I installed version 5.2.8 and continually failed to connect. After reading this forum, I uninstalled, deleted the directory and reinstalled. I still got the "connection failure" message and boinc.exe still did not appear in the task manager. The only way I could get it to work is to open boinc.exe manually then run boincmgr.exe. I could then connect and attach to a new project. Trouble was, if I closed the boinc.exe MS-DOS prompt, the entire process failed.

Seeing as there has been discussions saying that some systems work better with the older Boinc, I then uninstalled version 5.2.8 and installed version 4.45. I experienced the exact same problems.

Can someone PLEASE walk me through the installation and setup process VERY VERY SLOWLY so that I can get it correct? I am starting to feel very much a beginner in this matter. I would like a step-by-step DETAILED explanation of what I should do. PLEASE, someone help!

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Link below

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BOINC Wiki

OK, folks. I started all over again. I uninstalled BOINC from my system and completely rebooted. I then deleted the BOINC directory from Program Files. I then rebooted again, just to make sure that everything was cleared.

I then insta;;ed BOINC version 5.2.8. Once again, it failed to connect. I then shut down the BOINC Manager. I then opened the BOINC directory in Program Files and double-clicked the boincmgr.exe program. The program then initialized, connected and ran properly.

One thing that I notice it that when I attempted to attach to a new project using the booted up BOINC Manager, it asked me for the URL and then a http proxy server, port, my name and password. After shutting down and running boincmgr.exe manually, all it asks for is the URL, connects and then asks for my name and password. It is almost as if I ran 2 completely different programs. Can anyone explain this.

Now, I can run BOING Manager if I amnually start it. But that seems to be a lot of extra work. Is there a way to correct THIS. And, please, do not send me to an instruction manual link. Thanks for any assistance that you can offer.

I installed version 5.2.8 and continually failed to connect. After reading this forum, I uninstalled, deleted the directory and reinstalled. I still got the "connection failure" message and boinc.exe still did not appear in the task manager. The only way I could get it to work is to open boinc.exe manually then run boincmgr.exe. I could then connect and attach to a new project. Trouble was, if I closed the boinc.exe MS-DOS prompt, the entire process failed.

Seeing as there has been discussions saying that some systems work better with the older Boinc, I then uninstalled version 5.2.8 and installed version 4.45. I experienced the exact same problems.

Can someone PLEASE walk me through the installation and setup process VERY VERY SLOWLY so that I can get it correct? I am starting to feel very much a beginner in this matter. I would like a step-by-step DETAILED explanation of what I should do. PLEASE, someone help!

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After shutting down and running boincmgr.exe manually, all it asks for is the URL, connects and then asks for my name and password. It is almost as if I ran 2 completely different programs. Can anyone explain this.

It was probably just that the server was busy the first time you tried, and less busy the second. Yes, it is confusing, even to old hands because it is something that has only started with the latest version of BOINC, which is why it is not in the instructions yet.

Now, I can run BOING Manager if I amnually start it. But that seems to be a lot of extra work. Is there a way to correct THIS.

It should start by itself when you boot your computer, so it is difficult to give you sound advice without being clear what went wrong before. When you installed BOINC, you will have seen a screen with three choices, asking you whether you wanted BOINC to run whenever you (single-user) were using the computer, when anyone was using it, or as a service. Let's say you chose the first. Then if you go to your Documents and Settings folder and look inside your personal folder you should find one called Start Menu and inside that one called Programs, inside that one called Startup. That should have an icon which is a shortcut to the BOINC program. If you chose the all user option it would be in the equivalent place in the All users folder of Documents and settings. If it isn't in either place, you can place it yourself by dragging the BOINC icon from the worktop (screen) and dropping it into one of the appropriatee folders. If you had opted for BOINC to run as a service there is a differnt method of getting BOINC to run, but it is unlikely that you did so. All this assumes Win XP - different OS may vary.

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Geez you guys this is about as helpful as a cow with a shotgun. I have exactly the same trouble as CAWimer describes. First lets be clear. I am the system adminstrator here. I have 15 years of administrator experience. I have been with SETI since 2000 without any trouble.
The server being busy is not the problem on my end anyway. When BOINC starts at boot it shows I am not attached to any project. But if I close it and restart it manually my project miraculously appears. That isn't a server problem that's a configuration issue. Boinc manager appears not to remember the project.
My screensaver doesn't work either. It goes to a blank screen but shows no work in progress like the old seti saver did. If I test it from the screensaver set up tab it works nicely.
Boinc Manager shows about 5 hours of CPU time. The system was on all day and all night after install it should show 18 hours of CPU time. It is setup to run whenever there is no user activity. I was on only a few minutes after installation so it should have been churning away while I was watching TV, eating turkey and all night.

