Posts by old_user10858

1) Questions and Answers : Windows : i am at the end of my days (Message 34439) Posted 31 Jul 2008 by old_user10858 Post: Bless you Bob - Rest knowing you made a difference. People like you make this world turn round, and make the ride worthwhile.
2) Message boards : Number crunching : Tips for optimizing Windows XP machine? (Message 11258) Posted 22 Mar 2005 by old_user10858 Post: > Does Antivirus on/off make a big difference? > > What about networking, misc. resources etc. that take up valuable processor > cycles? I wonder how I could make WinXP leaner to give every spare processor > cycle to Boinc. > > Also, does it matter when you close the program? I don't want to lose any > progress (or not too much) > > Matthew > > An excellent guide to tweeking XP is below - but SERIOUS health warning, some of this is hairy stuff, make sure you have a full system backup, and DONT attempt those bits you are unsure of - otherwise its a good guide and worth delving into. If nothing else, it will keep you entertained for hours :) The link will download a .pdf file, takes 2/3 mins depending on your link etc. http://techrepublic.com.com/5139-6240-5573510.html You also might want to check out www.techrepublic.com - its an excellent resource, a huge information download Section, and well worth bookmarking/return visits. A well known and respected Site. Regards David
3) Questions and Answers : Preferences : credits (Message 3677) Posted 10 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: Credits are measured in "Cobblestones" which is a means of using a common unit of measurement across all BOINC Projects. Pre BOINC Projects would count only Work Units completed. Such a simplistic calculation is no longer possible under BOINC, as you can run WUs for multiple Projects, with each Project WU being of a different size. Therefore to get a fair measurement of volunteer cpu effort expended for the infamous stats on each Project, the "Cobblestone" was born The core definition of a Cobblestone: http://boinc.berkeley.edu/credit.php Crdits outlined in CPDN: http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/download_main.php#credit Example of one use of Credits in CPDN - league table of participant cpu effort expended. http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/top_users.php Zy
4) Questions and Answers : Wish list : Support FAQ (Message 3117) Posted 6 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: The forum you mention is certainly excellent, and may prove to be the trump card, lets hope so. If I can help him, I would be delighted to beaver away under his guidence. I personally am not a support pro - although I do work in and around that area of life. If he believes I can help with the routine stuff and enable him to find that strange thing called a bed, shout, I'm there. Zy
5) Questions and Answers : Wish list : Support FAQ (Message 3093) Posted 5 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: > Hi Zydor, > > what you have described sounds like a good idea [and it's has already been > started]. I would like to add some comments from my experience suggestin other > possible ways... > > Core team is usually quite busy and even working during weekends - Carl is a > good example of this. Some are very computer skilled, some are skiller in > climate prediction stuff - still their knowledge is limited by number of > computers and possible configuration. My point is - you can never experience > whole variety of possible problems and their solution. > > I think that moderators and experienced users can help there also - see links > for an example of already made efforts: > http://www.climateprediction.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=2299 > http://www.climateprediction.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=2227 > > There are some infos already provided by CPDN team - Getting started. > http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/download_main.php > I would think that this is a good point to start reading - but a lot of people > don't read it! If they did, we haven't had any 'CPDN WUs too large' since it > clearly says that CPDN model takes weeks to complete... > > Unofficial BOINC FAQ is also usefull > http://homepage.mac.com/pauldbuck/site-boinc/faq/faq-over.html > > > There is always good suggestion "Read before ask" and majority of people do > follow. > And it almost certanly happens that new issues arise - like 'Visual Fortran > run-time error'. A collective investigation of participants and core team > should follow to help fix the bug. This is also a good way to make live easier > for participants - make BOINC and it's project more stable with less > aby-sitting needed. > > For sure, there are still many issues that needs some improvments - including > BOINC forum board is guess... > http://www.climateprediction.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=2194 > Ooops - didnt realise they had started :) Excellent. I understand your point on existing sources, but they need to be consolidated into one beastie thats very easily accessible. As SETI rapidly discovered, and never attempted to solve, mass projects like this attract tens / hundreds of thousands of people with a different mind set and experience level that a technician or non support individual finds hard to write process and answers for. All the links you gave are great - but they are disparate and hard to find if you are a new user - and the majority will be new users. Where do you get the BOINC FAQ link from for example - think of it from a new user viewpoint. They are not written by people with a Supoport background - for example on the BOINC FAQ: ================ I have a problem with some of the answers in this FAQ. You folks think you are funny? Why, did we make you laugh? ================= They are gone - out the door ..... :) In such a large community as this