I've hit a wall with this problem. I have 2 machines: Primary machine is AMD FX-8350, Win 7 Pro, 16GB mem, GTX580, 256GB SSD, BOINC 7.0.42 (x64). It runs fine. My backup machine is an AMD FX-6100, Win XP Pro SP-3, 8GB mem, GTX460, 64GB SSD, BOINC 7.0.64 (x86). It gets, processes and returns work units fine, BUT, it gives me an error message 'Windows cannot find "http://www.enigmaathome.net/" ' (as well as for all my other projects: Seti, Einstein, Milkway, even BOINC Web Site). I've checked all the failed internet addresses against those listed in my Event Log and they are all spelled exactly the same. Whenever I press any of the buttons under "Project web pages" or the top 3 buttons under "Help" BIONC also fails in exactly the same way. The bottom button under "Help" is "About BOINC Mgr" and it works probably because it does not have to go out to the internet.

My BOINC version history is: 7.0.28 worked normally. Upgraded to 7.0.64 which also worked fine for awhile. I wasn't using my backup machine much. When I fired BOINC up one day awhile back, it failed as I've described and has not worked right since. This happened maybe a month ago. So I reinstalled 7.0.64 (x86) over the top of the previous version. No change. Somewhere along the line I reinstalled 7.0.28 but it failed in exactly the same manner as I've already described so I reinstalled 7.0.64 again with no change. Finally, a couple of days ago I uninstalled BOINC completely using Windows Uninstall a Program. I found the BOINC production directory and it then contained only a single file, "stderrgfx.txt", which I renamed to "XXX-stderrgfx.txt" so BOINC could not possibly find it again. Then I created a new BOINC2 folder and installed BOINC Mgr 7.0.64 (x86) into it. It runs exactly the same way as before so I thought someone might have encountered this same problem and be willing to share the fix with the message board. It sounds to me like the internet linkage assigned to those buttons has been corrupted and even a complete reinstall does not fix the problem. I don't notice any problems anywhere else in my machine. So I'm at a loss for were to investigate next.

Thanks for all assistance! dave


Here's my "Event Log" from this morning:

10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | No config file found - using defaults
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Starting BOINC client version 7.0.64 for windows_intelx86
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Libraries: libcurl/7.25.0 OpenSSL/1.0.1 zlib/1.2.6
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Data directory: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BOINC2
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Running under account Dave
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Processor: 6 AuthenticAMD AMD FX(tm)-6100 Six-Core Processor [Family 21 Model 1 Stepping 2]
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 htt pni ssse3 cx16 sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt aes syscall nx lm svm sse4a osvw ibs xop skinit wdt lwp fma4 topx page1gb rdtscp
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | OS: Microsoft Windows XP: Professional x86 Edition, Service Pack 3, (05.01.2600.00)
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Memory: 3.24 GB physical, 5.08 GB virtual
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Disk: 55.89 GB total, 29.25 GB free
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Local time is UTC -5 hours
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | CUDA: NVIDIA GPU 0: GeForce GTX 460 (driver version 327.23, CUDA version 5.50, compute capability 2.1, 1024MB, 983MB available, 1048 GFLOPS peak)
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | OpenCL: NVIDIA GPU 0: GeForce GTX 460 (driver version 327.23, device version OpenCL 1.1 CUDA, 1024MB, 983MB available, 1048 GFLOPS peak)
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | Einstein@Home | URL http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/; Computer ID 9177037; resource share 100
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | Milkyway@Home | URL http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/; Computer ID 359688; resource share 100
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | SETI@home | URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 6598908; resource share 100
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | Enigma@Home | URL http://www.enigmaathome.net/; Computer ID 76857; resource share 100
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | Enigma@Home | General prefs: from Enigma@Home (last modified 01-Aug-2013 12:36:21)
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | Enigma@Home | Host location: none
10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | Enigma@Home | General prefs: using your defaults



Here's a partial copy of the "stderrgfx.txt" file that I renamed:

12:14:18 (2928): Close event (mouse move) detected, shutting down.
12:14:18 (2928): Shutting down graphics application.
12:23:51 (2216): Starting graphics application.
12:23:51 (2216): fullscreen mode requested.
Successfully loaded './Helvetica.txf'...
Successfully loaded 'boinc_logo_black.jpg'.
[01/31/12 12:23:53] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect 2: Winsock error '10061'

[01/31/12 12:23:53] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect on 312 returned -1

[01/31/12 12:24:03] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect 2: Winsock error '10061'

[01/31/12 12:24:03] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect on 312 returned -1

[01/31/12 12:24:16] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect 2: Winsock error '10061'

[01/31/12 12:24:16] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect on 312 returned -1

[01/31/12 12:24:29] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect 2: Winsock error '10061'

[01/31/12 12:24:29] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect on 312 returned -1

[01/31/12 12:24:42] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect 2: Winsock error '10061'

[01/31/12 12:24:42] TRACE [2220]: RPC_CLIENT::init connect on 312 returned -1

My backup machine is an AMD FX-6100, Win XP Pro SP-3, 8GB mem, GTX460, 64GB SSD, BOINC 7.0.64 (x86). It gets, processes and returns work units fine, BUT, it gives me an error message 'Windows cannot find "http://www.enigmaathome.net/" ' (as well as for all my other projects: Seti, Einstein, Milkway, even BOINC Web Site). I've checked all the failed internet addresses against those listed in my Event Log and they are all spelled exactly the same. Whenever I press any of the buttons under "Project web pages" or the top 3 buttons under "Help" BIONC also fails in exactly the same way. The bottom button under "Help" is "About BOINC Mgr" and it works probably because it does not have to go out to the internet.

