Help me recover work after machine freaked out

scubabob · 2011-02-10, 20:18

My XP machine running Prime95 got an alert saying windows updates were needed. I started the updates and walked away. Next day (today), the machine was looking for userid/password. Oh, OK, update needed to reboot from updates. Prime95 was gone. Gone from the startup, no longer in the program files folder. No longer running after a reboot.

The exponent on the assignment list on the server is 45365917. It is an LL test that is 78.2% done. Poking around the machine looking for any smashed pieces of Prime95 I could find, I found what looks like a backup in "C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Directory 1 for p95v2511.zip" that contains files P3K65917, P3K65917.bu, P3K65917.bu2, and some text files that look like they came with the original extract. The three P3K65917.* files are all 5,538 KB long, so I know there is something of value sitting there. I'm hoping these files are the cascading work-in-progress files the program uses to resume after program crashes and the like.

I created another "Prime95" folder in "program files." I redownloaded the Prime95 program zip and copied all of what I think are work-in-progress files into that same folder. When I start the program, it starts off as if I was a totally new user. Putting in my userid/machine name in Test -> Primenet gets me new trial factoring work. I unreserved the trial factoring exponents from the server "Assignments" display hoping to kick the program on my machine into resuming the LL test that is in progress. No luck.

My questions. Is there a way to get the server and my machine resynced with these work-in-progress files I have? Am I screwed and just forget the exponent and start over, losing 231 days of work? I've tried screwing around with the server pages and then redoing the Test -> Primenet communcation nudge, but the best I've been able to do is get 'new work' like the double-check it gave me the last time around.

ATH · 2011-02-10, 20:35

Make a Prime95 folder somewhere where you want it, on the desktop or c:\program files\prime95 or where ever. Copy all the files from "Temporary Directory 1 for p95v2511.zip" into it. Make a worktodo.txt in this new prime95 folder if there is none there. Edit it and make it look like this:

[Worker #1]
Test=45365917,68,1

Make sure prime95.exe is in there, or even better get the new v26.5 Prime95 here if you have 32bit windows: ftp://mersenne.org/gimps/p95v265.zip
or here if you have 64bit windows: ftp://mersenne.org/gimps/p64v265.zip
Extract the zip file to the Prime95 folder you made. Now there should be Prime95.exe, worktodo.txt and P3K65917, P3K65917.bu, P3K65917.bu2 in there, and maybe some readme.txt and other txt-files.

Now make a copy of that folder as a backup just in case. Now start Prime95.exe in the original folder and it should work.

ATH · 2011-02-10, 20:39

If you have a dual core or quad core processor, you might want to check "local.txt" file. Make sure this line is in there somewhere:
WorkerThreads=1

and at the bottom of local.txt it should look like is:
[Worker #1]
ThreadsPerTest=2
or change the 2 to a 4 if you have 4 cores.

scubabob · 2011-02-10, 23:53

I did what you said and it appears to be completely resolved.

I get some different startup messages with the new verison of the Prime95 program, but it resumed where I expected it to (Iteration: 35591213 / 45365917 [78.45%].) Both cores are at 100%. Now we just have to wait and see if winds up with LLERR or not. ~30 days to go. Thanks for your input.

Question for both me and others who may read this. What is the meanings of the two bonus parms on the test= initilization block (68,1)?

firejuggler · 2011-02-11, 01:43

the 68 is the amount of trial factoring already done
the 1 is the amount of LL test saved if it is found composite

Commaster · 2011-02-11, 01:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by scubabob

Question for both me and others who may read this. What is the meanings of the two bonus parms on the test= initilization block (68,1)?

