I'm running BOINC Seti on 4 computers & something hicupped on my Lenovo Thinpad with 2-core Intel cpu the other day. BOINC gave messages about missing files and gave timeout errors on all my WU's. I uninstalled/reinstalled 7.0.64 and Lunatics 0.41 several times but now keep getting the message NO WORK AVAILABLE for several days. My other 3 systems have been getting WU's with no problem.

9/17/2013 10:15:59 PM | SETI@home | Sending scheduler request: Requested by user.
9/17/2013 10:15:59 PM | SETI@home | Requesting new tasks for CPU
9/17/2013 10:16:01 PM | SETI@home | Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
9/17/2013 10:16:01 PM | SETI@home | No tasks sent
9/17/2013 10:16:01 PM | SETI@home | No tasks are available for SETI@home Enhanced
9/17/2013 10:16:01 PM | SETI@home | No tasks are available for SETI@home v7
9/17/2013 10:16:01 PM | SETI@home | No tasks are available for AstroPulse v6

I'm at a loss, Bob B.

---

Looks like when all your previous work erred out, your daily max tasks reset to 1. With one "valid" result, that's now 2.

The following info came from here:
SETI@home v7 (anonymous platform, CPU)

Number of tasks completed 647
Max tasks per day 2
Number of tasks today 0
Consecutive valid tasks 1
Average processing rate 11.38523663292
Average turnaround time 28.86 days

Until you get a few more tasks reported as vaild, that # per day won't start going up. It increases with each vaild task reported.

---

Thanx, that explains it. Looking back through yesterday when I reinstalled, I can't see ANY WU's downloaded/uploaded. I'll see if any show up tomorrow.

Bob B.

---

I've reinstalled BOINC and Lunatics v0.41 several times with no change. Seti still shows 2 V7 tasks allowed per day with 1 consecutive completed WU and 0 tasks today. 29 V6 tasks allowed with 0 today. The last error task was 9/18 so I thought I would start getting some downloads. I started running some Einstein@home tasks with no problem. This laptop was running Seti for several years with no problem until suddenly something happened.

Bob B.

---

You have two computers showing errors. Comp 5203915 has 15 the last 4 from 18n sept. Comp 7050508 show 49 errors. last 13 from 22sept.

I have no idea what could be wrong.

---

[/quote]

Old James

I believe this is the computer in question http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/show_host_detail.php?hostid=5203915

I believe you have to wait until a couple of those validate before it starts to pick up again. I'm not positive on that though so you should wait until someone a bit more knowledgeable comes along.

---

PROUD MEMBER OF Team Starfire World BOINC

Have you checked to make sure your antivirus
didn't update then start screwing with you SAH files?

After uninstall/reinstalling BOINC, you lost all custom settings, so make sure your settings for minimum work buffer are okay and the max additional work buffer is very small, like .01. Since network activity is infrequent, check that preference setting also.

---

Another Fred
Support SETI@home when you search the Web with GoodSearch or shop online with GoodShop.

You have two computers showing errors. Comp 5203915 has 15 the last 4 from 18n sept. Comp 7050508 show 49 errors. last 13 from 22sept.

I have no idea what could be wrong.

The one with 49 errors is showing V7 tasks exceeding max allowed time. They are all CUDA errors and I suspect may be due to the very slow/old GPU card.

Thanx, Bob B.

---

After uninstall/reinstalling BOINC, you lost all custom settings, so make sure your settings for minimum work buffer are okay and the max additional work buffer is very small, like .01. Since network activity is infrequent, check that preference setting also.

Why do you recommend additional work buffer being so small? I usually specify 10 days going back to the old days when sometimes no WU's would be available for a week or longer.

Bob B.

---

After uninstall/reinstalling BOINC, you lost all custom settings, so make sure your settings for minimum work buffer are okay and the max additional work buffer is very small, like .01. Since network activity is infrequent, check that preference setting also.

Why do you recommend additional work buffer being so small? I usually specify 10 days going back to the old days when sometimes no WU's would be available for a week or longer.

