The local computer superstore had 8400GS based cards for $12 so I got one to stick in my Windows Home Server 2011 system that runs BOINC for Seti and Einstein. While the Win7 x64 version of the latest NVIDIA driver didn't seem to have any problem installing and the 8400 shows up in the device manager OK, BOINC never lists it as being used in the tasks list despite the 'use GPU' box checked. Any ideas on how to get it going? The system is headless even with the new card installed; I only log in with remote desktop. Might that have something to do with it?
PS - Yes, I know 8400GS is a sad old chip, but for $12 what the hey.

The system is headless...

Does that imply it running in service (Protected Application Execution) mode?

That would prevent GPUs from being recognized by newer BOINC clients.

Gruß,
Gundolf

---

Computer sind nicht alles im Leben. (Kleiner Scherz)

Andrew Tapp over at Seti reports that Boinc won't detect his Quad 8400GS's with any driver newer than 301.42, more usefully he supplied his startup logs:

Missing coprocessor

When i have a spare moment, I'm going to upgrade the drivers on my 8400GS (on XP), see if it is detected, then move the GPU to my Vista machine and try later drivers on that,

Claggy

I only log in with remote desktop. Might that have something to do with it?

Yes, remote desktop disables the NVIDIA driver and uses its own (and CUDA disappears).
Try using other program as TeamViewer or VNC (they do not 'play' with the video driver so CUDA is unaffected)

It will be better if you post the first 40-50 lines of BOINC startup messages from Event Log (Advanced menu - Event Log)
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Advanced_view#The_Event_Log_window

---

- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)

It's not running as a service; I used remote desktop to log in and then just disconnect to leave BOINC running.

Here's the startup log. I see the line that says GPU has become unusable, but it doesn't say why.

