Folding Forum

After doing some research it seems Nvidia has taken OpenCL out of drivers somewhere around the 419 release mark, and there are NO OpenCL binaries in any current driver.

bruce wrote:Manually downloading/installing the proper driver FROM NVIDIA seems to be the answer to getting the driver together with the OpenCL driver.

That's all I've ever done and it currently doesn't work all the time. I've currently got one PC where it does work and one where it doesn't. I'll try the third soon to see if there's some common factor whichever way it goes.

Mixer wrote:

bollix47 wrote:Updating using geforce experience won't necessarily give you opencl ... just download & install the latest drivers, use the Custom routine when installing and uncheck all but the drivers and check Perform a clean install. I suggest you start over at step 1 ... make sure to use FAH's uninstaller and check the Data box.

I have this same issue and after downloading the Install file, I'm refused the ability to install it and told to reinstall through GeForce experience. There is a custom option but I already have all items ticket.

Can we please get some meaningful suggestions as to how to fix this?

I've been folding on NaCL but now I can't contribute at all.

I think bollix47 has given some good advice!
Advice I would have given too!
It's standard procedure.
I have never seen Geforce Experience solve issues with folding, or even driver installs.
Geforce Experience is just an experience around the Geforce drivers, and have really very little to do with the drivers themselves, other than checking for new drivers and downloading them.

The drivers have 2 separate download locations.

First, I would try the nvidia drivers in this location:
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

If these won't do it, I'd go via Geforce:
https://www.geforce.com/drivers

Different sites, different files, perhaps different results.

If none of those work, and you're sure the issue is openCL drivers, go to their openCL driver page, download the right file, and follow the instructions.
https://developer.nvidia.com/opencl
The page starts by saying that OpenCL is included in the http://www.nvidia.com/drivers link (which is the first link I posted).

You can also install OpenCL drivers from https://www.khronos.org/ but I recommend getting the correct package from NV per instructions given above/

Microsoft's WindowsUpdate and NVidia's GeForceExperience both produce unnecessary problems... unless you're interested only in games.

MeeLee wrote:I think bollix47 has given some good advice!
Advice I would have given too!
It's standard procedure.
I have never seen Geforce Experience solve issues with folding, or even driver installs.
Geforce Experience is just an experience around the Geforce drivers, and have really very little to do with the drivers themselves, other than checking for new drivers and downloading them.

The drivers have 2 separate download locations.

First, I would try the nvidia drivers in this location:
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

If these won't do it, I'd go via Geforce:
https://www.geforce.com/drivers

Different sites, different files, perhaps different results.

If none of those work, and you're sure the issue is openCL drivers, go to their openCL driver page, download the right file, and follow the instructions.
https://developer.nvidia.com/opencl
The page starts by saying that OpenCL is included in the http://www.nvidia.com/drivers link (which is the first link I posted).

It may be the advice you'd have given but you'd have been wrong. Geforce Experience's on-line driver update somehow works when the stand-alone driver does not. This is a known problem as it was the solution given to me when I asked on another, less judgemental forum. I don't know if the problem is OpenCL or not, I only care about a solution.
Oh, and geforce.com/drivers is just another route to the same files as nvidia.com/download/index.aspx.

This empty Confix.xml looks wrong to me (in the FAHClient folder).

I think focus on getting that fixed first.

I use Windows 10 and my own user account does not have admin rights. Any app I run does not get admin access.

Creating/modifying files in c:\Program Files or c:\Program Files(x86) typically requires admin rights.

That means I need to run FAHControl with elevated/admin rights so it can tinker with the Config.xml.
I need to run FAHClient with elevated/admin rights so it can download new cores into the "cores" folder.

I cheated and gave my normal "User" account "Full Access" via the Security tab on "FAHClient folder / Properties", although I'm asking for future troubles doing this (updates/re-installs will reset my security override).

Here is my functioning Config.xml. I have 2 GPUs (Vega 56 + RX 480). I have disabled CPU folding (1 less fan to shout at me).
The only part you need to concern yourself with is "Folding Slots".
Without any folding slots configured it wont do any folding.
Without the right security permissions you can't add them, perhaps.

You can check if it's a security issue; right click on Config.xml / Properties / Security. Click "Users" in the "Group or user names" list. If it shows just 2 ticks for "Read & Execute" + "Read" then normal Users have no write/modify access to that file (nor anywhere else under FAHClient folder).

Rather than coerce security permissions on files and folders I now run FAHClient and FAHControl as admin:
Right click FAHClient.exe / Properties / Compatibility. Check "Run this program as administrator". It will ask you for admin password when you run it. Do same for FAHControl.exe. No problems since.

