Adding folding slot for my GPU doesn't stick in the config?

[Neil-B]

If you have a GPU slot then the max CPU cores you should set is 3 not 4 … with a CPU core to service the GPU you will have your two slots fighting each other.

[BP2020]

Thank you for explaining. I changed it according to your suggestion. I think this is what you were explaining before:

If the CPU slot is set at the default -1 then your machine will save one core for the CPU meaning you have 3 left for normal (high use) … medium will take one off that to give 2core … light will pause the GPU slot and use half the CPU slot cores (but don't ask me how it does 1.5, or if it does one or two !!)

Most likely you meant save one core for the GPU... I thought you had meant for general CPU usage but since I'm not doing much on the PC I didn't understand why I needed to do that... Also now it makes sense (to me) why the 4 cores can be used when there is no GPU slot at all, as was the case initially with my setup. In any case now I understand! Thanks again!

[Neil-B]

My bad … You are absolutely correct - Typo on my part … but glad your sorted now.

[PantherX]

...Of course I have the GPUs.txt file in

Code: Select all

C:\Users\MyNon-Admin-user\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\FAHClient

...

This is odd.
If you installed the application with the default settings, this would be where the GPUs.txt file would be:
C:\Users\PantherX-H\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient

However, You seem to have it in a different location. I don't know why that happened

Nonetheless, if you have everything working as expected, that's great

[BP2020]

That's where I thought I would find the /FAHClient directory too (aside from /Program Files x86) but it wasn't there. I would have never found it, never heard of that /VirtualStore, I actually had to do a search for "FAHClient" on the entire drive to figure this one out. Thanks!

[PantherX]

Out of curiosity, I went digging around on my system and discovered this:
Location: C:\Users\PantherX-H\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\FAHClient
Content:

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|   GPUs.txt
|   log.txt
|
+---logs
|       log-20180621-174338.txt
|       log-20180621-174356.txt
|       log-20180621-174436.txt
|
\---work
        client.db
        client.db-journal

Log file (all log files had the same content):

Code: Select all

*********************** Log Started 2018-06-21T17:44:36Z ***********************
17:44:36:************************* Folding@home Client *************************
17:44:36:        Website: https://foldingathome.org/
17:44:36:      Copyright: (c) 2009-2018 foldingathome.org
17:44:36:         Author: Joseph Coffland <joseph@cauldrondevelopment.com>
17:44:36:           Args: 
17:44:36:         Config: <none>
17:44:36:******************************** Build ********************************
17:44:36:        Version: 7.5.1
17:44:36:           Date: May 11 2018
17:44:36:           Time: 13:06:32
17:44:36:     Repository: Git
17:44:36:       Revision: 4705bf53c635f88b8fe85af7675557e15d491ff0
17:44:36:         Branch: master
17:44:36:       Compiler: Visual C++ 2008
17:44:36:        Options: /TP /nologo /EHa /wd4297 /wd4103 /Ox /MT
17:44:36:       Platform: win32 10
17:44:36:           Bits: 32
17:44:36:           Mode: Release
17:44:36:******************************* System ********************************
17:44:36:            CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700K CPU @ 4.00GHz
17:44:36:         CPU ID: GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 94 Stepping 3
17:44:36:           CPUs: 8
17:44:36:         Memory: 31.94GiB
17:44:36:    Free Memory: 22.35GiB
17:44:36:        Threads: WINDOWS_THREADS
17:44:36:     OS Version: 6.2
17:44:36:    Has Battery: false
17:44:36:     On Battery: false
17:44:36:     UTC Offset: 12
17:44:36:            PID: 17944
17:44:36:            CWD: C:\Program Files (x86)\FAHClient
17:44:36:             OS: Windows 10 Enterprise
17:44:36:        OS Arch: AMD64
17:44:36:           GPUs: 1
17:44:36:          GPU 0: Bus:1 Slot:0 Func:0 NVIDIA:7 GP102 [GeForce GTX 1080 Ti] 11380
17:44:36:  CUDA Device 0: Platform:0 Device:0 Bus:1 Slot:0 Compute:6.1 Driver:9.2
17:44:36:OpenCL Device 0: Platform:0 Device:0 Bus:1 Slot:0 Compute:1.2 Driver:397.93
17:44:36:  Win32 Service: false
17:44:36:***********************************************************************
17:44:36:<config>
17:44:36:  <!-- Folding Slots -->
17:44:36:</config>
17:44:36:Trying to access database...
17:44:36:Successfully acquired database lock
17:44:36:Enabled folding slot 00: PAUSED cpu:6 (not configured)
17:44:36:Enabled folding slot 01: PAUSED gpu:0:GP102 [GeForce GTX 1080 Ti] 11380 (not configured)
17:44:36:ERROR:Exception: Failed to register systray icon: Unspecified error
17:44:46:WARNING:Console control signal 2 on PID 17944
17:44:46:Exiting, please wait. . .

