Maximum PC

Tips Index

1. How can I use my computer to cure diseases?
2. F@H Tweakers Guide
3. Tweakers' Guide Supplement
4. Timeless/Deadlineless WU's for non-SSE Enabled CPU
5. Are There Benefits For Maximum PC Forum Folding Team Members? Team badges & stats sigs
6. How do I get an avatar & badge?
7. Monitoring Software - for home & remote use
8. Team Skins for EMIII
9. Crash course in folding
10. Folding FAQ - Read This First
11. Console Version Shortcuts / Tips & shut down tips
12. Console version - adding flags
13. Linux folding
14. Stanford's Folding FAQ's - faq's, server stats, current projects (points, etc)
15. Posting your log file - or how to properly get help
16. What Folding client to choose....A Primer
17. Sending core from a different computer
18. Graphical Client Icon Missing From Taskbar
19. Switching to console from graphical client
20. Graphical Client Version 5.03 Bug - Gamers running this version, read this.
21. Forcing a WU to send - various ways to force a work unit to send.
22. It's formatting day! What do I need to save?
23. Cleaning out your FAH folder - if your having issues
24. Dial up users tips
25. Using EOC - Extreme Overclocking Stats Site
26. Thumb Drive Folding - includes in batches & Offline
27. Forum Guidelines: Making links, using posting buttons - general rules
28. F@H Client.cfg Explained
29. Move big WU's on slow machines to faster machines
30. FAH webpage with EMIII
31. Putting your team rank as your location in profile
32. Figuring out how many wu's you've done - Changing WU Count
33. FahMon Shows Orange Squares
34. Installing Multiple Clients
35. Folding on Vista
36. Ubuntu 6.10 FAH SMP 64 bit Linux install Guide
37. A Note for Parents of Teenage Folders
38. Installing SMP on Windows
39. hbgrg's Research Paper on Folding@Home

*please note this post is being rebuilt, there are more tips under the last entry that have not been rebuilt.

How can I use my computer to cure diseases

Are you interested in helping to find the cures to such diseases as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, Huntington's, and Parkinson's disease? Stanford University has developed a special program called Folding at Home that uses the power of your computer and the computers of tens of thousands of others to perform scientific research. Substantial progress has already been made as a result of the Folding at Home project.

All that is necessary to start helping is a computer with an Internet Connection. Simply download and run the Folding at Home Program from Stanford's Website or you can click below for the direct downloads for various versions of Windows:

Windows XP/Windows 2000/Windows NT

Windows 98/ME

When you run the program for the first time, it will ask you for a team number. Please be sure to join us by entering Team Number 11108.

For more detailed information about the project, please see the official Folding at Home Website. To optimize your computer for the maximum folding power, feel free to read the Folding at Home Tweakers' Guide.

Welcome to the Folding at Home Community, and thank you for helping us save lives.

-Number Six

F@H Tweakers Guide

1. Preparing Your Computer for Folding (Difficulty: Very Easy)
Most PCs are not ready for prime-time when it comes to maximizing folding production. Various programs and settings can either slow Folding at Home to a crawl or stop it from working altogether. Follow these simple steps to keep Folding at Home humming along.

a) Disable Your Screen Saver, System Standby, and Hibernation.
First and foremost on the checklist for prepping your system is to disable any screen saver. In the best case scenario, all screen savers use CPU resources that would otherwise be utilized by Folding at Home. To prevent monitor burn-in and conserve energy, use your computer's power management options and have Windows automatically turn off your monitor after 20 or 30 minutes of inactivity. To do this, Right Click on any empty area of your desktop, select Properties. Hit the Screen Saver Tab and make sure it says (None) (don't use "Blank Screen"). Then, hit the Power button, and use the Turn off monitor pull-down menu and select a 20 or 30 minute inactivity period.
While you're in the Power Scheme window, make sure that System Standby is set to Never. A computer that's in standby mode will not fold.
Finally, if you see a Hibernate tab, click it and make sure to uncheck Enable hibernate support. As is the case with system standby, a system that's in Hibernation will not fold.

b) Get rid of spyware!
Not only is spyware bad for anyone who values privacy, but spyware steals CPU cycles that should be folding proteins! Rid your computer of spyware with either PepiMK's Spybot Search & Destroy or Lavasoft's Ad-aware.

Spybot S&D: http://spybot.safer-networking.de/
Ad-aware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com

c) Destroy all Viruses
This should be a no-brainer, but viruses happen. Clearly if your processor is spending its time reproducing an e-mail worm, deleting your files, or otherwise wrecking havoc with your system, it's not folding! Do yourself and the world a favor and keep your system free of viruses by running antivirus software and doing system scans and virus definition file updates every week.

2. Folding Performance Begins "At Home" (Difficulty: Easy)
a) Update to the Latest Version
Stanford University's Folding at Home research team is constantly improving and updating the client software. You should periodically check the Folding at Home Downloads page to ensure you are running the latest version of the software. The current client for Windows is version 3.24, with 3.25 available as a "beta" release. Here are the links to the download areas:

Official Release Client: http://www.stanford.edu/group/pande...g/download.html
Beta Client Download: http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/beta/beta.html

AMD owners are especially encouraged to use the 3.25 Client, even though it is currently beta.

b) Get a new core
Whenever you upgrade to a new client version, it's a good idea also to delete your FahCorexx.exe files (where xx represents a two-digit number). The FahCore files are located in the folder in which Folding at Home is installed, usually C:/Program Files/Folding@Home. By deleting the core files, you ensure that Folding at Home will download the latest version of the required core. Since the core file is the program that actually performs the folding simulation, you definitely want to be using the latest release.