1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | No config file found - using defaults
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Starting BOINC client version 7.0.28 for windows_x86_64
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | log flags: file_xfer, sched_ops, task
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Libraries: libcurl/7.25.0 OpenSSL/1.0.1 zlib/1.2.6
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Data directory: C:\ProgramData\BOINC
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Running under account Administrator
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Processor: 2 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6300 @ 1.86GHz [Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 6]
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Processor: 2.00 MB cache
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Processor features: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss htt tm pni ssse3 cx16 syscall nx lm vmx tm2 pbe
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | OS: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 "R2": Home Premium Server x64 Edition, Service Pack 1, (06.01.7601.00)
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Memory: 7.75 GB physical, 15.49 GB virtual
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Disk: 232.71 GB total, 202.20 GB free
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Local time is UTC -7 hours
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | No usable GPUs found
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | Einstein@Home | URL http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/; Computer ID 5703332; resource share 100
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | SETI@home | URL http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID 6686061; resource share 100
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | SETI@home | General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 08-Jul-2005 23:08:15)
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | SETI@home | Computer location: work
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | SETI@home | General prefs: no separate prefs for work; using your defaults
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Reading preferences override file
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Preferences:
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | max memory usage when active: 3966.54MB
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | max memory usage when idle: 7139.78MB
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | max disk usage: 100.00GB
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | max download rate: 10004 bytes/sec
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | max upload rate: 10004 bytes/sec
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | (to change preferences, visit the web site of an attached project, or select Preferences in the Manager)
1/26/2013 10:52:51 PM | | Not using a proxy
1/26/2013 10:52:53 PM | | GPUs have become unusable; disabling tasks
1/26/2013 10:52:53 PM | SETI@home | Restarting task ap_29jn12ae_B4_P0_00121_20130120_00604.wu_0 using astropulse_v6 version 601 in slot 2
1/26/2013 10:52:53 PM | Einstein@Home | Restarting task p2030.20120204.G194.30-03.81.N.b0s0g0.00000_3368_0 using einsteinbinary_BRP4 version 122 (BRP4SSE) in slot 0
1/27/2013 6:36:09 AM | Einstein@Home | Sending scheduler request: To report completed tasks.
1/27/2013 6:36:09 AM | Einstein@Home | Reporting 2 completed tasks, not requesting new tasks
1/27/2013 6:36:12 AM | Einstein@Home | Scheduler request completed
1/27/2013 11:19:38 AM | SETI@home | Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
1/27/2013 11:19:38 AM | SETI@home | Requesting new tasks for CPU
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | SETI@home | Scheduler request completed: got 3 new tasks
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | SETI@home | New computer location: home
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | SETI@home | General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 08-Jul-2005 23:08:15)
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | SETI@home | Computer location: home
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | General prefs: using separate prefs for home
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | Reading preferences override file
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | Preferences:
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | max memory usage when active: 3966.54MB
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | max memory usage when idle: 7139.78MB
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | max disk usage: 100.00GB
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | max download rate: 10004 bytes/sec
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | max upload rate: 10004 bytes/sec
1/27/2013 11:19:43 AM | | (to change preferences, visit the web site of an attached project, or select Preferences in the Manager)
1/27/2013 11:19:45 AM | SETI@home | Started download of 01ja13ab.7325.59364.5.10.85
1/27/2013 11:19:45 AM | SETI@home | Started download of 28dc12aa.9819.22504.9.10.176
1/27/2013 11:21:00 AM | SETI@home | Finished download of 28dc12aa.9819.22504.9.10.176
1/27/2013 11:21:00 AM | SETI@home | Started download of 01ja13ab.7325.59364.5.10.55
1/27/2013 11:21:00 AM | SETI@home | Starting task 28dc12aa.9819.22504.9.10.176_0 using setiathome_enhanced version 603 in slot 1
1/27/2013 11:21:59 AM | SETI@home | Finished download of 01ja13ab.7325.59364.5.10.85
1/27/2013 11:22:52 AM | SETI@home | Finished download of 01ja13ab.7325.59364.5.10.55
1/27/2013 1:51:10 PM | SETI@home | Computation for task ap_29jn12ae_B4_P0_00121_20130120_00604.wu_0 finished
1/27/2013 1:51:10 PM | SETI@home | Starting task 01ja13ab.7325.59364.5.10.55_0 using setiathome_enhanced version 603 in slot 2
1/27/2013 1:51:12 PM | SETI@home | Started upload of ap_29jn12ae_B4_P0_00121_20130120_00604.wu_0_0
1/27/2013 1:51:20 PM | SETI@home | Finished upload of ap_29jn12ae_B4_P0_00121_20130120_00604.wu_0_0
1/27/2013 3:19:26 PM | Einstein@Home | Restarting task p2030.20120204.G194.30-03.81.N.b0s0g0.00000_3368_0 using einsteinbinary_BRP4 version 122 (BRP4SSE) in slot 0

I used remote desktop to log in and then just disconnect to leave BOINC running.

As you're already been told, you can't use Remote Desktop with GPUs, it uses different drivers without Cuda support, Use TeamViewer or VNC instead,

What drivers version did you install?, because i've already told you another 8400 GS user has reported Boinc wouldn't detect his 8400 GS's with drivers later than 301.42, so try 301.42 drivers,

The 'GPUs have become unusable' is when Boinc detects the Use of Remote Desktop, and disables GPU use so preventing any GPU tasks from erroring out.

Claggy

OK, so I downgraded the video driver and switched to VNC and at least it recognizes the GPU now. Alas, there is a new error:
Scheduler Wait: "Error creating command queue failure"
This happens with a SaH Astropulse work unit waiting.

I've never seen that error before, and can't find it in the source code. So I'll have to ask the developers.

---

I've never seen that error before, and can't find it in the source code. So I'll have to ask the developers.

You'll have to ask Raistmer. It's an application (nVidia OpenCL) error, not a BOINC error.

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/result.php?resultid=2823247964

If it's an nVidia error, should I downgrade the driver a few more versions?