A guide for installing 3 GPU folding instances in Vista.
A guide for installing 3 GPU folding instances in Vista.
I know there are some other guides posted, but I had a hard time reading some of them. I wrote a small simple guide that may help some people out. :)
Talonman's guide to installing 3 GPU Folding instances in Vista.
Go to the Folding@home download page, and download Windows XP/2003/Vista GPU System tray client with special viewer for NVIDIA GPU's (installer msi) 6.23
http://folding.stanford.edu/English/DownloadWinOther
Just let the program install into it's default locations.
Run the program to insure that it installed correctly, and that it can receive and send work units from Stanford.
Make sure the program is not running from this point on.
(Right click on the multi colored protein molecule, in the right corner of the Task Bar, and select Quit to stop.)
Right click on start, and select Explore. Piont to C:\Users\Username\AppData\Roaming, and locate the Folding@home-gpu folder. Right click on the folder, and select copy.
Now Paste the folder into the Roaming directory two times, and name them:
Folding@home-gpu-2
and
Folding@home-gpu-3
Go into both of the new folders Folding@home-gpu-2, and Folding@homegpu-3, and delete the following files: unit info, FAHlog, FAHlog-Prev, client config, queue.dat, and the entire Work folder.
NOTE: If you don't see these files to delete, you probably need to set your Windows Explorer to show hidden files. That option is off by default in Vista. To show hidden files, in your Windows Explorer, from the Organize drop down menu select Folders and Search Options, then click the View tab. In the Advanced settings box, you should see Hidden files and folders, with two buttons. Ensure that Show hidden files and folders is selected. Click Apply to Folders up at the top, and answer yes. Also click Apply at the bottom if need be.
If you have a Folding@home shortcut on your desktop, delete it. We are going to make 3 new ones...
(The origional shortcut created during the program install, dosen't let you edit the target field.)
Piont Explorer to C:\Program files (X86)\Folding@home\Folding@home-gpu, and right click on Folding@home.exe, and select create a shortcut. It will probably want to send it to your desktop. That is good because that is where we want them...
Name the new shortcut Folding @home-1
Click on the exact same Folding@home.exe file in the same directory, and make a second shortcut.
Name the new shortcut Folding @home-2
Click on the exact same Folding@home.exe file in the same directory, and make a third shortcut.
Name the new shortcut Folding @home-3
Right click on the Folding @home-1 icon, and set it's properties to run as Administrator, and set the:
Target: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Folding@home\Folding@home-gpu\Folding@home.exe" -gpu 0
Start in: C:\Users\Scott\AppData\Roaming\Folding@home-gpu
Right click on the Folding @home-2 icon, and set it's properties to run as Administrator, and set the:
Target: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Folding@home\Folding@home-gpu\Folding@home.exe" -gpu 1
Start in: C:\Users\Scott\AppData\Roaming\Folding@home-gpu-2
Right click on the Folding @home-3 icon, and set it's properties to run as Administrator, and set the:
Target: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Folding@home\Folding@home-gpu\Folding@home.exe" -gpu 2 -forcegpu nvidia_g80
Start in: C:\Users\Scott\AppData\Roaming\Folding@home-gpu-3
NOTE: Change Scott in the 3 Start in lines, to your user name...
In Nvidia Control Panel, 'Set multi-GPU and PhysX configuration', you are fine to have PhysX enabled, but must have multi-GPU mode disabled. (That's SLI, and you will want to re-enable multi-GPU mode for gaming.)
Also note that each GPU requires a display, or a Dummy load Plug to be attached running Vista. The GPU's will not allow you to fold on them unless they think some type of display is connected. You can plug multiple GPU's into one display, providing it has enouigh inputs. Adapters are allowed...
Example: My 280's DVI out, is connected to a DVI to VGA adapter, and then connected to my display. This works fine. The 280 will then be happy, and allow you to fold on it.
On a 295 both DVI outs are on one card, and the HDMI out is on the other. You will need an HDMI display device connected to fold on the second 1/2 of your 295.
In Vista's 'Display Settings', each desktop will need to be extended, for every display connected to your system.
When each new instance of GPU Folding starts, there is only a few things we select. When the Folding@Home Control Panel appears, you will be on the User tab. Enter your Folding Name in the User name field, and 111065 in the Team number field.
Next click the Connection tab. Select the box to Allow recept of work assignments and return of results greater than 10MB in size.
Next click the Advanced tab. Select Core Priority. I favor the Slightly higher myself, but no wrong answer here... Also, check the box next to: 'Do NOT lock cores to specific CPU'.
Ensure you give all 3 instances a unique Machine ID. I went with 10, 11, and 12. Click OK, and you should begin to download a new Work Unit and Fold.
For more info on configuring your GPU Folding, look here:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandeg...GPUGuide#ntoc4
One good tip especially for the dedicated folding systems is that you can drag the shortcuts into the "startup folder" in the programs list (in the start menu), if you would like the clients to run at Vista bootup.
For trivia, With a 295 in my Primary slot, and a 280 in my Secondary:
When I click the Folding @home-1 shortcut, it loads up the first 1/2 of my 295.
That's GPU 0 to Nvidia, but GPU 2 to Precision and Everest.
When I click the Folding @home-2 shortcut, it loads up my 280.
That's GPU 1 to Nvidia, but GPU 3 to Precision and Everest.
When I click the Folding @home-3 shortcut, it loads up the second 1/2 of my 295.
That's GPU 2 to Nvidia, but GPU 1 to Precision and Everest.
That's about all of it... I will be updating this post as I see fit.
I hope it helps to have some instructions from another point of view.
If you do want FahMon to monitor you new folding sessions, just enter the shortcut's Start in info into the Location of FahMon.
The FahMon homepage v2.3.4: http://fahmon.net/
To download FahSpy: http://files.filefront.com/fahspy150.../fileinfo.html
Fold on!