Once you have the latest client installed, there are a few configuration settings that are often overlooked. By making some simple adjustments, you can make sure that Folding at Home performance is maximized.

c) Optimize Graphical Client Settings
For those of you folding with the Graphical Client, right-click the protein icon that appears in the lower-right corner in the system tray: Then, select Configure.
A new dialogue box will appear with three tabs, User, Connection, and Advanced. The User screen should have your User name and Team number, which hopefully is Team number 11108 for Team Maximum PC Magazine. However, we're interested in the Advanced view for performance tweaking, since the default settings are not fully optimized.

At the Advanced view, you want to do three things. First, uncheck Logos enabled. Then, under Core Priority, select the Lowest Possible setting. Finally, make sure to select your Client type for Folding at Home. Make sure to hit OK to have your changes stick.



d) Optimize Console Client Settings
The Console is for more advanced users who are used to dealing with the command-prompt. The first time you run the Console, you are able to configure the settings. You're going to want to make sure you properly configure the following items:

First make sure the User name and Team Number are correct. Then, when you are asked whether you wish to Change advanced options, type yes and hit enter.

1) Select fah for client type.
2) Select idle for core priority
3) Select 100 for CPU usage
4) Select no for Disable highly optimized assembly code



If you've already run the Console version, you're going to have to create and modify a shortcut to the Console program to reconfigure it. Right-click on the Console executable file and select Create Shortcut. Right-click on the newly created shortcut and you'll see the Target line which contains the location of the Console executable. After the quotes of the target, add the following flag: -config. That should be [space][dash] and the word config:

*Image holder

Double-click the shortcut and now you'll be able to reconfigure the console client!

3. All Fold One, One Fold All! (Difficulty: Medium)

Whether you're using the graphical client or the console version, you're going to want Folding at Home to startup whenever your computer reboots. If you only have one user account on your PC and you're running the graphical client, you're all set. However, those of you with multiple users accounts, or those running the console version, should create a short cut for the Folding at Home program in the Startup folder for "All Users." This way, no matter who logs into the computer, Folding at Home will be up and running.

Remember, this is only for systems that have multiple users. By default, Windows XP and Windows 2K are designed for multiple users, and you may follow these steps if you have, or intend to have, more than one user account. If you have Windows 98/Me that has been set up with multiple users accounts, you should also follow these steps, but do not do the following with Windows 98/Me that has not been configured for multiple users.

a) Graphical Client Instructions
First we're going to "cut" the startup shortcut that was created during the graphical client install. Right Click on Start and select Explore:

Click on the +
*Image holder
symbol next to Programs to expand the Program directory tree. Then, click on the Startup folder:
*Image holder
Right Click on your Folding@home shortcut and select Cut.

For Win98/Me) Now, for Windows 98 or Me users, you need to scroll up the directory tree on the left side until you see "All Users" under the "Windows" folder. Expand All Users by clicking on the + symbol next to it, and then expand Start Menu and finally, expand Programs. Click on the Startup folder. Then, in the right-side frame, right click on the empty space and select Paste. If you have done it correctly, the shortcut will appear.

*Image holder

You're all set. Now Folding at Home will run on startup no matter who uses your computer!

4. All Folding, All the Time

a) We need more power to the engines Scotty! (Difficulty: Easy)
We're now getting to one of the most important aspects of Folding at Home, and that is convincing you to leave your computer running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A computer that is powered "off," to be blunt, folds proteins about as well as a pet rock, so it's important to keep your computer powered up as often as possible. Now, if you're worried about someone logging on to your system while you're away, Windows 2K and Windows XP owners should fear not. For Win2k, simply press CTRL-ALT-DEL and select Lock Computer. This will require any trespassers to log on with your password in order to gain entry, yet Folding at Home will run merrily along in the background. Locking the computer under WinXP is even easier, simply press the "Windows" key and "L." Unfortunately, Win 98/Me owners will need third-party software to "lock" their computer, but anyone interested in security shouldn't be running Win 98/Me in any event.

b) Sorry, you do not have permission to send and receive data (Difficulty: Medium)
Another issue we've encountered that puts a damper on our Folding fun is software or hardware firewalls that have unintentionally blocked Folding at Home. For users who are running software firewalls, it's very important to not only give the client permission to access the Internet (preferably without having to ask permission), but, if your software contains an automatic Internet Lock (such as Zone Alarm), you should give the Folding at Home client "Pass Lock" permissions. Remember, Folding at Home's client never requires server privileges, so feel free to disable server permissions for the client. Finally, keep in mind that any time you upgrade the client, most software firewalls will detect it as a changed or even new program, and you'll have to re-issue permissions and "Pass Lock" privileges all over again. Without doing so, Folding at Home will be stopped dead whenever it needs to access the Internet to send and receive data.
Finally, for those with hardware firewalls, remember that the Folding at Home client needs the ability to send packets over Port 80 and 8080. So, if you are having communication issues, make sure that you're allowing port 8080.

5. Advanced Folding Tweaks

a) It's all in the flags (Difficulty: Easy)
Just when you thought it was safe to go into Folding, there are a few advanced Folding tweaks and tips for the more adventurous folders. First, right-click on the startup shortcut and select Properties. (To quickly get to the Folding at Home startup shortcut, simply Click Start > Programs > Startup and you'll see the icon for Folding at Home -- if you don't see it, then follow the Win98/Me steps here to get to the proper Startup Folder).

