly not what anyone who has a complaint wants to hear. The project certainly doesn't want anybody leaving, but they're stuck between a rock and a hard place.

My solution is to offer a moving screen saver and a non-moving screen saver for those who want to choose. Then there should be a disclaimer for the non-moving one that states SETI@Home is not responsible for screen burn - though that won't stop people from complaining anyway.

I'm sorry my answer wasn't acceptable for you, but it's the only one I have right now. If you PM me, I can give you the lead scientist's email address and you can make a formal complaint to him.

[Edit] LOL Here's another person that wants the wobbling to stop. He's not threatening to leave, but it's just another example of how it's hard to please everybody.

---

Just FYI, only CRT monitors (the bulky one) can have a burn-in. LCDs cannot (although they can, but it's not really a burn in and will disappear if the LCD is turned off and back on after a few moments).

Just FYI, only CRT monitors (the bulky one) can have a burn-in. LCDs cannot (although they can, but it's not really a burn in and will disappear if the LCD is turned off and back on after a few moments).

This is incorrect information. LCDs can indeed have burnin - the image does not disappear after being turned off. I have personally seen two LCDs suffer from burnin from screen savers (no the SETI one) and I've seen two LCD TVs suffer from burnin from having an image on pause too long.

For more information, you can check here, and here. Please note that all mentioned "elimination" techniques did not work for the aforementioned LCDs - they were completely ruined and the store/manufacturer refused to replace them.

---

So how do i get my screen saver password NOT protected? i need really precise instructions please i am new to this! thanx

So how do i get my screen saver password NOT protected? i need really precise instructions please i am new to this! thanx

Right click anywhere on the desktop, go to Properties then click on the Screen Savers tab. Make sure the box that reads "On resume, password protect" is not checked. If it is, uncheck it and click OK. If it is not checked, then this is not the reason you cannot get the screen saver working.

---