Sounds as if the firewall is blocking Boinc Manager from accessing the internet, or Boinc Manager can't find the default Browser, the Boinc client has no problem and is still asking for work (at least from Enigma@Home):

All tasks for computer 76857

For your info, Boinc is installed in two locations, the Boinc program files location where all the Boinc files are installed, the Client, the Manager, etc,
and the Boinc Data directory where all the user files, project files and project apps reside,

Then I created a new BOINC2 folder and installed BOINC Mgr 7.0.64 (x86) into it

10/16/2013 7:38:39 AM | | Data directory: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\BOINC2

In the above two entries you're said you're created a separate Boinc Data directory called BOINC2 and installed the Boinc Manager (*) to it, this isn't advisable as they are separate for (Windows) security reasons,
(if you tried to set the Boinc Data directory location to the Boinc program files directory, you'd find none of the project apps would be able to run correctly because of the restricted rights in the Program files directory),
and i'm not sure if the first statement is even true, perhaps you're only created a new Boinc Data directory, and that all the Boinc program files are still installed to the Boinc program files directory.

* Boinc is made up of a number of parts, the Boinc client (boinc.exe), Boinc Manager (the GUI) (boincmgr.exe) as well as the boinccmd command-line tool (boinccmd.exe), the Boinc tray program (the keyboard/mouse idle detection program) (boinctray.exe), etc, saying you're only installed Boinc Manager to it is odd, rather that you're installed Boinc to BOINC2

Claggy

Thanks Claggy! I've printed your comments so now I can begin my further research.

, etc, saying you're only installed Boinc Manager to it is odd, rather that you're installed Boinc to BOINC2

My mistake in terminology. It was BOINC that I reinstalled.

Thanks again!!! dave

Something else to consider, is that your system has become infected with a virus. Even with an up-to-date anti virus, it's possible that something snuck by.

Since you can't trust anything on your system, you may want to scan using one of the online AV scanners. Such as TrendMicro, BitDefender or Eset. Best run them from Internet Explorer, I found when trying them in a Firefox clone that they don't work so well.

Alternatively, try Malwarebytes AntiMalware, and then its Chameleon version. That one will try to run even if a virus on your computer does not allow you to run (most) AV/AM scanners: http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/chameleon/

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Claggy, here's what I've learned so far. When I go to Boinc/Tools/Options/Connections I find "Broadband connection" on my primary machine that works correctly. But on my backup machine that fails there is nothing in the box. Somehow the default connection seems to have been deleted. Any idea how I can re-establish it?

TIA dave

There doesn't need to be anything in that box. When your connection is managed by Windows (as in you have a LAN connection), the box will be empty.

Only when that computer is connected directly to the broadband modem, will it show up. When you have a router between the modem and all your computers, it won't show up. Then you're just using the network connection (LAN). Which is managed by Windows.

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Thanks Jord! I had my hopes up. Both my machines are connected to a Westell Model 7500 DSL modem/router provided to me by my ISP. It has 1 input coax cable and up to 4 output RJ-45 ports which are connected to each of my machines. Guess I'll have to just keep digging.

But why then does my primary machine have "Broadband connection" in that box? I do not run a LAN in my house.

Thanks again!! dave

Both my machines are connected to a Westell Model 7500 DSL modem/router

That is your LAN, which is an abbreviation for Local Area Network. The computers will have an IP address in the 192.168.1.xxx range, and if you didn't change it, be using the WORKGROUP network group in Windows. Even two computers on a router can make up a LAN. They don't even have to be able to talk to each other, aka share anything.

But why then does my primary machine have "Broadband connection" in that box?

Perhaps a left-over from an older setup, at one time that you had that computer connected directly to a modem?

In any case, it doesn't matter much. When it's not in the way, just leave it be.

P.S: You did see my other post to you, about the possibility of it being a virus?

---

P.S: You did see my other post to you, about the possibility of it being a virus?
____________
Jord


Thank you so much! Your post about the virus got by me completely. I will go there today. Also, I didn't know 2 machines that cannot talk to each other, which mine cannot, can still comprise a LAN. I know I've never set a LAN up on purpose but now understand it can be hardware implemented. I hope I've interpreted that correctly.

Thanks again! You and Claggy have both been most generous with your knowledge, time and patience. It's nice, as well as necessary, to have the support available when needed.

dave

The Windows used is Windows XP, not any server version with an SQL database running on it. So no.

Unless you meant that BOINC would use TCP port 25 for any of its communications, but it doesn't. It uses TCP port 80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS communications, apart from 31416 for its internal communication between parts.

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Thanks for this lead, Nate1. I followed it and learned more than I can understand. But I did learn that many of the processes are installed to support other packages and therefore are sacred. I have been doing a little recreational programming in order to understand a bit about multi-core processing. It's really neat once I got my Prime Numbers program running in it. I even learned that I can run over 30 instances on only 6 or 8 cores. But the performance gains beyond the actual number of cores is minimal at best. So I expect the extra support packages might have been loaded by CodeBlocks or C++ or something else I have been tinkering with. I also downloaded, installed & ran the MalWareBytes/chameleon that was recommended by Ageless. It found 7 "PUP" files (4 were from Amazon.com) that I let it delete (though it might have just quarranted them). No change after doing that either. But now I at least am aware of that fine product. Since this is all happening only on my backup machine, which I don't use much, I believe I have decided to call it a day on the issue. My workaround is to bookmark the main web page address for each of the BOINC projects I run. That makes it almost as easy to get to each project when I wish.

A big THANKS goes out to everyone for all your efforts on my (and the boards) behalf. I wasn't able to solve my problem but I did learn a lot in the process.

dave