Hi,

I have changed my installation so it runs as a service.

When boincmgr opens via the startup process it opens OK.

But after while when I open boincmgr (via the systray) it displays a message "incorrect password". If I close boincmgr and reopen it, then it works fine - for a while.

Can anybody please help me solver this problem?

Thanks
David

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I've also been having trouble with this problem for a little while on 2 notebook PCs.

I've today completely uninstalled and reinstalled BOINC (and in the middle deleted all files in the BOINC folder on my PC).

I've also tried the method above but neither worked at all.

The only projects I currently run are Pirates, PrimeGrid and XtremLab


Evan :->

Hi,

I found nothing in the wiki.

At least I'm not alone, Evan :-(

I have noticed though that, for me, it only happens when maximising boincmgr after stopping and restarting the service.

Any gurus around, please?

Thanks,
David

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It happens to me in the following situations:

1. When the PC has been on for an extended period of time (4 hours +) and I maximise the Boinc Manager

2. When I close the notebook lid and reopen it sometime later (and then maximise the Manager).


Evan :->

I have changed my installation so it runs as a service.

A sensible move for anyone in control of their own PC. I cannot imagine myself ever NOT installing it as a service :).

When boincmgr opens via the startup process it opens OK.

Why do you want to do that? Having BOINC Manager running by default from the start menu is going to use a few CPU cycles that otherwise would go to the science apps. You can easily start the manager at any time if you wish to review things so why not just let the service get started and then start the manager only when you need it?.

My initial reaction is to think that there might be some possible race condition as to which is starting first - the BOINC service or an instance of BOINC initiated by the Manager starting first. I imagine it shouldn't happen but ...

But after while when I open boincmgr (via the systray) it displays a message "incorrect password". If I close boincmgr and reopen it, then it works fine - for a while.

The BOINC service reads the password from the file gui_rpc_auth.cfg in your BOINC folder as it is starting up. That password remains the same for the life of the service. If you were to change the password in the _auth file after starting the service and were then to attempt to start the manager, you would get the "incorrect password" message. If that file is not being changed then both the service and the manager should have exactly the same idea about the password - unless there is some sort of race condition as mentioned previously.

Can you reproduce the problem if you remove the manager from the startup menu?

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Cheers,
Gary.

My initial reaction is to think that there might be some possible race condition as to which is starting first - the BOINC service or an instance of BOINC initiated by the Manager starting first. I imagine it shouldn't happen but ...

Services are started even before logging into your Windows account.

Mine is set up as a shared installation, not as a service installation.


Evan :->

Services are started even before logging into your Windows account.

That's why I said it shouldn't happen. However I have windows setup so that it boots straight to the desktop and quite quickly too. No login screen ever appears and with the things that are done to make XP boot quickly I wonder if there might be a window of opportunity for the manager to be starting before the service is fully established.

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Cheers,
Gary.

I have changed my installation so it runs as a service.

When boincmgr opens via the startup process it opens OK.

Why do you want to do that?

I used very misleading English for which I apologise. I did not mean via the Startup Folder, simply by clicking it to open it.

Can you reproduce the problem if you remove the manager from the startup menu?

Yes - everytime I NET STOP BOINC, NET START BOINC, if boincmgr was not closed before the NET START BOINC then when I open it via systray I get Invalid Password. I have to close boincmgr and start it anew.

Is it relevant that the service operates under the Local System Account?

Thanks,
David

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I used very misleading English for which I apologise. I did not mean via the Startup Folder, simply by clicking it to open it.

Thanks for clearing that up. Now I fully understand.

Yes - everytime I NET STOP BOINC, NET START BOINC, if boincmgr was not closed before the NET START BOINC then when I open it via systray I get Invalid Password. I have to close boincmgr and start it anew.

I do exactly the same thing. I have those two commands stored in .cmd files and linked to two icons on the desktop. A click to stop and a click to start the service which makes it very easy if I want to do a quick edit on the state file for example. I'm pretty sure that I see similar problems if the manager is left running through the interval over which the service gets stopped and then restarted. I'm very much in the habit of stopping the manager before stopping the service because of exactly this problem. I don't know the technical details but I'm guessing that the manager doesn't cope with finding a different process running when it gets awoken from its sleep in the systray. Killing the manager and restarting it forces it to properly communicate with the service.

Is it relevant that the service operates under the Local System Account?

Possibly - that's exactly how I run the service as well. I also make sure that the box for allowing the service to interact with the desktop is ticked as well. It's not ticked by default when you select the local system account.

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Cheers,
Gary.

Yes - everytime I NET STOP BOINC, NET START BOINC, if boincmgr was not closed before the NET START BOINC then when I open it via systray I get Invalid Password. I have to close boincmgr and start it anew.

I do exactly the same thing. I have those two commands stored in .cmd files and linked to two icons on the desktop. A click to stop and a click to start the service which makes it very easy if I want to do a quick edit on the state file for example. I'm pretty sure that I see similar problems if the manager is left running through the interval over which the service gets stopped and then restarted. I'm very much in the habit of stopping the manager before stopping the service because of exactly this problem. I don't know the technical details but I'm guessing that the manager doesn't cope with finding a different process running when it gets awoken from its sleep in the systray. Killing the manager and restarting it forces it to properly communicate with the service.

You can just go to Select computer and type localhost, that will make it connect again. Note BOINC Manager communicates via a TCP/IP connection, it doesn't need to know what process is on the other end.

Is it relevant that the service operates under the Local System Account?

Possibly - that's exactly how I run the service as well. I also make sure that the box for allowing the service to interact with the desktop is ticked as well. It's not ticked by default when you select the local system account.

If you care about security, don't do that. Local System Account has more privileges than your normal administrator user...

If you care about security, don't do that. Local System Account has more privileges than your normal administrator user...

Yes, I care about security and have read posts about running under the Local System Account. In my setup, the LSA does not have priveleges that are not under the (my) same control as an Administrator Account.

Thanks everybody for helping me understand what is happening with boincmgr.
David

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