Considering that the files were last modified in 2018-06-21, I am not sure what I did since I have the program installed correctly without issues. I did a fresh installation by uninstalling the previous version (including the data deletion) so this could be; an Easter egg , undocumented feature, or a bug... tick all that applies

[BP2020]

I would say all of the above! For me it was a first time install of the software but yesterday I reinstalled many times, with or without removing data, so who knows what happened. I'll do a quick recap of the shortcut/start menu/permissions part of what happened for people who do support and want to investigate this further. I just suspect many people just did an express install and it works fine and they're folding, but if they need to add the GPUs.txt or close the client and reboot, some will face the same situation I did... Many of the questions in the New Donors start here section seem to be about this (not starting automatically, no shortcut, having to launch manually etc.). I'm not changing the setup because it works perfectly now. Here goes nothing.

• I did an express install on Windows 10 with my normal user account and I was folding fine with the CPU only. The mere fact of double-clicking the installer I have to supply my Admin password right there. I don't see anything asking me if I want to install this for this user or all users or what not. It's really express. After that the client was in the system tray and I could access the Advanced tool from there etc.
• Then I realized the setup had no slot for the GPU so I tried adding it but it wouldn't stick, hence the name of the post. So I'm told I need to put this GPUs.txt file for my AMD RX 480 card, stop the client and reboot, so I do that.
• Upon rebooting, that's when I realize there is no shortcut to start the client on the desktop and this is nowhere to be found in the start menu, nowhere. So I try starting the FAHClient manually but I have a command window which annoys me, but the client works but I can't launch the Advanced Control, I double click it and nothing happens. Furthermore, it works and the GPU is there but there is this access denied error about FahCore_a7.exe so something is not right (permissions?). So I reinstall many times etc. I'm looping. Since I don't know the connection between the hidemycommand.exe and the client I can't have this in the tray in a clean way and there is that error. So creating a shortcut manually (which I didn't know what arguments to supply to connect hidemycommand with FAHClient, I know this now but didn't then) here wouldn't help I would think insofar as that error (FahCore_a7.exe) is concerned; I may be wrong here.
• That's when I uninstall (I most likely didn't remove the data when asked), log out, then log in my Administrator account, intall this express, then the shortcut is created on the Administrator desktop, as it should be. So I copy this shortcut to my normal user desktop, log out of Administrator, and log in with my normal user account, and finally I can click this shortcut, it launches the client like the installer does when you install (puts it in the tray etc. because obviously it has the proper argument in the shortcut) and now this permission error (FahCore_a7.exe) is gone, the GPU is folding and all.

So in my use case the installer DID NOT create the shortcut nor put the software in the Start menu with my normal account. I reinstalled many times, it just didn't. Installing from my Administrator account did it but I don't stay logged in that account because that's unsafe, I just used it for installing the software not for running it. Of course when I first installed and was folding using the CPU only and since the client was running I didn't bother to check if there was a shortcut etc. because it was running and I put the PC to sleep, I don't restart. Sorry for the verbosity, just trying to make a systematic account of what happened here. Hope this helps!

As soon as I get the chance, I will remove every trace of the client on my rig then try this from scratch to check whether this leverages remnants of the normal user installs I had done with the install I did on the Administrator account...

[BP2020]

Ok, so I uninstalled the client, the data, removed all FAHClient instances on the drive, shortcuts, even some most likely really not important registry entries. I consider the rig was clean.