You can find the answer here. Good thing, I have that page in my bookmarks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by firejuggler

the 68 is the amount of trial factoring already done
the 1 is the amount of LL test saved if it is found composite

Nope, the last number is the P-1'ed flag. ^.^ (as the "Test" line IS an LL-line)

scubabob · 2011-02-13, 05:46

OK, the program is plugging along, but for some reason will not report percentage complete updates to the server. For the past two days I've gotten these messages on the communication thread:

[Feb 11 14:31] Updating computer information on the server
[Feb 11 14:31] Done communicating with server.
[Feb 12 14:31] Updating computer information on the server
[Feb 12 14:31] Done communicating with server.

It used to give a percentage as part of that daily update. I know it isn't working right because on the web page for the assignment, it is still has the last updated date/time as February 9. Test -> Primenet has the box at the top checked for getting work and reporting results. Any ideas?

patrik · 2011-02-13, 15:09

Check that the Prime95 directory is not write-protected. IIRC earlier versions of Prime95 (and maybe also the current version, although I don't know for sure) used to create a file called prime.spl before communicating. If that file was empty, one used to get the output you showed. (And maybe that is true also if the file is non-existent.)

Are the the backup files created regularly in the Prime95 directory? (Check their modification dates.) If not, it could indicate that the directory is not writable. If they are recent, my guess is probably wrong.

scubabob · 2011-02-14, 03:58

The prime95 program is updating/cascading the non extension/.bu/.bu2 files in 30 minute intervals, just as expected. Again today, I got the simple communicating with server and finished communicating with server messages with no percentage report. The web page assignment line still has the most recent 'updated' date of 2/9/2011. So I'm still stuck with this problem. Could this upgrade to the most recent software version be in conflict somehow with the server?

lycorn · 2011-02-15, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by scubabob

Could this upgrade to the most recent software version be in conflict somehow with the server?

No. That version is in use for sometime already, and that issue has never been reported.

Try a manual communication (Advanced->Manual Communication from Prime95 GUI menu), checking the "Send new expected completion dates to server" option.

S485122 · 2011-02-16, 06:04

Look at your worktodo.txt file, I think there will be a N/A between "Test=" and your exponent. That would mean that PrimeNet's database has another user ID for that exponent. Check the "V5UserID" parameter in your prime.txt file.

Jacob

2011-02-10, 23:53	#4
scubabob Jun 2010 31₈ Posts	Resume worked I did what you said and it appears to be completely resolved. I get some different startup messages with the new verison of the Prime95 program, but it resumed where I expected it to (Iteration: 35591213 / 45365917 [78.45%].) Both cores are at 100%. Now we just have to wait and see if winds up with LLERR or not. ~30 days to go. Thanks for your input. Question for both me and others who may read this. What is the meanings of the two bonus parms on the test= initilization block (68,1)?

2011-02-13, 05:46	#7
scubabob Jun 2010 5² Posts	Next problem OK, the program is plugging along, but for some reason will not report percentage complete updates to the server. For the past two days I've gotten these messages on the communication thread: [Feb 11 14:31] Updating computer information on the server [Feb 11 14:31] Done communicating with server. [Feb 12 14:31] Updating computer information on the server [Feb 12 14:31] Done communicating with server. It used to give a percentage as part of that daily update. I know it isn't working right because on the web page for the assignment, it is still has the last updated date/time as February 9. Test -> Primenet has the box at the top checked for getting work and reporting results. Any ideas?

2011-02-14, 03:58	#9
scubabob Jun 2010 5² Posts	The prime95 program is updating/cascading the non extension/.bu/.bu2 files in 30 minute intervals, just as expected. Again today, I got the simple communicating with server and finished communicating with server messages with no percentage report. The web page assignment line still has the most recent 'updated' date of 2/9/2011. So I'm still stuck with this problem. Could this upgrade to the most recent software version be in conflict somehow with the server? Last fiddled with by scubabob on 2011-02-14 at 04:02

