Force BOINC to use a certain drive

Message boards : Questions and problems : Force BOINC to use a certain drive
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
Sven

Send message
Joined: 19 Jan 16
Posts: 4
Germany
Message 66972 - Posted: 19 Jan 2016, 20:29:21 UTC
Last modified: 19 Jan 2016, 20:31:00 UTC

Wondering that I couldn't find anything of the following question by using the search engine.

How can I force BOINC to use a certain (hard) drive? At start up of Boinc it tells me in the messages, that the data directory is located on C:\. But how can I change that? I couldn't find an appropriate setting.

What I want to do is, to have BOINC data located on a SSD-Drive like a USB-Stick. The reason is that Boinc seams to ignore the setting "write onto hard drive every 60 seconds" (translated from german by myself - may differ to the the original english saying). In case of the SSD-drive it wouldn't have my conventional hard drive in use all the time - especially while working on a LHC@Home task it uses the hard disc in steps of single seconds.

I'm using BOINC 6.10.60 on a Win XP Professional x86 system. Guess, no more informations are necessary for my question?

Aaah what I forgot: I adjust all the settings in my local BOINC client.

Thanks for answering.
ID: 66972 · Report as offensive
Profile Jord
Volunteer tester
Help desk expert
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 29 Aug 05
Posts: 15484
Netherlands
Message 66973 - Posted: 19 Jan 2016, 20:52:56 UTC - in response to Message 66972.  

The option is in the installer. Third screen in, click Advanced. Here you can change the path to the Program Files directory and the path to the Data directory. It's the latter that you want to change.

It is in the installer, so that it can add the correct permissions to the directory upon installing BOINC.

What you do for this is this:
1. Exit BOINC completely.
2. Copy the data directory from its present place at C:\Programdata\BOINC\ to wherever you want. Do copy the BOINC directory, then all sub-directories and files get copied along.
3. Uninstall BOINC in the normal way.
4. Reinstall BOINC with the BOINC installer.
5. As said, on the third screen in the installer, click Advanced.
6. Change the path for the data directory to the directory you just copied the data directory to.
7. Continue installing BOINC.
8. Check that everything runs fine. If it does, you can delete the original data directory. Or back it up.
ID: 66973 · Report as offensive
SekeRob2

Send message
Joined: 6 Jul 10
Posts: 585
Italy
Message 66974 - Posted: 19 Jan 2016, 21:01:14 UTC - in response to Message 66972.  

The reason is that Boinc seams to ignore the setting "write onto hard drive every 60 seconds"

No, it's the science application not programmed to confirm with BOINC if writing [a checkpoint] to disk is permitted after N seconds. If it would it goes like.

App: Want to write a checkpoint
Boinc: No you can't as N seconds have not passed, try again later
App: May I write a checkpoint now?
Boinc: Yes as since your last checkpoint N seconds have passed.
Coelum Non Animum Mutant, Qui Trans Mare Currunt
ID: 66974 · Report as offensive
Sven

Send message
Joined: 19 Jan 16
Posts: 4
Germany
Message 67024 - Posted: 21 Jan 2016, 11:38:29 UTC

Thanks for your detailed answer Ageless.
I'll try it in the exact manner you described and give feedback about the result - this may take a while. I just injured myself yesterday and are not able to move so much now, especially not crawling around behind the computer to plug in a SSD-stick.

@SekeRob2: One more reason for me to switch to a SSD-drive. ;)
ID: 67024 · Report as offensive
Sven

Send message
Joined: 19 Jan 16
Posts: 4
Germany
Message 67082 - Posted: 22 Jan 2016, 14:55:52 UTC

As promised, here my short feedback (I found a way to reach the back of my computer, even with injury):

It worked absolutely without any problems in the way Ageless has decribed it. The projects have continued exactly where they stopped before the uninstallation.

So thanks again for your answer. I'm very happy about the result.
ID: 67082 · Report as offensive

Message boards : Questions and problems : Force BOINC to use a certain drive

Copyright © 2024 University of California.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.