A new "Shortcut Properties" window will appear, along with a "Target" line. You're now going to add the following flags after the quotes: -local -advmethods -forceasm (that's [space][hyphen]local[space][hyphen]advmethods[space][hyphen]forceasm):
*Image holder

These flags will further optimize your Folding at Home settings. For a description of each flag, check out here: http://www.stanford.edu/group/pande...userguide.html.
b) Two folds are better than one (Difficulty: Advanced)
For those lucky users with dual-processor machines or rigs with hyperthreaded P4s, you can run two instances of the Console version simultaneously. It's rather involved, but well worth it to see both of your CPUs (or both of your virtual CPUs) being utilized to their fullest. These instructions assume you are running Win2K Pro or XP Pro.

1) First, create two separate directories and dump FAH3Console.exe in each one.

2) Then, you're going to have to make a shortcut to each FAH3Console.exe. Paste the Shortcuts into the Cocuments and SettingsAll UsersStart MenuProgramsStartup folder so that both FAH consoles will startup every time the system boots up.

3) Right click on each shortcut you've created. You'll see the "Target" line: "C:Program Filesetc.etc.FAH3Console.exe"

Now, you MUST add the -local flag, if you haven't already done so here. Remember to add the -local flag for each shortcut. It's also a good idea to add -advmethods and -forceasm.

4) Now, you're almost set. Double click on one of the shortcuts you created. The first time you do, you'll be asked to configure FAH. Aside from your username and Team No. (select team No. 11108 for Team MPC), one of the configuration options is to set the Machine ID for the first FAH3Console.exe program to "1" (when you get to the point where we run the second FAH3Console.exe, you'll need to set the second one's Machine ID to "2").

5) Now that one instance of FAH is up and running, go into your task manager and hit the "processes" tab. You'll see FAH3Console.exe there. Right click on it and choose "Set Affinity" and set it for CPU 0 only (uncheck CPU 1). You'll also see FAHCore_xx.exe running. Set that for CPU 0 too.

6) Now you're ready to run the second console (again, launch it by clicking on your second created shortcut). When you configure it, set it for a different machine ID ("2").

7) In take manager, you'll set the Affinity for your second instance of FAH3Console.exe for CPU 1. Now, this will be tricky as you'll see two FAH3Console.exe's running. You can check which one is the first one by checking the affinity. The new one will have both CPU 0 and 1 checked, while the first one was just set to CPU 0.

8) Do the same thing with the second FAHCore_xx.exe. Set it to CPU 1 only.

9) Now you're running two instances of FAH, and they are taking full advantage of your processors.

10) As long as you don't close out the Console programs, they'll remember their affinity. If you close them, or restart or reboot your computer, you'll need to go back and set the affinity again.

6. Quick Troubleshooting Tips
While Folding at Home works fine for the overwhelming majority of users, some people do encounter problems. If you're having display problems with the graphical client, make sure that you're running in at least 16-bit color and that you have the proper video-card drivers installed. If, on the other hand, you notice system instability (lockups), the simple fix is to lower the percent of CPU usage. For those using the graphical client, this can be done by right-clicking on the protein icon that's in the system tray, selecting Configure, and then selecting the Advanced view. Lower the CPU usage slider to the second-to-the-last-marker, hit OK and then quit and restart Folding at Home. If you still experience lockups, lower the slider to the third-to-the-last marker.

Users of the console-based client will have to reconfigure the console as explained here. Select 95 percent for CPU usage requested and, if that doesn't do the trick, reconfigure again for 90 percent.

Keep in mind that system lockups with Folding at Home are generally caused by inadequate cooling. If your system is overclocked try lowering your overclock and see if that fixes the problem.

Additional troubleshooting shooting tips can be found at http://www.stanford.edu/group/pande...lding/faq.html.

7. Be a Part of the Bigger Picture!

Folding can be much more than a personal contribution of your PC's processing power. There is a thriving community of "folders" and scores of online forums dedicated to this worthwhile project.

The official Folding at Home forum is located at http://forum.folding-community.org/. There, you will find the latest news regarding Folding at Home, usually before the main website is even updated. You can also discuss any problems you may have with the software that is not covered here, or read up on issues with Stanford University's servers.

Additionally, you can become involved in the friendly competition that exists among the thousands of folding "teams" as they try to outfold one another. The official team ranking page is located at http://folding.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/searchteamstats. A more interesting interactive stats page, complete with graphs, can be found here: http://statsman.ww-testsites.co.uk/...html/index.html For those of you who have joined up with Team Maximum PC Magazine (Team No. 11108), you should also check out our official Folding at Home forum here: http://forums.delphiforums.com/folding

Finally, for those of you who have gone completely folding mad, you can purchase Folding at Home T-shirts, Coffee mugs, tote bags, etc. here: http://www.cafeshops.com/folding.

Best of luck folding!

NOTE: Originally written by [Ch]amsalot (Number Six)


Notes from EOC - AMD- the -forceasm should be changed to -forcesse
needs to be added?

Tweakers' Guide Supplement

[quote="Number Six"][/quote]
Gang, until I officially replace the Tweakers' Guide, you should be taking the following steps to optimize folding.

1) Disable ALL screensavers. That means for the users, go into their display settings and select NONE for screensaver. Then, make sure you disable the default Windows login screensaver.

Start>Run>regedit

HKEY_USERS/.Default/Control Panel/Desktop

Find the entry for ScreenSaveActive and set the value from 1 to 0

2) Run the 5.02 client AS A SERVICE. Logoff the system when you don't need to be logged in. This shuts down all applications yet keeps folding.

3) If you have 512MB or more and you are using a true P4 or AthlonXP or better, select YES to receive big work units

4) Use the -forceasm and -verbosity 9 flags. Instructions on how to employ this will follow (or someone please add it).