And that worked well prior to BOINC v7. With v7, the definitions are different and the first number (minimum work buffer) is the one you want to set high to hedge against work shortages. The second number (max additional) influences how often it asks for work. That's supposed to be after you reach the minimum work buffer, but it doesn't always work that way. A large number there with BOINC v7 could be why this computer isn't bugging the server for work - now more than 24 hours since last contact. Just trying to get you those 2 tasks / per day since every validation will increase that temporary limit. The value of .01 is pretty widely used by forum members for their more active crunchers - a higher value might be okay for a notepad but don't use more than a day.

---

Another Fred
Support SETI@home when you search the Web with GoodSearch or shop online with GoodShop.

After uninstall/reinstalling BOINC, you lost all custom settings, so make sure your settings for minimum work buffer are okay and the max additional work buffer is very small, like .01. Since network activity is infrequent, check that preference setting also.

Why do you recommend additional work buffer being so small? I usually specify 10 days going back to the old days when sometimes no WU's would be available for a week or longer.

And that worked well prior to BOINC v7. With v7, the definitions are different and the first number (minimum work buffer) is the one you want to set high to hedge against work shortages. The second number (max additional) influences how often it asks for work. That's supposed to be after you reach the minimum work buffer, but it doesn't always work that way. A large number there with BOINC v7 could be why this computer isn't bugging the server for work - now more than 24 hours since last contact. Just trying to get you those 2 tasks / per day since every validation will increase that temporary limit. The value of .01 is pretty widely used by forum members for their more active crunchers - a higher value might be okay for a notepad but don't use more than a day.

OK, thanks. I'll give that a try and see if anything changes.

Bob B.

---

I uninstalled/reinstalled 7.0.64 and Lunatics 0.41 several times

This doesn't do anything of worth, you know?
Uninstalling BOINC will just remove the BOINC worker applications from the C:\Program Files\BOINC\ directory. It won't reset anything project specific, or else you would never be able to update BOINC with work in cache... and you can.

So all Reinstalling does is add those BOINC worker applications again to the C:\Program Files\BOINC\ directory. It also does nothing to reset the project or the contents of the data directory.

Uninstalling and reinstalling Lunatics does change for a moment what science applications will be used, but if you aren't running BOINC at any moment between uninstalling Lunatics and reinstalling it, it doesn't change anything either. Aside from that, the work caching and scheduling capability is something that BOINC does, not the science application, not even when they're third party. So uninstalling and reinstalling Lunatics is a complete waste of time.

So then, what does matter?
1. Always check the messages that BOINC gives as to why you don't get work.
2. Always check your account->Computers on this account->Details of the computer that has the trouble->Application details to see if there are any problems there.
3. If you can't make heads or tails of it, post about it on the forums.

Now, optionally:
4. You could try to reset the project. Although in the case of a 'you have too many errors and a quota of 1', this doesn't matter. The quota is enforced on the server, not locally.
5. You can try (backing up and) removing your Data directory. But before you do so, always better ask on the forums if this matters. In this case, I don't think so. As BOINC will just make the hostID again and after contact with the server, you'll still be on a quota of 1.

And for those who really don't want to do any of the above:
6. Just give up in disgust and wait it out for a week, do not touch the system in that time, or look at it. BOINC will always recover on its own.

---

Interesting - that computer (5203915) has now made contact and you have 38 tasks without the daily limit increasing. You must be on someone's good side.

Number of tasks completed 647
Max tasks per day 2
Number of tasks today 38
Consecutive valid tasks 1
Average processing rate 11.38523663292
Average turnaround time 28.86 days

---

Another Fred
Support SETI@home when you search the Web with GoodSearch or shop online with GoodShop.

Interesting - that computer (5203915) has now made contact and you have 38 tasks without the daily limit increasing. You must be on someone's good side.

Number of tasks completed 647
Max tasks per day 2
Number of tasks today 38
Consecutive valid tasks 1
Average processing rate 11.38523663292
Average turnaround time 28.86 days

Yes, I noticed that although the Valid Tasks is still one but that may take awhile until they're validated. I reinstalled BOINC a half dozen times and finally the messages about missing files disappeared (I don't know why).

Bob B.

---

I uninstalled/reinstalled 7.0.64 and Lunatics 0.41 several times

This doesn't do anything of worth, you know?
Uninstalling BOINC will just remove the BOINC worker applications from the C:\Program Files\BOINC\ directory. It won't reset anything project specific, or else you would never be able to update BOINC with work in cache... and you can.