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Check message # 1116, Merlin. That guy gives a link to a detailed set of installation instructions. I had the same problem as you on my Compaq evo laptop, however, my Dell 8300 installed Boinc perfectly (the second time I tried it). I'm now going to try installation on the Compaq again, this time following those instructions. Good luck!

Geez you guys this is about as helpful as a cow with a shotgun. I have exactly the same trouble as CAWimer describes. First lets be clear. I am the system adminstrator here. I have 15 years of administrator experience. I have been with SETI since 2000 without any trouble.
The server being busy is not the problem on my end anyway. When BOINC starts at boot it shows I am not attached to any project. But if I close it and restart it manually my project miraculously appears. That isn't a server problem that's a configuration issue. Boinc manager appears not to remember the project.
My screensaver doesn't work either. It goes to a blank screen but shows no work in progress like the old seti saver did. If I test it from the screensaver set up tab it works nicely.
Boinc Manager shows about 5 hours of CPU time. The system was on all day and all night after install it should show 18 hours of CPU time. It is setup to run whenever there is no user activity. I was on only a few minutes after installation so it should have been churning away while I was watching TV, eating turkey and all night.

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When BOINC starts at boot it shows I am not attached to any project. But if I close it and restart it manually my project miraculously appears. That isn't a server problem that's a configuration issue. Boinc manager appears not to remember the project.

BOINC Manager is only a GUI front end to the BOINC daemon. If the Manager runs before the daemon has started, you will see exactly what you are describing. This seems to happen on some random but small number of Windows installations, and is just an "order of startup" issue. I am not a Windows expert, but I know there are methods of delaying the Manager until the daemon has had a chance to start. I also know that the Manager does no work, so even if it's not running, or not connected to the daemon, as long as boinc.exe is running, you're still doing work.

If the Manager is not connected to the daemon, it also will not connect to any projects (and will put up a proxy box if you try to attach?) - but the proxy issue is usually related to slow servers.

As far as showing 5 hours work - my guess is that the first result was finished and returned to the project, and you're now 5 hours into the second (or third) result. You would have to check that on the project's web pages, under "Your Account", "Show Results".

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BOINC Manager is only a GUI front end to the BOINC daemon. If the Manager runs before the daemon has started, you will see exactly what you are describing. This seems to happen on some random but small number of Windows installations, and is just an "order of startup" issue.

I searched the registry amd the only mention of Boinc.exe is as a keyword under installed components. That location does not make it run at startup or anytime. Boinc exe. is also not listed anywhere in MSCONFIG, only boincmgr.exe.

I am not a Windows expert, but I know there are methods of delaying the Manager until the daemon has had a chance to start. I also know that the Manager does no work, so even if it's not running, or not connected to the daemon, as long as boinc.exe is running, you're still doing work.

We should not have to fiddle with internal settings to get the program to work. Boinc manager should not run unless boinc.exe is running. Boinc manager is I guess supposed to give us control over Boinc.exe It should therefore start the program itself and be configured to do that upon installation.

If the Manager is not connected to the daemon, it also will not connect to any projects (and will put up a proxy box if you try to attach?) - but the proxy issue is usually related to slow servers.

So the Boinc manager that is designed to allow you to connect to projects won't allow you to connect to projects unless the program it should call but doesn't is running?

Thanks for clearing everything up....I guess...

How does all of this malconfiguration get corrected?

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Check message # 1116, Merlin. That guy gives a link to a detailed set of installation instructions. I had the same problem as you on my Compaq evo laptop, however, my Dell 8300 installed Boinc perfectly (the second time I tried it). I'm now going to try installation on the Compaq again, this time following those instructions. Good luck!

I reviewed the instructions and found that I followed them exactly the first time. I suppose my only option is to rip it out by the roots and start again but that should not be the case. I will continue to see if there is an alternative to this.

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Try the latest BOINC version 5.2.10:

# Changes since 5.2.9

* Win: Fixes a BOINC Manager connection issue when the manager is waiting on a firewall for the all clear. This generally happens after a reboot.

# Changes since 5.2.8

* Win: Fixes the 'connection failed' message when another program is using the BOINC communication port.

And thank you for your patience so far.

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Try the latest BOINC version . . .

This appears to have fixed the startup issues. The screensaver still doesn't work as it should leaving only a blank screen when it activates on its own. Pehraps that belongs in a different thread.

Thanks for fixing the startup issue

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Try the latest BOINC version . . .

This appears to have fixed the startup issues. The screensaver still doesn't work as it should leaving only a blank screen when it activates on its own. Pehraps that belongs in a different thread.

Thanks for fixing the startup issue

Try putting a blank time into the BOINC screensaver properties. Sometimes this must be set even if you do not want the screen to ever blank.

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BOINC WIKI

BOINCing since 2002/12/8

What I found to make it work is:

Highlight the work in progress in BOINC manager and click on show graphics.

The password in the XP screensaver tab must be turned off or the graphics will not display. There is a thread here in this forum where I posted that work around.

Thanks for the help

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