• I logged out of my normal account (which is not part of the Administrators group btw) and logged in my Administrator account. Did an Express Install, unchecked launch the application at the end of the install. Shortcut and Start menu entries were created.
• I copied the Desktop shortcut to my normal user Desktop: C:\Users\MyUser\Desktop, then logged out my Administrator account.
• I logged in my normal account and launched the client from the shortcut, the web client opened and I entered my credentials. My GPU slot was not there, I tried to put the GPUs.txt file directly in Program Files x86/FAHClient, didn't seem to work.
  So I went to C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\ and the /FAHClient directory wasn't there so I created it, and put the GPUs.txt file there. Most likely restarted the client.
• I was then able to add my GPU slot and all works fine AFAIK.
• I've removed the open-web-control "true" option completely from the Expert tab in Configure in the Advanced Control and will edit my shortcut to remove the --open-web-control switch (I just don't like that)

Sure the shortcut contains the Start in parameter: C:\Users\MyAdministratorShortName\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient. I went to check there by switching accounts, the GPUs.txt file ended up there (I am certain I didn't put it there manually). The log in the Advanced Control doesn't contain any mention "reading a GPUs.txt file" which I thought I had seen when I put the GPUs.txt file for the first time in this thread after learning from it. Also, putting the shortcut in the startup folder to have the whole thing start upon login will work as I've tried this before, but that's simple Windows stuff and is unrelated. In any case, the GPU slot is there with the CPU one, it's folding. I'm using my normal user account, there is not a single error in the log in the Advanced Control, I will finish the WUs I have before confirming there are no issues. If so, I consider this much simpler than the Fix I read for Windows 10 for 7.5.1 here (viewtopic.php?f=106&t=33531) and I'll leave that under the advisement of your support team to see whether that's best practices or not. Thank you!

[PantherX]

...

• ...
• I logged in my normal account and launched the client from the shortcut, the web client opened and I entered my credentials. My GPU slot was not there, I tried to put the GPUs.txt file directly in Program Files x86/FAHClient, didn't seem to work.
  So I went to C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\ and the /FAHClient directory wasn't there so I created it, and put the GPUs.txt file there. Most likely restarted the client.
• I was then able to add my GPU slot and all works fine AFAIK...

That's an issue... the correct location of GPUs.txt file would be (if defaults were used):
C:\Users\PantherX-H\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient
If the VirtualStore path was never created, that's a good sign I think and so if you were to repeat the installation but tweak this step to match your installation directory without the VirtualStore path, it would be nice.

...

• ...
• I've removed the open-web-control "true" option completely from the Expert tab in Configure in the Advanced Control and will edit my shortcut to remove the --open-web-control switch (I just don't like that)

[/list]
Sure the shortcut contains the Start in parameter: C:\Users\MyAdministratorShortName\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient. I went to check there by switching accounts, the GPUs.txt file ended up there (I am certain I didn't put it there manually). The log in the Advanced Control doesn't contain any mention "reading a GPUs.txt file" which I thought I had seen when I put the GPUs.txt file for the first time in this thread after learning from it...

By default, if the GPUs.txt file isn't preset next to the config.xml file, it will attempt to download it. I think that the entry of reading the GPUs.txt file could have been in a previous log if the client was restarted.

[BP2020]

That's an issue... the correct location of GPUs.txt file would be (if defaults were used):
C:\Users\PantherX-H\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient
If the VirtualStore path was never created, that's a good sign I think and so if you were to repeat the installation but tweak this step to match your installation directory without the VirtualStore path, it would be nice.

Yes, as you know of course this technique has been superseded by the one from my write-up where I just put it exactly in the path you describe, but for the Administrator account as that's the account being used to install, so it's coherent. Anyways I get the feeling that putting it in the virtualstore path pushes it there in some way although that's a moot point in my use case scenario considering. By the way you're very welcome, I'm glad I could help a bit. I've promoted the client left, right, and center. Anyways, I'm happily folding since then, getting WUs for both CPU/GPU with no problem whatsoever. Will continue for the foreseeable future! Cheers from the Land Of The Cabane À Sucre!