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Failure to suspend BOINC activity when computer is in use

Failure to suspend BOINC activity when computer is in use

Questions and Answers : Windows : Failure to suspend BOINC activity when computer is in use
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Message 25635 - Posted: 16 Dec 2006, 22:25:53 UTC

Hi all,
I just recently reloaded my OS and thence BOINC and reconnected it to the climateprediction.net
I had previously run this work for a year or so without trouble. The trouble I am having now is that even though my preferences are set for Suspend the system continues to run this work. This isn\'t a problem when using the computer for mundane stuff like office applications but when using it to edit video steals too much processor time. I know I can manually suspend the work but why would it not be releasing automatically based on my preferences like it used to? I saw a post with what may have been a similar problem where the app had to get to a checkpoint first.... Is this the potential cause?
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Message 25637 - Posted: 16 Dec 2006, 23:46:50 UTC
Last modified: 17 Dec 2006, 0:13:30 UTC

Your machine has 512 Meg of RAM -- not a lot for stand-alone video editing and woefully inadequate for trying to run both CPDN and video editing.

CPDN/boinc WILL get out of the way for your other work. However, when swapping is involved, it takes a lot of time. It\'s also tough on the hard disk.

Your best short-term bet is to suspend CPDN while video editing. Your best long-term bet is to add another 512 Meg stick of RAM. (It\'s an easy do-it-yourself exercise, taking care to avoid electrostatic discharge.)


Edit: On second thought, the additional 512 Meg recommendation might be inadequate. Depending on how much editing you do, the software you use, how long you plan to keep the machine, two gig might be a better idea, given that you want to keep CPDN active --> an admirable idea, in my opinion! (I suspect your editing software does a lot of swapping on its own running in 512 Meg.)

My thoughts are prompted by my youngest son\'s experience doing video editing for his business. He uses a MAC with professional software and, I think, has the machine maxed-out for memory. It seems one can\'t give video-editing software too much memory.

If no one else adds a recommendation, it might be worth your while to ask advice from a computer shop you trust and, perhaps, a website devoted to photo/video editing.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.
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Message 25638 - Posted: 17 Dec 2006, 1:07:33 UTC - in response to Message 25637.  

Your machine has 512 Meg of RAM -- not a lot for stand-alone video editing and woefully inadequate for trying to run both CPDN and video editing.

CPDN/boinc WILL get out of the way for your other work. However, when swapping is involved, it takes a lot of time. It\'s also tough on the hard disk.

Your best short-term bet is to suspend CPDN while video editing. Your best long-term bet is to add another 512 Meg stick of RAM. (It\'s an easy do-it-yourself exercise, taking care to avoid electrostatic discharge.)


Edit: On second thought, the additional 512 Meg recommendation might be inadequate. Depending on how much editing you do, the software you use, how long you plan to keep the machine, two gig might be a better idea, given that you want to keep CPDN active --> an admirable idea, in my opinion! (I suspect your editing software does a lot of swapping on its own running in 512 Meg.)

My thoughts are prompted by my youngest son\'s experience doing video editing for his business. He uses a MAC with professional software and, I think, has the machine maxed-out for memory. It seems one can\'t give video-editing software too much memory.

If no one else adds a recommendation, it might be worth your while to ask advice from a computer shop you trust and, perhaps, a website devoted to photo/video editing.



Thanks astro.
Yes I have been considering upping my RAM (just have to get around to taking the cover off the side and checking the speed of the RAM I already have so I can go and buy some more....
The video editing certainly does swap a lot but it hasn\'t been a problem thus far... I use Pinnacle Studio V7 at present. It is a s&%t load faster on this P4 3.2GBHz machine than it used to be on my old P2 350MHz box (this was the average spec required for Studio 7 with the DC10 analogue video capture card).
The problem still remains that CPDN/BOINC doesn\'t seem to suspend when I am using the computer (only if I deliberately select suspend from the activity menu)..... I reset my account options/preferences on the website to make sure that it shows as \"Do work only after computer is idle for...\" as well as being set for \"Run based on preferences\"...

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Message 25639 - Posted: 17 Dec 2006, 6:48:42 UTC

The apparent failure of CPDN/boinc to suspend could simply be an artifact of lengthy swap operations as Windows ties itself in knots trying to do what you want to do.

There is a known problem with boinc Preferences migrating to participants\' PCs in the current boinc versions; additional information here:
Problem updating Preferences (Preferences Override File):
http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/forum_thread.php?id=5102

Until you upgrade memory, your best bet remains suspending CPDN, as unsavory as that option might be.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo
Greetings from coastal Washington state, the scenic US Pacific Northwest.
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Questions and Answers : Windows : Failure to suspend BOINC activity when computer is in use

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