I'm sure this has been answered in one of your FAQs (I've looked but can't seem to come up with the correct search criteria) but I'm about to put Vista onto my computer. How do I transfer all my SETI, EINSTEIN and CLIMATEPREDITCION work-to-date and credits to the new operating system?

The new OS is going onto a squeaky clean hard drive as a "clean install" so nothing will be migrated with it. I am prepared to reinstall BOINC but need to get the other stuff into the right place(s). Or, do I have to start all over again?

Thanks,

Turner

This post over at CPDN should help you.

One thing to note about running under Vista. If you opt to have BOINC start on boot and you have not disabled UAC it won't start up (at least on a multi user install and with the current alpha client). It'll pop up a message that UAC has prevented a program from starting.

I didn't have a problem with the Windows firewall (I installed BOINC just the other day). And as far as I can tell, it's running pretty flawlessly.

I even peaked at CPDN beta graphics and they were wonderful.

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Kathryn :o)

I've been through a very similar process, but doing Vista as an 'in situ' upgrade over a working XP install. I managed to keep everything - project host IDs, stats, work in progress (including 5 CPDN models - this is a multicore!) etc.

I would suggest:

• Do an orderly shutdown of the existing machine - set 'No new work', suspend projects.
  
• Back up the entire BOINC directory, including all subdirectories - preferably two copies, in different formats.
  
• Install Vista, and get it running cleanly - sort out any driver problems (especially graphics) and antivirus.
  
• Put your BOINC folder into a place where Vista can see it, but don't put it in "Program files" - mine is now at C:\BOINC, but you could choose almost anywhere. Technique for putting it there? I would suggest (in order of preference) 1. Hard disk to hard disk copy 2. Network copy 3. Compressed (zip etc) copy on USB flash/pen drive 4. Straight copy on USB flash/pen drive 5. Compressed (zip etc) copy on CDR/DVDR. Avoid straight copy on CDR - it can mark the files as read-only.
  
• Exclude the BOINC folder in your antivirus program - both for scheduled and for 'on-access' scans.
  
• Run the BOINC installer, being careful to change the installation location so you install it on top of the existing folder you've just copied. You can install a newer version than the one you had originally, if you want.
  
• Start BOINC, and un-suspend projects, checking for errors as you go along.
  
• If everything's OK (and it should be), allow new work again and relax.
  

I'm not sure whether putting the folder outside "Program files" solves the UAC problem - I installed as a service, and also got so annoyed with UAC nagging about other programs that I turned it off completely.

As per Kathryn's link, this is Les Bayliss's basic manual backup & restore method that a lot of cpdn members use:

To make a backup:
1) Somewhere on your hard disk outside the Climate Change Experiment (or BOINC) folder, make a new folder with a name suitable to label it as a backup folder. (Or several folders if you want to keep several backups.)
2) In the menu, click on Suspend. (The location varies with different versions of the Manager, AKA BOINC.)
3) Watch what it says in the Status section of the Tasks tab, until it SAYS Suspended.
4) In the menu, click Exit.
5) Wait until the manager has disappeared, and also the small round B icon in the system tray. (Bottom line of screen, right hand side.)
6) Using Explorer, select the Climate Change Experiment (or BOINC) folder.
7) In the explorer menu, click Select all.
8) In the explorer menu, click Copy.
9) Go to the new folder created in step 1), and right click in it.
10) Click paste.

To restore:
A) Using Explorer, select the CCE (or BOINC) folder.
B) In the explorer menu, click Select all.
C) In the explorer menu, click delete.

All the contents of the folder(s) should now be gone, leaving only the CCE (or BOINC) folder.

D) Go to the backup folder and click on it.
E) In the explorer menu, click Select all.
F) In the explorer menu, click copy.
G) Go to the CCE (or BOINC) folder and right click in it.
H) Click paste.

The older copy of the experiment should now be restored to its original location.

I) Reboot computer to remove anything in ram that may cause a problem, and to also restart the CCE (BOINC) Manager.


Richard, to expand on a couple of your points for the benefit of crunchers not accustomed to backing up the contents of the boinc folder.

*For a backup to be successful, one must exit from boinc first.

*The backup and restore is of the CONTENTS of the boinc folder.

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