Suggestion: BOINC only active when screen saver is running

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Daniel

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Joined: 14 Jul 17
Posts: 1
Message 79603 - Posted: 14 Jul 2017, 22:21:15 UTC

Hey guys,

about 5 - 10 years ago (or even more) I used SETI@Home. I was really happy with it.

Today: since my PC runs still 365 days a year, I thought it would be a great idea to use BOINC software again...

Probably a mistake...
Why?
Because, nowadays it seems totally independent on screen saver activity. From the very first beginning on (in the early years), BOINC was only active when screen saver was running.

I am watching Netflix movies and also movies via VLC media player, Amazon prime, and so on.... However, during watching movies BOINC starts to calculate. Quite annoying. It slows down full HD movies.

Then, I tried to switch to 10 min activation after inactivity of mouse and keyboard. I thought, maybe similar to screen saver... NO, during watching a movie without any contact to mouse or keybord BOINC starts... -> result: slow movie. Again: more than annoying.

I fully understand that probably 99.99999 of the people are not using a screen saver anymore. From a marketing point of view, BOINC should be active as often as possible on user's PC. However, I'd like to have a option similar as 10 years ago: BOINC is only active and using CPU time only when SCREEN SAVER is active.

What do you think?

After the installation of BOINC and and after these troubles, I decided to de-install the program.
I'd like to watch movies (mostly online ->browser) and I do not like if BOINC starts and slows down my movie.

Kind regards,
Daniel
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Richard Haselgrove
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Joined: 5 Oct 06
Posts: 5077
United Kingdom
Message 79604 - Posted: 14 Jul 2017, 23:03:04 UTC

I think it's a fair point that there should be be a setting, or combination of settings, which allows a 'screensaver only' mode of operation.

So - is the problem that this particular user didn't find it, or does it in fact not exist?

I remember discussions about how difficult it was to detect that a non-BOINC application was actively running full screen, as would be the case when watching movies. Could that be the problem still?
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Message boards : Questions and problems : Suggestion: BOINC only active when screen saver is running

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