A program that stops FAH when a program/game is launched

[ashrack]

I've written a java program which stops FAH when a certain application is launched and after that certain application is closed it will start FAH again.
The applications for which you wish to terminate FAH must be written in a .TXT file.

So if anyone is interested let me know and I'll see what I can do to adapt the program for you.

[toTOW]

What's the point ? With fahcores running at lowest priority, any other application requesting CPU time (game included) will get it, and FAH will go to sleep.

[ashrack]

toTOW
the point is that this is not true. I have tried with at least 4 new games and FPS are much lower with FAH on. Don't even get me started on FAH SMP or even FAH GPU.

[Tobit]

Don't even get me started on FAH SMP or even FAH GPU.

Ok, we won't. Sorry but this just seems silly.

[ashrack]

what sounds silly?

[7im]

I guess the thinking might be that the CPU client, which does give up processor power to other applications doesn't need this application.

And the SMP and GPU clients are designed to be run 24/7 to meet the tight deadlines, so again they don't need this application.

But not everyone is as ruthlessly dedicated as those guys above who run fah 24/7 on every computer, so there is probably an audience for an app like this.

[Tobit]

Well, I run dedicated and non-dedicated systems here.. in two years of folding, I've never seen the need for an application like this... especially a Java based applet, talk about a resource hog.

[7im]

Silly me for being the optimist for once. Let's ask the author about that before passing judgment

As an alternative, I used a scheduled task to do the same thing. Run when idle, stop when not. It's a little too all or nothing, not targeted like that java app, but worked for me.

[k1wi]

I could see this concept being useful to me - when watching HD content on my little Centrino 1.83 I have to pause the client - sometimes I forget to start it back up to. That's even with fah being set @ lowest priority etc.

I think its because my machine is *just* able to handle HD, so even as idle as FAH is, it isn't idle enough.

But I'm happy to keep on pausing and resuming, I'm not always watching HD after all!

[ashrack]

Well, I run dedicated and non-dedicated systems here.. in two years of folding, I've never seen the need for an application like this... especially a Java based applet, talk about a resource hog.

It's only running when Windows Scheduler starts it and after a 1sec it shuts down again. I have set Windows Scheduler to run the app every 5min. So when the app is run it checks the running processes against the TXT file and if a match is found it shuts down FAH. Else, if a match is not found it starts FAH. So I never forget to turn it back on again after some gaming

[Anglik666]

I was looking for program like that when I folded on my ATi cards, they always frizzed when I was watching films. Good idea. Surely very useful for games as well.
I see like my son's comp slow down graphics with folding GPU client, and how fast is without !
Really I could see this program more useful for GPU client than CPU/SMP.

There was something like that:
http://foldingforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=52
named FoldWise: http://www.teammacosx.org/software.html
but disappeared long time ago...

I'd like to try it if any chances.

@Tobit

Well, I run dedicated and non-dedicated systems here.. in two years of folding, I've never seen the need for an application like this...

And probably you've never ever have any other problems with fah... Lucky man. Try a lotto.
Seriously, if you cannot accept others do things different way you shouldn't use internet.
Al least shouldn't call them or theirs silly.

[BuddhaChu]

I've had a need for an app like this in the past as I manually shut down GPU folding to play TeamFortress2 and Borderlands. At one point I had to shut down the CPU client as well to play TeamFortress2 'cause the game crashed occasionally if the CPU client was running. They didn't play nice together on my gaming rig. Like the OP, I'd forget to restart the clients occasionally after I was done playing the game.

Command & Concquer 4 and Battlefield Bad Comapny 2 get released next month so I could use an app like this.

7im: can you do IF-THENs in the new Scheduled Tasks in Windows 7? I know you can do triggers now and they might do the same thing, but I haven't played with schtasks since WinXP.

Pseudocode:

Code: Select all

IF this_game OR that_game NOT running
    IF gpu_client NOT running
        start gpu client
    ENDIF
ENDIF

[ashrack]

I have FAH setuped as a service so from the program I just call the command to stop the service. But if FAH is not run as a service than I do not know how to properly terminate it. As this command gives improper core termination in FAH:

Code: Select all

taskkill  /im folding* /t /f

Anyone got an idea how to properly kill FAH that is not run as a service?

Anglik666
if you run FAH as a service I can change the program to suit your need or if you wish give you the source and you can change it yourself.

[BuddhaChu]

The correct way to stop the CPU client not installed as a service is:

Code: Select all

taskkill /F /IM Folding@home-Win32-x86.exe

Folding@home-Win32-x86.exe is the controlling program that starts the cores running. Stop that and you stop the cores. You don't really need to use the /T switch to stop the child processes (the cores), but it can't hurt I guess.

[jrweiss]

For those running lower-power CPUs, using a CPU load of 90-95% for the F@H CPU client can eliminate most or all of the perceived slowdowns. The slowdowns occur when other tasks ask for the CPU time, and the F@H client is slow giving them up (especially when a pagefile swap must be done). If 5-10% of the CPU time is idle, most tasks can use that while F@H is waiting to yield the rest. This worked for me on a couple old P3 machines and a slower P-M laptop.