*Verbosity, When it's turned on, FAH will log more detailed information about what's going on. It's how much detail you are able to read in the log file. it can be from 1-9, with 9 giving the most information, and 1 the least, it is added as a flag -verbosity9, the program defaults to 3

Thanks to usacomp2k3, & g.m.waters (red ranger3) for the explanation and jamevay for the question.

5) If you have 512MBor more, true P4 or AthlonXP or better, use also the -advmethods flag.

6) If you have HT, instructions on running two versions of the console will follow.

NOW is the time to optimize your systems for folding.

-Six


extra info-
verbosity is just a function of how much info is generated about the processing of the WU - No impact on points - just problem solving ability.

512K RAM and the processor is just how long your are willing to wait to finish the WU. The slower the less PPD.

-forceasm is said by some to cause them problems. The alternative is to let Stanford decide if you are capable of system extensions or not.

If you have any WUs ending early that can hurt production, it means something has to be resolved. If they are move verbosity to 9 till it's fixed.


By gsmitheman

Timeless/Deadlineless WU's for non-SSE Enabled CPU - Tweakers Guide

[quote="_r2w_ben"][/quote]Maximum PC Tweaking at Home Supplemant 2

If you are running a non-SSE enabled CPU you should follow these instructions to maximize your production.
This includes P1, P1 MMX, P2, AMD K-6, and AMD Duron.

These are the instructions for setting up your computer for timeless aka deadlineless aka Genome@Home work units. These work units use the Tinker core (Fah_Core65.exe) and are not optimized for SSE. They run well on non-SSE CPUs.

Windows 95
You can use 4.00 GUI

Windows 98 or ME
You can choose between 4.00 GUI or 5.02 console.

Windows NT, 2002, XP
You should use 5.02 console

4.00 GUI
Open config by right clicking your F@H icon
Browse to the Advanced tab and change client type to Genome@home
Get and return G@h work in batches is optional. Your computer will spend more time folding when it is enabled because it won't be waiting for a new workunit as often. It is also recommended if you have dialup.



5.02 Console
Close the console by pressing Ctrl+C or open services.msc from run and stop the service
Right click the console icon and drag it to the desktop and create a new shortcut
Right click your new shortcut and click properties
In the target box add -config outside of the quotations



Click OK then click your shortcut.
Fill in the correct information or hit Enter if it's right
Type yes for "Change advanced options"
Press Enter until it asks about work units without deadlines, type yes
Make your choice about minimized networking
Finish off the config options



Open the console again or relaunch the service.
Delete the config shortcut from your desktop

Your current workunit will finish but your next workunit should be a timeless one.

Follow these steps and boost your points per day today.
_r2w_ben

Are There Benefits For Maximum PC Forum Folding Team Members?

Those of you folding can get a cool team member badge. We have different versions, one is for "Team Member" which is a single person folding with their own computers, or computers that belong to your family / friends. They are folding under your own name. The "Collective" badge, is for those folding with a group of people, say myself and other MPC forum members. If you are unsure if your a team member or collective, post a question in the badge request post.

If your a new folder, or ranked from 5,000 to 501, you qualify for a team member badge:
Members.............Collectives
...

If your rank is 500 to 101 you qualify for a Top 500 badge:
Members.............Collectives
Top 500
...

If your rank is 100 to 51, you qualify for a Top 100 badge.
Members.............Collectives
Top 100
...

If your rank is 50 to 11, you qualify for a Top 50 badge.
Members.............Collectives
Top 50
...

If your rank is 10 to 1, you qualify for a Top 50 badge.
Members.............Collectives
Top 10
...

To get a badge, please request it here.


Hardware Sell & Swap Forum

The Team MPC - Hardware Swap & Sell forum. If your actively folding & haven't been added to the list, be sure to let me know in that post.

Stats Sigs - Please note that sigs are off by default for the forum. This means that in order to use it, you need to manually enter it in with each post. Please also do not abuse these out of the folding area. Since sigs are off by default, this means that you should not make it a habit of posting it in every post you make. If you must post it, post it once per thread and if a team member is also using it in a post, you may want to rethink posting yours. Too many sigs may make people mad.

Get your Stats signature here thanks to Thunar!



Great, but how do I use it? To use the sig once Thunar gives you your link, you need to save it to your favorites. Once your ready to use it in a post, click on the button that says Img, next, paste in your sig URL, then click on the Img button one more time, it will look like this:



To make it link to the folding forum: (spreading the word)

Another neat trick is to make it link back to the folding forum, a clickable link. To do that you need to click on the URL button 1st, then click inside the ] to add an =, next click to the right of the ] and paste in the following URL http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=32 click on the URL button one more time, next click on the button that says Img, next, paste in your sig URL, then click on the Img button one more time, it will look like this:



The easiest way if your confused is to copy the above to notepad, then where the URL is for teammpc.gif is take that out and put your .gif there.

Stats Sig 2 - our old snackbar games sig.

You use this one the same way you use the other, altho you do not have to get the URL from anyone. All you do is use:

after the URL put your folding name in then add .jpg If you've done it correctly, it will look like this:


giving you:



To make the sig link back to the forum:





Snackbar Sigs - The 1st official folding sig.

By DaBrain

*note, these are now working 7/4/06

Here is how to get access to the MPC sig that myself and Sideswiped worked on.

For html, set the image source as:
http://www.snackbar-games.com/folding/USERNAME.jpg

Just substitute your folding username instead of USERNAME. There are a few cases where special characters break the sig, let me know if this is the case for you and I will figure something out.

An example:


will result in:


You can shoot any questions to snowcone@snackbar-games.com or catch me on AIM at SBGamesCone

Link to Team MPC Folding Sig.

Thank you to forum members ricksickle for hosting the sigs, DaBrain, owner of Snackbar-Games, Headspin for getting it to work off forum, and Piddy716 for helping with the code.


