Windows SMP and FILE_IO_ERROR

This has been annoying me for a while now. When I'm using the Win SMP client, after almost every WU finishes I get a FILE_IO_ERROR, so I have to take these steps an arbitrary number of time to start on the next WU:

1. Delete the work folder and queue.dat file.
2. Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL and end the smpd.exe process like 3x before it really ends.
3. Run install.bat and enter my login and password.
4. Run fah.exe and wait...
If it gets a FILE_IO_ERROR when it is starting the next WU, I have to repeat steps 1-4.
If it doesn't it will complete the WU without a problem, but when it attempts to begin the next one it will most likely give me another FILE_IO_ERROR and I will have to manually repeat steps 1-4 until it doesn't give me the error.

Sometimes this takes 15+ tries to do, sometimes only 3-5, as far as I can tell it is totally random.

I read the thread on folding-community.org about FILE_IO_ERROR, but it wasn't helpful at all. Normally I would think this is a stability issue, but once it gets the WU started it finishes it every single time without a problem.

This is on my Dell E1505 laptop with a T2300 processor (2.0ghz Core Duo). This is so annoying since I don't want to have to babysit any of my computers that are folding. I have two desktops, an Opty 165 and 175 at stock that fold with the Linux VM Ware client, which I never have to mess with, but when my laptop isn't folding I am losing about 33%, if not more, of my productivity.

When the Windows SMP client first came out, I tried it on both my desktops as wll as my laptop, but I had the exact same problem on all of them. This leads me to believe it is some setting I am using in Windows that is causing this. I don't believe it to be a stability problem as all my computers are running at stock speeds and both desktops have been running the Linux VM client for about 26 WUs straight without a hitch.

All of my computers are set up to require a password on every log in (but I'm not mistyping the login or password when running the install.bat) Otherwise it is a normal Windows XP SP2 install as far as I can tell.

Does anyone have any insight as to why this is happening? I would really appreciate any help, as I would prefer not to have to manually manage my laptop after every WU!

I get lots of error messages, and other messages, from the SMP client.

But I have never had to do what you suggested. I just ignore the messages and everything seems fine. Have you tried ignoring... or is it failing on you?


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Pocatello said:

I get lots of error messages, and other messages, from the SMP client.

But I have never had to do what you suggested. I just ignore the messages and everything seems fine. Have you tried ignoring... or is it failing on you?


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Click to expand...

I wish I could ignore it When I get a FILE_IO_ERROR it stops the client completely, so I have to CTRL+C to stop it and start over

I hope someone has an answer, I stopped using the window client out of frustration with this very issue, it occured on both my amd and c2d boxes all of which are totally stable running the regular and linux clients. Unless someone knows a cure I guess we will just have to wait for a new hopefully less buggy version.

Try this, strange as it may sound. Uninstall the client using the uninstall icon in the fah directory, this is much easier from safe mode.

Go into regedit and under edit in the find window type folding. No telling how many entries are in there by now, but delete them all especially the one that says Stanford.

Restart in a non admin account and do the install but remember to use your admin password. When you run install.bat you should see no error messages only the two lines about mpiexec. Make absolutely sure that you have the proper host name or the password will fail. Select all users where prompted instead of a single account.

Reboot back into your admin account and create shortcut to the fah exe. On that shortcut add the line –configonly and start the program. Enter all your stuff, BillR, team 33, accept large units etc. The program should then shut down.

Back to your shortcut and change properties from –configonly to –forceasm.

I know, makes no sense but I had to do it that way on one machine but not the other.

Luck

BillR said:

Try this, strange as it may sound. Uninstall the client using the uninstall icon in the fah directory, this is much easier from safe mode.

Go into regedit and under edit in the find window type folding. No telling how many entries are in there by now, but delete them all especially the one that says Stanford.

Restart in a non admin account and do the install but remember to use your admin password. When you run install.bat you should see no error messages only the two lines about mpiexec. Make absolutely sure that you have the proper host name or the password will fail. Select all users where prompted instead of a single account.

Reboot back into your admin account and create shortcut to the fah exe. On that shortcut add the line –configonly and start the program. Enter all your stuff, BillR, team 33, accept large units etc. The program should then shut down.

Back to your shortcut and change properties from –configonly to –forceasm.

I know, makes no sense but I had to do it that way on one machine but not the other.

Luck

Click to expand...

Ok, so I just followed these steps with one exception. When I run install.bat I have to be on the admin account for it to work properly, otherwise I get errors. Regardless, the first time I ran it I picked up some work and it started crunching away without a FILE_IO_ERROR!

Thanks for the nonsensical steps and we'll see how things go after I finish a WU or two