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2011-02-10, 20:18	#1
scubabob Jun 2010 11001₂ Posts	Help me recover work after machine freaked out My XP machine running Prime95 got an alert saying windows updates were needed. I started the updates and walked away. Next day (today), the machine was looking for userid/password. Oh, OK, update needed to reboot from updates. Prime95 was gone. Gone from the startup, no longer in the program files folder. No longer running after a reboot. The exponent on the assignment list on the server is 45365917. It is an LL test that is 78.2% done. Poking around the machine looking for any smashed pieces of Prime95 I could find, I found what looks like a backup in "C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Local Settings\Temp\Temporary Directory 1 for p95v2511.zip" that contains files P3K65917, P3K65917.bu, P3K65917.bu2, and some text files that look like they came with the original extract. The three P3K65917.* files are all 5,538 KB long, so I know there is something of value sitting there. I'm hoping these files are the cascading work-in-progress files the program uses to resume after program crashes and the like. I created another "Prime95" folder in "program files." I redownloaded the Prime95 program zip and copied all of what I think are work-in-progress files into that same folder. When I start the program, it starts off as if I was a totally new user. Putting in my userid/machine name in Test -> Primenet gets me new trial factoring work. I unreserved the trial factoring exponents from the server "Assignments" display hoping to kick the program on my machine into resuming the LL test that is in progress. No luck. My questions. Is there a way to get the server and my machine resynced with these work-in-progress files I have? Am I screwed and just forget the exponent and start over, losing 231 days of work? I've tried screwing around with the server pages and then redoing the Test -> Primenet communcation nudge, but the best I've been able to do is get 'new work' like the double-check it gave me the last time around.

2011-02-10, 20:35	#2
ATH Einyen Dec 2003 Denmark 2²·863 Posts	Make a Prime95 folder somewhere where you want it, on the desktop or c:\program files\prime95 or where ever. Copy all the files from "Temporary Directory 1 for p95v2511.zip" into it. Make a worktodo.txt in this new prime95 folder if there is none there. Edit it and make it look like this: [Worker #1] Test=45365917,68,1 Make sure prime95.exe is in there, or even better get the new v26.5 Prime95 here if you have 32bit windows: ftp://mersenne.org/gimps/p95v265.zip or here if you have 64bit windows: ftp://mersenne.org/gimps/p64v265.zip Extract the zip file to the Prime95 folder you made. Now there should be Prime95.exe, worktodo.txt and P3K65917, P3K65917.bu, P3K65917.bu2 in there, and maybe some readme.txt and other txt-files. Now make a copy of that folder as a backup just in case. Now start Prime95.exe in the original folder and it should work.

2011-02-10, 20:39	#3
ATH Einyen Dec 2003 Denmark D7C₁₆ Posts	If you have a dual core or quad core processor, you might want to check "local.txt" file. Make sure this line is in there somewhere: WorkerThreads=1 and at the bottom of local.txt it should look like is: [Worker #1] ThreadsPerTest=2 or change the 2 to a 4 if you have 4 cores.

2011-02-11, 01:43	#5
firejuggler "Vincent" Apr 2010 Over the rainbow 101101101000₂ Posts	the 68 is the amount of trial factoring already done the 1 is the amount of LL test saved if it is found composite

2011-02-13, 15:09	#8
patrik "Patrik Johansson" Aug 2002 Uppsala, Sweden 651₈ Posts	Check that the Prime95 directory is not write-protected. IIRC earlier versions of Prime95 (and maybe also the current version, although I don't know for sure) used to create a file called prime.spl before communicating. If that file was empty, one used to get the output you showed. (And maybe that is true also if the file is non-existent.) Are the the backup files created regularly in the Prime95 directory? (Check their modification dates.) If not, it could indicate that the directory is not writable. If they are recent, my guess is probably wrong.

2011-02-16, 06:04	#11
S485122 "Jacob" Sep 2006 Brussels, Belgium 2×977 Posts	Look at your worktodo.txt file, I think there will be a N/A between "Test=" and your exponent. That would mean that PrimeNet's database has another user ID for that exponent. Check the "V5UserID" parameter in your prime.txt file. Jacob