*Edits: 6/17/06 added new team badges

How do I get an avatar & badge?

If you are actively folding, please post in the Team Badges post. To request a badge, please post your folding name & a link to your member page at Extreme Overclocking. Put your folding name in the search box to find your page. If you are folding for a collective, please let us know so that you can get the appropriate badge. Please note, there are a required amount of wu's that have to be submitted before asking for a badge.



The next step is to have a little patience. While we'd like to hand out badges on a daily basis, the usual wait time could be 7 days. If after 7 days you still have not gotten a badge, please pm Blondie. Do not pm Number Six. While I try to answer pm's on a daily basis, some days it doesn't happen, give it 48 hours.

Once your given your badge, you should have avatar privs. Click on Profile, found at the top of the page. Once in your profile, scroll to the bottom, you'll see a red line with Avatar control panel. You will then see:

Upload Avatar from your machine:

and

Upload Avatar from a URL:
Enter the URL of the location containing the Avatar image, it will be copied to this site.

Choose either one, when uploading, please note that width can be no greater than 90 pixels, the height no greater than 90 pixels, and the file size no more than 8 KB.

*Tip - If you're having problems try using IE to upload your avatar. I've also found that .jpg works better here than .JPG.

Note: moving or animated avatars and "clips" are not allowed and only given with special permission.

*Edits: 6/17/06 added new team badge

Monitoring Software - for monitoring machines in your home as well as in other homes.

Electron Microscope III aka EMIII

Monitor your machines progress with EMIII

EMIII Setup Guide
Link for an EMIII setup guide with pictures.

EMIII Questions / Tips

By From Phred15




FahMon
FahMon has been a decent F@H monitoring tool, especially for the home network. I am easily able to view everyone's logs in the same window. Check it out & use in addition to EMIII.

*New - FahMon setup guide with photos. Click here

Installing FahMon by Gsmitheman

1. Add all computers to your network (I have XP on all machines - very easy).

2. Make sure file sharing is on on all machines.

3. Share each high level folder (not the ones inside the main folder but the main folder itself). They are in Program files or wherever the folder is you chose to install the client.

4. Download FahMon 2.0.1 into a folder. Unzip. No installation required. I send the Icon to the desktop and double click it there.

5. Now all that's left is telling FahMon where those shared folders are that you just made available.

6. Right click in the display area of the FahMon screen and "add a new Client" will appear. Left click on those words and a box will appear where you can give the machine any name you want along with any description that will help you. Then you browse for the shared folder from above.

You go through Network Neighborhood and pick the computer name from a list. Give it a little time and a list of all shared folders will appear. Double click the one you want to monitor and you are done.

7. Repeat for each machine.


Just by starting FahMon you will know immediately what every machine in your home or office is doing.
What WU, when it will end, how many ppd it is making for you and how it compares to all the other machines that have done that WU since you started running FahMon.



FAHremote - a new way to monitor remote machines

I'm proud to post this entry. It was made by 2 forum team members, HeadSpin & _r2w_ben.

By HeadSpin: This will also work well for collectives enabling all members to see how each machine is doing.

There are two main parts required to make this work, the service for sending the files, and a website for viewing the results. I handled the service side while _r2w_ben handled the html/PHP side. One known limitation with the service that has not been tested is monitoring more than one instance on a machine. I am currently working on a version that will monitor multiple instances

I would also like to thank the beta testers:
bmk789, fzaba, HeadWound, Ricksickle, Screwballl, smartcat99s, Thunar, and _r2w_ben


Please note - FAHremote is currently in the beta testing stage and available to team members only. Please understand that you will need to be a long term member to have access to the FAHremote information until it is released to the public. FAHremote access is at the descretion of HeadSpin & _r2w_ben.

EMIII Team Skins

These skins are available for download. Skins made by Satchboy unless otherwise noted.

Images of skins:

Dream Machine 2004



Kick Ass



Kick Ass Small



Website Skin - Firefox



Website Skin - IE




Maximum PC Red By X_ArchAngel *New 12/28/05


On the desktop....



Direct EMIII Maximum PC skin download links - *note- new links

Dream Machine Skin
Kick Ass skin
Kick Ass skin - small
Maximum PC Website Skin - Firefox Edition
Maximum PC Website Skin - IE
Maximum PC Red - X_ArchAngel *New 12/28/05

Crash course in folding

There's 2 main posts
1) How can I use my computer to cure diseases
2) Folding FAQ - Read This First

To give you a quick crash course:
1) go to Stanford & download the client for your windows system http://folding.stanford.edu/download.html if your running XP, choose the 1st download Windows NT/2000/XP Graphical client - under where it says Microsoft Windows, click download. Save it to your hard drive.
2) At the same link, you'll see "How do I choose a username? To check if a name is already being used, do a search below." Do the name search and if it isn't being used, use that for your folding name. If the name is being used, you can either use it anyway or add a letter or number to it, or pick a whole new name (once again using the search). If you use a name that is already in use, your stats will be put on the same page as the other people folding with that name. For example, al which has multiple people using the same name, verses _r2w_ben which has a single user.
3) Go to where you saved it, double click to start the install. It should install in C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\
4) It will want to configure itself, for the team select 11108, for your user name you need to type in what name you chose.
5) You'll see a red gear icon by your clock (bottom right of monitor). That's the folding client.
6) Right click the gear, you'll see configure, click that. The main window that comes up will have your user name, be sure it is correct with no spaces and your team (11108)
7) Click on the connection tab, the easiest way is to select use IE settings. Below that you'll see "allow receipt of work assignments and results greater than 5mb in size..." You only check this if you have a newer system. This will allow you to get WU's worth 600 points (for AMD processors). If your system is older, please do not check this box.
8 ) Click on the advanced tab, if you are running a laptop, be sure to check the box to pause folding while running on batteries.
9) Also in the advanced tab, you'll see an option for checkpointing frequency, you'll want to change that. I usually keep mine set for 10 minutes.

