newbie: Problems get BOIN set up and running

[lemceleb]

Hi, I have downloaded the least BOINC client and it installed just fine. However when I run it nothing much seems to happen. I pick a project and it appears in the projects list - then a countdown msg appears saying words to the effect boinc is talking to server. This timer counts down to zero and then - nothing. I tried clicking on the PC benchmark test and nothing happens there either.
I do see though that boinc seems to be using a modem connection (which no longer exists in this PC) - but can't see how to tell it there is now a router there 24/7. BOINC Advanced options shows network setup for a PROXY - but I don't think that is appropriate.
I have to say that I did try boinc a year or so ago and it worked fine then (did some Einstein and SETi). I wonder if perhaps the old setup stuff is causing the problem?

Is there an easy way to wipe all past activity and start anew?
Thanks and sorry for this long post.

oh a P.S.: does boinc need the XP scheduling service running on the client?
For unrelated reasons that service may be turned off on this machine.

[Temujin]

Hi and welcome to the forum

do you have any work units displayed in the Tasks tab?

Have a look in Advanced/Preferences and check your settings for While computer is in use
If it isn't checked you will have to not touch anything for the amount of time specified in the Only after computer has been idle for field.
If it is checked, then things should work.
And look in Activity and try Run Always and Network always available, see if that helps

Also, have a look in the Message tab, what does it say in there

As for completely removing a previous installation, that depends on which operating system you use, the install directories vary between OSs
If you're running XP, then you would uninstall boinc by running the installer and selecting uninstall and then delete both C:\Program Files\BOINC and C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BOINC directories. Then install BOINC again.

I'm not aware that the scheduling service is required

If you're trying to run seti again, they're currently down for backup, so you wouldn't get any work units

Hope that helps

[Joshrandom]

Hello lemceleb, welcome to the UBT forum.  

I see that John has already stepped in to offer you some advice, but I wonder if you could tell us specifically which projects you have tried to attach to. I ask because not all the projects listed in BOINC are currently active, meaning that, if you tried to attach to them, the BOINC manager might just behave in a similar way to that which you describe.

[lemceleb]

hi,
thank you for your kind welcome.
I will read again and try the suggestions - many thanks.

I de-installed boinc due to a BSOD under XP and just wondered if the scheduler (stopped) service could have cause it - apparently not.

The project I tried was Einstein. Ah so it may have been off at the time. Is there an easy way to see which projects are currently available and running perhaps?

This next comment is very OT - there has been a long-running problem with this PC involving complex services (eg acronis backup). I cannot reinstall as has too much work on it. It has (finally - I thought) proven stable and to celebrate I wanted to put boinc on it. Then the bsod Enough of my problems - thanks vm for your suggestions.

[Joshrandom]

The project I tried was Einstein. Ah so it may have been off at the time. Is there an easy way to see which projects are currently available and running perhaps?

Einstein is usually a a pretty reliable project, so it should have been pretty straight forward to connect to it.

I guess the easiest way to check if a particular is project is currently active, would be to use John's incredibly useful stats site (the link is in his signature above) and then, under the relevant project, click on the link to the server stats page to check if it's up and running.

This next comment is very OT - there has been a long-running problem with this PC involving complex services (eg acronis backup). I cannot reinstall as has too much work on it. It has (finally - I thought) proven stable and to celebrate I wanted to put boinc on it. Then the bsod Enough of my problems - thanks vm for your suggestions.

As you are already aware, the BSOD is not a good sign, and says more about your current installation of Windows than it does about BOINC. While I totally understand why you don't want to reinstall XP, I would definitely recommend backing up your important data as soon as possible, because, in my albeit limited experience, once Windows starts to go wrong, then things just keep getting worse until you're left with no choice but to reinstall anyway.  :(

James.