there are bound to be long standing Support Professionals who are used to the mind set needed in writing and organising FAQs and associated support, at the risk of alienating myself from those currently working like crazy on current FAQs - and they may even be support guys (ooopps...) - go find support guys / gals and give them the task - because FAQs like the above, when you can find it - and its not isolated - are a killer - bye bye user :) All this may already be happening, if so, apologies will get back in me box :) If it isnt I would strongly urge thoughts along these lines. IT support is an art, its not simplistic, and the full time support guy is worth his weight in gold - there are bound to be some who do this work full time in the community, problem will be finding them - if you have not already found one. SETI took a similar view about existing support - take a look at the mayhem on SETI user boards - it needs the hand of a support pro - there are bound to be some in the community who would love to help out and give Carl etc some time to see that funny thing they think is called a bed :) Kind Regards Zy
6) Questions and Answers : Wish list : Support FAQ (Message 3087) Posted 5 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: In general for these types of Projects, for every problem expressed, a dozen 'experts' appear, but only one or two actually know what they are saying. There is also the problem of the standard re-occuring question that will always appear with a transient new user population when the user base starts to hit the hundred thousands / millions aka SETI A support FAQ / knowledge base would be of significant value loaded with the standard answers to common questions, lists of error messgaes and possible associated resolution etc. More initial tasks for Core staff for sure - and the initial effort needed is not underestimated, doubtless priorities in life etc. However it was a problem SETI never addressed and still suffers badly from it. It can never be a "perfect" FAQ, too complex, but with a potential user base of millions anything that cuts down frustration and / or repetition of the same old standard questions - potentially answered by well meaning but unqualified people can only be a plus. Put the link next to "Search Site" at the top of the page in a prominent box. Regards Zy
7) Questions and Answers : Getting started : Login Problem to User Stats area (Message 3033) Posted 4 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: Ooops :) Thanks Thyme - I did not do the Classic, and had not appreciated that one was only for Classic side of things - bit of fingers and thumbs finding my way round CPN. No wonder it would not let me in ..... dont ya just hate puters when they are always right ..... Given me brain a squirt of WD40, hopefully that will do the trick :) Zy
8) Questions and Answers : Getting started : Login Problem to User Stats area (Message 2995) Posted 4 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: Joined CPN a few days ago, up and running fine, crunching away. Cant get into the User Stats area - asks for Username and password. Checked and rechecked the confiramtion email - I am using the same. Account is activated, made a couple of posts - so it does \"recognise\" me - but some reason cant log into Stats Area. Any clues anyone ?? Zy
9) Questions and Answers : Windows : Fortran Namelist Error Problem Fixed! (Message 2979) Posted 4 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: It happens - Many Thanks Carl :) Zy
10) Questions and Answers : Windows : Visual Fortran run-time error (Message 2830) Posted 3 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: Tried resetting the Climate Project, it downloaded everything fine, got going, and hit the infamous Fortran run time error message immediately on starting crunching. I looked at the file modified date of hadsm3um_4.03_windows_intel86, 24 Aug, I dont know when this error first started, but 24 Aug is not a world of hurt away from the first posts on this thread, given the usual "huh" stratching of the head before reporting it. If the obvious has not yet been done of checking the last changes made before the last compiling of the exe file, then its looking like it needs doing .... Definitely detaching Project for now - no more ideas in my small brain on this one. I'll be back when fixed, still willing to be a guinea pig. Zy
11) Questions and Answers : Windows : Visual Fortran run-time error (Message 2828) Posted 3 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: Nope - not the Norton firewall, and its not Norton Anti-Virus either. Turned off both for a minute or so, suspended BOINC, restarted BOINC, and nearly instantly got the usual Fortran error message. Cant get any SETI stuff at the moment, but thats not this error, its the usual cant get at the SETTI servers to download new units and upload completed units. This is not third party clashes - its looking more like a change to the climate client has introduced an error. I downloaded Climate access today, about an hour ago, for the first time. I am detaching the Climate Project for now until they find this one. Very willing to be a ginuea pig for a possible solution, but I am not having an unknown Fortran run time error running on the PC - however benign it may seem to be on the surface. Zy
12) Questions and Answers : Windows : Visual Fortran run-time error (Message 2820) Posted 3 Sep 2004 by old_user10858 Post: > Windows 98? > >Its not HP specific - having the same problems as other users, I have a Poweroid 3.06GHZ box XPPro SP2 - loads of memory and disk space. I get the Fortran error message every minute or so. I run Nortons, will have a look to see if that is the problem in my case. I am a SETI user, still am, tried this one for the first time today. SETI runs fine, so it looks like some sort of clash in the Client software, not BOINC itself. Regards Zy