That's pretty much it. You'll need to know how to pause it to shut your box down

Shutting down your folding

• Right click the gear icon
• select pause work
• right click the icon again
• select quit

If you only want to pause it, then restart it for whatever reason, do not select quit, instead after your done needing it paused, right click again and select resume work.

To restart your folding
Find your folding icon on your desktop, if you do not have one, go to windows search, type in winFAH, look in C or you can select "browse" where you can navigate to C/program files, click ok, then click the search button, your file should come right up. Right click the file, select send to desktop (create shortcut) and your set. Any time you want to restart it, use that shortcut.

If you know how to use windows explorer, you can navigate to the folding folder in program files and find the icon yourself.

Folding FAQ - Read This First

Original post by Hyppy, found here

I decided to start this to answer many common questions that we get here.

1) What is folding?
A) Folding is the contribution of extra (idle) CPU cycles to a distributed computing project run by Stanford that performs complex bio-medical analysis at the molecular level. This research helps provide imprtant details that could lead the the curing and/or treatment of some major diseases, including some cancers, Alzheimer's, and Mad Cow Disease.

2) Where can I get Folding@Home?
A) http://folding.stanford.edu

3) Whats the point? It doesn't do me any good.
A) Our motives aren't for personal gain (even though we do enjoy the stats wars). Think of folding as volunteer or charity work. Each protein project that Stanford completes is a step towards a cure for these diseases, as well as general medical knowledge that could have more applications than we could possibly predict. Folding has had a lot more progress than those alien watchers, thats for sure

4) What team do I join?
A) Ours, hopefully. Maximum PC's team number is 11108.

5) Where can I check my stats?
A) Mainly, three places. Stanford has their very basic folding stats server HERE. ExtremeOverclocking (EOC) has a much better one with a lot more information HERE, then there is F@H Stats check it out. You can give feedback & read about it here

6) How can I tweak my computer for more points?
A) Quick and dirty list here: use the -forceasm, -advmethods, and -local command tags, use the console client, overclock your computer, and disable background services that you don't use within Windows. Basically, anything that makes your computer faster (mostly processor) will contribute to making folding faster. More info can be found HERE, but beware it is slightly outdated.

7) I don't want to leave my computer on at night. My power bill is high enough as it is.
A) While that is purely your decision, and we respect you for it, consider this: As long as you turn your monitor off, a modern computer left on for an extra 10 hours a day will only raise your power bill by around 3-6 dollars a month. We understand if this causes undue financial strain, and your contributions are greatly appreciated regardless. However, a twelve pack of soda a month couldn't hurt much worse than that computer you bought!

8 ) How do I get one of those cool "Team Member" avatars?
A) Contribute a substantial amount towards the team, then post in the "Team Badges" thread.

9) Does folding slow my computer down?
A) generally, no. Folding uses the excess computer cycles that are given to the "System Idle Process". Occassionally, when you elect to recieve the "Large" work units in excess of 5MB, folding will take a decent chunk of RAM. This is usually not noticeable, but you may want to pause folding when starting a very resource-intensive game, such as Doom3.

10) Which is better for folding, Intel or AMD?
A) AMD has a slight lead folding Tinker cores, and Intel has a slight lead in Gromacs folding. This is not enough to justify a purchase decision on, though. Some argue that their Dual Xeon can outperform any Athlon XP. No crap. Anyone remember the old days? with Voodoo2s? Of course dual Voodoo2s in SLI would be faster. Same concept here. (/rant)

11) I think folding is dumb, and you guys are just wasting your time.
A) Then we'll agree to disagree. However, with an attitude and/or comments like this, you are not welcome on this message board.

Console Version Shortcuts / Shut Down Tips

You might want to make a few shortcuts if your running the "No-nonsense" text-only console (with built-in Windows-service-install option) (taken from the Stanford downloads page)


I install my console in C:\Program Files\Folding@Home If yours is somewhere else, substitute that for what you see on mine. Go to your folder, find the red gear, right click it and send it to desktop. Once you send it to the desktop, you can rename it to what the shortcut is for. Next, be sure there is a space after the .exe" and add the last part after the space. To make multiple shortcuts, you'll need to keep right clicking and sending to the desktop until you have enough to rename.

Config Only
"C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe" -configonly
The program will quit with the only flag verses just config, which will run the console after configuration. I prefer to use this for 1st time configuration, then go into the services to start folding. Services = control panel / admin tools / services - I right click and send a services shortcut to the desktop to easily pause / stop folding.
*See changing machine ID below if running 2 instances

Stop after WU is sent
"C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe" -oneunit
If you are running as a service and want to upgrade your version, or stop folding but send in your last WU, this flag is handy. Use the configonly icon 1st, remove it as a service, then use this shortcut to start folding. It will automatically stop when the unit has been sent.

Send WU
"C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe" -send all

Pause
"C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe" -pause

Config
"C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe" -config
Not only will it configure but keep folding in a command prompt.

Console
"C\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe"

To stop the console, (in XP) go to the control panel, Administrative Tools, right click on "Services" and send to desktop. Now, when you need to stop it, all you do is open services, find the FAH entry, click on it, select pause, then select stop. If you installed it in C/Program Files, the entry should read FAH@C:+Program....