I'd avoid editing Config.xml with an external text editor. I did and it decided to put an invisible BOM marker at the start, causing a parse error that made me swear for at least an hour until I viewed the xml in a binary editor and realised just how stupid I can be.

Good luck!

When installing the latest nvidia driver on Windows the installer asks you to decide whether or not you want Geforce experience just after the system Compatibility test. This is a fairly new choice and easily missed.

• Nvidia Graphics Driver and Geforce Experience
  Nvidia Graphics Driver

The default is to install the Driver and Geforce experience. If you don't change it the installer will attempt to install Geforce experience and won't let you uncheck it even in the Custom install routine. I've done it both ways and checking just the Driver worked fine.

NuovaApe wrote:I use Windows 10 and my own user account does not have admin rights. Any app I run does not get admin access.

Creating/modifying files in c:\Program Files or c:\Program Files(x86) typically requires admin rights.

That means I need to run FAHControl with elevated/admin rights so it can tinker with the Config.xml.
I need to run FAHClient with elevated/admin rights so it can download new cores into the "cores" folder.

No, You've messed up the installation defaults. Config.xml should NOT be in program files. The way you've done it is a bad idea.
The default installation does NOT put FAH's data files in "* program files *" and since you've decided to override that default, your programs will now require Admin rights.

Microsoft standards require that programs NOT put their data files/config files in "program files" Just the programs themselves go there. By overriding those settings, you're opening an unnecessary security window.

FAH provides shortcuts that are set up specifically to find the work files in a file tree called %APPDATA% and still get the actual programs from program files.

bruce wrote:No, You've messed up the installation defaults. Config.xml should NOT be in program files.

I followed this to the letter
https://foldingathome.org/support/faq/i ... ced-users/

For the "Data Directory" step the install defaults to c:\users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient.

The Url above states "An alternate data directory folder may be entered for V7 configuration and data files location".

So I did - X:\FAHClient, because X: is a new 1TB SSD and C: is low on gas.

It installed fine, it just didn't work. And I spent an awful lot of time resolving why.

You're saying it MUST be in C:\Users\blah. Then the guide needs updating to state "An alternate data directory folder may NOT be entered".

There's me thinking FAH had an X: Files grudge.

Thanks Bruce.

snapshot wrote:

MeeLee wrote:I think bollix47 has given some good advice!
Advice I would have given too!
It's standard procedure.
I have never seen Geforce Experience solve issues with folding, or even driver installs.
Geforce Experience is just an experience around the Geforce drivers, and have really very little to do with the drivers themselves, other than checking for new drivers and downloading them.

The drivers have 2 separate download locations.

First, I would try the nvidia drivers in this location:
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx

If these won't do it, I'd go via Geforce:
https://www.geforce.com/drivers

Different sites, different files, perhaps different results.

If none of those work, and you're sure the issue is openCL drivers, go to their openCL driver page, download the right file, and follow the instructions.
https://developer.nvidia.com/opencl
The page starts by saying that OpenCL is included in the http://www.nvidia.com/drivers link (which is the first link I posted).

It may be the advice you'd have given but you'd have been wrong. Geforce Experience's on-line driver update somehow works when the stand-alone driver does not. This is a known problem as it was the solution given to me when I asked on another, less judgemental forum. I don't know if the problem is OpenCL or not, I only care about a solution.
Oh, and geforce.com/drivers is just another route to the same files as nvidia.com/download/index.aspx.

Less judgemental forum?
Where did you see any judgement in this forum?

All I see here is people trying to help you, but this isn't the first time you came sharp out of the corner, and started attacking people who just in their opinion tried to help you.

As far as I see it, you're the one having the problem. Standard drivers with standard installation procedures work fine for everyone else.
Just saying...

The placement of standard video drivers has nothing to do with the placement of FAH's working files.A

I said that FAH's working files default to %APPDATA%\FAHClient which is equivalent to the place that the documentation says (and snapshot wrote) as c:\users\[user_name]\AppData\Roaming\FAHClient but snapshot decided to move it to drive X: instead of C: Notice that it's actually ending up on drive C: but in a path called program files\ Clearly, something else is going on.

snapshot changed one reference to drive C to drive X but he didn't change the other references to drive x: and that mismatch is causing the permission problem he encountered. When FAHClient is started, it needs to know where the files actually are, and that is managed by the shortcut that's being used -- or not used. I suspect that he's starting FAHClient.exe by another method such as changing directory to "C:\program files...." before he starts FAHClient. That "start in" directory which is built into the shortcut provided by the install needs to say it's on drive X: rather than C: (... or passed to FAHClient in a parameter string or by several other possible methods.) but the document he referenced didn't give all of the necessary details to making what seems like a simple change of C: to X: