I quad-boot 2 x Vista and 2 x Windows 7, keeping one of each for testing purposes. Well you would assume that one of the test rigs crashed, not the case. My main Vista suddenly started seizing up saying Windows Explorer not responding etc. etc. I tried everything I could think of to restore the partition to its pristine self but failed and had to format and reinstall. Unfortunately my Boinc was on that one and worse my boot loader for all 4 systems. So I had to use a combination of EasyBCD and the Windows DVD's to get things back to normal.

Have just got Boinc up and running again and hope that is "it" for quite some time.

I'll never know what it was as scans using various anti-virus and anti-malware applications didn't detect anything and the Event Viewer merely told me what I already knew, so it's anyone's guess.

Fingers well and truly crossed.

You still should have been able to grab the Boinc folders off those rigs and restore them to your fresh install. That's what I do when I reconfigure my boxes.

Hopefully you don't have anymore issues...

Yes, but so much happened I was perhaps a little too hasty at formatting. Anyway all's well now. It would also help if, when creating a new topic here, that I remembered to subscribe to it.

just noticed that you had responded!! Thanks.

No problem. There used to be a simple batch script floating around in the BOINC or CP (Climate Prediction) forums for stopping the BOINC service, backing up the BOINC directory, and restarting the service (mainly used for Climate Prediction wus). Regardless writing one up would be a pretty quick task...

p.s. Oh, oh, this is evil post number 666 for me!

I'll go searching for it when I get a chance. At the time my PC wouldn't let me do much of anything however.

Well I took a look at the threads on CPDN. They assume people are psychic plus everything needs revamping with Vista and Windows 7 in mind as the instructions are a bit ancient. Telling people to simply ``backup the Boinc folder`` is a bit vague, especially as there are several.

Also took a look at the BOINC Wiki and those instructions are even more vague & the automated tool mentioned in the CPDN forums is prone to problems apparently.

So I`ll take my chances. If WU`s are lost in future, too bad. They`ll eventually be re-allocated to others from what I`ve read so no harm done, hopefully.

By the way, by vague, I mean unclear and often assuming that people are computer whizkids so they know what they are doing before going there.

With Vista & Win 7, the folder to backup/search for in any recovery is /Program Data/Boinc.

I've had numerous problems with Vista/W7 that only a reformat will solve. Before I do that, I attach drive to another system(via docking station) & copy over the Boinc directory.

I don't bother about the Boinc in C:/Program Files, just reinstall program & use the copied folder to overwrite the new one in Program Data.

Thanks Sirius B, if that's all that it takes then it's an easy matter to do from time to time.

Im more lazy than that.
When choosing installation paths, i put that /Program Data/ folder in the main Boinc folder (/BOINC/ProgramData/).
So when i need to do a backup i just .rar the whole thing and be done with it... till the next time anyway.

Each to their own (method) I guess...LOL.

Thanks.

I just put my Boinc folders on another drive - when I am forced to do a reinstall - everything is still there

Some very good ideas guys, thanks.