Stop / Start Shortcuts
By HeadWound

I wanted to do in addition was be able to stop and start the service without going into the services area. So a little research and bingo.

to stop FAH5.02 console service:
1) First make sure you can see the file extensions on your computer.
2) Create a text file anywhere on your computer (that you can remember)
3) open the file
4) type: net stop "FAH@C:+Program Files+Folding@Home+FAH502-Console.exe"
5) close the file
6) rename file "FAHstop.bat"

To make the client restart, follow the same directions substituting the word stop for start

Stopping console client running in a DOS window:
By Screwballl
Press Control-C in the folding window

Firedaemon - console utility
by Toyster Original post here

I game a lot and fold like a mofo on each half of my 3.6 H/T's.

My method has always been to use the F@H Console version and a utility called Firedaemon

FireDaemon
FireDaemon set up

Take a look, it's a great little utility and very handy for starting and stopping the Console version, yet still keep it running on startup and such.


Changing Machine ID-
To change the machine ID, use the configonly, make sure your user name, team, launch as service, ask before sending, IE settings, large wu's, change advanced options - yes select the defaults for each until you get to the machine ID.

Adding flags to console version
By _r2w_ben

Flags you can add:
1.-advmethods - This flag allows you to receive workunits that are in public beta and thus are potentially less stable. Contrary to popular belief, this flag does not guarantee workunits that produce higher points per day.
2. -forceasm - This flag should be used on stable machines to prevent the client from using standard loops and running at half speed after an improper shutdown of FAH.
3. -local - This flag is used when running more than instance on version 5.02 of the console on a multicore machine. It is not required for version 5.04 of the client.
4. -verbosity x - x can be any number from 1 to 9. The higher the value, the more detail is outputted to the log. The default setting is 3.
*See also Stanford's flag explanations for complete listing


How to add flags - 5.02/5.04 Console installed as a service:
1. Go into the registry: Start->Run->Type "regedit"->Press Enter
2. Locate the FAH registry key in the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/FAH@(Insert FAH Path Here).
3. Edit the "ImagePath" key: Double-Click "ImagePath", add flags as desired after the -svcstart flag. Be sure to leave a space between flags.
* For those who do not want to touch the registry, pk's F@H Service Config Tool is a service config tool to add the -forceasm, -advmethods,
-local, and -verbosity 9 flags. The instructions are pretty clear as to how to use it.


5.03 Graphical Client or shortcut to the console when not installed as a service:
1. Locate the FAH shortcut in the "Startup" folder: Start->All Programs->Startup.
2. Go into the properties dialog of the FAH shortcut: Right Click on Shortcut, Left-Click on "Properties"
3. In the "Target" field, add a space after the quotes and then add the flags, with a space between each flag.


Extra Notes:
1. -advmethods can be set in version 5.04 of the console during the configuration of the client
2. Stanford's complete flag explanations.
3. For those who do not want to touch the registry, here's a service config tool to add the -forceasm, -advmethods, -local, and -verbosity 9 flags
pk's F@H Service Config Tool - The instructions are pretty clear as to how to use it.

How to run FAH as a service on Linux (on boot too!)

I've known about this link for a while, I've gone back to it quite a few times as I keep on changing my Linux OS.

It's by The Tech Report, but it's a good read none the less. http://www.techreport.com/etc/folding/#Linux

Now, I'm not going to C/P that guy's work onto here, but I will make one addition.

I just learned how to run it as a service on boot with Debian, my favorite flavor of Linux. The good news is that it's easier than editing the rc.local script.

All you have to do is this:

1. Create the service script as detailed in the tutorial.
2. Make one change to the script. Insert a line before "./FAH502-Linux.exe..." that says "cd /path/to/FAH/here" for example, I added the line "cd /home/dan/Folding"
3. Save the script and put it somewhere you can write too (such as your FAH directory).
4. Copy it into the init.d folder in /etc. This can be done as root from the terminal: "cp go /etc/init.d"
5. Make the script executable. Cd into the /etc/init.d folder and use chmod as root with the following command: chmod +x go.
6. Before adding the links to the rc files, test it out by typing "./go" and then checking the application manager for FAH starting up
7. Add the links to your rc files by using the "update-rc.d" command. This should be done with the following command:



If all goes well you should see some feedback saying that it put links to the script in all the various run levels of rc.

All that's left to do is restart the machine!

Dan O.


gkrellm plugin for Linux

Post found here gkrellm plugin that monitors and controls FAH.

Stanford's Folding FAQ's
By _r2w_ben

Folding@Home FAQs Page

Configuration FAQ (Flags, BigWUs)

Folding@Home Console Client: User Guide - includes set up & using flags (basic)

High Performance Client FAQ (GPU, Clearspeed, SMP)

Studied Diseases FAQ (Explanations of how FAH is studying diseases)

Looks like OC-AMD's desire for increased PR is having an effect!

Current projects with point values

Server Stats

List of third party tools at Stanford's forum

Posting your log file - or how to properly get help....
By Blondie

If you are having a problem with folding and need to make a post, your folding log file is very important. To find your log file:

Graphical Client: (Red Gear) To post your log file right click on the red gear icon by the clock, select "status" then log file. Continue to "Posting your log file" below

Console users: If you installed it in C:\Program Files\Folding@Home you can navigate using windows explorer. Once in your folding folder, you want FAHlog. If you have no clue where you installed it, do a search for FAHlog. Continue to "Posting your log file" below

Posting your log file:
This will open in notepad. Click on edit, then select all, edit again, then copy. Paste it into a post. You may also need the previous log. To find it, open windows explorer, navigate to C:\Program Files\Folding@Home. You'll see a file called FAHlog-Prev, open it, then follow the instructions above.