So all Reinstalling does is add those BOINC worker applications again to the C:\Program Files\BOINC\ directory. It also does nothing to reset the project or the contents of the data directory.

Uninstalling and reinstalling Lunatics does change for a moment what science applications will be used, but if you aren't running BOINC at any moment between uninstalling Lunatics and reinstalling it, it doesn't change anything either. Aside from that, the work caching and scheduling capability is something that BOINC does, not the science application, not even when they're third party. So uninstalling and reinstalling Lunatics is a complete waste of time.

So then, what does matter?
1. Always check the messages that BOINC gives as to why you don't get work.
2. Always check your account->Computers on this account->Details of the computer that has the trouble->Application details to see if there are any problems there.
3. If you can't make heads or tails of it, post about it on the forums.

Now, optionally:
4. You could try to reset the project. Although in the case of a 'you have too many errors and a quota of 1', this doesn't matter. The quota is enforced on the server, not locally.
5. You can try (backing up and) removing your Data directory. But before you do so, always better ask on the forums if this matters. In this case, I don't think so. As BOINC will just make the hostID again and after contact with the server, you'll still be on a quota of 1.

And for those who really don't want to do any of the above:
6. Just give up in disgust and wait it out for a week, do not touch the system in that time, or look at it. BOINC will always recover on its own.

I did reset the project a couple times with no change. After the 6th reinstall the messages about missing files finally disappeared and it downloaded 38 tasks. Perhaps things will return to normal.

Bob B.

---

I did reset the project a couple times with no change. After the 6th reinstall the messages about missing files finally disappeared and it downloaded 38 tasks. Perhaps things will return to normal.

Instead of uninstall/reinstall, did you try the repair option? Don't uninstall, just run the installer. When the installer sees that you are trying to install the same version over the top, it will offer a repair option. It is necessary when reverting to an earlier version, but might work on problems like this.

---

Another Fred
Support SETI@home when you search the Web with GoodSearch or shop online with GoodShop.

... but might work on problems like this.

On problems like what?

"Missing files" can be anything. Can be ERR_IO -106, ERR_CONNECT -107, ERR_FOPEN -108, ERR_GIVEUP_DOWNLOAD -114, ERR_MD5_FAILED -119, ERR_RSA_FAILED -120, ERR_NO_SIGNATURE -123, ERR_NOT_FOUND -161, ERR_FILE_MISSING -163, ERR_RESULT_START -185, ERR_RESULT_DOWNLOAD -186, ERR_WRONG_SIZE -200, ERR_USER_PERMISSION -201, ERR_FILE_NOT_FOUND -224, amongst others and then I left some out already. Although these are all BOINC error codes, outside error -201 none of them can be fixed by reinstalling or repair installing BOINC.

Bingo: task 3162794914 writes couldn't start app: CreateProcess() failed - The system cannot find the file specified.

That can be a problem with the firewall not allowing BOINC to make full contact with the internet; with an anti-virus or anti-malware program having a lock on the science application; a problem with the server not sending all (task) files; a problem with the connection 'an sich' (black hole server on the way); a problem with the hard drive (bad sectors);

Most usually CreateProcess() errors are caused by the firewall blocking BOINC or anti-virus/anti-malware programs actively scanning and locking the science applications, thus making it impossible for them to start doing calculations.

---

I did reset the project a couple times with no change. After the 6th reinstall the messages about missing files finally disappeared and it downloaded 38 tasks. Perhaps things will return to normal.

Instead of uninstall/reinstall, did you try the repair option? Don't uninstall, just run the installer. When the installer sees that you are trying to install the same version over the top, it will offer a repair option. It is necessary when reverting to an earlier version, but might work on problems like this.

Yes, I did the REPAIR option a few times with no change. I still get a notice about 2 missing V6 files when my GTX-670 machine starts up but it's not getting any errors.

Bob B.

---

I still get a notice about 2 missing V6 files when my GTX-670 machine starts up but it's not getting any errors.

Suggest you post the exact message from the event log. Could be an app_info.xml problem with the V6 installation.

---

Another Fred
Support SETI@home when you search the Web with GoodSearch or shop online with GoodShop.