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Nothlit
Premium Member
join:2001-02-04
Lexington, MA


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Nothlit

Premium Member

how to set up SETI@home as a Windows XP service

The following instructions will allow you to have SETI@home running (with SETI Driver and SETI Spy as well) automatically as soon as you boot up your Windows XP computer, even if nobody is logged in. Certain parts of this also apply to Windows NT and 2000, but I offer no guarantees that it will work exactly the same on those systems.

Please note that anywhere that I use something like C:\path\to\seti\ I actually intend for you to insert YOUR actual path to SETI on your computer.


  1. You must obtain a copy of INSTSRV.EXE and SRVANY.EXE, which are available in the Windows Resource Kit. You could also try searching the internet for downloadable copies of these two files, but be aware that downloading them may not be entirely legal.
  2. Place INSTSRV.EXE and SRVANY.EXE in your SETI@home folder, wherever it may be.
  3. Open a command prompt window by selecting Start > Run, and typing cmd in the box that pops up.
  4. In the command prompt window, navigate to your SETI@home folder.
  5. Once you are there, type: INSTSRV SETI@home "C:\path\to\SETI\SRVANY.EXE"
  6. You should see a message telling you that the service was successfully installed, along with a notice that you probably need to modify more settings. We'll do that next.
  7. Now, you can close the command prompt window. Then, again go to Start > Run, and type regedit in the box.

    PLEASE BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THE FOLLOWING STEPS! IF YOU SCREW UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY, IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE YOUR SYSTEM WILL BE RENDERED INOPERATIVE AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO REINSTALL WINDOWS. I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT YOU FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY!!!

  8. In the registry, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SETI@home



  9. You should see some entries in the right-hand panel. If yours don't match the ones in the above image, it's okay. As long as the path to SRVANY.EXE is correct, everything else should be fine. Somewhere below those entries, in the white empty space, right click and select New > Key.
  10. A new folder-type icon should appear as a child to the SETI@home folder in the left-hand panel, waiting for you to type a name. You should name it Parameters.
  11. Now, click on this key to open it if it's not already open, and right click again in the right-hand window. Select New > String. Name this new string AppDirectory.
  12. Double click on AppDirectory to open it up, and in the box type: C:\path\to\seti\

    NOTE IN THE ABOVE STEP THAT YOU ARE ENTERING THE PATH TO YOUR SETI FOLDER, NOT TO AN ACTUAL PROGRAM.

  13. Now, create another New > String, and name it Application. Open it up and enter C:\path\to\seti\SETI Driver.exe

    THE ABOVE STEP APPLIES IF YOU ARE USING THE SETI SPY/SETI DRIVER/CLI COMBO. IF YOU WOULD PREFER JUST TO USE THE CLI OR JUST SETI SPY/CLI, THEN YOU SHOULD ENTER THE PATH TO THE CLI IN THE BOX IN THE STEP ABOVE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU ENTER THE PATH TO SETI SPY.



  14. Now, close the Registry Editor window.
  15. Open up C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and right click to create New > Shortcut. We will be creating a shortcut to SETI Spy, but with a little bit of a twist.
  16. When it prompts you to enter the path for the shortcut, use the following format, INCLUDING the quotes: "C:\path\to\seti\setispy.exe" "C:\path\to\seti"

    YES, THAT ALL GOES TOGETHER ON ONE LINE, WITH JUST A SPACE IN BETWEEN.

  17. Finish up creating the shortcut, and name it whatever you want. If you want, right click on the shortcut and set it to start minimized.
  18. Now, double-click to open SETI Spy. I'll bet that if you had been using it previously, you had it set up to start either SETI Driver or the CLI along with it. We'll need to change that now.
  19. Navigate to the Client window of SETI Spy, and click on Configure.
  20. Leave the very first text box at the top intact. I've found that it needs to have a path in it in order for SETI Spy to start properly. You can delete the text from the other text boxes.
  21. You should now proceed to UNCHECK all of the checkboxes. Every single one of them.



  22. Click OK and close SETI Spy.
  23. Now open up SETI Driver, if you are using it. Make sure you check the Auto Transmit box, and then click on Save Configuration. You can now close SETI Driver.
  24. You are now pretty much done configuring everything! At this time, you should restart your computer. Once it has restarted, log in. SETI Spy should appear in your system tray. Nothing else should appear with it! No SETI Driver! If SETI Driver appears, you have done something wrong.
  25. Now, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and click on the Processes tab. Make sure you see SETI Driver.exe as well as your CLI executable somewhere on the list. The CLI should be using a fairly large amount of system resources. This is good!




If everything is as it should be, you have successfully set up SETI@home to run as a service on your XP system. Your PC will continue crunching no matter who is logged on, and even if nobody at all is logged on, it will continue to crunch! SETI Driver will automatically transmit your results when they are finished. To check on your process, just open up SETI Spy from your system tray. It does not actually start any programs itself...it just spies on things for you.

Any questions, feel free to ask me!

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium Member
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30

Doctor Olds

Premium Member

Wow! Just think. I napped while you did this. Excellent Job.

Regards,

Doctor Olds

samburgers
Premium Member
join:2001-05-23
Vancouver, BC

samburgers to Nothlit

Premium Member

to Nothlit
WOOT! Great job!

Although I don't have XP, it looks clear and precise for those who do! Boy do I wanna get XP!

Nothlit
Premium Member
join:2001-02-04
Lexington, MA

Nothlit

Premium Member

The only downside is that it seems that SETI Spy, since it doesn't actually start up a program of its own, cannot detect when a WU is completed and sent in, so the setispy.log will not be updated. A small price to pay, though, IMHO.

I also just edited to remove the links to INSTSRV.EXE and SRVANY.EXE after discovering that it is probably illegal to link to them, since you normally have to purchase them as part of the Windows Resource Kit or something like that...
72245156 (banned)
TSWB.org
join:2000-07-11
Winnipeg, MB

72245156 (banned) to Nothlit

Member

to Nothlit
said by Nothlit:
in the box that pops up.
•In the command prompt window, navigate to your SETI@home folder.
I get hung up right there, not knowing DOS. How do I do that?

AnArky
I am in your nightmares.
Premium Member
join:2001-06-12
Berwyn, IL

AnArky

Premium Member

said by Kinguni:
not knowing DOS. How do I do that?

Damn, I feel old now. I remember using DOS 1.0. Heck I can top that. I rmember loading programs from audio casettes into my TRS80 Model I back in 8th grade.
72245156 (banned)
TSWB.org
join:2000-07-11
Winnipeg, MB

72245156 (banned)

Member

said by AnArky:
Damn, I feel old now. I remember using DOS 1.0. Heck I can top that. I rmember loading programs from audio casettes into my TRS80 Model I back in 8th grade.

Well, I only got into modern PC's about 2½ years ago, my previous computer being a Timex-Sinclair 1000 (16K ram, b+w TV for a monitor, cassette deck for storage, no sound). I was very proficient at basic, and dabbled a little in machine code. However, I'm lost in DOS!
72245156

72245156 (banned)

Member

Well, I downloaded XP Powertoys, and one of the things it lets you do is to open a command prompt from any folder. It's working sweet now!