What Folding client to choose....A Primer


Which client do I choose to fold with??? by Thunar

This is a very common question asked by many new folders. So this is a short primer with some pros and cons of all the available folding programs (clients) for windows to choose from.

This is not a tutorial on how to set up folding but more of what client to choose. I will keep this short and to the point if you would like more info on setup please click HERE

The graphical or GUI client

This is the most common client and the easiest to set up.
Current Versions for the windows environment:
5.03 for windows 2000/XP users
4.0 for win98/ME users
To download click HERE

You know when you are running the GUI by the red gear running in the system tray. By right clicking on the gear you can change the configuration, display the current work unit, pause, check the log file, etc.

When you display the GUI it will look similar to this:


Note: Displaying the GUI interface in this manor uses the cpu to draw on the screen thus slowing down the folding process. To keep folding running at maximum potential keep the interface minimized as much as possible.

Pros of running the GUI client:
1. Easy to install and configure
2. Easy to monitor progress.
3. Easy to reconfigure if changes need to be made.
4. Easy to pause and restart.

Cons:
1. Slower if kept maximized.
2. Another item in the system try (Ugh. Just a peeve of mine.)
3. Has been known to cause instability in some games
4. Known combatiblilty problem with OpenGL games LINK


Console Version

The console version is a bit more advanced as far as setup goes for the novice computer user. By no means is it difficult but it is not as user-friendly as the gui version.

Current Versions for windows
5.02 for windows 2000/XP users (with option of service install)
4.00 for windows 98/ME users.


The console version is a simple text based program that runs in a command window. You can see each frame completing and scroll through the progress of your work unit. Version 5.02 for win2000 and XP also has an option to install the program and run as a service so you never see the command window open it just runs in the background unnoticed.

The command window will look similar to this:



Pros of console version (no service):
1. Lightweight installation.
2. Fast folding times.
3. No icon in system tray.
4. Easy to see monitor.
5. Can run multiple instances for Hyperthreading/multi cpus

Cons of console version (no service)
1. Command window must remain open to fold.
2. Folding ends if command window is closed.
3. Command window is in the taskbar.
4. Slightly harder to configure for novice computer users


--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pros of console running as service
1. Stealth. You never see it running.
2. Stability. It does not interfere with any type of gaming.
3. Always runs even if nobody is logged into computer.
4. Can run multiple instances for Hyperthreading/multi cpus

Cons of console running as service:
1. Harder to perform advanced functions (must be done by editing the registry)
2. Harder to reconfigure than GUI, not impossible just harder.
3. Must be monitored by third-party utility (EMIII or FahMon)



I hope this was helpful in making the choice of what client to use. If there are further questions feel free to ask.

Sending core from different computer

Below you'll find a few different ways to do this, depending on your client.


On the computer that has an internet connection:
1. Get folding up and running, including allowing it to download the core (FahCorexx.exe) and then quit the program.

2..Copy the entire work folder and the file named Queue.dat to the usb key.

On the computer that does not have an internet connection:

1.Install the same version of folding and when configuring check the option to ask before using network. This will cause the client to signal you that a WU is finished.

2. copy the work folder and queue.dat files from the usb to the install directory. Make sure you overwrite all files.

When it is done with the WU just run these steps in reverse.

-Thunar

Be sure when doing this, that the necessary core files have been copied each time you are grabbing a WU on the computer with an internet connection. Remember, the computer with no connection will not be able to connect to grab the core.

If you are running the Graphical client, right click on the red "gear", select "pause when done". It sends the results in and then pauses. At that point delete the work folder and the queue.dat file that are there and put in their place in the work folder and queue.dat from the WU you want to move. - gsmitheman

Console version
1. Stop client on both machines
2. Copy FAH directory from machine 1 to machine 2
3. Delete queue.dat from machine 1 so it will get another wu when client restarts
4. Start both clients and walk away

All machines are running as a service in my case so I just copy the directory over to the new machine and restart the service. - Lodis4


Thanks to Thunar for the tutorial and _r2w_ben for the core info
gsmitheman for the graphical client, Lodis4 for the console version

Graphical Client Icon Missing From Taskbar

You may notice at some point that your red gear icon (by your clock) is missing, and your wondering what happened and how do you get it back.

You click on the folding icon to try to get it back, but it says "There is already another Folding@Home running. Only one copy may be run at a time. This copy will now quit."

So, what do you do?

Windows XP, right click and open the task manager, select the processes tab. Scroll to find WinFah.exe, click it, then click on End Process.

The process is the same for Win 98, but you have to use Ctrl + Alt + Delete to bring up task manager.

If this does happen, I also suggest rebooting.

*Note - if your getting the missing icon, it means that your system is unstable (crashing), and you need to find out why. Please make a post in the free clinic, don't forget to post your specs. List also if it was "crashing" before adding Fah and please PM me with a link to the post.

Switching to console from graphical client

1st, pause / stop the Graphical Client. Next, go into the configuration and if I remember correctly, don't let it run as a service. Next, reboot your machine. You should have a shortcut on your desktop to start the folding, do that then right click the icon and select pause when done. Once it's done, back it up just in case. Next go to add remove programs and delete the old version, don't forget to do this, I made this mistake.

Next, I usually go into the folders and clean them out, the work folder, the cores, I do not get rid of the client.cfg file.

Next throw the console version in the folding folder. Right click and send a shortcut to the desktop. In the tips post, I have a tip on making shortcuts. The one you want is
Config Only
"C:\Program Files\Folding@Home\FAH502-Console.exe" -configonly
The program will quit with the only flag verses just config, which will run the console after configuration. I prefer to use this for 1st time configuration, then go into the services to start folding.

You should be good to go. To pause and / or stop the console, click on the services icon on your desktop (also found in shortcut post)