A couple of days ago, suddenly, all my tasks from different projects have excessively high 'To completion' times. Examples:

rosetta@home: 336 hours
climateprediction.net: 373019 hours
SETI@home: 1320 hours

I already tried running the CPU benchmarks again but even the new tasks start with such times. As a result, BOINC considers the computer overcomitted all the time...
This happened after I snoozed BOINC while I was running on batteries on my laptop. Since then, I never got some 'real-world' estimates.

What could be wrong?
Andre

P.S.: Resetting a project didn't help.

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Which BOINC version?
Is the time on your computer correct?
Is the CPU speed on your computer correct?
When checking in Task Manager, does something other than the science application take up a load of CPU cycles?

When going to the computer summary on either of the three projects (it's in your account), what are the numbers you see at:

% of time BOINC client is running
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed
Average CPU efficiency
Result duration correction factor

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Wow. That was a quick reply :).

BOINC version: 5.4.11 on Windows XP SP2
Date time is correct (we recently adjusted to winter time last sunday..... but new tasks still don't estimate correctly)
CPU speed is correct (Centrino 1500MHz on Windows, BOINC and hardware)
Just the science applications are taking CPU time (99%)

Computer summary for rosetta@home:

% of time BOINC client is running: 74.4998 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed: 99.4188 %
Average CPU efficiency: 0.927334
Result duration correction factor: 42.468561

Thanks for any help,
Andre

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I just strolled in. ;-)

Can you check the Duraction Correction Factor on all three projects, please?
As one of 42.468561 is a tad high.

We can fix that one, easily, but I would like to know the other numbers as well.

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rosetta@home (same as in previous post): 42.468561
climateprediction.net: 127.83
SETI@home: 90.56

And, yes, they are quite high :). In my other (home) computer, these numbers are somewhere between 0 and 1.

Thanks, Jord.
Andre

P.S.: would this be fixed by itself at some point if I just let BOINC run for some time?

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Please exit BOINC (Boinc Manager->File, Exit. If you use service install, net stop boinc)
Navigate to your BOINC folder (default at c:\\program files\\BOINC)
Locate and edit with Notepad, client_state.xml
Using the Find command in Notepad, look for <duration_correction_factor>
At each of the three finds, change the excessive number to 1.000000
Save client_state.xml with Save (Not Save as..)
Restart BOINC (if service install, net start boinc).

Now it will take a while (two weeks) to equalize again. But at least you should be out of EDF.

(I cheated this time, I prepared this text while waiting for your answer. ;-))

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Jord,

Right on! Numbers are now perfectly normal.
Thanks a lot.

I forgive your cheating this time ;).

BTW, did you know the following settings have no effect whatsoever on BOINC's behavior:

* Do work while computer is running on batteries?
(matters only for portable computers)

* Use at most x percent of CPU time
Enforced by versions 5.6 and greater

While on batteries I always have to snooze BOINC or it will drain by batteries in 10 minutes.
CPU usage is always 99% no matter what maximum I set.

Regards
Andre

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rosetta@home (same as in previous post): 42.468561
climateprediction.net: 127.83
SETI@home: 90.56

P.S.: would this be fixed by itself at some point if I just let BOINC run for some time?

At normal DCF, which starts at 1, the equalization takes roughly two weeks, if you run 24/7. So yes, if you were running 24/7 (you aren't) eventually your high numbers will go down again. Rosetta in 84, CPDN in 254 and Seti in 180 weeks. ;-)

This is quicker. :-)

As for the possible cause, maybe that BOINC doesn't like Snooze when running on batteries on a laptop. I'll pass it on to the developers and ask if they heard of this before. For now, don't use Snooze, but either exit Boinc when you need to do something else, or Suspend it (Activity menu in Boinc Manager, Suspend)

You aren't using Boinc 5.6.x or greater, so your CPU usage will always be 100%, no matter what you set it to.

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Where can I get BOINC 5.6.x? I only find 5.4.11 for download... Is it still in alfa?

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5.6.5 is abandoned. You can download it from here: Boinc 5.6.5 for Windows
But do know it has some other bugs.

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An explanation about the CPU usage part in new BOINCs:

As you see it's in percentage. This is set per minute. 100% = 60 seconds.
So if you set that setting to 90% usage, you still crunch 9x6=54 seconds every minute. It stops for 6 seconds.
You crunch 54 seconds, then stop for 6 seconds.
If you set it to 50%, you crunch 30 seconds, then stop 30 seconds.

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Even at only as rough as 1 second precision, it would be much better to modulate the run time at least on that 1 second base, e.g.

90% = 9 sec crunch + 1 sec sleep,
50% = 1 sec crunch + 1 sec sleep (and not 5+5!), switching as often as possible around the 1/2 fraction,
70% = (in the long run) 3 sec run + 1 sec sleep, 2 sec run + 1 sec sleep, 2 sec run + 1 sec sleep and again the same pattern, around the 7/10 fraction.

Because if only as less as 30% would be selected, in 18 seconds under full load that much heat can accumulate, that e.g. the fans will surely jump in (takes 2-3 seconds from cold idle state on my notebook), although with 30% effective load this would not happen.

Peter